Nut and bolt your car...

[Squerly]

after each event. I've been told this several times and now I'm going to reiterate it to you all. I thought I was doing this pretty well but apparently not. I checked all the logical stuff but failed to look inside of the carb... and a bolt got loose and dropped down into cylinder #5. Game over.

The bolt is apparently lodged in the cylinder head so I'm assuming a total engine rebuild? Any input will be appreciated.

[Soflow1]

Originally Posted by Squerly

after each event. I've been told this several times and now I'm going to reiterate it to you all. I thought I was doing this pretty well but apparently not. I checked all the logical stuff but failed to look inside of the carb... and a bolt got loose and dropped down into cylinder #5. Game over.

The bolt is apparently lodged in the cylinder head so I'm assuming a total engine rebuild? Any input will be appreciated.

If the engine was running when you lost the bolt, the changes go WAY UP that you will have caused some damage! At a minimum the heads will have to be rebuilt or even possibly replaced. The extent of the damage will only be known after the head is pulled and you can examine the cylinder itself.

If the engine wasn't running, and you have NOT turned it over, then its possible all you'll need to do is pull the intake manifold and attempt to retrieve the bolt. If that doesn't get it, you'll then have to pull the head.

Because of the sealed spec racer GTS engine, the above work will have to be performed by an authorized engine rebuilder such as L&B, if you want the car to remain eligible to run in SCCA GT2.

Sorry!

Rod

[Squerly]

Originally Posted by Soflow1

If the engine was running when you lost the bolt, the changes go WAY UP that you will have caused some damage!

Yep, the engine was running. We pulled the intake manifold but couldn't find any sign of the bolt. Started pulling plugs and found #5 plug was smashed. I'm sure that this was caused by the bolt. I couldn't fish the bolt out threw the spark plug hole, nor could I see it, but I could see some dents on the piston that were surely caused from hitting the bolt. I'm pretty sure it's lodged in the head.

What now? Rebuild the entire engine or just try to fix that one cylinder and the head? I'm assuming that once were that deep into the engine it won't make any sense not to rebuild the entire thing.

[Soflow1]

Sorry, but it sounds like the entire engine needs to be pulled to me! If you want to do things right contact the folks at L&B about having your engine rebuilt.

[Squerly]

Originally Posted by Soflow1

Sorry, but it sounds like the entire engine needs to be pulled to me! If you want to do things right contact the folks at L&B about having your engine rebuilt.

I agree. Expensive lesson but wtf... guess that's just the way it goes.

[Soflow1]

Originally Posted by Squerly

I agree. Expensive lesson but wtf... guess that's just the way it goes.

Yes indeed it is an expensive lesson to learn! BTW...are you going to pass on the Road Atlanta DE event or bring something else?

Rod

[Squerly]

Originally Posted by Soflow1

Yes indeed it is an expensive lesson to learn! BTW...are you going to pass on the Road Atlanta DE event or bring something else?

Rod

I have a 996TT that I drove before I bought the Panoz, but I've just had it painted and I'm reluctant to track it now. Hell, I only got it out of the paint booth a couple of months ago! I'll probably just pass on RA and spend the weekend looking for sympathy that I know I won't find...

[94_panoz_#7]

Squerly - where did the bolt come from? I mean, what was it supposed to be holding? I can't think of any bolts in the carb short of the little screws in the throttle plates...

[Squerly]

Originally Posted by 94_panoz_#7

Squerly - where did the bolt come from? I mean, what was it supposed to be holding? I can't think of any bolts in the carb short of the little screws in the throttle plates...

I'm not sure what the name for it is but there is a hollow tube that the fuel is forced through that then sprays the fuel down toward the butterflies that lead into the intake manifold.

Anyway, there are two of these short tubes, one on the front and one on the back of the carb. Each is held in place by a bolt (with a Phillips head) and the screw/bolt came loose on the back one and was promptly swallowed by the carb. I wouldn't have known what happened but I decided to check the jets for my trip to Road Atlanta and when I pulled the air cleaner off I realized that the bolt was missing. This started the hunt and it was obvious where it was going to end.

I'm actually surprised that vibration would affect the carb in this manner, but apparently so. It's to late now, but I found that the bolts that hold the bowls on were also getting very loose. Who would have thought???

[GTS#25]

Jim

I am bumming out. I am sure you are sick to your stomach !

I just tightened the same bolt last weekend before our race @ NPR. I was surprised when I found it was loose.

Are you going to go back with the spec engine rebuild in order to run SCCA ?
If so, I have a contact in Atlanta who swears by a certain shop to rebuild to spec.

I also have a # for a GTS owner in FL who is running a high horsepower stroker motor on pump gas.

I have not decided what I am going to do when I have to rebuild my motor -
big horsepower or spec? I only have 45 hours on the motor so hopefully I will not have to make that decision for quite a while.

Let me know if you need some phone #'s to do some research on engine rebuilders.

[hooked8]

Guys - I NEED to understand why folks are going to carbs...the FI systems are working fine on our cars....

[94_panoz_#7]

The guys above have GTS cars, which only came with carbs. They have approximately 400hp Ford 351's as opposed to the bone stock 225hp 302's in the school cars.

[Cobra4B]

Wow... I'm sorry to hear that... go buy a bunch of painters tape, tape up the Porsche and go have fun.

[Squerly]

Originally Posted by Cobra4B

Wow... I'm sorry to hear that...

Yeah, it really sucks. I spent a pretty good amount of time on maintenance over the last week or so, and I was feeling pretty good about the car in general. Not feeling so good right now...

But seriously, where do you draw the line on nut-and-bolting? Are we supposed to look inside the bell housing and trans too?

[Cobra4B]

^ I've never had a carb'd race car... I have no clue what's important. I had a carb'd 22R in my '87 Toyota beater truck, but that POS was indestructible.