jonwright
Needs a job
Posts: 2416
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posted November 15, 2004 12:14 PM
Horrible Weekend - but Roger Twito bailed me out
So this weekend I was going to run over to Nashville Super Speedway for a track day on Friday and do a WERA race on Saturday. I was planning on taking the new RV with me as well.
I had taken the RV out for a quick trip or two and did a rather complete service on it myself - oil change in engine and generator, looked everything over etc. I made sure that everything worked ok.
So my friend that was going with me bailed the day we were supposed to leave. I didn't ask Sherm to go with me because this was a 'quick' trip and a short race to run. Plus I figured he'd have more fun putting in the miles on his 10R.
Here's a short list of things that went wrong:
1. Couldn't check air pressure in outside rear tires. Tried to find valve extensions - after 50 miles of running around in a 36' RV I gave up.
2. One of my hydrolic levelers sprung a leak. There is an indicator for the position of the rams (up or down) that apparantly runs off the fluid level. So when it leaked out enough fluid the electronics thought they were deployed (even though they weren't). So this thing is beeping at me INCESSANTLY while I tried to find someone to fix it in Nashville. All the RV joints were booked. So after 1.5 hrs of this thing screaming at me I find out it takes Dextron III tranny fluid and if I top it off it'll stop. Off to Wally World I go.
Well, when I take a peek at the parking lot I find that the reservoir for the thing is tucked behind a battery. Major surgery to get there.
So now it's Friday about noon - and I haven't made it to the track YET. I figure I might as well head over there and top off the fluid later - better to get my practice in while I could.
Arrive at track at 2 pm. Tired, haggard, and rather relieved that I don't have to listen to the BEEP BEEP BEEP anymore (total of almost 2 hrs of that now).
Arrive at track - all the RV spots have 50 amp recepticles. Mine is 30 amp. No pigtail. Shit. Well, that's okay - I'll fire up the generator. Dead coach battery - I left the heater on. Now I'm without power.
So I try to take the R6 on the track. Spits and sputters running horribly. Can't get it over 10k RPM. Take two laps and hit the pits. Plus the gearing was WAY off. Way too tall.
Roger suggested bad coils. Luckily I had a spare set with me. Put 'em on and it took care of the issue. New gearing and I'm ready to race.
I knew I was having an 'off' weekend so I was concentrating on just bringing everything back home in one piece. Which I did, but at the cost of the absolute worst finish I've ever done in a race - 17 out of 24. But at least I'm back in one piece.
So it's time to top off the hydrolic leveler fluid after removal of the battery. Which actually went well. Then when I was hooking the battery back up the horn keeps beeping. Apparantly it has an alarm on it. Great. So I dig around and find the remote and get it reset. Whew.
Back on the road and I spend the evening with Roger - we had a good steak and I go back out to my RV to spend the night.
The next morning we're talking and I Say, "Well, at least the engine on the RV has been doing well." We discussed the Ford V10 and how reliable etc. it is.
I don't get 20 miles from Roger's place and I notice that it - get this -
BLEW A FUCKING SPARK PLUG OUT OF THE HOLE.
That's right. I saw it laying there on top of the head. Tore up the coil and everything. And as my luck for the weekend would have it -
That's right. The threads were blown.
So the abbreviated version is this: Rog comes back to the disabled RV on the side of the road and we do after a helicoil kit. The only one that was close to working was too short to work with an over head valve engine - so Rog had to shave off the corners off the hex head of the tapping tool and weld on a 3/8" socket so we could turn the bleeding thing in the spark plug hole.
It finally works and after MUCH hand-wringing and visions of $5k down the toilet for a big tow truck, a couple of days in Tennessee and a new V10 engine - Rog got it to work.
Roger is an absolute life-saver. Without him I'd probably still be in Tennessee right now figuring out how I'm going to get that engine fixed.
All I can say is, "Thanks, man. And I'm on your 'People to Call to Help Me Bury the Body' List." I got a good shovel and a good back - I can sling dirt with the best of 'em.
So if Roger needs me to help him bury his ex-wife, I won't be telling him that I'm busy.
  
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TurboBlew
Moderator
BUSY DOING THE SCHIAVO
Posts: 4590
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posted November 15, 2004 01:27 PM
Rog is good like that.
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Official Charter Member of the RIDERS OF KAWASAKI MEMBERSHIP REVOCATION CLUB
Also a BadAss Internet Forum Moderator 4 Hire!! Come at me brah!
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VincentHill
Needs a life
Posts: 6520
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posted November 15, 2004 02:35 PM
Who is Roger? People have all of these "Board" Names and you do not know them in real life! TB and I met over dealing with Gustafsson! Remember that TB! YCIS because I know TB!! TOO MUCH TO GO THROUGH!!
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Made History @ Daytona and still one fast old man!!
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slug
Pro
Out in search of my mind...
Posts: 1433
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posted November 15, 2004 03:17 PM
dude, you must be my twin brother in luck-land
holy crap sounds like one of my typical weekends ;P
   
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WARBIRD
Needs a job
Posts: 2739
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posted November 15, 2004 03:53 PM
Jon............I deliver 5th wheel trailers, travel trailers, and all manor of motorhomes from class A to class C for a living. I have a giant set up for towing only pickup for the trailers ( Sherm has some pics of it ) and tow my Jeep Cherokee behind the motorhomes and new Volvo Tractors.
Never had a problem with the Ford 4500 chassis/ V10......( I'm guessing this is what you have...)but by god I've had other shit go wrong that would blow your mind. And these units are all brand new! From $500,000 down to $20,000 units something is wrong with everyone of them.
