To Do List

We are in the home stretch so the listed items are only what is needed

Baffle the cool-seat ice-chest
wire in cool-seat on/off switch
Modify the fuel jugs
Finish painting car (Eric and I have this)
Lube front, passenger-side brake caliper
Reattach down-tube (I have gaskets on order, we will have to buy three nuts and a bolt) [do you guys remember if the assembly will slip out the bottom of the car?]


Argue with company and return old head bolts - Eric
Order proper head bolts - Alan
Reassemble motor once new head bolts arrive.
Improve cooling via air dam and splitter
Fix Fuel gauge
Install numbered temp gauge
Coolant level warning light
Oil pressure warning light
Find wiring diagrams
Alignment
Cut vents in hood
Improve fueling (fuel jug modifications)
Design radio system
Modify fuel door to keep it from becoming stuck
Improve Audi air intake system?
Improve fueling (car side)
Install boost controller
Modify seat to speed up driver strap in?
Wire in on/off switch for cool suit
Rewire headlights for quicker removal
Retheme
Remove excess wiring
Wheel studs
Simplify the cool suit strapping method to speed ice refills
Add drain tube to cool suit ice chest
Remove more weight from car
Remove tint from rear window
Wing
Radios
Remove muffler
Weld on side exhaust with removable block-off plate to make the engine audible to the driver?
Replace front tires?
Buy extra head gasket

What is everyone's availablility this weekend? I will gone on Saturday, but I will try to get some work done during the week, including assembly of the engine.

Eric wrote:What is everyone's availablility this weekend?  I will gone on Saturday, but I will try to get some work done during the week, including assembly of the engine.

Eric,

I'm trying to compile the information here: http://fraidycatracing.niceboards.org/t93-work-weekends

Unfortunately Arrabella is thristy, drinking water, and needs a new engine. Marc is thinking that he and Alan can pull the engine this weekend and then Marc may be able to borrow his Dad's truck next week and transport an engine from Sac to the Bay for install. Then the blown engine can be disassembled for the builder to have his way with. We should get the process rolling asap so we have enough time with all the hiccups we are bound to have.

$650 engine in Watsonville.  No warranty
http://monterey.craigslist.org/pts/4539460756.html

$500 in Salinas if we can get it back to El Sobrante somehow.
http://monterey.craigslist.org/pts/4535870835.html

$900 6 month warranty, specialized German recycling, Rancho Cordova

I think we need to start cutting the to do list down to the things we are actually going to do. In my opinion one of those things needs to be getting the car to a track day, say August 24th at thunderhill.

Let's bite the bullet and get the engine and make sure of what the warranty includes.
Marc, have you confirmed usage of your dad's truck?

Also, I will be out of the country try for the track day but it sounds like a good idea. I am sure kevin will let us borrow the truck and trailer if you want to. It's a lot of work for a track day though.

Hopefully marc and I may have the opportunity to do a little work this week, but otherwise does Saturday or Sunday work best for engine installation?

Either or both work for me. I would recommend picking up some new flywheel bolts if you are going to work on it this week. I ordered some but they won't be here until Thursday. The dealership should have them.

I can probably pitch in on Saturday the 9th. Let me know if there are any resources I should bring along.

Technically, the 1st 3 items have been completed. The results were not ideal.

Should we try to install a boost controller this weekend too?

I just ordered a new head gasket set and will take of the tires today too.

Do we know what the malfunctioning pay off the fuel gauge is?

Supposedly cleaning the contacts on the fuel sender with an eraser should fix the fuel gauge.

Installing a boost controller will take all of five minutes if we have one

Track day registration complete. So far there is one other car registered so hopefully they don't cancel it.

The following are items off the list of parts to acquire that I made on Saturday.  

3/8" x 1' x 4' plywood
electrical switch
metal wire
hooks
grinding wheel
saber saw
5/8" plastic hose
coolant hose reservoir to crossover tube
water pump belt
3/8" hole saw

To confirm, we want a 20.8" (528mm) belt, right? I think this is what I recall from the weekend. I can get both sizes on Rockauto.

Yes on the 528mm belt.
I'll bring the grinder and cutoff wheels.
Cass, what are you planning for the gas can vent?

Alan wrote:...
Cass, what are you planning for the gas can vent?

