Holy Cow Tractor Pulling Team

Wednesday, July 30, 2003

Puzzle
It was pointed out by a fellow puller, that I have ran out of pictures. If you have any, please E-mail them to me. If you have actual pictures, mail them to me, I'll scan them, and send them back unharmed.

Wrist Pins
Both motor failures were due to wrist pins. I have made several calls to JE Pistons to discuss the wrist pin situation. When I talked to them yesterday, I became very frustrated because when you call a technical assistance line, you just kind of expect the person you are talking to is smarter than you. Hasn't happened yet. I never could get him to understand that a 4.5" wrist pin will not fit in a 4.5" hole. Apparently he must have skipped kindergarten when the square peg - round hole concept was explored in depth. I demonstrated the the maximum wrist pin that can fit in a given bore is calculated to be

L = D(1 - (P/D)^2))^(1/2)

Where

L is the maximum pin length
D is the bore diameter
P is the pin diameter (or effective diameter)

He disagreed with me, even though this is basic 8-grade trigonometry, the kind of stuff you do in your head.

Anyway, even though I never could get across to him how to calculate button length, he did give me the spec for end play and decode their part numbers for me. What I determined is they calculate the button length by taking the bore minus the pin length minus the clearance and dividing by two. That value is then what they sell you. So, if they determine, you need a .750 button, they sell you a .750 button, even though the actual button may only measure .690 according to my formula above. So, the .750 is a theoretical dimention taken at the very center of the button, but on hollow buttons, that dimention doesn't actually exist. Somewhere between the phone salesman and the CNC operator is someone with an IQ over 70 that drew a blueprint that specifies that the actual button is smaller than it's part number would indicate. That isn't exactly correct, because the button height is a function of the bore and no where in the part number is the bore specified. That is, a larger bore requires a taller button. Perhaps they just figure that all the pistons are in a rather small range and they simply make a single button that provides adequate clearance over that range.

All that aside, when we finally dug into the jobs that I ordered and that Riverside Engines/Bill Vories ordered, we discovered that I was not given the correct buttons for my application. Naturally JE was quick to point out that their error would not cause a failure, and I tend to agree, but the fact remains that I have had no engine failures caused by wrist pins except on the engines on that one particular job with the wrong buttons.

Sunday, July 27, 2003

Allen Co, IN (Ft. Wayne)
A real good showing in all classes and a very good pull, especially for their first sanctioned event. One of the regular HSTPA officials was sick, so I shared tech official duties with Dustin Everett. I did tech inspections and flagged the finish line for the SS and FWD classes while Dustin flagged for TWD and Mods. Tom Saggars was starting line flagman and the other inspector.

A strong class of 9 mods were there including 4 that came from Ohio just hours after pulling at Maumee. It was an excellent track for us and 5 mods made it out the gate. Unfortunately for us, just as we passed through the 300' mark, the right rear motor came apart, spitting parts out both sides. Too bad, too as those trackside side I had the best run of the night and did have the greatest distance past 300. Because we are now down to 3 running motors, Tiffin and Cassopolis are out. The decision on how to shuffle motors probably won't be made until Wednesday for the pull on Thursday at Eaton.

Saturday, July 26, 2003

Hamilton, OH
We were very pleased that this pull came back as a sanctioned pull. It was OSTPA sanction and that mean Jim Miller would build the track. That also means it would be a good track. There were 13 mods and we pulled towards the bottom of the pack. It seemed the track went away as the night went on, with 2 of the 3 full pulls occurring at the top of the class. The distances seemed to fall off as the class progressed and we ended up 5th with a 288'. The final tractor of Ron Barga made a full pull as well with unbelievable ground speed. In the pull off Schultheis beat out Barga for the win and Deane took third. Miller rounded out the top 5 in 4th with a 294.

