Well it has been a long journey I must say but one that has tought me alot.I have finally managed to install the new engine and fired it up. At first there was some problems causing it not to start but sorted them out and it seems to be good now. There are still some minor adjustments to be mad but all in due time.
Want to say thanks to all those who helped and supported along the way. Was hoping to have been ready for the last dover of the year but that didnt happen none the less Im still looking at the future and what it hold. I must apologize for the absence of pictures but I did alot of the work alone and most time who ever was there was helping and didnt have time to take pics. Well the search for a new engine was alot harder than I thought. The E -series of engine seem to be rather rare and when not rare rather pricey. Now my intial search began for a 4efte , however after hearing the prices I had to rethink my decision as funding was not substantial enough to reach the limits being asked. Taking all of this into consideration I opted to go the 5e route once more. At the beginning of my search heard some real ridiculous prices especially in Kingston but as the shopping around continued I realized that there were a few places that were selling them at a reasonable price the problem was that as soon as they got stock is as soon as they we sold. Lucky for me I had called an auto place that had one reasonably priced and though it was a distance from me,given the challenges in finding one I decided to make the trip. I bearly made it to the place before closing time but made it none the less.
Now the hard part begins stripping it of what I dont need and reinstalling the parts i had on the old engine. STAY TUNED Its been a while since I have made a post here or updated the site as a matter a fact but I have a good excuse. Since dover I have been trying to get my car sorted out properly. Now on my way to the last dover it started to over heat. I drove it since then and it didnt heat ,thought it was mostly down hill and on the flat, guess it couldnt manage the hill. Based on this I decided to change the head gasket, how ever ran into some problems when carrying out that operation plus i think that engine had done its time so now im currently sourcing and preparing to install a new engine. In addition to the new engine, I plan to sort out a gearbox issue that I have and try and install a lightened flywheel as well as change the clutch since it was close to finish. Stay tuned for pics and descriptions
Dover has come and past and all I can say that it was quite an experience. The weekend was again filled with mixed experiences, close calls and near misses. On my way to the qualiying session the saturday morning my car engine gave up the ghost. I was rather disappointed that all my hard work and preparation would have come to no avail. In the last hour how ever a team mate opted to allow me to use his car and so at this time I want to take time out to "BIG UP" the race team of which I am a part JAGDYB Friendship Racing. Not only did my teammate (Cardo Dawkins) allow me to use his car but the other team mates that were there help to ensure that the day ran smoothe. They handled all the details allowing me to just focus on racing. They sorted out my timing equipment, made sure I had food and drink, made sure the car was ok before and after runs check times after runs and the most important thing , offered encouragement.
Now the saturday was alot of waiting around. After the cars were check and deemed fit for racing we were allowed half hour free practise on the track. I jumped to the opertunity as I had driven the car (1996 Toyota Corolla) only once a few times around the track and not at high speeds. It handled very well as expected, though I was timid to push it hard. After the practise session we waited almost for the whole day for our qualifying session. When it came I was ready and waiting. IGot on the track did a warm up lap to get the tires up to temperature and then I began to push. I did about 5 laps and at the end I managed to qualify in second place. Now race day was a bit different, it was my first time racing at dover and all I can say is watching from the side lines is a whole different thing than racing on the track. I started at second position on the grid and was surrounded by way faster cars. Took us a while to get the start right but we eventually got it right. I had a minor spin out but other than that i did my laps and finished both races. Once again i want to thank my team mates for there help and support as all this not only ensured that I had a great time but also at the end of the day secure 3rd Place in the second IP45 race. Well this weekend me and two other members decided to head to dover to do some practice and refresh our selves with the track before the weekend. Last week I aquired a pair of front cross drilled and slotted rotors and had plan to install them this weekend and post the documentation here. With my oil leak a thing of the past, I hope, it finally now seems like I can focus on other things, case in point preparing for dover. Since the introduction of the IP45 class a few years back I have been wanting to enter but every time I think that its my time to enter some unforseen circumstance causes me to have to put my plans of entering on hold. I upgraded to a TD05 turbo recently and as such had to do some rerouting. Now the set up I had before had the oil return location on the sump moved to a new spot an so it couldnt work with my current set up. I then decided to change the sump as I had an extra one from a eninge I had a while back. Now on my first attempt I spent most of my Saturday install the new sump and when I was complete thought it was smooth sailing only to realize there was a small leak. Start blogging by creating a new post. If this site was helpful to you or you have suggestions of content to add or something that you think can be improved just leave a post and let me know. |
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September 2018
About the AuthorI am a Starlet enthusiast who has been previlaged to own 4 starlets to date and have picked up a few things about these little vehicles. There is always more to learn and im always willing to share info and thats what my aim is with this site. Categories |