Let's be girlish !

Speed is addictive. Focus is king. Fear is real. Statements like these goes beyond gender and age. It's our craving mind that makes us move on and accept real challenges.

Here's a reference and inspirations for all speed freaks. Valerie Thompson as she's making 300mph on two (!) wheels.

Meanwhile, we're biding our time as we're mentally and mechanically prepare to be third time lucky and  wish for a reasonable peak power next Saturday as we approach the PRD chassi dyno in Gothenburg.

Cold outside and the sun is shining low. Our part load calibration doesn't really work as well at the full load mapping. But we're good and encouraged since we've felt the potential. Makes us cocky.

From almost the same angle and the same light.

Is Anders kneeling before the throne of speed to be? Or is he just trying to get the acceleration enrichment at part load correct after looking at log files and listening to my vague description?

While we're building...Music!

Ok. I admit. Before I, as a young teenager, came in contact with the essentials in life (i.e. Engines, Girls and Beer & Cigaretts) I played the French horn and I even listened to Mozart. Which was 

 good, because now I can appreciate a violin when it's correctly tuned.  

For all of you out there with a passion for fine art, tile and two stroke engines.. Enjoy!

Alive, Alive, The Amazon is Alive! The Movie.

The smell of coffee spreads as the fog slowly disappears. Outside the Salt Slush workshop, Anders is washing his black Dodge RAM Hemi pick-up truck while the smoke from Tore's cigarett merge with the mist. It's a gloomy Saturday in January. The week has taken its toll, but there's still excitement in the air.

 

While everybody's waiting for the workshop to heat up, stories is being told and coffee consumed. We all know that beyond it all, this is the The Day. The day when we're moving on to the next step. From bi-turbo surge failure to +850hp EFR success. 

Practice makes perfection. Listen to that nice no load high frequency ball bearing EFR 9180 turbo spool up. Yes, life's good, after all.     

 

Enjoy the naked Land Speed Amazon heart as it's beating softly. Team spirit on top.

Anders, the Machine and The EFR turbo. No nonsense.

Getting ready. The Epilogue.

Reality, or at least rust is usually free from sympathy...well, almost ruthless. Håkan was dragged in to The Rust Reality when he discovered rust in the right sill. That made him busy for a while.

Here Håkan is getting rid of the brown poison, and yes, he had to do it outside and yes, it was cold but no rain or snow. It became a nostalgic journey back in time when old cars were fixed in the evening to be able to go to work next day. Now we have better cars and are usually wrenching for fun. 

This is not fun, Håkan was in really bad mood almost like when he has toothache and a cold at the same time.

What is good a paint to prepare raw newly welded sheet metal? RED LEAD, something you could find plenty of by old the shipyards at Ringön once upon a time. Håkan found an ancient can on the darkest shelf were the dust was deep. Carina was prepared.

Nobody know how old red lead can be, but based on how dry and hard this was, one can say it was too old.

Red Lead is strong ! It all ended with a trip to Biltema for some new paint.

Meanwhile, happy wrenching took place elsewhere in the Salt Slush garage. Clean Cooling pipes for the buffer tank was made.

Always on the safe side, Magnus is bending the welding rod, the not welding end, to avoid the dangerous poke in the eye.

Welding aluminium much more rewarding than welding rust !

Installed!

To be ready, To have completed something seems to be Cristal clear definitions. But we all know that isn't true. Because after each step, the positive mind seems to think that the task is done or almost done. But at the same time, there's always a new set of problems that enters after each progress.

A relevant example: When you've designed and manufactured an exhaust manifold, you're happy and proud and it feels like you're ready! Until you realize the flanges needs to be milled flat, temperature sensors are missing and...

BorgWarner 9180 EFR turbo 100% installed! We're done! ...well...we still have to change to heat resistant screws between turbocharger and exhaust manifold...and the connect the compressor by-pass. But other than that...and a leakage check of course...we're ready. Almost.

Maybe that's a good rule of thumb? The turbocharger should never look small, when  compared to the engine geometry.

Salt Slush Racing + Paul Bocuse = Pad Tai & Queue de Buf = The Factory?

- Everything in this world is not about cars, bikes and engines! my mother howled with emphasis frequently when I was a kid.

 

I guess she was right, at least to some extent. Food is important too. And food needs to be good to make it all come together and make hard working car guys and gals survive while they're making their dreams come true.

 

Here's what happened today in the creative Salt Slush Racing factory / workshop today. 

 

Ingredients, Ingredients, Ingredients.

 

Two garage Chef's, proud and ready to create.

Carina, The Pan and the Oxtails as she's blocking The Vise.

Mise en place Ford -46 Coupe. Club Coupe.

 

Le Fou Chef de garage, wok'n his way forward.

Pad Tai's gone, the Oxtail is getting tender and the angle grinders softly sang outside the garage.

But there's always a jury...and here they are. Roles: Anders, (right) bad juryman, bad but hungry. Magnus, (left) good juryman and always hungry. In the middle, happy and humble chef's (Carina and Petter-The-Professor) waiting for The Verdict.

No, we were not just fooling around. Magnus, Anders and Kalle worked with the Amazon Land Speed Racer, while I was welding my way to a solid rocker panel which will make Carina's Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 ready for the road. Painful but nice. 