Marion Co (Indianapolis)
This really has the potential of being a great pull. I was looking at the track ahead of time with the other drivers and we all agreed it was great dirt and would take some nose weight. The 10 Pro was the first class and right off the bat, you could tell the tractors couldn't get hooked. Perhaps the track was too wet, perhaps too soft. As the class wore on, the tractors kept moving weight to the rear. Chris Cain made a half way decent run, balance wise, but I could see he was really working the brakes the whole way down the track. I knew this would be a tough pull. Then the TWD class started. They flat out could not get traction, and to add insult to injury, most of the way through the class, the sled broke and the class restarted.

When the mods came up, it was obvious that the track was no better for us. The bigger tires hooked better, but the tractor rocked from side to side and the front ends bounced up and down. The track was very inconsistent and the tires seemed to be constantly biting then letting go. Wayne Krider made a very ugly pass, but managed to get it out the gate any way. The other tractors were getting stopped at the 280' mark or so. Our turn was next. We actually had a fairly decent hole shot and started to pick up speed. We may have been a bit nose heavy, but that probably was desirable on this track. Then about 175 or so the right tire dropped into deep muddy hole. The tractor right very hard throwing me into the left side of the roll cage and the tractor made and abrupt left turn. I got out of the throttle to try to stay inbounds and got back in it, but had lost all momentum at that point. Last in the class was Derrick Barga. They also made an ugly pass and one wheel most of the track, but also got it out of the gate. In the pull off, Krider started bouncing almost immediately and shut it down. Barga drove out to 150 for the win.

I think with proper track preparation, this could be an outstanding pull. As it was, I think only the skill of the drivers and a little luck kept one of the tractors from laying on it's side.

Tuesday, July 22, 2003

Mt Vernon, OH
This was one of two regional national pulls before the Enderle Pull Off. Going into the pull I was in first place and had a several point lead on Wayne Krider in the number two spot. Only 8 tractors showed up, but seven had RN licenses, so a good pull was important. Last year we were way off on weight and had just a miserable pull, tonight needed to be better.

Wayne was first hook and still seems to be figuring out his new tires, he bounced pretty bad and made a poor showing of only 258. We hooked to the sled and as soon as I opened up the throttle, the front motor broke a belt. I was able to get stopped by 100' and we quickly went to the trailer to change belts. Barga and Veney both full pulled, Deane made a typical run. Stahl seemed nose heavy and didn't go as well as they should have. Diekman broke something in the driveline and came to a stop in the 270's. We hooked to the sled and again rolled on the throttle. I was a little timid as I wasn't sure why the belt broke. I gave the motor a quick one over and didn't find anything wrong, but that fear still lingers. When at Oak Harbor, we discovered the belt was rubbing the mag hold down clamp. We fixed the clamp problem, and didn't think the damage to the belt was great enough for concern, but maybe it was. At least that is what we hoped. The motors roared to life and we made a nice pass out to 284. That was about all I could have done and we were happy with that. Jostock finished the call with a full pull and that put us in 4th.

Since we got done early by being 3rd class of 5, we thought we would head home to Indiana. I was winding up our power cords and securing everything on the outside of the trailer while Stacey secure the inside stuff. As I walked in front of the hauler, there were two teenagers sitting on the concrete barrier in front of the truck and he had his hand pretty far up her shirt. I startled them and he pulled his hand out her shirt. My thought was that they could care less about pulling, they just wanted to get away from Mommy and Daddy. Anyway, I finished up. Stacey was also done inside and we put the dogs up into the sleeper of the truck.

--- Bandit Update ---

We update this blog to let you know about Bandit. Oak Harbor and Mt Vernon were his first pulls since he went with up to Rochester in June. He traveled very well and is doing remarkably well. He has this really cool bald belly where they did an ultrasound; we call it his racing stripe. He is still not quire sure about getting lifted in and out of the truck, but I think he is warming up to the idea. With his questionable blindness, we just are not comfortable with him jumping like before.

----------------------------

Anyway, so we are all locked up and ready to go. I was saying good by to my crew and something hit the truck. Kevin said it looked like a tennis ball. I only heard it. Sure enough, a few seconds later, here comes Mr. Roaming Hands. It seems his girlfriend threw his shoe up there, and since it wasn't his fault, I should take time out of my day to help him get it down. I informed him that you needed a ladder to get on the roof and I didn't have one and with a 5 1/2 drive ahead of me didn't want to find one. I told him it would probably just fall off and he should stay behind us. I don't know if it ever did or not. I think he is looking for a new set of shoes. Perhaps a new girl friend is in order as well.

