"Ray's AKA demonfire's XR4Ti build up"

[Ray]

What did you torque them to? I've never had an issue since i replaced everything on the car. Did you replace all the bearings and races and seals? If not - head over to mc2.

Will put pics up once the website gets them uploaded.

[DSPXR4ti]

That's sweet. Put some pics up if you find any.

Can't wait to get to that point, trusting that the car will make it through the event.

One question on wheels bearings. Does yours have some play in it? I tightened mine before last event and they got lose again. Ever have that problem?

Have you look at your hubs and make sure you have the right and left side installed right, the bolts & flanges have threads that when the wheel is turning it will keep it tight so to speak.

If there on wrong they will come loose. I use to have 2 left side bolt/flange on my XR for the first 10 events until I put new wheel bearings in the right side thinking that would solve the problem and it didn't, I then went on merkur tech to find out why.

Ben

[catapultkid]

Good point. I know they are different, because I recently tightened them, but I'm not sure which side is on which side.

Is the left hand side left hand threaded or the right?

[DSPXR4ti]

Good point. I know they are different, because I recently tightened them, but I'm not sure which side is on which side.

Is the left hand side left hand threaded or the right?

Well don't quote me on this but the right hand threads are fot the right wheel and so on, that's why I looked it up on Merkur tech.

Ben

[Ray]

Some few pics.

[DAReese]

Those have to be the yellowest headlights/parking lights I've seen on an XR. Did you put something on them, or did the plastic just turn that color from heat & exposure?

[monti75]

love them mad max spikes on your bumper lip..

[Ray]

Dave, i have tinted vinyl in the head / parking lamps. They're "supposed" to be yellow.

[DAReese]

Dave, i have tinted vinyl in the head / parking lamps. They're "supposed" to be yellow.

I feel better now. I was wondering how they got so yellow when I have one that has been sitting outside for years and they aren't close to looking like that.

[Ray]

Heh. Yeah. The lights have been buffed out / polished to clarity and the car lives inside a shop now. I put the vinyl on primarily for looks.

[Ray]

Season closer. Had fun.

























Some few from my co-driver... who, admittedly, is a much better driver than me and his times proved it.















Car was well behaved, and ran like a champ... until the fan relay (85 style before relocated to the fender wall) failed and the fans stopped working. The socket itself, not the relay. We, in traditional merkur fashion, let her cool off, then pushed her to the starting line and did our last run.

[catapultkid]

Looks good dude! How did the RS3's do over the year? Have another season left in them?

[Ray]

Those are 710's. Yeah, another season easily - i only made 6 or 7 events. Granted, the last couple always seem to wear more than the first ones!



Debating a few small changes for the off season, nothing huge - had the fuse box under the hood give me a final finger with killing the fan control for the last run so i'm going to repin that in a bit, then run a manual bypass so i'm not subject to being slave to the car's innate ability to piss me off at the most inopportune time. Easy enough, just need the impetus to do it and all. Aside from that, maybe a teeny bit of dyno time if i can convince Joe to come back to CT for long enough, and i'm considering upping my front spring rates from 500lb/in to 600lb/in, although i'm not certain as of yet. I'm debating with Grayson now about that. The car is really balanced now, but i want to lower the front ride height another 3/4" or so.

I'm also considering pulling the motor to repaint the engine bay - and repainting the car. Would be fun to lose some weight with lexan, too.

[Ray]

Car's been living on stands with my tires in the house since my last post here. I have a to do list like most people do but work has seen me more often than not not in my home state so time has been limited.

Over the past few weeks i've started my list. Swapped the springs to 600lb/in front back a month or so ago, last weekend dropped the subframe up front, and pulled the oil pan as i had a very slow leak from that gasket since i didn't get the alignment spot on on the rear portion when i put the pan on after welding in the bung for the oil return. I'm glad i did pull the pan as i found this:





Now, i distinctly remember torquing those bolts to spec with my wrench and hearing the click click of the torque wrench when assembling a while back. That's one of those bolts that i really kind of want to stay in place so i pulled the pump, cleaned everything, all the bolts, etc got to soak in mineral spirits over night, were brushed out then brake-cleaned for prep for loctite (used 223 red), but before that i decided a positive lock would be good too, so i did this:



I'll try to get the car buttoned up this weekend, too. It's like 8 degrees right now but i hope spring is coming soon.

[catapultkid]

Wow. Nice save.

My original motor the oil pump pickup tube cracked at the upper bend. I never figured it out until it was too late. Glad you didnt learn like I had too.