Classic Alfa Forums

Fingers crossed mate, Donnington should be well within our reach....hopefully within yours too

Good luck Adie,
Let us know the date for Donnington as I may be able to get up to see you all.

Sunday 3rd March mate, Rob and myself will no doubt be there, fingers crossed Ade makes it too


https://www.doningtonrally.co.uk/

That's t!he plan
Entries in and accepted. Just need to get the engine running and car finished!!!
Still on track at the moment

Rsfruitbat

Well the 33 survived the rolling road but couldn't manage the trip home.
About half way back a camshaft oil seal came adrift. We got the car off the motorways then towed it the remaining 20 miles home.
Took it all apart and sorted the seal out and checked the others. Hopefully that's the extent of the damage.
Quite a few jobs left to do but still looking possible

Rsfruitbat

Wow Adie, she is fighting you all the way.
Hope you have got it all sorted now.

I seem to recall Tom makes a plate to hold the seal in place....could be wrong...probably thinking of something else!

At least a fairly simple fix mate, hopefully the gremlins will soon vacate the premises!

Gone with refitting the cambelt covers which was always the plan. They hold the seal back. A bit nervous of running without them.
Just waiting for new cambelts to turn up now.
Is there a plural for multiple gremlins??? A flock? A whoop? A clutch? Perhaps it should be a garageful?

Rsfruitbat

I'd call it a shitstorm of gremlins

Engine still running
Most noises accounted for
Cleaned, washed, waxed
Bring it on......

Car 74 on Sunday
Planning to drive the car there on Saturday. Theory is If it makes it there it's extra miles on the engine and everything nice and bedded in. If it don't then can and trailer behind, take the car home and then down the pub!?
If anyone makes it there come and say hello. Look for the Alfa flag in the service area.

Rsfruitbat

We'll be there Sunday mate, got a package today from Shrew for you too

Survived driving there and
Got through engineering even though brake lights decided to be temperamental
Bring on tomorrow
Bring on Freya????

Rsfruitbat

Bring on the waterproofs

See you in the morning mate

Good luck Adie

Well a game of 3 halves....
First stage, I cocked up the split. This basically means I get a time as if I drove round at 30 mph. Not good
Ok put that behind us. Put some petrol in and let's do stage 2.
How come i can't get first or second any more?????
Jack the car up and discover that the tube that fits over the spigot that comes out of the back of the gearbox has split and is coming off the rod
luckily i have a spare. Fitting it a bl00dy nightmare.
Took 2 of us about an hour and a hole in the transmission tunnel later, job done.
This meant we got a max for a second stage
Rally has become a test session now.
Did 2 stages, overtook a few cars, generally enjoyed it.
Kev came to see me having actually seen the 33 in action after umpteen years. Great to see you Kev. Thanks for the shinies
Overall great to see you
Did another 2 stages and decided to call it quits making a run for home before freya descended.
Decided to drive the car home. Save a bit of time, extra miles onit, sorry gets a chance to try it out.
About 10 miles later have to pull over at Tamworth services as the screen was covered in something.
Bugger it methinks chuck it on the trailer and take it home.
Just put the 33 in the garage and guess what??????
Looks like it's popped an oil seal again

Depending on how you look at it we have either been incredibly lucky today or my dodgy streak continues

Well pi55ed off

Rsfruitbat

I feel your pain Ade. Had similar events myself. Sometimes motorsport sucks. But when it doesn’t and everything goes well it’s just the Best feeling in the world.

Was great to see the 33 in action mate, at long last! What with me missing events, having breakdowns on the way to see you, then you having breakdowns when I actually made it I started to wonder if me coming was a Jonah! Maybe it still is....really sorry to hear the oil seal popped again on the way home, guess the silver lining is not doing that last stage or it may have popped on track...


Is it the same seal I wonder? Know you most likely haven't delved that deep yet to see, but odd it's happened again. Maybe the housing has been opened out somehow where the seal sits so it doesn't hold as well as before? Is the oil drain tube OK and not blocking oil from draining away? Guess another engine out and check looming


As I said mate, it sounded really sweet....here's the proof! Mind the Micra.....