By the time I got to the Indiana State line, I was pretty tired and we stopped at a rest area for a couple hour nap. Stacey stayed in the truck with the dogs and I went back in the camper. I guess I was more tired that I thought and woke up 4 or 5 hours later to the trailer rocking and the sound of thunder and wind. A pretty intense storm passed through the rest area. We left when it stopped. When we got home we found that when that storm passed though Russiaville, that is contained a "microburst" which is high intensity winds that cause tornado-like damage, but not actually a tornado. Luckily we didn't get damaged.

Oak Harbor, OH
Wow, 16 mods and 4 classes. What a super pull. We drew test hook, as is becoming common for us. But, this night, the test hook won the first two classes. It seemed the track was falling apart, and an early hook was key. We hooked to the sled and easily got it out the gate. They kept the sled setting and back to the trailer we went to prepare for the pull off. Joining us past 300' was Brian Diekman, Derrick Barga, and Ken Veney. We were first to try in the pull off, but when we started the tractor, it seemed to be idling too fast. I could not shift it into gear because a slipper clutch was locked up and I burned up the driveline brake trying. So, unable to get it in gear and, by rule, unable to drop, we had to settle for 4th place. Ken Veney won only 4 feet on top of Diekman and Barga placed 4th.

Back in the pits, we were able to fix the driveline brake. We discovered that one motor had pushed out a blower gasket, causing an air leak. We would fix that in the morning.

Noblesville, IN
Again, not that this area needed any more rain, we drove with the wipers on most of the way to the pull. Luckily, the weather cleared up and the pull went smoothly. Historically, this track has been just horrible. It is sandy and just can't handle the horsepower delivered by our tractors. So, I tried something and put my 4-Motor gearbox on hoping to spin the tires faster. Well, that was a mistake. With all the rain, the track was actually pretty good. We came out of the hole with a beautiful hole shot, but when the tires hooked, I just didn't have enough power to turn my gear. So, the motors slowed down and we just lugged to the end of the track, throwing a belt in the process. A strategic mistake on my part, but still good for 4th place.

Frankfort, IN
Beautiful skies welcomed us to the Clinton Co. Fairgrounds. Three classes were there that night and Mods would be in the middle. As the start time approached, the sky threatened and lightening and thunder were noticed to the north. Probably one of the coolest things I have seen, just as Wayne Krider started to roll on the throttle, the whole sky lit up with huge horizontal streaks of lightening. We took second place to Wayne who was just inches in front of us. Luckily, the fair got all three classes in before the skies opened up.

Wednesday, July 16, 2003

Directions to Frankfort
The fairground is located on the south side of Frankfort on SR 38 & 39 just north of 150S or Kelly Blacktop. On the NE corner of that intersection is an old highway department garage and pullers are to enter through there. Fans continue north to the fairground entrance.

Motor Update
The welding on the block is coming along nicely. It seems like the failure mode was the wrist pins. Most parts are on order and we hope to get it back together by the end of next week.

Flood Damage
Our county received about 12 inches of rain the night of July 4th and out basement flooded. We were en-route to North Branch, MI at the time. Today a FEMA assessor is stopping by to evaluate the damage.

Bandit Update
The latest blood test at Purdue shows marked improvement in Bandit and he gets to come home today. His platelet count is still low, but is improving. The doctors are saying he has no eyesite other than light/dark perception, but when we walk him, he seems to see colors or shapes.

Saturday, July 12, 2003

Ft Recovery
The Fort was cancelled due to rain. While we love pulling at the Fort, this does give us another day to fix the broken motor.

