The start of our season so far...

Hello,

not too many updates at this blog and the reason for this was the enormous time spent in the workshop. If I had spent the same time in the gym as I did in the workshop, I would have been in an excellent shape.
We had/have a lot of problems with the engines this year. The plan was to get first the spare engine tested and ready. First training sessions with the smaller engine should bring us quicker in a good rhythm. But the engine was leaking coolant and building pressure in the cooling system so I had to open it again after the first training session. This happened the next session as well and then I exchanged parts for a different bore. This didn't help either and then I exchanged the cases too.
All in all I opened the engine four times during the start of our training sessions in preparation for the first races. On top of this Mikael became ill and we did loose an other weekend in our preparations.

At the end we had a functioning smaller engine and no time to finish the larger new engine. That one was left at the workbench for later. We had 5 races for the first week of this season on the calendar. Everything had to be okay or total disaster would follow. And disaster it became.

First race, Vantaa 28.05.2012

14 teams showed up for the first event with 4 teams from Estonia. During the timed practice session the passenger of the Talat brothers did misstep the hack's foothold and fractured his leg. Some track marshals started to lead all the teams back in the pit street but the organization continued with timing. After a while we decided to go back on the track for a fast lap. We had the 7th time but with only 13 teams left there's only one row behind the gate.

We noticed that the engine did smoke a little through the exhaust but nothing to do about that without a spare engine. Our start was bad and we battled with some teams to finish at the 7th spot. There was coming more smoke from the engine and it was very difficult to start before the second heat.
Our start was even worse than the first and we had to pass again some teams before we settled for 7th. Riding was not bad taken in account the minimal preparations for the season but the engine smoked more and more. Also the engine did run noticeably worse.

We decided still to continue to Latvia because the trip had been paid for already and we didn't want to start the championship with zero results.

Second race, Aizpute 29.05.2012

Immediately after the finish of the 2nd heat in Vantaa we drove to the harbour to get the 17:30 ferry to Tallinn. At the ferry we took a shower and had dinner. After arrival in Tallinn we continued to Kekava, Latvia, where we stayed for the night. The other 2 teams from Finland continued straight to Aizpute. We did drive the last 2 hours the next morning.
We put some thicker oil in the engine and a fresh spark plug. During the training session we did only 3 laps. After the training the spark plug was fouled again and the engine was using noticeably oil. We went to the parc fermé for the first heat with mixed feelings. With 27 teams 2 rows behind the gate and some jams in the first corners. Riding wasn't bad, we passed the numbers 1 and 2 of last year's veteran championship easily and despite a blue curtain of smoke behind us we intended to get a good result.
But at the end the engine was running very raw, sometimes almost stalled, and I didn't notice that on of our competitor's was back on our tail. I thought them a fast team setting us back for a lap but when I realized my error it was to late. The engine was running worse and worse and at the end we were happy to pass the finish line. With an impressive blue curtain of smoke we got back to our transporter. Almost all the engine oil was gone and because of this I decided not to start in the 2nd heat.

This means we didn't start in Põlva, Estonia, either. With the night ferry back to Helsinki and I went back in the workshop. I started to build the new engine with the longer stroke. A part of the gear box was defect and I had to open the broken engine first to get a replacement part. Some parts had been ordered and had to be collected from the dealer. A seal was in back order and I had to take this also from the broken engine.

Because of the longer stroke the new engine is 2cm higher and some modifications had to be done. But I ended up with not enough space to install the carburettor. This  caused that we had to cancel the next 2 races as well! I took the ferry to Tallinn to bring the sidecar to the manufacturer for modifications to adapt the carburettor. When I arrived in Tallinn, the transporter's belt of the power steering/water-pump shredded when the tensioner roll locked. This was a few weeks ago replaced! Luckily I found help from a Ford garage, at Saturday morning, and after 3 hours it was fixed.

Not a good start at all for us. Only with the Finnish championship we are without DNF/DNS. When the hack is ready again we will take the races just one by one. For the Latvian and Estonian championships we don't play a role any more.

Regards,
Stephan

Our trip 28.4-1.5