When the going gets tough, it brings friends...

After the big hassle with finding and then renting a trailer for the last competition at CFRC, I started to search to buy my own. I found a number of options and eventually picked up a 18' with a pretty cool storage box welded to the front end. It was a little narrow, but it works so I hook up the new to me trailer to the truck and head home.

This is where the fun begins.

My automatic truck has felt a little sluggish as of late, but the transmission is really slipping on the way home. This can't be good. I call up fellow drift buddy Chelsea Denofa and he gives me a few things to check. Different solenoids and such. As I'm talking to him, the truck starts to fail to shift into 4th at ALL. Then by the time I'm home, it started to jump back-n-forth from 2nd to 3rd and just gets worse every second. I was already under a 1/2 mile to home so I limp her there and park it.

Call up Aamco who previously rebuilt this transmission 1 time and serviced it under warranty another. They tow it for me and over the next 4 days are diagnosing it all. Turns out my transfluid was not being cooled efficiently (due to a block somewhere) and cause the torque converter overheat and melt the guts.

GREAT.

I was supposed to be competiting in Miami this weekend (August 7-8), but they won't even have the parts until Monday. Try to borrow several trucks, nothing meshing, I miss my event.

Following week, they pull it all, rebuild, new torque converter. Test it. Pressure test cooling... they find out my radiator has a pressure leak. Apparently, Dodge has the transmission cooler lines routed through the radiator, so when its low, transfluid starts taking the heat and cooks the tranny. AWESOME. Now I also need a new radiator. The day was now Thursday the 12th and I had a Redline Time Attack Demo to do on August 14-15. They get it done just before close on Friday night, and I pick her up. Props to AAMCO for giving me a hookup and getting the work done, just really terrible for my already expensive season.

 

Get home, hook up trailer, squeeze car on there, and head out for Sebring in the A.M. for the Redline Time Attack.

I couldn't wait to be a part of this event and showed up early and get ready to do some shreddin'. Unfortunately, we were only in a skidpad, not on the actual road course, but atleast I get to play with the beasty some more. About noon, we get the go ahead to drive and test out the course we made.

First run out I got a little greedy on angle, but linked it and was dumping smoke. Really felt good. Next run out was a 3 car tandem, lead car spooked 2nd car on entry; 2nd car spins it I'm flying in at 75mph sliding right at him, save it and we go line up again. Take off, initiate, 1st clip I hear a HUGE bang...

Snapped my input shaft on the tranmission. On my 3rd attempt into the course. Less than 24 hours from getting the truck's transmission fixed. (Since the event, we have found out that I snapped BOTH rear axles and the transmission is fine; end result is the same, but was innaccurate diagnosis before.) I was more upset I couldn't drive more that day than having to repair it. Was a ginormous tease to drive the first run and not be able to rip it up with my buds.

Load up and head home. About half way there, notice something strange on trailer wheel... ALRIGHT!! My trailer went bulimic on the wheel bearing! Jack her up, take it all off, and limp to a store for bearings. The races are so melted into the hub, I can't event hammer them out. We give up after an hour of trying and drive the last half home being a super sunday driver. The bright side is that the toll booth attendant only saw the truck + 1 axle on the trailer since it was missing the wheel; I saved 50 cents! SCORE!  :)

We have already taken care of the trailer now, and the truck is still good (thankfully), next up is the race car. I will be getting that taken care of as soon as I can. I'm really looking forward to the good luck that is due up to me.

I got a new idea for my car from the Time Attack Scion of Chris Rado... what do you think?

Don't worry, I'll be back on track ASAP!