Took a $250,000 40 fooet diesel pusher ( 350 hp Cummins ISX ) to Fontana CA a few weeks ago. Left Indiana and stopped in Sullivan MO at the Flying J for the night. Got some chow.....watched a couple DVD's and went to bed. Get up in the morning and the coach won't start. Nothin...notta..... After the usual bs including trying to jump it.....I crawl underneath it and find the main harness going to the starter solenoid is loose and the nut is hanging on the LAST thread....Looked like someone was taking welding lessons under there.  Those cables to the solenoid are huge and carry a LOT of current.......it's a wonder the coach didn't burn down.
Another time I am driving down the road and BAM!......I here glass breaking. Scared the shit out of me. Stop at the rest area and fancy glass light fixture over the kitchen table had fallen off and shattered. 
Anyway........that's just the start........so I can feel for ya dude. Glad you got help sorting it out and everything turned out fine.
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I'd Rather Be Roadracing.
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redelk
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
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posted November 15, 2004 04:03 PM
 Edited By: redelk on 15 Nov 2004 16:13
quote:
Who is Roger? People have all of these "Board" Names and you do not know them in real life!
I don't think Roger has posted here, but he used to in LAB's 12R forum. He works with Horsepower Mike in TN. One of the best, most logical wrenches I have ever met in my life. I does not matter if it has a motor in it or not. If it is "mechanical", Rog can work on it. If he can't make it run, he'll just make a part himself and fix it.
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There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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WARBIRD
Needs a job
Posts: 2739
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posted November 15, 2004 04:45 PM
Still got those pics of my tow rig Sherm????? 
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I'd Rather Be Roadracing.
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crashtech
Zone Head
Posts: 574
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posted November 15, 2004 06:54 PM
Glad to hear you made it home ok Jon. By the way it was nice to meet you. That sucks with your luck on the trip. Wish we could have got some miles in on the bikes. Rog is good like that all right. I cant count how many times he has saved my ass. I'm glad he lives close by. Rog does not work with Mike anymore. I beleive he has been gone from over there for over a year now.
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redelk
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
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posted November 15, 2004 07:40 PM
CT - Show's how much "in the loop" I am on such matters!
WB - OF COURSE I DO! The problem is that I keep EVERYTHING and can barely find ANYTHING! THey are here in my computer.... simewhere!
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There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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CRoberts
Parking Attendant
Posts: 17
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posted November 15, 2004 09:12 PM
that Suck J
Well sorry to hear about the plug issue, sounds like the racing was O.K. Sounds like Roger is a good guy !!
So how was the WERA event? Next time a brother! I am always down for a quick wera event!! BTW, how was the coffe from Cresson? Speaking of CMRA, Congrats to the whole team on the season 5th in class, very respectful froma buch of ARKIE's.
I for one would like to commend all of your team for the hard efforts in the CMRA. Because of you guys, we made our little team., on a whim and a prayer !! We may not tell you guys , but you guys are the reason we are racing, bla, bla.
Despite the comment from Sherm, about target on your backs, that simply is not true, Out team goal, is to mearly start as many races as money will allow, and finish every race we start, while learning the curve and the tracks, and from out mistakes etc.
Congrats from team Landshark Racing
Sincerely,
CRoberts
P.S. Get this, we actually made the roadraing world @ Cresson, O.K. so we suck , but national print media, step one done.
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" Not the fastest, not the slowest , just middle of the pack please"
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TurboBlew
Moderator
BUSY DOING THE SCHIAVO
Posts: 4590
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posted November 16, 2004 02:30 AM
Roger is a motorcycle enthusiast by birth...
Machinist by trade...
Does great work.
____________
Official Charter Member of the RIDERS OF KAWASAKI MEMBERSHIP REVOCATION CLUB
Also a BadAss Internet Forum Moderator 4 Hire!! Come at me brah!
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Otis
Needs a job
Captain Kickstand
Posts: 3028
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posted November 16, 2004 04:07 AM
Sorry to hear about your troubles Jon, and glad you got it all sorted out. Roger is certainly a godsend isn't he? He has helped my out quite a few times and really goes out of his way for his brothers.
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jonwright
Needs a job
Posts: 2416
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posted November 16, 2004 07:31 AM
Hey - that's why I posted it here. Rog sure bails a lot of folks out and by God - if he ever needs anything there is a LLLOOOOONG list of folks he could call. Rog is definately a machinist's machinist. He does everything first class and right.
Yeah Crash - it was good to meet you. And I realize that Rog also gave up an excellent riding day to bail my sorry ass out. That alone is a personal sacrifice that is big enough.
Warbird - I got very intimate with my RV this past weekend. The thing is these are not designed as a whole - they are merely pieces-parts put together. I can see where working on them is both simple and challenging. Simple in that each component is on its own, but challenging because there is no service manual on the thing. Ya just gotta figure it out.
Chris - thanks, man. The racing was pretty bad. I was so off because of my weekend all I could think about was 'bring it on home in one piece.' Coffee was good, and I'm glad to see you guys out racing. Need more folks to play with!
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Ninjaman12R
Needs a job
as a Deal's Gap tour guide.
Posts: 4767
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posted November 17, 2004 04:49 AM
Damn Jon.....
Jon, good thing ol' Rog was able to lend a hand eh?  Roger is definitely cool like that. He is a damned good wrench and an even better person. You just can't fault the guy, he's good people. I need to find time to go see that worthless bastard.
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What we're dealin' with here is a complete lack of respect for the law.
Sheriff Buford T. Justice of TEXAS
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