84 - Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Yep here it is 14th November 2010, and we have just completed week 5  of 12 at this motel.  So far so good. It is a very busy property, however we are really enjoying it, now that I have broken the back of the finance system. These challengers just keep the brian box on the roll.

But where I am quite excited, is it looks like after two years of battling with the Val under perfoming, I have finally found here in Mackay, a real professional in the mechanical domain, who builds race engines.

After the trial and tribulations of the previous episode in Mackay, this is a refreshing change to  find someone who really cares about the Val.

Lets turn the clock back till July two years ago. We were managing a property in Kilcoy, and our goal was to have the Val re-motored with all the trick gear, so it could tow a reasonably heavy van. All the trick gear was ordered especially the towing cam.

So I took the Val to the local yokal in Kilcoy, who progressively re-built the moter, mmmmmmmm. From the time I got the Val back up until last week, I have never been happy with the performance. For such a large motor, the Val should have pulled the Retro Liner with ease, but not the case. 

So for two years I have had every so called expert, from carburation to timing, to whom ever, who reconded they new the problem. They plied their wares to see where they thought the problem was, however every time I took possesion of the Val  from whoever, it just didn't seem to be right. Then hooking up the RetroLiner, the Val performed so bad, it was getting to the stage of just selling the lot, and walking away.

Now I did mention, when in Winton I did find a mechanic that drag races, and he retuned the Val, but his comments were "the motor is a problem child" mmmmmmmmmmmm said I.

Even though I did say on our run out of Winton the Val seemed to be better, its performance soon deterioted, to the point....this caravaning thing was now on the nose and a real chore. We struggled into Sarina first, then Mackay, where the Retroliner is just sitting waiting for some work to be done on it. Now that story I will leave to another post.

So with the Val, the timing was the major point. "No we tune this thing in retard", said one. "Now wait a minute,  this timing is so far out it needs to be timed in advance." said another. "But wait your carby is out of tune, it needs spacers and new jets" came another piece of advise.

So you can imagine all this came at a cost, big cost!!!!! Was it or is it all worth it!!!!!!Up till last Friday week, this was going to be the last throw of the dice. I even had a look at fourby's....Good God!!!!!! this can't be happening!!!!!! Geeeeeeezus a lease for a vehilce for another four years...that will make me near on 68....not going there. See I  will be taking up a government job in January 2012, (for the pension department), and I am sure I won't be able to afford the payments on that wage.

Back to the Val. On Tooooosday morning the 9th of November. I said goodbye to the Val. with heavy heart, as I knew deep down, the conclusion was not going to be good.  With heart in mouth, will this be the death knell!!!!!, the saying of goodbye!!!!O'h no this can't be happening.
Now Tooooosday afternoon I took a call from the mechanic, who advised I should come to the shop as soon as possible! Good God I thought, is this the death of the Val....nooooooooo it can't be. The last rights!!!!!!! Feeeerk don't do it us.

Arriving at the shop, one walked into the work area with heavy heart. The boot was open, the bonnet was up, oil on the floor....feeeerk again! Looking closer the rocker cover was off, the timing chain and the radiator was out.......was I there to identify a dead car.............nooooooo I wailed!!!!

No silly, the car was being operated on, to bring it back to what it should have been with the new motor. The dick that put the new motor in, didn't line up the towing cam with the crankshaft, hence the timing of the unit was so far out of whack, it was down at least a third on power. Plus the sparking system was as useless as tits on bull.

So all this week the man (expert in building race engines) has actually re-aligned the towing cam, and made sure that everyything works in unison, as it should have done from day one. I go down to the shop every morning, and he gives me an update. 

At this stage he is happy with the alignment of the cam, pistons and fire sequence. He will be ading a new coil and ignition system. Then replacing the radiator, tappet cover, for the next test.

So as of Friday arvo 12th November, until he does a compression test, which will determine whether or not the head needs to be removed; as the 2 years running with a cam out of alignment may have stuffed the head....we wait for news on that one!

So one is hoping that with the realignment of the cam, all the vacuum problems wil be solved........I live it hope.

However we still need to look at the brakes, refit another fuel pump, repair the split air bag.

The saga continues and I will keep all up dated, with the progress.

Phew..............and stay tooooned