[HeavyMetalAlfa]

The Headlines "Blue Meanie Blows up at yet another Alfa National Convention"

Well fellow Alfa Freaks, I'm driving home from the 2011 Alfa Convention in Lexington Ky, having had a serious great time, saw Many good friends, got to enjoy a parking lot Full of beautiful Alfas, got to lecture on Alfa Rust and Preservation, Had a fun track day with a well run event,,Didn't blow the Meanie up till the last couple 'fun' laps after the timed laps.

So, for those of you who commiserated and wrenched with me in the parking lot to diagnose what felled the Blue Meanie,,,,

I just watched a little of the footage I took while running the track, and realized I had captured the moment the Meanie went down !!

I will have my video editor post the fateful sequence, let's see if we can figure out what the hail happened !!

I'm still thinking bearings, I mean, after all, it had 200K, at least, on the engine,,,,

 

[gjk69alfa]

Any diagnosis yet?

George

 

[HeavyMetalAlfa]

Just rolled it into the shop a couple hours ago, I'm gonna change the starter and see if it will spin properly, then it may start!!
Of course, all Hail could break loose at that point, but that's half the fun. Will have a report in a day or two, stay tuned !!

 

[HeavyMetalAlfa]

Okay, finally, after a long downtime, working on the Blue Meanie.
As I am putting in an "S" engine, I pulled the poor blown-up engine and had a quick look in the oil pan. Lo and Behold! Kinda like I figured, there was a bunch of bearing remains, aluminum foil-like pieces. So, I guess the diagnoses is;
Sustained high RPM, low oil pressure, hi miles all contributed to the rod bearings failing.
I guess it's partly due to the wrong transaxle ratios, I have a Verde trans in there, and I couldn't shift often enough, so I wound the pi$$ out of between corners. It was frustrating, now I know why Brian Shorey was telling me to get a short gear ratio.

Well, as I do live and learn;
1. I will only race my race car, not the Blue Meanie, which should be respected and only used for sport driving.
2. I will listen better when Alfisti with more racing experience tell me stuff.

The Meanie has been looking at me reproachfully as I walk by it in the shop since last summer, I hope it forgives me as we get back into our regimen of lots of back roads twisties 4-5 days a week. I think it will be happy.
Well, 500K miles on it so far, lets go for a MillionK !!