After finally getting the brakes to cooperate on my Travelette, we loaded Little Devil up Friday night, 8/30/2002, and headed out early Saturday morning for Cascade, MT for the annual Labor Day Rally.
On Saturday, Michelle managed a vehicle and driver-best 100-yard ET of 6.990 seconds @45mph. Previously, my best was 7.0x. Her second pass was slower, since she accidentally launched in 2nd and over-shifted to Neutral halfway down the track, turning in a slower time.
My three runs were in the 7.3 range. After the third pass, on my trip down the return lane, I heard a new squeak..squeak...squeak.. and oil pressure was now 20psi "running", not 50-60, and at idle it dropped to 0, not it's usual 20psi at hot idle.
This was not a good sign.
We towed Little Devil back to Blair's trailer, then drove it on and drained the oil, pulled the pan.
Hmmm.. not good.. looks like something may have been "going" for a while..
I then grabbed a few con-rods.. #7 was the worst.
Looks like 27 months of off n' on racing has taken it's toll. "Tiiiimmme for an Overhaualll!"
Meanwhile some new club members seemed to get a real kick out of drag racing their street n' trail rigs - and WON.
On Sunday, I borrowed Blair's Bronco and took it for a spin around the obstacle course.
Then during the Baja, the Yellow Submarine rolled before the first half of a lap..
Blair was in the running until his Bronco turned turtle, too - on the same corner Mike Jongeling had rolled Blair's Bronco just a year n' a half ago.
More pcs are on the M4x4A site.
-Tom Mandera
Race Reports
Copyright 2002, Tom Mandera