Emirates Desert Championship R5

Another evening in the garage, and we now have a pair of very funky adjustable rubber buffers, attached to the turret brace, which stop the bonnet flapping around.   And the Heath-Robinson blower bracket has been replaced with a proper aluminium plate.
So Friday morning we're up at Lusaili - the scene of our previous debacle in R3 - for another round of the EDC.  The steering seems to have a lot of backlash, and the fluid level is a bit low so I top that up.  But as I'm waiting on the grid, I realize that the backlash isn't in the hydraulics - it's because the 6 countersunk bolts that hold the steering wheel onto the column are all loose!  Aaaargh, one minute to start time, no chance to get the tools out, so I use my allen-headed index finger to tighten them as much as I can and hope that's enough.  (One more thing to add to the pre-flight check list!)
And we're off, second car out, 30 seconds behind Emil in his Y62 Patrol - which I catch and pass within the first three minutes.  It pays to be cautious on the first lap and I take no chances - although bizarrely enough this turns out to be my fastest lap.
Soon after starting lap 2 I pass Mark's Predator, a sorry sight parked beside the track and lacking its full quota of wheels.  The following lap I pass Emil, not far away from Mark, and also one wheel short of a full set.  What are they doing?
Eventually I manage to pass a vehicle that's actually moving, which is always more fun.  It's Graeme Rose in his Polaris, and I do the business on the approach to the pit straight for maximum effect.  Of course, by now the fastest Polaris guys are lapping me, and Vadym Prytuliak in his very quick Pathfinder finally gets past me as well.
Two hours in medium sized dunes has taken a disproportionate toll on the autos - 15 started, only 8 finished.  The top three places go to the National-class Polaris buggies as usual, Vadym is 4th, and I'm 5th - and 2nd in T1 class.  But since Vadym holds a Ukrainian rally licence his points don't count towards the Championship, so I'm still leading T1 with one race to go.
The best news is that I have no issues with the gear-change.  Last time out we were doing three 17-20km stages with road liaisons between, and by the third stage it was getting cranky.  Today I've done six 17km laps on the trot, two hours of continual 2nd/3rd gear work, and no problems. So maybe the DOT5.1 fluid has worked its magic.  The engine was pulling really well, water temp settled at 100c and oil at 120c, which is OK.  There's no water-wetter in the rad yet, and that will pull down the temp another 10 degrees or so.
Next job is to get the suspension re-tuned to take account of the lighter back-end.  It's a bit too bouncy at present, and maybe needs lighter springs.  Then I need to decide how we're going to incorporate my new improved 36mm restrictor into the intake system.
We have two more events before the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge - EMC R2 in two weeks time, and EDC R6 the week after.  The DC is only 40 days away!

Working on it

Spent most of the weekend working on the Beast.  There were various bijou jobettes that needed sorting.

(1) The Peltor intercom seemed only to work with a 9v battery, and not with the 12v battery eliminator PCB.  It seems to need a spacer to ensure good PCB contact with the terminals, and a piece of slit rubber tube on the opposite end of the PCB worked wonders.  Result!

(2) Then on to the Monit tripmeters - power was there, but no signal.  Further investigation showed that both tripmeters had been wired up differently - but both of them were all kinds of wrong!  After disconnecting the speed sensors I could see the correct wiring colour code and supply voltage, and after re-wiring the Monits they now both work perfectly.  Result #2!  Not rocket surgery, but seemingly beyond the wit of my garage's electrician :-(

(3) While the dashboard panel was off, I took the opportunity to shift the ERTF GPS bracket 15mm to the left, so that the side terminals wouldn't interfere with the Monit once the GPS is installed for the DC.

(4) We'd installed a big 4" blower to provide some airflow in the cab, especially when the Beast is stationary.  But it was blowing in the wrong direction, so I bodged up a couple of brackets to re-position it, aiming upwards at 45 degrees from under the dashboard.  Then I made a plastic flow-divider from an ice-cream tub lid (very Blue Peter!) to aim the air at our faces.  It's a bit Heath-Robinson at the moment, but it works, and I'll do a more professional job once I've bought some parts.