Bandit Update
Bandit is still a Purdue. He tested negative for Cancer and they are treating for Spinal Meningitis. As soon as his platelet count comes up, he can come home. He had very limited eye site and can basically only tell the difference between light and dark, but is adapting well. Today, the reports are that his is more comfortable walking around outside and found his water dish on his own and was able to drink by himself.

Charlotte, MI (Session 2)
My Crew of Kevin and Mike and myself spent most of the day in the camper playing cards and watching the rain. By pull time, the weather cleared up and the track looked good. It still hooked to the left and bit many of the Super Stocks like it bit me the night before. We formulated a plan and got ready to pull. We drew 2nd hook following Scott Tedder. We layed down a textbook perfect pass, only feather the brakes a little and shooting out past the 310' full pull line used in Regional/National Competition this year. Gary Diekman also made it past 310. No one else crossed the magic full pull mark. We lined up for our second attempt and as soon as I rolled on the throttle, I noticed a cloud over the valve cover of the motor we had just replaced the night before. Not wanting to destroy the second motor on 3 days, I tried to figure out what was going on and if I should get out of it. Well, I wasn't pay attention to my driving and got sucked left again, just like night before and had to shut it down to stay inbounds. I pulled 245 and Gary easy drove past for the win.

As they pulled me off the track, I saw that fuel line going to one of my fuel nozzles had just come unscrewed and the data recorder showed it fell off at the end of the first run. The cloud I saw was a mixture of methanol and Klotz top lube. This luckily caused no engine damage and is already fixed. I don't think it even hurt the performance of the tractor, only distracting the drive enough to not stay where I wanted. Oh well, still pleased with a 2nd after the two days we had.

Charlotte, MI (Session 1)
Well, the plan to swap motors didn't go as planned. The Arias had never been in the rear position before and a lot of brackets and shielding didn't quite line up due to casting differences in the blocks. By the time we realized this, it was too late to just shuffle the motors on the tractor. So, we busted ass and got done, really late, but done. Never had a chance to test fire it or anything. We jumped on the road and again called the Entry Trailer. They again entered us and informed us we were FIRST class, a real unusual situation in pulling. I was told we had up until 6 minutes from the time the last tractor pulled to be hooked to the sled. It was going to be real tight. I was in constant contact with a crew member up there. At the start of the class, we on I-69 just crossing I-94, still about 25 miles to go. They pulled a few tractors, reset the sled, and Jostock turned down his test hook, all good things to eat up some clock. As we neared the fairgrounds, the gas gauge kept dropping. I wasn't sure if we had enough gas to make it. I was also trucking along pretty good, but high speed isn't a good thing for the trailer tires. As it stood, we were barely going to make it, and running out of gas or a blown tire would do us in. As we pulled in the grounds, I couldn't negotiate the turn into the pits and hit a fence, so we just stopped in the road and unloaded at the pit entrance. The fuel gauge is about 1/8" below where it normally runs out of gas. The time was 8:02 PM. We had no time to adjust fuel in the motors, tire pressure, or really do much of anything. The track was pulling left, that much I knew. We fired the motors (including the virgin fire on the spare) while adjusting the hitch. I saw Krider and Jostock both pull, or rather listened to the pull. I was too busy to really study what they did. I hooked to the sled, and made a pretty respectable pass, but like everyone else, got sucked left and had to shut it down to stay inside the chalk. It was an effort good enough for 4th place. Our class finished at 8:22 PM.

A couple of comments on the gas tank situation. First, the gauge doesn't really read all that accurate, and it always reads about 1/2 tank more than is really there. Second, I have three tanks, all connected with shut off valves between them. The small tank has the pump in it and sits higher than the two big tanks. What this means is that if I pump the little tank dry, there is still about 30 gallons of gas in the two big tanks that is trapped. So, I can siphon gas from the big tank and pour in into the little tank, after shutting the valve. Obviously, we don't ever try to do this, but it is nice to know you have a little reserve. The thing is, if you run out of gas, you are not stranded, but just need to transfer a little gas. Not really a big deal, but time consuming.

