FORMULAVEE.ORG

Another good friend gone. Damn. We'll miss you Bob. RIP

The power behind VeeTech Engines, Jim Wallschlaeger, passed away on Sept. 10. Jim had been struggling with medical issues for the last few years and they finally took him from us. My condolences to his family and friends. Services are planned for Oct. 3 in Milwaukee. Donations to a fund can be made ...

So... Pistons are to be free? How free shall they be? Details please gentlemen. IMHO, there are builders who want/need new stock dia. pistons, even to go in used cylinders because they cut the piston tops so far that the pistons don't last very long. Why do they cut the tops so far? Perceived or rea...

The FV Ad Hoc Committee met May 6, 2015 Members attending: John Petillo, Steve Davis, Alex Bertolucci, Bruce Livermore, Dietmar Bauerle Guests: Bill Johnson, Fred Clark Item 1 - Forged Pistons: Due to continuing parts supply concerns, the possible sourcing and future legalization of forged pistons h...

As requested, here is the wording proposed by the committee regarding rear locating arm bodywork/fairings: EXISTING: 9.1.1.9.O. The rear locating arm(s), coil spring(s), and shock absorber(s) shall not be faired in and shall be visible from the side without removal or manipulation of any part or pan...

The problem with relying on "spirit" of the rules as a self limiter is that like beauty, "spirit" is in the eye of the beholder. It's completely unenforcible. IMHO, the rules need to be updated any time what becomes accepted practice is in conflict with the assumed "spirit&q...

Brian, You are right. I was over simplifying. It also applies to achieving correct bore and stroke. None the less, I do not think it applies generally to all machined surface of the engine, only to the items within that specific section. Here's the whole section: 6. The following standard dimensions...

Mike, and everyone else that thinks the "previously machined surface" concept applies to just about anything on a Vee engine, let alone anything on a Vee: Please reread the rules. That terminology appears only in one section, 9.1.1.C.5.D.6, specific to achieving the correct compression rat...

Steve, At those conditions: engine hot, running at idle above 150F, car level, what oil level do you target? I have been told to target the stock oil level mark under those conditions. The higher marks are the best one can do for a non-running level, but as with you, I have great difficulty getting ...

Just to clear up one point that has been discussed. The chassis bolt spacing on the beams is the same side to side for LP and BJ beams, about 11.5". Only the vertical spacing is different. Greg's comments implied this, but measurements of a couple beams of each type indicate that this dimension...

"is our decision process as antiquated as our cars?"
Yup. A time proven truth about FV...

I want to second what Steve said (FV80). You should run something EP rated. It's the ring and pinion that requires the EP rating which straight motor oil will not have. Lots of plain transmissions ran/run motor oil. The original Mini ran the motor oil AS the gear oil (not always a good thing, but fo...

Just trying to "lock in" what the rules actually are today. What they should be in the future is subject to debate. Lots of future options on pistons themselves, not so many on cylinders...

Jim, In one thing we agree: "dimensionally identical" is physically impossible and therefore a terrible way to write rules. I've been hammering away for years as best I can on the committee, the FSRC and with the crb about the many vague and unenforceable rules in the GCR. However, a 20% d...

Jim, do you really think 2mm is "dimensionally identical" to 2.5mm when it comes to piston ring grooves? I don't believe I'd be able to put a real VW 40 hp top ring into one of those 2mm grooves, and I think that's a pretty good indication that those grooves aren't quite "dimensionall...

Just to be clear on what's under discussion, we are talking about the width of the ring grooves in the piston itself. There is always some confusion as to what is a ring groove and what is a ring land 8) The stock 40 hp VW piston had (nominally) 2.5 mm wide grooves for the top 2 (compression) rings ...

Steve, You are thinking 2:50 = 2:40. Not so... Fast lap at the 2011 Runoff's: Robert Neumeister: 2:41.435 As far as the low guard rail at 5: It was pretty much the standard 2 rail high guardrail used all around the track at that time. It looks especially low in those photos because there was a bit o...

Link added to Survey Response Summary.doc in my post above.

As we stated in the April minutes, I was to post the letter I sent to the crb so everyone knew what I said. In fact I was just waiting for the minutes to be posted. I sent the letter because we decided it was necessary as a way to initiate an official discussion within SCCA. This takes a letter from...

Jean, Like Bob said, your picture is a very typical FV starter installation. Basically you ignore the holes in the flanges of the starter and use spacers and/or washers to capture the small flange on the casting of the starter to hold it in place. I've done it for both a normal Bosch starter as in y...

Mike, I think I agree with your concern, but I'm guessing it would only be a problem as the pedal goes down during a session (which is a real potential problem). With brakes adjusted up "tight" it would be an interesting calculation to determine which took more fluid to activate, 4 small d...

Put the screw or screws just inside the inner edge of the bearing. Pull out the bearing. Drill and tap a small hole for a buttonhead screw at a point a little more than half the screw diameter beyond where you want the inner end to stop. Clean up the metal chips and install the screw. Make sure the ...

Of course my behavior that day was clearly out of the ordinary in many ways. I made warm-up, I was race ready in time to spend 20 minutes fixing the problem and still start the race (all be it from pit lane), and most remarkably, I actually passed a red #65 that day, at Blackhawk no less. SO hard to...

I know it can be done on cold slicks. I don't know about hot tires. After qualifying 2nd, I missed the grid, but got there in time to start the race from pit lane. When they let me go, I took off at full throttle in first. Imagine my surprise when the rears lit up and I had to get off it to keep fro...

I have used a small fuse "box" terminal block for years without problem, however I do not fuse the ignition. I can't remember if I fuse the oil pressure idiot lite sender either. probably not. I can finish the race with only these electrical functions operational. Everything else goes thro...