(5) Is the gearbox crankiness due to the clutch fluid overheating?  Well, the slave cylinder is very close to the exhaust, and probably only DOT4 fluid was used in the system.  So maybe, although if the fluid was boiling I'd expect to lose pressure in the clutch, which didn't happen.  But the fluid was filthy, with lots of blackish particles (definitely not sand, more like carbon).  So I've bled all the old fluid out and replaced it with high-temperature DOT5.1, so let's see if that helps at all.

(6) Then Sheila wanted her footrest moved back an inch, and her wish is my command!

(7) I now have a Cunning Plan to install a couple of rubber buffers onto the top of the turret brace, to minimize the flapping-around of the fiberglass bonnet.

All in all quite a satisfying weekend.  Next weekend we have the 5th round of the EMSF Desert Championship to look forward to, so watch this space.

Long Catch-up Post

EMSF Desert Championship R3 and R4

Well, I had intended to write about my participation in R3 but it was far too depressing.  Basically, I did a couple of laps and then blew the engine – again.

So after drowning my sorrows I had the engine pulled out and gave it back to Fadi to perform the post mortem.  And the coroner’s verdict was that – although overall it was running rich – it was running very lean on the two rear cylinders (probably part-blocked injectors), causing them to run sufficiently hot that a con rod snapped, which then took out the block.  So we needed a very expensive engine rebuild and a new block.

Dusty Start to R4

So while all this was going on we didn’t have a vehicle in which to compete in R4, so that was a shame.  But I took some photos anyway.

301 gets Big Air

By now, another event was looming large on the horizon – the first event of the Emirates Motor Club 2015 rally season.  This is billed as a ‘24-hour race’, which is a bit of a stretch – what it actually means is that there are stages extending over two days, with night stages on Friday evening (30^th) followed by further stages on the Saturday (31^st)

Emirates Motorsport Club R1 – ‘Desert Challenge’ – The Prequel

On Thursday (22^nd) Fadi completed the engine rebuild.

On Saturday (24^th) a recovery truck took the Beast, while I collected an engine and a pallet load of engine anciliaries and in the Mitsubishi pickup, and we all met up at Saluki workshop where Leric nailed it all back together.  Unfortunately he then discovered that where the dipstick should be mounted, the engine block had a core plug….

On Monday (26^th) I trailered it back to Fadi’s workshop for them to drop the sump, pull the plug, fit the dipstick, and run the engine to check the mixture – which is excessively rich.  So we’ll need to get it dyno’d before scrutineering on Thursday…

Tuesday (27^th) was a bit of a headless-chicken day. Drive the Beast round the corner from Al Numairy to Saluki (strictly illegal, but what to do?) so they can (a) fit the roof bar and lights which we’re going to need, (b) sort out the trip-meters which aren’t working, and (c) sort out the oil pressure gauge which is also not working.  Turns out that the gauge needs a new adaptor for the hydraulic feed, but this is apparently such an unusual size that Gates Hydraulics can’t supply one till tomorrow.  Then we have to find a dyno, how hard can that be?  The usual one is operated by Sam at 1000 Dunes, which I discover he’s just quit from.  Bugger.  Second choice is a recommendation from Rashad for a guy at D.I.P. , but he’s fully booked till Sunday.  Bugger.  Finally I drive round to Sub-Zero in Al Quoz, where I meet a very helpful South African called Dino, who says ‘yeah, just bring it over after 3pm, today, tomorrow, whenever…and we’ll do it’.  Do I need an appointment? ‘Nah, just bring it over’.  Result!  Now all we need is our 2015 rally licenses, which necessitates a lengthy trip across town to Stuart at the ATC, who has them ready for me.  Another result!

Wednesday (28^th) The adaptor is delivered, fitted – but the oil pressure gauge still doesn’t work.  Bugger.  Saluki can’t find the fault with the trip-meters.  Bugger.  Roof bar and lights are fitted, so it’s back on the trailer to Sub-Zero.  But they can’t do it till the evening.  At 8pm they call to say the engine has overheated while warming up, so there’s no dyno run possible.  Bugger again.

