wharfy
13th October 2010, 16:17
After spending Thursday night replacing the brand new wets that were fitted for the aborted round 5 with some second hand slicks (thanks Darrin :) ) packing the van re-checking the check list, by midnight I was good to go.
Friday practice was looking good fine weather not many cars and the usual suspects lurking about. I set up in a stall paid the $100 and rolled out for my first session. everything felt good until I got up a bit of speed on the middle straight and could feel a powerful vibration from front wheel, on the back straight it was worse so after a couple of laps I came in and hunted around for some wheel weights to have a go at balancing it. Ozzy came up with some weights I removed the brake calipers and did a rudimentary job of balancing the front wheel on the bike.
The second session was much improved I couldn't feel any vibration (maybe I am just not a sensitive guy) and things seemed to be going great (not fast but).
On or about the 3rd or 4th lap coming into Dunlop the bikes rear was all over the place and mine was puckering !! It felt exactly like a blowout, so I cautiously pulled into the exit and slowly returned to my pit and switched off. As I looked down to back in I saw a long trail of oily looking water from under my bike back to the track. :shit::shit::shit:
My left leg was covered in it, the header tank from the cooling system had popped its top and the slimy greenish stuff was EVERYWHERE a LOT on the rear wheel.
I found the nearest Manfeild staffer and asked them to check the track. They were already onto it. I hope I didn't spoil anyone else's day.
A bit of asking around and the general consensus was that it was a head gasket, the most likely place for oil and water to come together.
I had not noticed any strange noises or high temperature returning to the pit so hopefully no other damage has been done.
The bike has not done many Km's 4000 as a road bike and 40 hours as a race bike, I was a bit bummed :( I change the oil and filter every 10 hours (about 1500 k at the paltry speeds I attain) and the motor is standard apart from the pipe and air filter. But - I had recently fitted a new sump gasket and oil pressure relief valve from the Triumph race kit. This was to ENHANCE reliability by curing the oil surge issue (the work around was to "overfill" the oil) and giving more oil pressure.
Well it appears that the race head gasket is required to handle the extra oil pressure. :facepalm:
So Wharfy's oil relief message is - READ the fine print !!!!! (although I actually could not find anywhere that this was written)
The good news is I have someone who knows 675's to fix it and it only took me about 5 hours to remove the motor from the bike and don't appear to have broken anything in the process. :niceone: However I did manage to drill my finger while putting up shelves in the shed to make some room !!!
Of course I posted my entry for Greymouth on Thursday :( I will still head down there having booked the ferry and all, I might have to resurrect the Hornets race career :)
I stayed around for the racing on Saturday (and some damn fine racing was on offer) and the prize giving of course !!!!
The prize giving was a damn good show to - Thanks to the Vic Club people that put in the work.
Congratulations to all the prizewinners - especially Darrin H. - When we were battling in clubmans I never dreamed either of us would be in the running for an F2 series podium spot !
Good work that man !!!:third:
Friday practice was looking good fine weather not many cars and the usual suspects lurking about. I set up in a stall paid the $100 and rolled out for my first session. everything felt good until I got up a bit of speed on the middle straight and could feel a powerful vibration from front wheel, on the back straight it was worse so after a couple of laps I came in and hunted around for some wheel weights to have a go at balancing it. Ozzy came up with some weights I removed the brake calipers and did a rudimentary job of balancing the front wheel on the bike.
The second session was much improved I couldn't feel any vibration (maybe I am just not a sensitive guy) and things seemed to be going great (not fast but).
On or about the 3rd or 4th lap coming into Dunlop the bikes rear was all over the place and mine was puckering !! It felt exactly like a blowout, so I cautiously pulled into the exit and slowly returned to my pit and switched off. As I looked down to back in I saw a long trail of oily looking water from under my bike back to the track. :shit::shit::shit:
My left leg was covered in it, the header tank from the cooling system had popped its top and the slimy greenish stuff was EVERYWHERE a LOT on the rear wheel.
I found the nearest Manfeild staffer and asked them to check the track. They were already onto it. I hope I didn't spoil anyone else's day.
A bit of asking around and the general consensus was that it was a head gasket, the most likely place for oil and water to come together.
I had not noticed any strange noises or high temperature returning to the pit so hopefully no other damage has been done.
The bike has not done many Km's 4000 as a road bike and 40 hours as a race bike, I was a bit bummed :( I change the oil and filter every 10 hours (about 1500 k at the paltry speeds I attain) and the motor is standard apart from the pipe and air filter. But - I had recently fitted a new sump gasket and oil pressure relief valve from the Triumph race kit. This was to ENHANCE reliability by curing the oil surge issue (the work around was to "overfill" the oil) and giving more oil pressure.
Well it appears that the race head gasket is required to handle the extra oil pressure. :facepalm:
So Wharfy's oil relief message is - READ the fine print !!!!! (although I actually could not find anywhere that this was written)
The good news is I have someone who knows 675's to fix it and it only took me about 5 hours to remove the motor from the bike and don't appear to have broken anything in the process. :niceone: However I did manage to drill my finger while putting up shelves in the shed to make some room !!!
Of course I posted my entry for Greymouth on Thursday :( I will still head down there having booked the ferry and all, I might have to resurrect the Hornets race career :)
I stayed around for the racing on Saturday (and some damn fine racing was on offer) and the prize giving of course !!!!
The prize giving was a damn good show to - Thanks to the Vic Club people that put in the work.
Congratulations to all the prizewinners - especially Darrin H. - When we were battling in clubmans I never dreamed either of us would be in the running for an F2 series podium spot !
Good work that man !!!:third: