Moving along again…

Tigger’s Digger is once again moving along, primarily because the weather is finally cooling off here in Arizona (after the second hottest July in history!). Back in July I again assembled the car for display and took it to my 45th High School Reunion in SoCal, where it was the hit of the wekend! Then the day after, I removed the injector and drove to Hilborn in Aliso Viejo, where I was assisted by none other than Don Enriquez himself. It turned out to be his 68th birthday that day, too! He was very nice and fixed me right up, including coming up with the ORIGINAL INVOICE for the injector (and made me a copy.) It was sold in 1964 for a total of $306 and change – whoa!

Then I drove to DJ Safety in the San Fernando Valley, where I turned in my old (but new and unused) firesuit and got properly measured for a new one.

A week later the injector arrived, all fixed and ready to go and complete with a bunch of good information on tuning. Then, after about another month, I received a big box with my new firesuit – but no invoice. Hmmmm. There was a nice carrying bag inside, too. About a week after that, they called and after checking that my old suit was new (and which they’ll put in their "rental" closet for Bonneville drivers) he charged me a grand total of $21. Yep, $21 total, to cover the freight. I was flabbergasted, and extremely pleased. I’m no hotshoe driver, no superstar, just a guy who needed a firesuit; they don’t even know I’m an NHRA Announcer! What a great bunch of guys – I highly recommend DJ Safety for ANY of your safety equipment needs!

Since then I’ve been real busy (and it’s been real hot) but now I’m back working on the car in my limited spare time. The Division 7 ET Finals was this weekend at Firebird here in Phoenix and I announced that a little. This coming weekend is the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series at Speedworld; the following weekend is the California Hot Rod Reunion (I’ll be either in the tower for color announcing, primarily with the fuel cars), at the Standard 1320 area behind the bleachers; at the Torco Oil display area or just cruising around looking at all the bitchin’ cars. I’m staying at the Vagabond, too, next to Milt’s Dinner. Then a week off to thrash on the car some more, and then the World Vet Championships at Glen Helen in San Bernardino, CA. Whew!

Tomorrow I’m going to stop by the Frameworks here in Phoenix and make an appointment to have Danny Rhodes fix some minor things in the front end. Seems the new tie rods he made me are the right length but the wrong diameter, and there are some interference issues. I also need to pick up a piece of aluminum plate to make a new dashboard/gauge holder – I’ve never liked the existing one, it sticks up too much.

Oh yeah, I also sent my MSD box back to them for repair, and they turned it around very promptly, so it’s going back on. I don’t much care for MSD stuff (long story), but I have it and Don Enriquez told me to use it, so I will.

That’s about it for now, stay tuned!

Progress, both forward and backward…

If you’ve ever heard anyone say that building a race car is kinda like climbing up a steep slope, it’s true! I made some progress this week, but have slid back a long ways during the same time frame. Here’s what happened.

 

You remember I was replacing two bent throttle butterflies on the Hilborn injector. Since the ones for the injector are no longer made by Hilborn, I had a good friend (Tom Kieran at Accurate Machine) make me up some. Well, that turned out to be a much bigger task than we both originally estimated, but to make a very, very long story short, I have them. However, after an entire weekend of trying to fit the new plates to the injector, I realized that – due to the complexity of the valve itself (beveled in different directions on each side of the valve), I was not going to be able to make these replacement valves fit my injector.

 

The only option is to take the injector to Hilborn and they will bore out the throttle shaft holes to a larger diameter and install the newer design shafts & valves. I’m also going to get a new set of ram tubes – a friend decided to "help me" while I was out getting some parts and did an appalling job of doing so – frankly, they look like shit! (I had forgotten to tell them that I had a Chevrolet, which uses siamesed ram tubes, and they sent regular ones like a Fraud, uh…. Ford would use.) I trimmed the first pair and they looked fine, but the ones he did were completely butchered. So, as long as I’m going to be there at Hilborn dropping the injector off the day after the reunion, I’ll pick up a new set.

 

I’m also going to stop by at DJ Safety (in Los Angeles on San Fernando Road and the 2 Freeway) and drop off my fire suit – the damn thing shrank sitting in my closet! Yep, it’s a damn shame, they just don’t make products the way they used to. (yeah, right!) It’s also up for recertification anyway, so I’m going to have them recert it and alter it to fit my more advanced physique.

 

So, I’m putting the car back together for show – injector is on, one bank of zoomies and rocker cover too. Levi had the day off and he helped setup the new DJ Safety belts for the correct length, too. It was a very productive day. Right now, as I’m writing this, it’s 111° here, and even though the shop has A/C, I’m gonna take a break and come back to it this evening!  Stay tuned!

Found them!

I FOUND the screws, finally. Of course, it turns out I HAD put them in a safe spot where I wouldn’t lose them – matter of fact, they were in plain site. I just wasn’t looking at them. lol

 

Tomorrow I’ll try to make some real progress on the injector, which means taking out the two new blades and checking the remaining 6 to see how well they seat. Then, I’ll put the first new blade in and adjust (read: loosen, tighten, loosen, tighten, file slightly, repeat process…) it until they all seat properly. Then I’ll lay down the Right Stuff (gasket maker/sealer) and put on the injector…. after pouring in 9 quarts of Torco TR-4 20w50 and priming the complete oiling system, of course.

 

Oh wait, first I’ll have to install the pushrods & rockers, then adjust all the valves to proper clearance, THEN prime the engine (that’s so the oil will circulate through the ENTIRE engine including the pushrods up to the rockers.)

 

Then on go the headers, install the distributor and time it and put the rear wheel/tires back on and take it down to get certified.

 

Yes, we’re making progress!

A little more

Tonight I got the Hughes Performance flexplate shield installed and tightened down, along with starting on the re-installation of the header adaptor flanges (which still need some tuning on (read: grinding) in order to be able to retorque the head stud nuts – something that I think might have saved me from all the grief last time. I am, however, unable to find the throttle blade shaft screws for the butterflies – something I special ordered from Hilborn then "put away to make sure I wouldn’t lose them". Yeah, I know….. but then, we’re all done that at one time or another, haven’t we?

 

 

 

 

The silence is deafening. "WE HAVE, HAVEN’T WE?"

 

 

 

 

(sigh) OK, I screwed up. If I can’t find them by tomorrow I’ll order some more (bigger sigh).

 

 

Picking up where I left off….

After an AWESOME trip to Spain & Italy, I’m back working on the car. I’ve got just under a month before my 45th High School Reunion, and I want to take the car to show it off – preferably in a running condition. After all, nothing like an engine on a stiff dose of nitro to wake everyone up, right! lol

 

This past weekend, Levi and I got the !%&#& transmission shield replaced – even thinking about the lame NHRA requirements that a solid piece of heat treated 1/4" aluminum and a 3/16" piece of solid steel have to be replaced – in a car that has only been started a few times and never moved under its own power! Same with the seatbelts…. it’s just bullshit as far as I’m concerned. But since being a member is required to get a license, and since when you become a member in a private organization or club you sign away your rights to contest the rules, we all have to replace these perfectly good parts every two or three years, depending on the part. Fuel cars I can understand, but an alky-burning small block Chevy? Gimmie a break….. oh well, I’d better back off or they’ll discipline me…..

 

I also remounted the firewall yesterday and tonight I’m rebuilding the injector, with new smaller-sized port nozzels (to better attomize the fuel) and a couple of new butterflies to replace the ones that bent because of the backfire during the compression test (long story). I’ll also put on the header adaptor flanges and clean up the entire chassis & car. Still to go: order new belts from DJ Safety; build a new tach & gauge panel (I don’t like the one that came with the car, it sticks up too much) and install the new water temp gauge. I wish there was enough space in the driver’s compartment for the tach, but I don’t see anyway to do it and still be able to get in and out of the car. I also need to return my burned up MSD 7-AL ignition box for repair (or I might get a new Mallory 6-AL box – I don’t like MSD products). I also need to install the roll bar padding.

 

Two other major things: I need to return the car to The Frameworks so Danny can build a set of tie rods that are smaller in diameter – the first ones he built are really beefy but so large they interfere with the steering. Then after that’s done, I need to load up and go down to the NHRA Chassis Certification guy for a re-cert (he lives in Chandler, so it’s no big deal).

 

OK, that’s about it for now, I’ll try to keep this updated.

More progress!

This past weekend was very productive, as I was able to take enough time between sessions of working on the Speedworld News paper (that is deadlined on Wednesday) to completely clean and install both cylinder heads on Tigger’s Digger! Yipee! After I turn in the paper Wednesday evening, I’ll have a lot more time to work on the car, even as I prepare for a month-long trip to Spain & Italy. Unfortunately, there’s no drag racing over there, so my link to sanity will be my laptop – thank heavens for NHRA. com and dragracecentral. com. LOL

 

Next thing is to get some additional throttle blade screws from Hilborn and put the injector back together, then mounted on the engine. Check back for more details later this week!

Now we’re on the throttle!

After way too long in working on the car, I’m finally making some serious progress. Reason for the delay? Well…… I guess the biggest thing is lack of interest. I’m one of those people that needs to be kicked in the ass to get some things done, and this is one of them. However, in the past month, I’ve gotten the following done:

1. Cylinder block stainless o’rings installed (what a bitch that was)

2. Cleaned and reinstalled the cylinder head studs and prepared the heads & block for assembly.

3. Acquired the correct set of injector nozzles (#14) from Don Enriquez at Hilborn

4. Gotten a new Autometer water temp gauge

5. Acquired and installed a new oil pressure gauge that mounts right to the back of the block – I never liked having a length of copper tubing running from the back of the block up to the gauge – I was always afraid that vibration would get to it, crack it and I’d get a faceful of oil, not to mention oil on the tires. This will be harder to see, but won’t possibly leak.