Sorry about poor sound and wobbly picture, was only on my phone camera...

Proof Ade has been down a very soaking wet craner curves...

Thanks Kev and thanks for posting the vids
Definitely a bit more investigation needed. Can't see how it's come out but oil pattern is the same.
Thanks for making the trip down. Hope we kept the flag flying???

Motorsport is definitely a cruel mistress Lou. Know what you mean about highs and lows. It just seems like I am well below sea level at the mo. Be nice if something went right.....
Rsfruitbat

Worst I've got to do is dry out the waterproofs mate, so no dram compared to what you keep getting dealt.

Hope some answers appear..

Boo hoo hoo i can’t get the vids to play

Sorry to hear your news Adie, when running she sounds great, like when I saw you the other year at Rockingham.
Hope you can get to the bottom of things.
Looks good on the track.

If anyone is near Oulto n Park on Nov 2nd Neil Howard Stages is on and we will be running car 88.
Hopefully get further than last year she it burnt a valve out on stage 1.

Rsfruitbat

We survived......

Sort of.

After Ss2 thought I would go and get some fuel in the car. It won't start.
Go through the normal things
Fuel. Yes
Fuel pressure. Yes
Spark. No
Plug. Ok
Lead. Ok
Coil pack. Ok
Crank sensor. Ok
Power to coil pack. No
Power to ECU. Sometimes

After a lot of hunting we could get power to the coil when you moved the ecu loom, sometimes.
Cut into the look to find 4 broken red wires??????
Problem now was what goes where.....
After a lot of time and a lot of googling eventually hit on the right combination and the car runs again.
But frantic rebuilding of the look and the dashboard and we are back out.
We missed Ss3 and our spot for ss4 but they said we could carry on was last car.
No heroics but tried to have a laugh for the rest of the day.

Next event hopefully is Cadwell on Nov 17.

Any advice on Cadwell gratefully received.

Any advice on places to stop, B& B,s. Much appreciated.

Rsfruitbat

The tarmac is smooth, obviously being a race track. The rough sections aren't that rough, just perimeter roads. Nobody uses forestry type tyres mate, decent road tyres work well if it's wet. Cut slicks are what most use normally. Paddock has some hard standing but equally some is on grass so a large hard sheet is useful. Went up there today to watch the supermoto bikes, grass pretty chewed up with weather up here so wellies aren't a bad idea
Fuel available at the track usually, just make sure they have someone on the pumps, might be worth a call to save bringing heavy fuel.

It's always cold at cadwell, ven in summer it seems a few degrees lower than away from the circuit. Paddock relatively high up so gets the weather, bring warm clothing!

Thanks for advice Kev.
Thermals and waterproofs on the list and

Rsfruitbat

Hi All
Running at car 66 on Sunday at Cadwell if anyone is passing
If anyone islet me know as I may have a couple of spare tickets.

If you do come get there early if you want to see the 33 running or look for the Alfa flag in the service area.

Are there any better spots to service in?

Rsfruitbat

Well my Cadwell cherry is thoroughly popped and washed into the nearest flooded river.
Pretty wet day yesterday. Conditions very changeable along with grip levels. Couple of big accidents meant that only 2 of the first 4 stages ran. By 2pm we had only done 12 miles!
Nothing had happened so the last few stages went ok.
Ss7 was in the dark, raining loads of spray. Not nice. Rain stopped for gr8 and stage went much better.

Great to see you yesterday Kev.

Liked the venue. Long way to go for us but think we will be back.

Rsfruitbat

Yes, great to see you guys up at cadwell at long last mate, real shame about the weather but the 2 rallies they hold each year are early Feb or Nov so pretty much guaranteed to be bad!

Hope you thought the long trip was worth it, real shame about the delays though. Unusual to see stages cancelled.

I watched the last from up at park corner, bit exposed up there I can say!
Didn't pop back down to the paddock as I'm sure you just wanted to get packed up and dried off.

We'll meet up somewhere again next season mate, I'll bring the integrale over for a ride out. Just order some sunshine first

MN today