Mutt The Race Truck

[Russell]

Looks good, why not one for the windshield?

[74NovaMan]

Nice to see it coming together!

[DanStokes]

Looks good, why not one for the windshield?

As I read the rulebook, not required in LSR and I'd rather not block any more vision than necessary. The dragstrip guys wanted me to letter the windshield but I won't do anything permanent there. The idea at Ohio is that the starter and the tower can easily see the numbers/class. BTW - minimum of 3" letters. I picked a really simple font so it'll be easy to read by the officials - no Old English or some such. White against the tinted glass seems to show up really clearly.

If you go to Bonneville they require that the push truck is lettered to go with the race car (at least I guess it's a requirement as they all seems to be - couldn't find it in the rulebook). I know that you MUST have a working CB in the push truck and if you sit on the mic you get in deep doodoo. That's how they stay in touch with you so they can send the push truck down the track to snag the race vehicle or take care of any emergency.

Dan

[DanStokes]

Carb Mods -

Well, sorta. After chatting up the guys on the Mercedes forum we came to the conclusion that the ALDA (ALDA is a German acronym and no one seems to know what it stands for - unless you are a Bosch fuel injection nerd and were born in Germany) needed to go, so no more M.A.S.H. reruns. AND I have a hunk of the fuel injection pump to bypass. For the longest time I was a bit confused about this little gem but the guys helped me understand that it's supposed to add fuel when under boost. It's sort of fussy to adjust but basically it works boost pressure against a spring to accomplish that. The OM617 engine (what Mutt has) especially likes this modification.

The written entries on how to actually accomplish this were, to me, sort of vague so I wasn't quite sure of how to progress. Actually, all you have to do is remove the darn thing. The following pics will explain why that's the case.

Here's the ALDA sitting in the bench vise. The fitting at the bottom of the screen goes to the intake manifold to sense pressure.




The ALDA, flipped over. Here's where it gets weird, at least to my American mind. In the center of the view shown there's a cup-shaped piece that I put the burr in just to make it visible. When pressure is applied that FALLS (gets lower in the casting) allowing more fuel to pass. So removing the ALDA allows more fuel to pass all the time. Evidently the OM617 can handle that much more fuel though it'll smoke a bit when accelerated from idle, which mine now does.



Now that the ALDA is no longer in play here's what the top of the IP (Benz jargon for Injection Pump) looks like. The plunger that the cup deal shown in the above pic acts on is now out all the time. The M-B folks tell me that the plunger is sealed so no cap is needed over what you see here.



I know - way more than you wanted to know about Mercedes fuel pumps. Guess we'll see how it works.

In otherwise unrelated news, I seem to have fixed the thumps and bumps under Mutt when driving. The driveshaft was still slightly hitting the floor and also rubbing the driveshaft loop a bit. I was able to move the loop up a bit and I forced the floor up a bit where it was rubbing. After a drive around the circle all seems OK.

I was still having a "challenge" with the idle stop solenoid cutting off. After more fiddling I'm pretty sure I had too darn much return spring so I picked up one at Advance and it's in place and seems to be working. I'll get it warm again and see how it goes.

Dan

[Deaf Bob]

Now... That Mutt is "done" (are they ever "done"?)
You need to give Jeff (the trailer) a matching paint job!
Nudge, nudge, wink, wink,

[DanStokes]

That was on the docket a couple of years ago. Black frame and green fenders. So you're WAY late off the line! I'll get the whole deal sandblasted and prime with self-etching primer followed with real car paint (probably urethane) so it'll hold up better than the implement paint that trailer builders use. At least builders of cheap trailers like mine.

Dan

[Deaf Bob]

Or mine... Spotting in many places, needs new wood too..
I can get oak planks but why the extra weight?
I know oak makes lousy car blocks, it's like using square tube..

[DanStokes]

I treated my pressure-treated planks with deck stain/preservative the day I brought it home and it seems to have helped considerably. After I get the paint on I'll re-stain and hope they hold up even longer. But the wallet needs to recover for a few months first.

Dan

[Monster]

You need to give Jeff (the trailer) a matching paint job!

Dan named his trailer ?

[RideTech_Ryan]

Youve got that truck looking great Dan! Do you have any videos of it doing its thing yet

[DanStokes]

Not yet, Ryan. I hope to get some at the May ECTA meet (you need to be there) as I'm taking a crew member with me so someone can point the camera down the track. I want to make another trip to the drag strip to test a couple of changes and dial in the boost pressure so I might get some video there, too.

I'll also see if we can get some footage of the Shockwaves in action. BTW, they do the job I needed them for PERFECTLY! Well, once I changed the fittings (just harassing you - no big deal really).

Dan

[RideTech_Ryan]

Dan I would LOVE to be there....If they would let me go. lol I am glad to hear that its working to your standards we definitely appreciate your business. Cant wait to see that video.

[DanStokes]

Forward my post to The Boss and tell him/her that the customer base is demanding your presence in Wilmington, OH. Hey, LSR folks buy Shockwaves (and other of your products) too! We'll start a movement! Let's all join hands and sing "409" (you didn't expect "Kumbayah", did you?).

Dan

[silver_bullet]

No, but Kokomo wouldn't be a bad substitute...

[DanStokes]

Lots of contract labor today. And loading and unloading on and off the trailer on my part.

Took Mutt to the alignment shop. I guessed that it was pretty close based on how he acted at the drag strip and things were pretty good. I asked for 1/8" toe in, as much caster as practical, and neutral camber - Keith Turk's suggestions from some time ago. It turns out that Terry had it pretty close and my extra lowering didn't change it much. Their alignment rack gives toe-in in degrees so we did a guesstimation based on the alignment guys experience.

So as we adjusted it:

LF RF

-1.0* camber -0.9*
4.9* caster 4.7*
0.16* toe-in 0.16*

(I had this formatted so the numbers were under their positions on the truck but the forum keeps wiping out my spacing. Please use your imagination.)

The alignment guys said that the caster and camber were pretty much what I had asked for but the toe was about 0.0 so we dialed in a bit more, up to the total of 0.32*. I was surprised that the rear has a tad of toe-in as well for a total of 0.73*. I guess we bend those axle shafts a bit as we drive.

I also stopped by the scales as long as I had it out and about. Someone asked about the weight and I was curious, too. Total of 3040 lbs. with about 3/4 of a tank of fuel (it only holds 2 gallons) and me in the seat. All fluids were up to their appropriate levels. I've heard that it weighs about half that in kilos.

While I had it on the trailer I stopped by one of the restaurants that has been feeding me thru this build and also stopped at the Advance where I've bought lots of odds and ends over the past couple of years. Everyone made the appropriate OOH's and AH's. The waitress knows where her tips come from! Mostly, she thought the big-n-little aspect was "cute".

Dan