Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Getting closer to smelling smoke. Front cover, water pump, damper installed and torqued. Holding the block with one hand a pulling the damper bolt to
129 Ft/lbs it took a few try's but I got it done. Checked TDC to the ATI damper it was spot on. Today is head day. The heads are easy. Its the pushrods and valve train that is more fun than an empty barrel.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

thanks for this build thread, Larry. As a daily auto repair shop owner/ worker and former racer I enjoy every word about the precision you are going through. Can't wait to see the results!

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Started to put the last head on then I realized the lifters will only go in before the head is installed. It's just one more stupid old man trick.

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No place for big hands and fingers, its busy up there.

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I got to make a tool that I can hang on a rockerarm and quickly check piston to valve clearance at split overlap. How I did it yesterday was slower than molasses on a real cold day in Nova Scotia. Got it done. It was interesting to see how the piston speed and the valve speed stayed in the same clearance for a number of crank degrees. There has to be some real smart folks doing this, me I just have to follow directions.

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Dumbo is starting to develop a little bit of a personality. I still need to button up the oil pan, but that will be tomorrow.

Today is Taco Tuesday a day late but the margaritas will be good. They won't be as good as Stan and Shella's but they will contain "grog" and imitation lime juice and salt. I know they will be bad for my diet, but oh well!

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Ta-Dah

I just hope its not Ta-Dud!

I hope to record a Dyno pull or two next week, good or bad. As Steve Kopein would say " I just got's to know "

I know I'm not finished but there is a list of things I want to try on the next one. Patsy says I'm hopeless.

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Getting ready to go to the dyno I feel a little like Santa Clause. You know making a list and checking it twice to keep from forgetting something that is needed to be a successful trip. It took me at least 15 minutes to come up a list of items I think I need. A lot of spare this and spare that plus gas, oil, ICU, and computer.

I forgot I was low on fuel and meeting my file guy this morning at 8:30 am.
The worst thing about this weekend is we are missing the Danny Coffman Memorial Race at Bowling Green.

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Where are you dynoing?

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Larry usually goes to Jeff Taylor's shop.

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The first time we went to Jeff Teuton's Southland Speed and Dyno Service with Sid operating, James and Cooter handling the FI, Shawn being the right hand man, Me, I was the clean up guy. All this was taking place under the watchful eye of Jeff.

This time we will be at Jeff Taylor's shop in Indiana.

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On my way home had a good day at the dyno, everything stayed in place without any oil leaks. I must have done something wrong every engine before this had an oil leak. It’s amazing how these things run as good as they do.

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The count down clock has started. After almost two years apart putting it back together to get to BG. As they say If your going to be stupid ya got to be tuff. Got to go. Dumbo is calling.

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Forgot how to do a few things on Dumbo, but finding enough stuff to reassemble. We are hoping to load up tomorrow and go to BG before the sun comes up Friday.

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Feet hit the floor at 4:34 am CST. I will be in shop 5:15 am to work until Dumbos ready to load. The bright spot is I have less than a million things to do today.

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Its been almost two years but Dumbo is ALIVE.

Loading up for BG in the AM.

My mind say yes and my body says nope!

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Safe travels!

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Good Luck Larry and Patsy and Dumbo !


Jerry
Retired 3490 3492 STK SS SST

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

For an elephant it runs good MPH. So far we are pretty happy how well Dumbo has preformed. It’s not very good on standing on its back legs, but with a little more training we should get there.

I’m happy that with a little more work this week we should qualify at Indy. I think class is out of the question but I’ll be happy if we make the Show.

I got a busy week trying to catch up on items I haven’t done while I tried to finish Dumbo.

All in all I happy with the results. And a Big Thanks to everyone that has help me on this rebuild.

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Probably got another second in it.

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I’m deeply saddened but Dumbo is done for the year. On the way from E’town Ky, where we bought fuel and checked all tie down straps, to Indy Dumbo got loose and fell off the lift. It got the left front fender and all the plastic parts on the front end plus the right rear quarter panel. Plus some other stuff.

A big Thanks to all of our racing family helped get Dumbo off of the golf cart, off the fuel drum, away from the crunched cabinet in front, off the side cabinet, and get the both front tires back on the lift.

How did we do you might ask, well when you get a lot of smart people working together and using common sense the results are usually very good. Common Sense in abundance is GENIUS.

I will give a big thanks to my wonderful pit crew, by name, when I have everyone’s spelling correct.

Got to unload Dumbo and load the pink car and get back to the party.

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If it weren't for bad luck you wouldn't have any at all!!!! Sorry to hear this. I was anxiously awaiting your success there... Will still root for you guys in the pink car!!!!!

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The bright spot of the day was a young lady that grew a really nice “Set” and was very proud of them. She was kind enough to show them off on a slow pass on I-69 South. We laughed so hard it was a Big surprise. As Patsy said this morning, if the young lady knew just how bad we needed a laugh at that moment.

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Larry,
I'm so sorry to learn of this misfortune and wish you well with the Pink car at the Big Go. You are one tough son of a gun!

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What, no pictures!! LOL. Take care and we will see you back at Indy.

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After seeing the pictures of The damage to Dumbo it just makes my stomach turn.
so sorry for you guys, glad you can get the pink car out and back racing
now the important thing, which way did that nice lady go???????

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Larry, I've never met you but have read your build thread.
You seem to be the type of person who will make lemonade out of this lemon. I bet you'll find plenty of things to make your rig safer (not that it wasn't) and Dumbo faster. Good luck.

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What broke any clues on how the car got loose?

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Rod it was a really rough road with all the feel of a roll-a-coaster. It came loose in less than 150 miles. As for the young lady she drove off into the sunset!

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We will try to get Dumbo ready for the Florida trip if we can get lucky.

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We will try to Dumbo ready for the Fla. trip

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Hopefully Dumbo's damage is just cosmetic/body damage and a pretty easy fix

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Luck has been in short supply for you lately. Just means your due for the "good" kind now.

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Tommy d, my luck has been very good this week, last week not so much. I went to the finals in class and if my math is correct I had a chance at the trophy. Lost 2 round to Rusty Hall .011 package to my .03X something package.
We had a good time. And looking forward to next year with a fresh Bullet in the pink car

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That's true. I was watching the live feed. You and Rusty had a good race.

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It Labor Day and I’m going to celebrate the day by working on Dumbo to get the fender off of the door, so it won’t mess up the door anymore. I’m trying to get it apart without damaging anything thing further.

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The roads were so bad on the way home, I hurt my Raceair Cloud weather station. It was properly stored for the trip home. Upon arrival at home, I noticed damage to the top part where the wind speed and direction is attached. I will need to send it in for repairs. My car became unhooked 2x on the was up to Indy.

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A big thanks to all of you racers that came by and offered suggestions on how to secure the race car better. I will be incorporating some of the ideas to improve car safety while towing this week.

To give y’all an idea how destructive the road is it bent the four safety pins that the lift rides on while traveling. To me that means the whole lift was jumping up and crashing back down.

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What roads were you taking, or what roads should be avoided?

Steve Reynolds