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| The "Mid" class had an interesting mix of cars, including second-gen F-Bodies and four-door Mustangs. |
It was also extremely frustrating because Project Whack-A-Mole decided for something completely new to pop up -- starter motor heat soak. I have not had this happen before. Last month with the same format, local events when it was 90+ degrees. Never.
It started when trying to start the car for my second run in the first session on Friday. Turned the key, and nothing. I thought the connection had unbuckled itself from the starter solenoid like last month, but that wasn't the case.
Aaron Shoe came over to help by checking the draw on the battery as I turned the ignition, and he said there was arcing coming from the cable that connects to the starter.
Karen, Aaron and some others helped push start the car, and I did my second run. I figured I could keep the car running in grid and make the third and final run of the session. It turned out that meant the clutch hydraulic fluid (that runs through a braided line close to the driver's side header) got too hot, and the clutch pedal went to the floor without resistance!
Not being able to get into any gear, I limped back to my paddock spot. I bled the clutch, and the pedal was rock solid. At least it wasn't a throwout bearing or the clutch itself.
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| Actually not messing with the starter in this pic, just fiddling with the alignment. |
Back to the no-start issue, I jacked the car up and removed the cable that attached to the starter, and a part of the heat wrap had glued itself to the cable because of contact with the passenger-side header. You know, it's only been on the car for three years.
It hadn't fully melted the insulation, i.e., no exposed wire, so we "fixed" it by wrapping that portion in electrical tape, putting the heat wrap back on and then sending it.
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| Blister in the sun, heat was apparently the culprit to the first non-start problem. |
This lasted through the first run in the second session.
Then the car wouldn't start.
Again.
Push started and decided to keep it running in grid. But I noticed the clutch pedal was going soft again, so I shut the car off. And of course had to get push-started.
Back to my paddock spot. Jacked the car up again. This time, the wire connecting to the solenoid had come loose. When bandaging the cable, I dropped the starter because it was easier, and the spade that connected to the flat pin on the solenoid had worn out (I guess) and wouldn't hold tension inserted onto the pin.
I didn't have another spade connection with me, so I squeezed the spade with pliers. It was difficult going back on the flat pin, so I figured this would hold up and wouldn't pull off the solenoid.
At least for one run. We were only getting two runs in the final Friday session, so I opted just to do one run and call it a day.
When I got back to my paddock spot after that run, I shut the car off then tried to turn it back on, and it fired right up.
Karen and I stopped at an Oh-Oh-O'Reilly's in town to get a pack of spade connectors. Of course I didn't bring the pack I bought to make the fix from last month. I opted to get through the Saturday morning session, and if need be, replace the spade connector if it came off again.
Lo and behold, it made all three runs in that session without incident!
Because of time constraints to setup for the shootout, we were only getting one more session with three runs.
If you've followed along, it appears I had an issue with a janky power cable. And upon fixing that, mangled the spade connector to the starter solenoid. And you're thinking, "But you made three runs Saturday morning and didn't have any problems. So there's nothing to worry about for the final Saturday runs."
Right? That's what you're thinking.
It's like "Stalag 17" where everybody thinks William Holden is the bad guy. And [spoiler alert] he wasn't.
We got called to grid for the final session and SURPRISE the car wouldn't start! I presumed the spade had come off the starter solenoid, and I didn't want jack the car up (again) and reconnect everything only to only get one run in before it presumably came off again.
But Karen convinced me to try. So I jacked the car up (again), crawled underneath ... but the spade was still connected! WTF??!!
I put the car down and started going over connections. Checking the actual posts on the battery, the negative post was loose. I tightened that down, and the car fired right up.
So we are back and business and we are going to get three drama-free runs to end the day!
[RonHowardNarratorVoice]He did not get three drama-free runs.[/RonHowardNarratorVoice]
I went out and did my first run (went nine tenths faster, by the way). Cruising back to grid, I stopped and turned the car off. When I tried to start it again, it fired right up!
Yeah, no issues here no way we are going to finish this thing off without any drama.
[RonHowardNarratorVoice]There would be drama.[/RonHowardNarratorVoice]
After parking in grid, Karen and I went over checking pressures, spraying the radiator and tires. Maybe about 10 minutes had elapsed before it was time for my second run.
As the line began to move, I strapped in and went to start the car.
You know what happens now right? Yup, it wouldn't start.
So I put it in gear, and Karen started pushing. Some other people helped out, and I popped the clutch, and it started up.
After finishing my second run, back to grid. Turned the car off. Again, not wanting to keep it running to boil the clutch fluid. For grins, I immediately tried to start it, and it fired right up. Karen just said, "What the fuck?!"
And of course it wouldn't start when it came time for my last run. Again, Karen and some other people helped her push start it. I made my final run and dropped another two tenths. Oh yeah, there was a competition during all this.
I was 18th after Friday, then dropped to 24th after the first session Saturday. It's like an SCCA National Tour where there are different courses each day, and your fastest time from each day is combined.
My final run on Saturday moved me up to 20th. I really felt that was a good run, so I didn't think there was much room for improvement. Unlike Friday where I had a run that would have been two tenths faster than my fastest clean run, but I hit a cone at the finish. Like a cone that really didn't help me pick up time, like a slalom cone.
I really think, ultimately, that the source for the no-start issues the entire weekend was heat soak. The couple times where it would start up right away after completing a run on course, the air flowing under the car helped cool the starter. And then after sitting for 10 to 15 minutes, it would, well, you know, soak up the heat. When I took the starter off on Friday 30-45 minutes after my final run, everything under there was still really warm. Starter, oil pan, etc.
I think the grid layout on the site exacerbates this issue. A traditional "SCCA style" grid has everybody park their car, and grid workers keep a steady stream of cars going to the starting line. Usually there are only four cars sitting at the line.
At UMI, grid is two lines of cars -- 10 to 15 cars in each line -- and when you come in after a run, you are at the tail end of the line and have to keep moving until the cars in front have made their runs. Then you can shut the car off. And then you have to start up again because it's a train of cars that are flowing to the start.
The site has limitations because grid and paddock are in the infield section of the track. Competitors park their trailers and tow vehicles outside the track, but I'm not sure there's enough room for a traditional SCCA-like grid.
Other than that, UMI puts on an awesome event! They feed you dinner Thursday-Friday-Saturday with some adult beverages. Lunch on Friday and Saturday. There are no work assignments as they have paid course workers. Although I would like to work as an announcer for a heat or two.
I also have plenty of UMI stuff on the car, so it was good to support them. Or maybe everything I've bought over the years helped them support the event?
Even though I had car issues and got my ass kicked, I'm already thinking about next year.
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| UMI's Ramey Womer interviews John Vitamvas after winning the whole damn thing! |
Also, shout-out to my buddy John Vitamvas who won the King of the Mountain shootout under the lights Saturday night. Seeing cars compete that probably had six figures in them, John won the whole damn thing in a car that he built in his garage by himself! Mazda RX-8 powered by a turbo Ford 2.5-liter engine and (also Ford) 10-speed automatic transmission.
Co-driving with thee Sam Strano, they chased throttle body issues for much of the event. Eventually figuring out it was just a wiring problem, John cruised to an easy win in the shootout. Hahahaha. As the kids say, IYKYK!
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