6. Removed the old flex plate shield and tranny shields to be replaced – they’ve NEVER been used, but the frikkin’ rules say they have to be replaced anyway. I fail to understand why a piece of 3/16" SOLID STEEL needs to be replaced when it’s never been used…….

7. Removed the BRAND NEW Impact belts preparing for the news ones – same reason as above…..

8. Had a friend make some new injector butterfly blades to replace the bent one I had (backfired and bent the blade). Hilborn no longer makes these old design blades, and it would have been almost $300 (plus shipping) to send it back and have them converted to the new style. These will work just fine!

9. Finally and most importantly, gotten excited about the whole thing again.

 

I may not have time to get it running before I leave on a month-long trip starting April 29, but am giving it my best shot. If not, it’ll still be there when I return.

 

I’ve been using my new trailer quite a bit for displays and such – it’s so bitchin! I’m going to post some more pix of it, too.

 

Hang in there, folks… lol

Hal

We’re making progress!

Sorry to take so long between posts, but things are finally coming together. I purchased a new Dodge 2500HD turbo diesel 2wd pickup (bitchin’) and a 26′ enclosed trailer from Sport Trailers in San Bernardino; easily the finest & strongest trailer I’ve ever seen!

As soon as my new super-duty dragster tiedowns arrive from Mac’s Tiedowns, I’ll take T/D down to MACH Development to iron out the issues with the block orings – then wrap it up and head for the track. Stay tuned!

August Update

It has been a long, hot and very busy summer for me and Tigger’s Digger. I went to Europe for 6 weeks, starting June 12 and returning July 25 – and along with all the hussle & bustle of getting ready beforehand, and the exhaustion and catching up afterwards, nothing has really been accomplished on the car since my last update. I have the steel wire for the block orings, and have also picked up some things I needed/wanted (including a System1 inline fuel filter) from Good Vibrations Motorsports in Whittier, CA, but as it’s been busy playing catchup and producing newspapers and announcing races, I’m sorry to say that I’m way behind for the fall racing season here in AZ. At one point last week, we had gotten over 25 consecutive days over 110 degrees (a record) and that makes it hard to get motivated to go out to the race shop, even with air conditioning. However, it’s starting to cool down a little, so when I return from my annual Labor Day jaunt to our family cabin at Huntington Lake in the High Sierras above Fresno, I’ll jump in with both feet and get to work.

 

I am happy to report that my headers have been busy during the downtime – former NHRA World Comp Eliminator Champ Dean Carter (my next door neighbor) borrowed them to use on his car when he dropped down to B/ND (which mandates 23-degree heads.) His best so far is a blistering 7.06 with them!

 

Check back in a few weeks and I’ll have some pix and new things done! 

The re-do….. in progress!

Well, this has turned into more of a complete re-do of sorts than I originally planned, but it’s all for the best. Hilborn sent me the new butterflies and some jets & other stuff I needed, but I discovered the new ones are aluminum, while the old one in my injector are steel. Turns out those are really old – they haven’t used steel in some time – they’re actually carburetor butterflies! The new aluminum ones are thicker by .105" and have a different hole spacing. In other words… make some new steel ones, or send the complete injector back for all new shafts & butterflies, which means about $200 or more.

 

So, I’m having Tom Keiran at Accurate Machine (who does a lot of little machine work for me) make me about 6 new ones. Hopefully they’ll be ready next week. In the meantime, I reassembled the car for a show, then took it all apart this weekend – both heads off, to replace the copper o-rings in the block – just to be sure. No real problem taking the heads off, but I can see where getting the old o-rings our is going to be…. interesting, to say the least. I’ll check with Bud Yancer at MACH Developement when I go down there Tuesday to get the new o-ring wire.

 

I’m also doing a bunch of other little things – replacing the mechanical water temp gauge (the sending unit leaks) with an electrical one, and considering mounting the oil pressure gauge off the block, instead of with a copper line to the gauge (which, if it sprung a leak, would spray oil right in my face.) I’m also going to make a new "dashboard" of sorts, the tach/gauge panel. The old one really sticks up from the front of the cowl, and I think it looks ugly. So I’ll get a chuck of aluminum and whittle a new one that is lower and more spread out width-wise.

 

I’m also going to check the adjustment of the shifter/shifter cable to the transmission, to ensure it’s exactly in the right place when it goes into gear (something Jim Davis cautioned me about). Don’t hurt to check, right?

 

Finally, I’m going to check with Danny at the Frameworks to see if he can shorten or re-adjust the throttle cable – as it is, I can’t push my foot far enough forward to get the butterflies open all the way. Like I said, just a bunch of little things! Stay tuned….