Preparation for the Birkett

I spent much of the day today doing preparation for the Birkett relay race in two weeks time, we have a set of team orders that requires such things as external battery hookups for start\boost batteries and general things like labels for tyre pressure and so on.

I also finally got round to fitting a gurney flap to the back bodywork, I’ve only been trying to get this job done for 2 years but it has always fallen off the bottom of the to-do list. Everybody in the paddockj tells me that this will glue the back end down, I guess my development as a driver is now getting to a stage where I’m beginning to be able to feel these sort of effects and want to do something about it.

Hopefully before the Birkett I can also get an engine bay floor fitted as I’m advised that this will further help to stabilize the airflow under the rear of the car. The other things that I managed to get under way today were some changes to the race van to try and improve its reliability. I fitted a new starter motor. it has a habit of not starting when hot and I think this has largely been due to the fact that the started doesn’t spin very quickly when hot. The volt meter I temporarily fitted a few weeks ago shows that when hot cranking the battery voltage drops to about 9v as the old tired starter draws a lot of current.

So I fitted a new started and it now spins much more quickly, doesn’t sound like it is labouring like the old one did. And when cranking the voltage barely wavers. All very goods signs, I also started a permanent install for the Voltmeter and Oil pressure gauges that I bought for the Van a couple of weeks ago. Hmmm the Birkett is really getting rather close now…. I can feel the nerves beginning to develop.