Formula Ford - Page 23 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #**331** 09-20-2020, 10:41 PM

Today went up to south bend and ran at the tire rack. I posted fast time of the day again. Very fun!

We ran in two heats, three runs each. More was planned but we lost a ton of time when they had trouble with the timing mechanisms.

The course was on fairly good grippy asphalt but the temperature when we started was in the forties so grip was hard to come by all day. There were a lot of very difficult slow places. I ran clean all day with no cones but spent a lot of time recovering from big slides. My second run was my fastest at 40.4....in that run I had four 2/3 spins and it did not feel fast...but it was fast enough to be top time of the day.

There were five guys in the forties and 59 drivers in all.

I got tired enough that concentration became an issue on my fourth run.

It was a beautiful day.

t walgamuth · #**332** 09-27-2020, 06:32 AM

Heading out shortly to Grissom for the last points event for the Indy region for the year. A couple more after that probably with other regions.

t walgamuth · #**333** 10-10-2020, 11:01 PM

I had not planned to go today as it was a test and tune. At the last minute I decided to go tomorrow but found registration had closed.

Last event at Columbus next weekend.

Today I installed the wheels with new slicks and adjusted the suspension back down after raising it for that bumpy course last event.

t walgamuth · #**334** 10-18-2020, 06:35 AM

Today I am heading to South Bend again to run at the tire rack test track. Looks like good chance of rain after noon.

t walgamuth · #**335** 10-18-2020, 10:34 PM

It rained on the way up. It sprinkled here and there during the event. I worked first heat and ran second. I got mentally lost on the first run and ran a slow 51 something. I nailed the place where I got lost the first run....it was a run around the skid pad circle, 3/4 of it. I did the other sections cleanly and got a 46.01. I tried harder on the third run but ran a little slower. It was pretty cold out so the tires really never got warm.

The first run group got six runs. We got three in the morning and the afternoon section it rained so I loaded up and came home.

So nobody in our group got six dry runs. This may or may not have impacted the times very much. I often get my best time on my second or third run as I did today but I do sometimes get it on the last run.

I finished sixth on raw time out of 75. I never really mastered the first section...I think I should have kept it in first gear through the first three elements and shifted on the outside of the first slalom cones.

I think I will run next weekend as the last event of the year.

Today was the first event for a new set of slicks.

I'll be installing a bunch of new lighter weight parts over the winter.

t walgamuth · #**336** 10-31-2020, 11:16 PM

I'm loaded up and ready to pull out at 646 am tomorrow. Will run at the old Walesboro airfield which is now a test and training track owned by Cummins. It is a fun place to run with convenient paddock to grid locations and challenging courses. I have never had FTD there but have been third fastest overall and fastest in my heat.

It is supposed to be pretty cold but sunny and breezy.

Woo hoooo!

t walgamuth · #**337** 11-02-2020, 03:15 PM

So far there is limited info so far on the autocross but I had tenth fastest raw time in a field of 39 drivers. My driving was ok but I could have gotten on the gas quicker probably in some places.

It never got into the fifties and there was a brisk 20 mph wind all day. It was sunny though. When we got done it was four o'clock I'd say. So I was coming home on I 65 and there was lots of traffic and I was tired and a bit groggy. I checked the truck fuel on Saturday and saw I had less than a full tank so figured to stop on the way home for fuel.

I forgot about it until I was about 40 miles from home and noticed the little gas pump outline was lit up. I did not know how much fuel I had left and hoped to make it to the next station to fill up. I was on 52 and knew there was a station at the intersection of I 65 and 52 but got a bit confused and turned on 47 instead of 28 so when got to the interstate there is no station. I got back on 65 and reduced my speed to 60 hoping for the best.

As I neared the 28 exit the truck started faltering. I got on the berm and krept along, jerking the wheel back and forth to grab the last ounces of fuel. I rolled to a stop spitting distance from the exit lane. By now it was dark.

I called Lafayette and my daughter volunteered to bring me a couple of gallons of fuel. Although i made quite a mess I did not get the truck to start. I left it sitting with the four ways flashing.

This morning I called a truck service company and asked for a guy to come and try to get it primed. After struggling mightily for a half hour he decided to pull me trailer and all up the ramp into the truck stop where he could hear the fuel pump running. He decided to take one more run at it and with another gallon of fuel and the truck sitting level it started!

What an ordeal!

I'll never let that mother trucker run dry again!

vwnate1 · #**338** 11-03-2020, 12:44 AM

Whew .

? have you ever changed the fuel pump in that truck ? .

If not, expect it to fail soon ~ electric fuel pumps are lubricated by the fuel passing through them, any time they run dry the bearings suffer damage quickly .

The weather report sounds nice at least .

t walgamuth · #**339** 11-03-2020, 07:30 AM

Do they fail instantly or do they give warning?

vwnate1 · #**340** 11-03-2020, 11:00 PM

If you can hear it running, it's bad and getting ready to go tits up .

I'm talking about modern rotary high pressure fuel injection pumps, not those cube things that chatter loudly and don't wail unless you hit them with hammers .

When your late model pump packs it in on the road, let it cool a while then have someone crank the engine whilst you beat the bottom of the fuel tank with a stick ~ often that'll get it ging long enough to reach someplace .

t walgamuth · #**341** 11-03-2020, 11:40 PM

If I can hear it running with the engine running or just the key turned on?

vwnate1 · #**342** 11-04-2020, 11:40 AM

The engine needs to be running .

Here's how it works :

For safety reasons the fuel pump doesn't run unless the engine is running .

When first you turn on the key there's a pump relay that runs a few seconds to prime the system then as you're cranking it over (running the starter) there's a by pass circuit that runs the fuel pump until the engine catches and runs .

The safety relay senses if the engine is running out not and kills the pump as it can cause a serious fire in case of collision .

Usually when the fuel pumps go bad they make fairly loud humming noises for a few thousand miles before stranding you .

Sometimes they screech .

Leave the radio off when you're in town going for coffee etc. .

Don't loose much sleep over it and don't buy an aftermarket pump unless you're researched and discovered a better one .

Now, back to racing ! =8-) .

t walgamuth · #**343** 11-07-2020, 09:42 PM

Thanks Nate!

vwnate1 · #**344** 11-10-2020, 10:17 AM

You're welcome, remember : my advice is free and worth far less than you pay for it .

t walgamuth · #**345** 12-07-2020, 10:59 AM

Yesterday I unloaded the FF and put it in my garage. As I walked by the front of it and got a good look at it I had this feeling of affection as one might feel about a good dog. I love driving that little missle.