Goodwood - 28th April

[RobMsport]

No criticism intended Jeff , just thinking of her immediate family .

[jeffw]

Understood.

[David]

It was posted by the WSCC CompSec.

[jeffw]

And is now on the BBC news site

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-17886340

[RobMsport]

Well , back to mechanical troubles and the first look at the car after getting it off the trailer today .(it rained like hell Sat/Sun so left it sheeted on the trailer) I took the flip front off and disconnected almost everything ready to get the engine out then thought , I'll just have a push on the clutch pedal -- it moved ok and felt fairly normal pressure BUT the gearstick moved at the same time Had a look at the cylinder and it was half empty plus gel type gunge around the sides Then I checked under the car with a lever to push the gearbox rubber mount --- no problem but as I did this a 2mm gap appeared between box and bellhousing
So the ''nuts and bolts dropping into a bucket sound'' that I'd heard on track was pretty accurate because either one or more bolts from housing to box have sheared or come loose ---- and they were thread locked in OR the front face of the ally housing has cracked
I'll know tomorrow once it's out

[jeffw]

Ummm...sounds interesting. Fingers crossed.

[dopdog]

That is such a strange fault, you would expect the load to be even across the bell housing face, waiting in line to see what happens.

PS
so its you that leaves all of the bits and bobs on the side of the road

[RobMsport]

Probably Simon . The RS2000 ally bellhousing has provision on left and right for a starter which means there are large holes at the rear on both sides . Any bolts etc would eventually get thrown out , if they don't manage to chip chunks off the ring gear/flywheel The other point is that the Ford ally bellhousing from an RS is very light , lighter than the after market ones , so more likely to crack

[RobMsport]

The bellhousing wasn't attached by any of the four bolts There were two bolts loose , one sitting behind the flywheel , the other in front of it which dropped out as I pulled the engine away. The other two bolts totally missing , assumed gone out through the two rear large holes -- hence the nuts/bolts in bucket sound This is quite amazing , me having threadlocked them in and being fairly heavy handed as a rule
The ring gear will have to be replaced as it's been knocked about a bit by the bolts . I'll have to get the box checked out , also the actuator plunger seal . Clutch looks ok but I'll check it properly once it's off the flywheel .

The input shaft hasn't got much play in it so not sure where the oil is coming from . Once the hyd actuator's off I will see better. There was hyd oil in the bellhousing too but I think it's coming from the pipes that were not that tight either --- easily coming undone with fingers on the spanner

Never having had this happen before I think it may be due to the rev's I'm using now perhaps the box doesn't like 8000rpm , although plenty of guys run more on their boxes so I just don't know

[dopdog]

All bolts!! this must be a first. not sure what else to say