I picked up 10' of 5/8" clear plastic tubing, but forgot to get hose clamps.  I also found a ~3/8" thick x 1' x 5' panel of plywood at work.  It's just a little bit ragged and warped, but I'm pretty sure it will work and the price was right (free).  I'm thinking of using surveyor's string (something I bought for myself) and zip-ties to support the splitter's forward edge.  I think I have a drill bit to make holes in the plywood for the lower radiator mounts, but I'll check tonight.  

I'll try to borrow a saber saw from work for shaping the splitter.

Ed / Cassidy wrote:

Alan wrote:...
Cass, what are you planning for the gas can vent?

I picked up 10' of 5/8" clear plastic tubing, but forgot to get hose clamps.  I also found a ~3/8" thick x 1' x 5' panel of plywood at work.  It's just a little bit ragged and warped, but I'm pretty sure it will work and the price was right (free).  I'm thinking of using surveyor's string (something I bought for myself) and zip-ties to support the splitter's forward edge.  I think I have a drill bit to make holes in the plywood for the lower radiator mounts, but I'll check tonight.  

I'll try to borrow a saber saw from work for shaping the splitter.

I have plenty of hose clamps so no need to worry about those. I have drill bits as well, but as you guys know, they may not last for the entire job. I have plenty of zip ties as well.

I found my receipt for the 5/8" fuel hose so I can get that returned/exchanged.  

I've got:
Fuel jug modifications.
Wire in kill switch for cool seat and better baffle the ice chest.

Let's make sure we take a good look at the remaining brake pad after the track day.

P.S. I won't make the track day.

To Do
Grease brake calipers (front right is squeaking)
Install new exhaust pipe gasket and bolts


Alan, a molded heater hose showed up at my house, do we need to install that?

Spare parts
As for parts, we technically do not have a spare engine as it is still sitting on end in my garage needing to be rebuilt.  
We have spares of nearly everything else in the engine bay.  
4 fresh tires/wheels

Since the Audi, the truck, and trailer are all in Sac, Marc and I will have to bring all the spare equipment.  Moving the engine is going to be very difficult without a truck to put it into, and other space is limited for tools/spare parts (especially with the wheels).  Any ideas?

The hose connects to the top of the coolant reservoir and yes it needs to be replaced.

What is the plan for working on the car this weekend?

Don't bother with taking the spare engine. I can come by on my way into Sac and pick up somethings (like tires) to get them to the car. If I pick things up this weekend I can leave them in Sac for later pickup and if I pick things up for next weekend I can take them pretty much straight to the race.

As for work weekend, I will probably be only available on Sunday and even then my time may be limited. However it seems to me that the work left on the car is pretty minimal.

We also need to talk pit planning. My latest understanding was that Alan would drive the Audi to the race and Eric and I would follow some time later with the truck, trailer and all the support equipment. Mark and John would be on their own to get to the track.

Alan, that would leave you to secure us a good pit spot. However, with the headlight limitations of the Audi you wouldn't be able to leave Sac until ~7:00AM. The other option is that I leave butt-fuck early with the trailer (since it is empty I can probably handle being by myself) to get us a pit. I think they open up Thursday night in case anyone wants to camp overnight. I would like to have a good pit position for this race, but with the changes to the track I don't know where would be best.

Ed / Cassidy wrote:Don't bother with taking the spare engine.  I can come by on my way into Sac and pick up somethings (like tires) to get them to the car.  If I pick things up this weekend I can leave them in Sac for later pickup and if I pick things up for next weekend I can take them pretty much straight to the race.  

Good idea Cass.  The wheels are on the side of my house.  Just be sure to take the Audi tires and not the Vette ones.


I will not be available this weekend as I will be in SLO for a wedding.  I will gather items and take inventory of stuff still in the Bay this week.

As for the Pit, we have a hotel room for Friday and Saturday nights.  I plan on using it to shower and will be camping at the track.  I am flexible with transport to the track and whatever is decided to be the best.

I think I may have the communications figured out.  Cell phone and bluetooth headset. Since there are going to be a million cars on track, I am assuming that all radio frequencies will be used.  I bought a burner phone that we can attach in the car. If you have a headset already, bring it.  I just ordered one on Amazon that should be here for the race. I will set it up so all speedials will go to Cass and then he can relay messages to everyone's real cell phones via text.