Overnight engine swaps??

Is this now commonplace in the National Rally Amarketing events?
I've heard rumors - and I want the real dirt.

If this is true - I can no longer compare budgets.

- Kris



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2007 05:19PM by webkris.

I watched the motor swap get done on Mr. Block's car at the LSPR this year. They had the old motor out and the new one in real fast (like an hour, but they took thier time installing all the other bits, and had some dude retuning the car with his laptop). It was fun to watch.

I dont think its common in the sense that they swap in a fresh motor every night. But I'd be surprised if one of the top service rigs didnt have a spare engine in it for cases like Block's at LSPR.

One hour? Maybe boxers in the Sco0bs are easier to swap than conventional mills?

I suspect it's definitely possible, though. With one other experienced person and air tools, I've had DSM engines out in about 2.5 hours. Furthermore, at the DSM Shootout in Ohio back in 2006, a couple guys had a rolling shell on a trailer and a fresh engine and trans in the back of their pickup. They checked into the hotel, got lunch, and proceeded to stab the tranny and stuff it all into the car. They took their time and worked well into the night, but when they finally started it up and went out to break it in, about 400 people who had spent the day drinking in the parking lot and watching cheered like they were gods. They didn't win their class the next day at the race (that I know of), but I'm pretty sure they placed.

GOod times.

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Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest

We did two Subaru engines and a Merkur diff in 2.5 hours, while drinking PBR. Subaru engines are cake.

I can't imagine not having a spare engine and being able and willing to swap an engine in an overnight service, especially when it's a two day event and you've already paid for both days.

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Grant Hughes

Yeah, suby engines are simple. By myself taking my time it takes me 1.5 hours to pull one. If you had two guys above and two below that knew what they were doing I could see it coming out in 20-30 min.

webkris Wrote:
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> Is this now commonplace in the National Rally
> Amarketing events?
> I've heard rumors - and I want the real dirt.
>
> If this is true - I can no longer compare budgets.

I'd imagine too that a stock, production class Neon engine should be easily available and nearly free.

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Grant Hughes

Thier mechanics are good. One dude under the car one on each fender, and one taking the front end apart. It was prolly under a hour, but to me it felt like an hour before the new one was in. They did take thier time inspecting the intercooler, exhaust, and other bits to make sure there was nothing in them. They also had to reinstall some stuff off the old motor (I remember the old one being less accesories when it was sitting there).

I guess I'm just the opposite.
I hardly bring any spares to rallies. No tranny - let alone a motor.
But I guess if it's down to finishing a $1000 weekend and my volunteer crew was willing...

A the end of the day though I'm sure the asses of the crew are beat and at what point are you like "Hey let's go through $5000 worth of hassle for $500 of my seat time."

Cool to watch - but my stomach sours when the gazillion dollar team pulls out a NEW motor in service while my crew try to weld a strut or something back together...
I know I should bring more spares. Unfortunately that means a bigger service truck, more gas, and more stuff to drag around... Autozone's rally friendly locations so far have helped out. Grab the Visa!

- Kris

It only takes about 2 hours for one person to yank a stock WRX's mill... multiple people working on something presumably simplified (A/C? half the wiring harness? CHUCK! That fucking plug over the clutch fork shaft that is about 18x1.0, torqued at the factory to 500ft-lb, and loctited? I dunno, weld a hex nut on the end of it or something) should finish up almost before they start.

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.

If a team had a spare engine and 2 good techs, they could r&r a Subie powerplant in 2-3 hours. The crew still needs time to have a beer after the swap is done and car ready for the next day..

On transverse or inline powerplants, it's usually a bit longer than that. Depends on which one of the 2, and na or forced induction.

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Build the car, race the car, crash the car, fix the car..Repeat

Thats nothing!!!!
Its a big deal when you roll your car during shakedown beyond repair and you have the means of someone bringing your "spare" car from quite a distance overnight so you could make the start the next morning

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rally gods would turn in their graves if they ever knew Lada's were now part of EU rallying!!!

Oh come on, when has that ever happened.

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.

So when it gets down to < 30 minutes do we ban engine swaps?? Interesting that NASCAR ended up with that ban about 40 years ago, when the Petty, Junior Johnson, and Holman Moody teams cold do an engine sawp in about 27 minutes...

Mark B.

starion887 Wrote:
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> So when it gets down to < 30 minutes do we ban
> engine swaps??

Only if someone times the distance an engine moves over elapsed time and the engine averages more than 80mph. (Although I suspect this means that the service will have to be modified or canceled in following years.)

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Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest