My O2 Zen Life
• Jun. 1, 2008 - Happy Face Pit Crew Comes to the Rescue
Happy out on the track for that last run of the day after her rescue via the pit crew (photo courtesy Scott Hannebaum)
This is an article I wrote for our local Houston BMW-CCA newsletter after a memorable day at the May-08 autocross.
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There's one thing about driving a 35 year old BMW, you just never know when it might.....quit.
I've had a few memorable incidents in my old car, I call her Happy Face because she used to sport a terrible red paint job which local club member Matt Groner inadvertently referred to as "happy-face red", the name stuck. Anyway, Happy Face can be a bit temperamental at times. There was one time a few years ago on a BMW drive when she blew her little distributor all to bits and pieces. We were in a caravan on I-45 at the time, coming home from a BMW club event. She backfired so loud that the other club members in their air conditioned cars, going 75mph thought it was a ballistic missile going off. There literally was a sonic boom from that backfire. Well, the BMW club folks all gathered up, put our respective wrenches together, and in about 2 hours or so she was rolling down the highway again. If it wasn't for my club friends, I'd have been waving down triple-A on a Sunday in the middle of nowhere.
Since then Happy Face has gone through a major restoration. But, as I have found out, she's still a temperamental little car and every now and then likes to remind me. I got a little reminder at Houston's May autocross event. After the first run, in which I posted a respectable 45 second time (good enough for 74th place I might add), she bucked and kicked through the stop box just like a stubborn jackass. I barely made it back to grid but it was clear the car wasn't going anywhere, especially home. I looked around for some friendly 2002 faces. Within just a few minutes a friendly crew of O2-gearheads were gathered around the car. Ken Finley, Dan Baker and Jerry Streeter were all standing there, rubbing their chins, pondering on just what could be wrong with little Happy. I was already lying down on the concrete trying to make a futile inspection of what I thought might have been a destroyed differential. Ken asked me what the heck I was doing lying on the ground. "Its not the differential!" he said, "its obviously a bad clutch!" Dan walked up and said something about bad fuel. Jerry wanted to know if I ever changed out the original gas tank.
Dave, Ken and Jerry diagnose the problem, photo by DanDan Baker
Ken and Dan took her for a 20-foot drive. That was enough to convince both of them that there was definitely a problem and Happy needed serious attention!
Fortunately I had on hand my fully-stocked toolbox (NEVER go anywhere in a 35-year old BMW without a toolbox!). We removed the air filter box and began our diagnosis of the patient. We convinced ourselves that there was something going on with the fuel (actually, they convinced me, it wasn't the differential). We talked ourselves into removing the top cover of the carburetor itself. Shucks, why not then pull out the jets and take a look? So, that's what we did. All the while heat #3 was happening out on the track. We managed to get down to the fuel bowl and found it caked in crud. Dan opened one of the little fuel line filters and found more crud. Could it be just bad gas?
putting the pieces back together again
Well, we cleaned up all the crud and put the carburetor back together again. I was instructed to get in the car and crank the motor. To my shock, started right up! And, heat #3 was still going on! I could actually still get in a run! So I did, the very last car of the day. Unfortunately, I hit a cone (or two).
So, the 'O2' club pit crew came to the rescue. Thanks to my friends Ken, Dan and Jerry for getting Happy Face operational, AGAIN. One last reminder, always remember to bring your toolbox!
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