 

Another tribute to engine boosting!

Yes, we know. We're too much into turbo system and therefore we should stop boring you'll with more details...but, still we can't help to go into details when it come to this topic. Why? 

 

Here's Top Three reasons:

 

1. Big Turbochargers and Superchargers are cool. You can deny it for a while and say to yourself its just like any engine component. But you know you're lying when your shivering finger is moving towards the compressor wheel and before you know it you are spinning the device with a lustful grin in your face.

 

2. It's the turbo and the supercharger that makes it all happen. No boost = No Power. Or at least, a lot less power. At Max boost pressure you feel alive...

 

3. The turbocharger is basically magic: The +900degC turbine housing is glowing in the dark, while the turbine and compressor wheel is spinning 20 times faster than the engine. In between the heat and the boost there are bearings, oil and water. It's amazing that it actually works!

 

On top of this some turbos and superchargers are actually beautiful. Like artwork. Perhaps a Magnuson Heartbeat Supercharger would be too big, but small EFR turbo, especially with aluminium bearing housing, could definitely serve as coffee table    conversational piece.

 

Nevertheless, here are some close-up's on our latest turbo system achievements from today... 

Our new EFR 9180 turboinstallation is now 99% complete. All temperature sensors are in place...

....and will now be connected to the Holley EFI (again...)

As well the stay that holds the weight of the turbo, but still allow it to move, is now mounted.

This boat stuff fits the Volvo 960 engine mounts perfectly. Only final adjustment remains.

   

Might as well fix other issues while we've changed the turbo system. New coolant sensor position.

 

Closing up on The Second Try.

What doesn't kill you first time, will probably succeed second time...with those encouraging words of wisdom ringing in our ears, the Salt Slush team is now speeding up the work.

Exhaust manifold is now 100% ready. All temperature sensor bosses (and the sensors) are in now in place and Anders has milled the exhaust manifold flange to flat as can be. Then we cut up slits between cylinders 2 & 3 and one between 4 & 5. This will hopefully keep the tensions down and allow the manifold to move and expand slightly.     

All turbo connections are now ready as well. Oil drain has been modified, and M14 banjo connectors is installed. A home made wastegate actuator adapter and a high boost actuator is there as well to help us with Packaging and Power.

While some of us are working with the turbo system, Magnus and Kalle are working with improving the secondary Salt Slush Special coolant tank. Magnus is making the coolant fluid flow nicely to the additional two cooler that are mounted in the coolant ice tank by adding an electric coolant pump.  Kalle is making sure that the tank under all conditions, and we mean ALL conditions, will stay in position and not leak. How? Well, he's using heavy duty boat hardware, a MIG weld and pure quality assured determination.

Meanwhile, the Salt Slush CFO, Carina, is maintaining her Flymo two stroke (Tecumseh) lawnmower. Luckily she now has a small part cleaner.

The Devil, The Details and The Eternal Heat

We'll want to paint The Big Picture and we'll know that a short (but impressive) show off often make a big impact. But we know as well, that we have to master all the details to come to The Closure. At least if we're ever to reach the ever lasting harmony of some unknown kind. What I mean? Hang on, I'll try to explain.

 We've made The New 6-1 exhaust manifold that we really need. It's ready to perform. The heat? The Fever? That we need to know, as we'll force our way through The El Mirage dessert. Temperature before turbine is an essential factor. Temperature in each pipe is nice to know. Anders is trying to straightened it all out. But he's in bad company. A kind of company that your mother warned you about. He's all alone with The Details.

Beelzebub, The Devil, Satan, here captured by Anders as he's getting ready to mill off the evil edge and make the sensor tailored boss fit to the exhaust pipe. Good prevails. 

Me and The Drain. The oil drain. It had to be modified to fit the EFR 9180 turbo, the device that will put an end to (almost) all our earthly problems and give us real power. There's no room for any evil forces in this detail. Too slippy....

But what is this? The Eternal Fire pictured? No, no, it's just a normal Paul Bocuse garage stove/oven which Petter, The Devine, has equipped with a Wok pan. 

A blessing?

No, it's just there to keep us all warm and happy while the cold wind blowing is-a-blowing outside.

The Doors!

It's the first of January 2017, the hangover is taking it's toll and everything's still. The mild grey wet weather slowly turns cold and grey. The Salt Slush team members has got, or recovers from, the winter flu. Mega Melancholy?

No, luckily the workshop is warm, bright and comfortable and full of projects that are howling your name to get attention. Here are some examples. 

  

The Amazon Land speed racer needs new windows that stay flush with the body. All in order to keep the drag coefficient as low as possible and make the body smooth as a shark as it travels like a bullet through the dessert. Magnus has proven his sheet metal skill and finished all window frames. Looks really good! Pictured; Drivers door.

Rear door with new window frame.

Turbo conversion on-going. The new exhaust manifold is on the operating table. Temperature and pressure sensors is being applied. Anders is getting quicker and quicker...

Literally in another corner of the workshop Carina has installed and tested her new favorite machine. The small parts washing machine. Life's getting better and parts cleaner.

What the f..is this? It's just a garden decoration that is resting after being repaired.