Thursday (29^th) Back to Sub-Zero, and the ever-helpful Dino.  No hot water is coming out of the pump.   After removing the thermostat (no change) and taking off the pump and checking it (OK), Dino finds that the bleed line – which bleeds trapped air from the top of the engine back to the radiator) is completely blocked.  So we have a huge airlock inside the block.  After drilling out the blockage, suddenly we have water flowing.  Now we can put it on the dyno, and Dino pronounces himself satisfied that the engine is running safely, without any changes to the ECU.  We have a quick attempt to check the balky starter motor, before putting it back on the trailer.  It’s off to Sharjah for scrutineering, which it passes with flying colours.  Then it won’t start – starter has jammed (again). Oh, the embarrassment.  It takes a bump-start to get it back on the trailer.

Friday morning is mainly occupied with taking off the starter, dismantling it, cleaning it out, re-assembling it and re-installing it.  Whilst not 100%, we now have a far higher probability of starting.  The best news is that I now have a service crew, i.e. Jason Lyness!  Just after 2.00pm we’re on the road to the Traditional Café in Sharjah for the ceremonial start.

Emirates Motorsport Club R1 – ‘Desert Challenge’ – The Event

Let’s just gloss over the inordinate amount of hanging about and pratting around which accompanies this event, and cut to the chase.  By 8.00pm it’s dark.  The trailer is parked outside the Motor Museum, and we’re at Junction 8 opposite the cement factory, nervously awaiting our turn.  Sheila has the GPS which is a poor substitute for a trip-meter, but better than nothing.  Jason has the other Patrol and will shadow us from stage to stage.  And we’re off!

May the Lightforce be with you!
 

This is our first ever competitive night stage and the twin Lightforce spots on the roof throw a cone of visibility some 30m in front of us, but beyond that the landscape is cloaked in stygian darkness.  As 8^th car out, at least we have some decent tracks to follow through the dunes, and Sheila is doing a sterling job on the roadbook.  At one point we are overtaken by two other race cars – surely we’re not going so slowly that anyone can make up 3 minutes on us in a 20km stage?  It turns out that they started ahead of us, and had problems – Ali Al Shawi has had a puncture.  We get safely to the end of the stage, not as quick as the competitors who’ve had a chance to practice, but OK.  On the liaison to SS2 we see Mark Powell’s Predator at the side of the road – an electrical meltdown forces him out of contention after completing the first stage.  Two more stages are interrupted only by a navigational error towards the end of SS3, which costs us a few seconds.  Then we’re back to the Museum to drop off the car, and the three of us head back to Dubai to recover.  Three stages down, six to go.

The next day, the 16 starters are down to 10.  There are no results available, but we can’t be lower than 10^th which is something.  The daylight stages are much easier and although we are nowhere near the fastest, our times are improving with each stage – on the final two stages we are 4^th fastest.

At the end there are only seven classified finishers.  We are 5^th overall, and 3^rd in T1 class.  Considering we’ve had no practice and no trip-meter, that’s not too shabby.  The car has held together without any major dramas, except for the gear-change getting progressively more reluctant as time goes on.  This needs more investigation.

Anyway - massive thanks to Jason, who did a sterling job as 'trailer-bitch', service-crew and  also did the photography.  Top job, mate.

Oh, and there’s more.  Here’s a list of the upcoming events in the region:

13/02            EMSF R5

27-28/02       EMC R2 Sharjah Rally

06/03            EMSF R6

17-22/03       Hail Baja

26/03-02/04 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

10-11/04       EMC R3 RAK Rally

19-24/04       Qatar Sealine Baja

02-03/10        EMC R4 Night Rally

20-22/11        EMC R5 Dubai International Rally (revised date)

29/11             Yas Marina F1

11-12/12        EMC R6 Fujairah Rally

EMSF = Emirates Motorsport Federation 'Emirates Desert Championship'

EMC = Emirates Motorsport Club 'UAE Rally Championship'