Over the year we had not much broken at all.
First engine build by Sprint spares as a hill clime engine there was a BRAS bearing made in the block for the jack shaft. this bearing ceased, started to rotate, blocked the oul feed to the camshaft and that one ceased to.
Than (12 years ago no money) I took a 1850 block and had it bored out to use the used pistons of the engine with the ceased jack shaft.
Everything went better and better over the time and we just continued to use this engine, actually with no more knowledge than a good normal road car mechanic.
We had a few "normal" problems with the Lucas alternators and starter engines.
But Wineke did improve her driving a lot and during a race in Oschersleben, near Magdeburg in former east Germany she totaled her car in an attempt to get from from 4' to 3' place in a big way.
We had to build a total new car and used a brand new body but again we continua to use this engine with standard OLD pistons.
The engine did perform great, but how stupid can you be, for a racing engine it is not enough to check oil and water you know.
At our home circuit Assen (Moto GP) it happened in a big way during time practise, meager blow up coursed (as far we know) by an exploded piston. parts of it found back in the air filter.
(We build and put together the new engine what was on its way for the next year including 7" clutch BMW motor bike valves F3 head, JE pistons, Quater master starter engine under the carbs etc etc whit in 24 hours including going home and back to the circuit and made it for the Sunday race. But that is an other story)
Again the only meager Lucas part did give in during practice in Zolder Belgium, AND DURING THE RACE ON SUNDAY THE BRAND NEW ALTERNATOR AGAIN laing 3 in a rain race. That did it for Lucas, we use now for years already a small Denso alternator.
The tires went wider over the years and the lower swivels and bearings start to fail in a big way.
The bearing life could be improved by using a full syntactic grease, but the lower swivels just could not handle the force, original where not longer available and the QH swivels where not an improvement, most they not even last a full race, with massive under steer at the last couple of laps.
We made our own now and they last already several years.
2 times the 3' gear sprocket went. and a 4.1 dif riped half the theet off
After a touch with the barrier, some time later a Froudenberg front poly start heavily to vibrate during a time practice at the Nurburg ring, this coursed also to a lot of loose bold and nuts including a broken gear lever during the race, I could not go over 6000 rpm, the whole car vibrated extreme, but I needed the points desperately.
I don't see the bearing swaps as a failure but maintains, to have more or less an indication, we very often "reed" the oil filter.
I still think good prepared engine (you have to learn and live with this engine) is pretty repayable
Tuch wood, but never had waterpump and head gasket problems till now, but I would not be surpriced if the head gasket will start to give problems with our new generation engines with 12.6 : 1 ratio.
Hans
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