GTA racing weekend report - LONG

[borrani@xxxxxxx]

Hey All,

I'm now only feeling human enough to write about my 3 day vintage racing 
weekend with the GTA.  SOVREN'S 4th of July Historics is the biggest race of 
the year for me, and I was going to have the car ready for this event at all 
costs.  Failure was not an option!  I've never thought this GTA had it out for 
me, as I blame the French (the previous owners) for introducing the debris in 
the motor.  However, this time good old bad luck really played a hand into my 
ever-thinning hair.

I think most of you know I first fired up this engine from its latest rebuild 
on June 22.  I had gone through hell trying to get the bearing clearances 
sorted out, and adapting a 2.0L style Alfetta 1600 crankshaft, new clutch, and 
having a sleeve made so I could fit a 2.0L throwout bearing into my original 
style 1600 eared retainer.  You may remember that my initial drive around the 
neighborhood went perfectly, I came home, retorqued the head and pulled a head 
stud through the block.  It only took 30 ft-lbs torque on my beam wrench to do 
so.

So, only 2 weeks to go till the Historics.  I pulled the radiator, exhaust, and 
head off (with carbs attached).  I had to have tools made to allow me to 
helicoil way down at the base of the liners.  Thankfully our company's machine 
shop helped me throughout this ordeal.  The helicoil finally went in, as did 
the old head stud.  I was able to lift the head/carbs onto the engine by 
myself, without denting my tin car's fenders, no mean feat!  Getting the cams 
positioned and timing chain tight always takes me time, but I got it.  The head 
torqued down just fine.  I think it was a 12x1.50mm helicoil.  My 1600 block 
has 1750/2000 sized head studs, again, from the previous owner.

So, the night before the races, I'm buttoning everything up.  I see I'm not 
getting full throttle with the pedal pegged down.  I'm adjusting the rod that 
goes from the firewall to the carb's bellcrank.  It snaps on me.  The ends must 
be properly threaded to accept the screw-on ball retainers of the linkage.  I 
purchase a tap/die set locally, and it has the proper tap, but not die.  I'm 
getting panicky, as it's past 10pm.  Local alfisti Pat Hood comes to the rescue 
and we go to his place of work for the proper die and make a new rod.  We put 
the proper bend in it to clear the starter and got satisfactory throttle 
movement idle to full throttle.  I had to dremel part of the linkage on the 
firewall to clear the brake lines.

Pat and I finally drive the car around the neighborhood at 2am, loud as hell, 
but runs perfectly.  Pat leaves at 3am, I stay up till 5am, get an hour's 
sleep.  Up at 6, put gas in the car, and onto the trailer. I get to the track, 
and she doesn't want to start.  Backfiring, spitting, just cantankerous.  Once 
running, she runs extremely poorly.  What the hell is happening?  On race 
morning no less?  I quickly make the determination that it's the year old race 
gas I'd just put in.  I buy a cheap siphon, one with a little self-energizer 
shaker tube at the bottom of the hose, and feed it into my tank.  It doesn't 
work so well, but wait, I pull the hose out, and the little bulb isn't there, 
it's fallen off into the tank!  I'm more than annoyed at this point, but 
determine that that piece is too large to clog anything, so it's still in 
there.  I unconnected the fuel hose from the electric pump, and turned the 
ignition on to pump out 5.5 gal of old race gas.  Once that was done, in with 
the new gas, and she did not miss a beat.  That old gas was purchased in August 
of last year and kept in a 5 gal container.  Beware of old race gas.

On Friday I had two sessions.  I missed the first by 5 minutes.  So, I waited 
till the afternoon session.  She ran just fine.  I had 40 miles on the motor.  
On Saturday morning I was a good boy, trying to keep the rpms below 6700 or 
so.  However for Saturday's afternoon race, I would open her up.

I had the extremely good fortune of hooking up with a Series 1 Lotus Cortina 
for the Saturday race.  For 20 min. we were bumper to bumper, him leading.  
Following a LoCor into fast turns is always a spooky sight, they move around so 
much, wheels in the air.  You want to back off, but you don't.

Sunday's race was the same, but this time I was with three 911's, which should 
have 2.0 motors.  We were in a pack the entire time, amazing.  They had more 
torque, but I had a bit more HP.  They'd pull me out of the turns, but I'd reel 
them in just before the next turns.  They can't negotiate Turn 5A nearly as 
quickly as a 105 car can, which really slowed me down, but I couldn't pull them 
up the hill.  I'm not complaining, it was pure and wonderful vintage racing, 
great for me, great for the spectators.  I am shifting at an indicated 8000rpm 
or so, probably 400 or 500rpm less in reality I'd guess.  Down the long 
straight I could pull 7400 in 5th gear (0.79).  We figure somewhere between 125-
130mph.  Amazing to get a half-car length or so on the 911's before we all 
squirm under hard braking for Turn 2.  My rear dunlop brakes seem to be working 
fine.

The best part was all the alfisti who were present and cheered me on.  Pat even 
said it was good to see my exit my car with a smile on my face for once.  Was I 
ever smiling, it was fantastic.  This is my 3rd summer with the car, and my 
first time really duking it out.  Oil pressure is still not stellar, 44psi, but 
it's consistent.  I'm optimistic.  We'll see how long the engine remains 
consistent.  

The new clutch/flywheel/throwout bearing gave no issues whatsoever, and the $25 
stock 1600 transmission mount was perfect.  No more clutch chatter while 
backing up.

I willed this damned weekend into existence, it took everything I had.  I'm 
only now starting to decompress.  I hope to spectate at Portland's vintage 
racing event this weekend.  

http://www.pbase.com/image/18724419

Cheers y'all!

Steve Schaeffer
'65 Alfa Romeo GTA
Seattle, WA
NWARC
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