Chivenor sprint

MarkTurbo

Well-Known Member
I did a sprint at Chivenor airfield on Sunday, it was my first time there and i was having a really good day until my last timed run!

My first practice run was 116.8 secs but that was a fairly steady one as there was standing water everywhere and i was on R888's. I managed to knock 7.5 secs off that on my second practice as it was drying out and i was really starting to get a good feel for the track. My first timed run felt really good but i missed 3rd gear going onto one of the straights and i thought it was a bit untidy in places but i was surprised to see when i looked at the times that i'd taken another 4 secs off which put me in 4th place 0.25 secs off 3rd and 1 sec off 2nd place.

On my second timed run i went off the line down the straight and 1st to 2nd gear was fine but i had trouble getting 3rd again so had to go into 4th, slowing down towards the first corner it wouldnt go down into 3rd again so had to scrub off some speed and go into 2nd. Then coming out of the first corner i went for 3rd again, it went in this time but couldn't any other gear after that so had to leave the track and sit in one of the run off area's until the end of the event :doh:

Then if breaking my gearbox wasn't bad enough when i looked at the results at the end somebody had decided that my first timed run didn't count as i'd supposedly gone off the course somewhere :evil: The track is set out by cones and if the marshals think you've gone outside of them you get an AFW (all four wheels off the course) I know that i didn't go off anywhere though so as i was only 4th it didn't bother me too much but if i had of been in the top 3 i think i might have had to have a word with the organizers about that!

Off the start line there was a timed 1/4 mile, i managed to do a 12.1 at 119 mph with a 2.2 or 2.3 64ft time as it was a bit damp so i was quite pleased with that, Den managed an 11.6 at 123mph in his LHD car which was good to see though 8)

This was the car that i was trying to get 3rd place from. I suppose being 0.25 secs off his time isn't too bad considering its 530bhp, four wheel drive and is probably worth 25 times what my sunny is :lol: Its nice to see something like this being used in anger too 8)

 

campbellju

Moderators
Staff member
Nice write up Mark. Let's hope next time you have less problems with your gearbox as you're obviously competitive
 

MarkTurbo

Well-Known Member
Yes, although my time was 4th quickest the fact i was judged to have been off the course means technically i didn't record a time so this was my worst result all year! Up until then i've finished in the top 5 of every event i've entered.

Sat in the car on sunday with a broken box watching all the other cars going round was putting thoughts into my head of keeping my seats, brakes, and turbo, selling the car and buying an Evo 6 rs :oops: I think that was just the disappointment though as i'm over that now and will try and get the box out and fix it before castle combe sprint next month. My current box has been in the car around 5 years now and has taken a lot of abuse so i can't complain too much, its got a fair bit of power running through it too.

I might even start taking the box out tomorrow :-D
 

hillgtir

New Member
hi mark sorry to hear about your gearbox probs, thanks for the push to get mine back on the trailer,still havent been able to get mine to restart going to try changing the ecu this weekend hopefully that will solve it,i had a afw in 1st practice, and then when i checked my time for 2nd practice the sheet had been changed and i had a time for both 1st and 2nd practice wierd...
 

MarkTurbo

Well-Known Member
hi mark sorry to hear about your gearbox probs, thanks for the push to get mine back on the trailer,still havent been able to get mine to restart going to try changing the ecu this weekend hopefully that will solve it,i had a afw in*1st practice, and then when i checked my time for 2nd practice the sheet had been changed and i had a time for both 1st and 2nd practice wierd...
We thought on Sunday that it would be sods law that you would get the car home and it would fire up straight away. Hope you get it sorted out soon.

I'm not sure what was going on with the AFW situation but they did seem a bit inconsistent with handing them out :? Never mind though, hopefully the event will run next year as i really enjoyed it.
 

hillgtir

New Member
hi den thanks for the offer,i have a standard ecu but havent had chance to try it yet been working long hours this week will try at weekend to get the old girl going will let you know if it works.
 

MarkTurbo

Well-Known Member
I was bored today so decided to take the box off and check the damage. The selector fork for 3rd/4th gear had snapped and one of the brass syncro rings was slightly damaged so nothing major 8)





Thought i'd try taking the box off with the engine in too, some bits are a bit fiddly but its definatly less hassle than dropping the engine.

 

MarkTurbo

Well-Known Member
Just built my gearbox back up and found the reason for my snapped selector fork. The 3rd/4th gear syncro hub had a hairline crack in it so it had expanded slightly on the shaft which was making the operation of the coupling sleeve which sits on the selector fork tight.

Whilst i had it in bits i checked everything over and ended up changing the syncro hub & coupling sleeve on 1st/2nd too which was also starting to crack and the coupling sleeve had scored the outside of it, 1st/3rd/5th baulk rings had seen better days so they got changed too. I think being repeatedly smashed into 1st gear whilst moving had a lot to do with some of that damage so hopefully it'll change smoother now.

3rd/4th syncro hub, you can see the crack at 12 o clock



All ready to go again 8)

 

gtirx2

Active Member
I had basicly the exact same problem with mine after a hammering at santa pod, although i did not break the fork.

Mine basicly went so stiff i could not get 4th very easyly,and if i remember right was putting pressure on that gear causing it to wear on the input shaft creating a bit of swarf.

Luckly i only drove it from the the end of the track back onto the trailer before stipping it,if it was driven much further there would have been alot more damage.
 

MarkTurbo

Well-Known Member
Mine basicly went so stiff i could not get 4th very easyly,
I remember at the previous even at Wiscombe hillclimb 3rd and 4th gear went stiff for a bit then freed up again so that must have been when it cracked. This is the 1st/2nd gear syncro hub.

Another hairline crack (not quite right through)



And the deep scoring on the outside of the same hub, not sure what caused this :?

 
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