[Wazza]

I've never actually EVER blown an engine up.

In the Black and Yellow Cobra,

I've split a block completely in two......which was a brand new stroker built just 3 days earlier, but not one other component was damaged.

It opened and closed in a split second, killed the engine immediately, and all I had to do was get a new block, and put all the other bits on it....another THREE days later , we turned the key, started and ran like a charm, and went for another 40,000 klms racing and such without a spot of trouble.

Before it gave up, I decided that I should rebuild it, rather than wait for the inevitable, considering how much I had driven it all over the country, and on the race track, and drag strip.

So I pulled it down and fully rebuilt it again ( New rings/seals/machined the heads/etc. etc.) and it went for about 5,000 klms and I broke a timing chain.

Took it apart again, because I had bent a couple of valves, and hardly any other damage, and cleaned all the surfaces again etc.,insert a new timing chain, and put it all back together.

Another 5,000 klms later ANOTHER bloody timing chain!

Each time had been a double rollmaster good quality chain.....no idea what was the problem, but after this happened twice , I had the external cam belt drive system installed, with the electric water pump and all that.

Going like a train since then.

And recently installed a new cam.....it had done about 20,000 klms, but was wearing.

RED RACE COBRA;

****ty luck with that one....

Only had it at two race meetings, and I AGAIN split a block!!!
This time was less dramatic, it was just cracked down through the mains.

And rather than just put all the old bits back on a new block, we built a whole new engine, with all of the nice bits...crane cam, Arias Forged pistons,H beams, Scat Crank, Romac Balancer, solid lifters,lightweight flywheel,etc etc. etc.

When sliding the gearbox on to the new engine, noticed that it felt "chunky" and opened it up to find that it was in bits,missing teeth everywhere, and it seems that it was most likely what caused of the engine to split.

It all happened so fast at Queensland Raceway, it wasn't obvious at the time.

Sooooooooo new gear box, joined the new engine, and it's been absolutely singing .

Gotta keep a real close eye on the tacho when I'm racing, it revs so easily.

So Spook, as you see.....Never actually Blown an engine up.....just a few "Mishaps"

I've certainly learned that if you drive them a lot, the little darlings will need attention from time to time.

Lets hope I have a clean run for a while.


Regards,

Warren