A couple big thank yous go out to Dan Nearpass for missing the sled setting and Bob Jostock for exercising his option as test puller to drop and come back. All kidding aside, Dan does a very good job setting the sled, but if he had to miss it, that was the night. I talked with Bob after the pull congratulating him on his win and joked he dropped his test hook for me. Really, his decision put him in the winners circle.

Hartford, MI
We left home confident for a good night of pulling. We had made it about 30 miles from home when the battery light came on in the hauler. We spent about 2 hours in Peru, IN trying to find an alternator. The one on my truck is a "special order" deal, only because the mounting holes are about 5/8" wider than a stock Chevy. So, we bought a stock one and modified the brackets to accept it. We called the entry trailer and expected we would arrive about 15 minutes after the start of the pull. We were told the mods were 2nd class, and they entered us. When we parked in the pits, I heard Tom Hartzell announce that the Super Farm class was now official, meaning there was still about 10 hooks to go. We got teched, weighted, warmed up, and were ready to pull as the first mod rolled on to the track. It was perhaps the best track I have ever seen at Hartford and we were feeling strong. I backed up to the sled and tightened the chain. I rolled on the throttle and about 3/4 of a second later there was a loud pop and lots of oil and smoke. I got out of it and we had went 31'. One rod decided it was done pulling and broke. So, we loaded up and headed home. The plan was to pull the bad motor, drop in my spare long block, and make it to Charlotte the next day.

Tuesday, July 08, 2003

Econo-mod has been sold
We sold the econo mod chassis last night. We still have the engine and tires for sale. Please check out the for sale page for more info.

Monday, July 07, 2003

Bandit Update
Our dog bandit has been battleing neck pain for the past month and lost most or all of his eyesight last week. We took him to Purdue Animal Hospital today and they admitted him. They did test todays and more are planned for tomorrow. The two most common ailments mentioned were either Meningitis or Cancer. He is resting comfortably in ICU tongiht and hopefully we can get more information tomorrow in the next battey of tests.

Kendallville, IN
The day was very nice, until about 5:00 when the skies opened up. It rained hard and dumped a lot of water, but that sand track can handle it and when the skies cleared out, the track screw put together a nice track. The 8000 SS class was first and as the class progressed, the skies got dark and even spit mist from time to time. Just as Josh Hart finished driving Hart's Desire to another win, the rain came again. All the Four Wheel Drive trucks made their way back to the pits and loaded up. Then the real pull started, getting the haulers out of the flooded pits. A disappointing show of only one class, but at least the fans got some action. We look forward to next year. Since I was alone at this pull, I especially want to thank Grant, Derrick, Lori, and Sadie Wonders and Edd for helping me out.

North Branch.
After battling heavy rains on the drive up, and learning home town Kokomo receive between 9 and 11 inches in 4 hours after we left, the weather was pretty nice at the pull site. The pull was moved up two hours to give more daylight, and then started almost two hours late as the track crew added water to a very dry track.

Mods were the third class of 4 and we hook in the middle. One thing that was apparent was that the track was really loading the motors down. Ken Miller was test hook and it pulled his motors down, I thought he lost a belt, until they revved up at the end. Kens run was good enough for 2nd. Wayne Krider won with a nice straight pass. We finished 3rd, also with a nice pass, but we had to hit the brake as we hooked left at the end of the run.

We also had a flat tire on the way to the pull on the east side of Flint. We want to again thank Brian for stopping to help.

Thursday, July 03, 2003

This Weekend
Be sure to catch us this weekend. First at North Branch, MI at 4:00 PM on Saturday the 5th and then Kendallville, IN at 7:00 PM on Sunday the 6th.

Wednesday, July 02, 2003

T-Shirts
Our new T-shirts are in. To order click the button on the left, or save shipping and pick one up at a pull near you.

Tuesday, July 01, 2003

Peru, IN
Don't forget about the HSTPA pull tonight in Peru, IN. Your tech officials tonight will be Tom Saggars and yours truly. The classes will be 6000 SS, TWD, and SF, all co-sanctioned with Michigan. The fairgrounds are located off US-31 north of US-24, watch for the signs. We will see you all there.

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