The engine in my Neon is weak. To better prepare for the upgrade to ITA (from Spec Neon), I decided to shake some of the cobwebs out. A few weeks ago, I disassembled the top end of the engine to install an underdrive accessory pulley, 95 cam, exhaust header, new o2 sensor, new water pump, new water pump inlet o-ring, new thermostat, new seals and gaskets, and new plugs, plug tubes and wires. During the process of disassembling and re-assembling I learned a lot and made a mistake or two. Biggest mistake: don’t wedge a wrench in your cam gear to keep it from spinning while torquing the attaching bolt. Cam pulleys are much more fragile than they appear. Also, order all of the parts you’ll need ahead of time, preferably from the dealer unless you can get a much better price from a parts store. I spent several days trying to get the right o-ring for the water pump inlet tube from Murray’s that I could have gotten for the same price then next day from the dealership. Finally, start earlier in the year. You’ll never have enough time to do everything you hope to complete. Starting as early as possible helps.
- Duane
Tags: Chrysler, Dodge, ITA, Neon, Plymouth, racing, spec neon
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Two weekends ago, I completed the teardown on my Neon’s engine (top end only), but managed to be short a few fasteners, gaskets, and sealers. I ordered most of the parts and should have a running engine again by this weekend. A few things left on the panic list are: get belts re-webbed, get alignment and setup done, and fix van so I can tow the darn thing!
Glenn raced at ORP in Indianapolis last weekend. We worked through some lost horsepower issues as well as some brutal weather (cold and very windy). Glenn did well, but we still have some work to do to find that lost horsepower.
Chris Childs, a good friend of ours, is an amazing mechanic with more master certifications than anyone else I know. He worked for a race shop in the area for a long time, but has recently decided to do his own thing. He set up the 2007 T3 SCCA National Champ’s RX-8 (cutting seconds from his already stellar lap times). Chris races an ITA Neon himself and is supporting a T2 350Z team this summer. If you need any performance setup, repairs or upgrades, go see Chris… while you can… his schedule is booking up quickly! (Contact me for more info on Chris.)
- Duane
Tags: Angry Sheep Motorsports, racing
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You may have noticed a recent spate of cake pictures in the moblog update. It’s not that Duane and I are really hungry and raiding bakeries with our camera. Rather, I’ve decided to practice my cake making and decorating skills. Duane has kindly been documenting my baking experiments. As a result our coworkers have been getting to eat the results, which I think people are happy about. But soon enough it is going to be a conflict of interest if I keep feeding employees of an obesity research lab a lot of cake. So, if you find yourself needing a cake and don’t mind my non-pro status, I would love to bake one for you.
In other delicious news, NIN have released a new free song, and this one has vocals! Visit
nin.com to get your brand spanking new NIN. If you prefer your NIN without Trent’s melodious voice, pick up the free tracks from
Ghosts or catch the podcasts of
This American Life which are also featuring those tracks.
- Gina
Tags: music, NIN, Nine Inch Nails
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As Duane said, spring has sprung and that means racing season is upon us. I need to practice hefting tires and get into crew shape since Duane and my Dad will be hitting the racing circuit soon. Also in terms of racing, congrats to Polish F1 driver Robert Kubica for his great drive this weekend at the Bahrain GP! It’s a great time to be watching F1, peeps! And lastly, for those that are interested, NIN will be in town on August 23 so get ready for the awesome electronic-rock-goth-yness that shall descend.
- Gina
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Pictures