RBRR 2010

Well thats another one done - number 4 after 2002,2004 and 2006 - had to miss out 2008 for the birth of my third daughter.

Second event in Dougs 1964 Mk1 2000 / 2.5PI and for the second time the days in the lead up were spent fitting a freshened up cylinderhead due to lack of valve guides causing a burnt valve.

We only have ourselves to blame as we fitted stainless valves in iron guides back in 2006 (it was all we had at short notice). After 4 years intermittant use (probably less than 10,000miles but including a RBRR and 10CR) number 6 exhaust valve had worn the guide sufficiently allow the valve to burn out (on the way back from Gaydon drivers meeeting !!!)

Wednesday was diagnosis day - check plugs , injectors and valve clearances - all OK although it showed up another fault - plugs 1-2-3 lean plugs 4-5-6 rich so different MU required. Quick blag of Ellis Stokes compression tester reveals 185psi in 1 to 5 and zero on 6 - head removed between 8pm and 10pm - only one rusty bastard stud or it would have been 45mins work and then off to bed.

After mulling over options (including doing the event in a 30mile old 2.5PI spitfire)Doug remembers on old 218225 PI head in his pile of scrap which will refresh easily + we can use the metering unit off the spitfire hence ensuring it is disabled for the RBRR and our sanity will remain intact

Up early to hunt down some supplies of valve paste and fluids and then into head reconditionning on the picnic table in the back garden. Head sorted by lunchtime with a couple of better S/H 32mm exhaust valves thanks to Dale Barker at Moordale.

Head on and torqued to 80ft/lb and quick metering unit swap, oil and fluid change and we are fired up and ready for the event by 4pm with some rainex and a quick immersion of everything in WD40.

Car sounds very fruity so its parked up until 3pm Friday when Chris Lennard arrives and we're off to the Plough.

No dramas for the first leg apart from a prodiguous thirst for fuel so at Blyth we lean off the midrange and from that point on we manage 25-28mpg regardless instead of 21mpg.

Also applied this big screwdriver and hammer metering unit adjustment to Thomas Keys PI at Blythe which was doing about 16mpg but this is only half the problem with his car so we adjust the full load setting from 0.070" to 0.057" at Seaview Hotel and that really helps the wallets of Roger Keys and Dave Kent.

North of Blythe we had to do a quick injector swap (it was an untried metering unit and set of injectors fitted on Thursday and this was the last fuelling hiccup - it even starts on 6 everytime)

Loved the drive from Edinburgh to JOG and arrived a lot earlier than usual - very little traffic after Inverness which made for a superb drive along the East Coast together with the wee Hurricane.

After JOG we had the now customary Cheese and Cracker halt lochside with the Shackford crew + Tom Keys TR6 , Dave Langrick, TS2 and the Coke TR7 - good times .




Well on schedule for pies although needed to fiddle with the starter solenoid at Glencoe and Stirling where I fixed it properly -



Uneventful run to Lancaster after a facefull of pies - pretty hectic rain in places which was a sign of things to come. Lancaster we helped out Roger and Dave in Tom's PI with a new (dodgy) injector hose from under Dave Langricks wheel arch - this failed (unknown to us) in the fuel station causing much grief and a small fire. Obviously they and the car were made of sterner stuff and after a quick bodge by the RAC they continued to Lands End and a proper fix at Bude with another Langrick fuel pipe

I drove again from Oswestry to Gordano on some of my favourite roads and the detour avoiding Llandrinod and Builth Wells in convoy with three other Lucas injected cars (Mk1 PI, Spit PI and TR6) through Newbridge on Wye was a real high point on the dry clear Welsh Roads.





Rain in Devon between Exeter and Bodmin was epic but the screen only hd a odd drip and the car never missed a beat. Glad I persuaded Doug to buy a new set of P6000's.
We were amongst the first at Lands End and the lack of cars and signs of blue sky were wierd after the atrocious weather en-route.

Great new breakfast stop at Redruth and then the relaxed cruise back across Dartmoor to cookies at Pimperne and the usual mayhem back to the Plough for a euphoric Pint and deep deep sleep. looking forward to 10CR and 2012RBRR - but no more head changes please