[TPR] Monday August 20

[Asa Jay Laughton]

Yes, it's ALIVE!

Mad Dawg wrote me earlier asking about that (possibly) leaking 
thermostat gasket.

I had purchased a brand new reusable gasket from Summit.  It's actually 
a really cool piece.  It consists of a hard material (kind of like 
Bakelite) about an eighth inch think with a rubber sealing surface 
bonded into it on both sides.  The objective is for the rubber to act 
like an o-ring and seal both the top and the bottom.

I have no doubt this probably works very well for two -very- flat 
surfaces.  However, in my case, the housing "tube" that connects the top 
of the thermostat to the swirl tank is the original welded assembly.  It 
turns out the diameter of the embedded o-ring in this fancy gasket is 
just inside the flat part of the flange welded to the tube.  Therefore, 
it doesn't seal well in my application.  I checked it this morning with 
a pressure tester and sure enough it was weeping coolant.

Soooooo.....  Out it came this morning and was replaced with a standard 
paper gasket with some Hondabond on both sides.  It now does not leak.

I have a brand new stainless version of this pipe with a nice large 
sealing area flange on it that I'm sure would work fine.  However, due 
to other modifications I'm currently using, I can't use that pipe unless 
I want to cut it down several inches.  I don't really want to do that 
yet.  I cut down the original pipe for the current configuration which 
includes a TEFBA filter.  In the future I'll probably mode the cooling 
system again and will use the new pipe and will then be able to test 
that fancy gasket again.

Here's a cool note for today: I installed two drain petcocks in the 
engine, with a hose connection on them, this part from Napa:
http://napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=WH_6660_0367751284

This was huge help today as it allowed me to drain enough fluid to 
remove the thermostat housing without getting coolant all over the front 
of the engine.  I have one of these installed on each side of the engine 
and in the radiator.  It's very nice being able to attach a hose and 
route it directly into a container.  Helps save on really messy floors.  :)

The engine is running so rich it's making my eyes water.  All I did was 
crank the mixture screws to full rich (remember it's an "emissions" carb 
and has limited travel of a little over 3/4 turn.)  We'll run it this 
way for just a bit longer and then lean it out.

One bad news part.  The heat riser didn't fit this manifold, so I'm 
running -without- it.  Which means.... no choke. <sigh>  I'll have to 
fix that up some other way maybe.

Asa Jay

Asa Jay Laughton, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
&  Shelley Marie
Spokane, WA
******************************
http://www.racingagainstautism.com
http://www.teampanteraracing.com
http://facebook.com/racingagainstautism


On 8/20/2012 3:59 PM, Mad Dog Antenucci wrote:
> Teaser Alert - Yea, that is what he looks like when he's in the garage 
> doctor. ;-)
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Charles Engles <cengles at cox.net>
> *To:* 'Asa Jay Laughton' <asajay at asajay.com>; tpr at teampanteraracing.com
> *Sent:* Monday, August 20, 2012 3:50 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [TPR] Monday August 20
>
> “IT’S ALIVE!!!”
> Dear Asa: I would expect that things are going well in your 
> garage…..      Chuck Engles
> *From:*tpr-bounces at teampanteraracing.com 
> [mailto:tpr-bounces at teampanteraracing.com] *On Behalf Of *Asa Jay Laughton
> *Sent:* Monday, August 20, 2012 5:35 PM
> *To:* tpr at teampanteraracing.com
> *Subject:* [TPR] Monday August 20
> Asa Jay Laughton, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
> &  Shelley Marie
> Spokane, WA
> ******************************
> http://www.racingagainstautism.com
> http://www.teampanteraracing.com
> http://facebook.com/racingagainstautism
>
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