Z Motor Exchange

After much deliberation (i.e. several beers), it was determined that the engine compression numbers from the January testing was just too low.  So the big task to get ready for the next race (March which is quickly coming) is for us to change the motor on the Z. The current motor served us well and lasted 7 races.  The specific cause of the trouble is not known.  We do know that the engine, transmission, and differential received a good heat soak and some parts seem to have failed.  This failure is not quite terminal, but we think is unlikely to survive the three racing days plus a practice day at Sonoma.

So, today we started the journey of the motor exchange. Here is the shot of the car in the morning before work began:

This morning I started, when frost was still on the roof, with the most complex job imaginable, the bumper cover.  Shortly after I started Lugnut arrived and in the next hour, he had the exhaust system removed, drive line removed, and began working on the starter. I was still working on removing the bumper cover. Once we I finally got the cover off the German Queen and Torch arrived and the pace of dismantling and destruction increased from there.  By late in the afternoon we had wrenched, twisted, disconnected, cut, drilled, drained, and ablated enough parts that we could remove the motor.

With motor out and lunch in, we spent the rest of the day cleaning up and doing odds and ends in order to get the Z ready for the transplant.  It is most likely we will spend another full work day continuing the olds and end work.  So, it is most likely the following work day that the transplant can commence.  After that the fun really begins, trying to start the car.

For now,  I can say we had a good working weekend and we are well on the way.  Thank you, to all that helped today and we still have some fun work ahead.  

Muddy