TitaniumTT's I hope I make it to DGRR '09 Build

[TitaniumTT]

Ah cool about the no probs with big dogs. That was also nice of AJ. He's just happy that I didn't send ~250 lbs of teeth at him Nah, I'd never do that.

Shit Dustin, maybe try to head down for Trays little Oct shindig? I'm kinda hoping to attend that. I was thinking about heading to Zoom Fest, but it may be too long of a drive. Then again, since 7Stock is off this year, maybe I'll head down.... who knows. Either way, whenever you decide to head east, I have a bed waiting for ya. And there's always the Oct mt runs.

[stylEmon]

man, this makes me want to stop my build, because it's hard to imagine it will ever shape up to this!!

Great car all around!

[TitaniumTT]

Thanks Nick.

So I figured it was time for an update of sorts since the next week is going to be utter madness.
05/16 - went to the dyno for a comp test for the insurance claim and then we were going to do some more dyno tuning for the 05/17 Auto-X event. My grand debut after stepping out for about 7 years.
So we got to KDR and ran the comp test. The front rotor had three bounces all in the high 112's for PSI. Not bad, consistanct is the word I would use. The rear rotor showed us two bounces @ low 113's and one at 88 psi.... WEAK! Definately a problem. Dave tends to think it's a stuck side seal from the heat. So back and forth with the insurance adjuster a few times that day and then I said to Dave,
So Dave, ya wanna strap her down and have some fun? (with a naughty look on my face)
His reply - You'll break her.
Really?
Yeah, she's hurt and she'll break
But Dave, I've put over 2k miles, close to 3 since the overheat
Yeah, but none on that (as he points to the dyno)
Really? (I say with a powty look)
I can call Enterprise for you right now if you want. Enterprise, They'll take you there (or whatever thier slogan is, I was too busy laughing my arse off with the group of guys that were around)
We all had a good laugh and hung out for a few more hours before I drove back to CT. On the way back I did some light sequential tuning, got home, had a few beers with a friend and decided, fuck it, I'm racing tomorrow
Went to the Auto-X and had a fricken BLAST








even though I finished not so well. A few things need to happen. I need more seat time, I need to rebuild the engine, I need the sequentials working, I need a higher rev limit, I need the FE tranny, I need an oil baffle pan, I need something in the filler to keep the oil from working it's way up to the cap and then OVERFLOWING OUT OF THE OIL FILL CAP! and I need some race rubber. We're hoping to get all but the race rubber sorted before the next event on 06/07.

Anywho, in talking with Dave, the original thought was just to crack the rear iron off, fix the stuck seal and run her for how-ever long. Then I remembered the gasket set I won (thanks IRP) and realized that for ~$700 I could rebuild the entire engine. So, that's what the plan is now. I forsee two all nighters in the next week to get her done in time, but I expect to be back on the dyno with Dave on 06/03. So fingers crossed. My new gaskets, side seals and springs, corner seals and springs, and RA Super Seals and springs arrived today. Wednesday night is one all nighter to get the engine out and everything cleaned. Then over the next few days clearance all the seals and then a second all nighter on Saturday to get the engine assembled and dropped into place. Should be a brutal week but whatever - keeps me young

[TitaniumTT]

Well, that plan was shot to hell. Turns out it wasn't a stuck seal, but instead I managed to break my second side seal Well I didn't do it, Goodyear did hen they overheated the engine. I clearanced everything on that side of the rotor to .05mm. When she cooked the seal must have pinned and broke. I'll get some pics up in the very near future but there is a .185-.25" piece of side seal missing. It scored the housing on the way out and took out the turbo's As per Mazda the twins aren't serviceable so I should be getting a new pair of '99 spec twins out of the whole deal becuase, well it's a superceded number. Lucky me.... not really. If I was lucky I would've been able to enjoy my car unhurt for more than 160 miles. ::

Right now the engine is disassembled and the car is in pieces. I'm so pissed off at the whole thing that if the insurance co gives me any more shit tomorrow I'm going to have the car towed to Dave, all the pieces shipped, and the company can pay him to rebuild the engine, port the housings, paint the housings, assemble the car, break it in and dyno it, oh yeah, new turbo's too.

So we'll see what happens tomorrow............

[need RX7]

That sucks man. I hope it all works out okay, with the least amount of headache possible.

[TitaniumTT]

Least amount of headache would've been, here's the shit that's damages, here's what'll cost. Great, thanks for the check. Instead it's been dragging on for OVER 6 weeks at this point. Faxing parts lists, driving 6 hours for a comp test, faxing that, faxing appraisals, mazda invoices, and everything that they can think of. I've had enough, they've managed to suck the joy out of the car for me. I really just want to wave good bye to it and pick it up in a month or so when Dave's done. I'll miss a few auto-x's and the Limerock track day that I so BADLY wanted to go to but at least it'll be done.

They've been claiming all along that I'm trying to turn a profit on this whole thing which I really wasn't. I wanted fair compensation and they put up a hell of a fight. They don't know who they're fucking with is what it really comes down to

Whatever, It'll probably be $9,000 for KDR to do everything (turbo's, painting and porting new housings being a big part of that) but they don't want to cut a check to me for the parts. I don't understand.

[FC3S Murray]

Stick it to 'em man!!

Hopefully after your insurance company pulls their dick out of their ass'es they don't spread the word to other insurance companies on how expensive rotary costs are.

I have wanted to just give my car to a shop and let them do the dirty work BUT in Montana I AM the shop.

Hang in there and before you know it you will be back on the road. BTW 99 spec turbos will be nice.

[TitaniumTT]

They should make ~12 RWHP more at the same boost level and the response is supposed to be even better. That is kinda frightening actually. As the stockers are basically instant.

I tried to warn them when this first started that it was going to be an $8-10,000 claim and when they heard $4,200 for a soft rebuild they were all exited. I asked what happens when Dave cracks the motor open and finds trashed housings, warped rotors, scored endplates etc etc etc and they never answered me. That's when I cracked the motor open. They still haven't answered me yet today. I'm going to call them in a bit. I was VERY explicit that I wanted this done with today. I'm going to call and re-iterate that and then add that my attorney will be involved come Monday. I'm so sick of this shit.

[classicauto]

I get sick of dealing with insurance companies. I feel your pain.

Slip and squirm and wiggle their way out any way they can. But boy, a day late on your policy payment and hell will rain down from the skies on you - and it won't be covered

Best of luck bro!

[TitaniumTT]

Yeah, I bet you've had more than your fair share of insurance dealings. What they don't realize is who they're trying to fuck with I've been on both sides of the shit in the insurance industry so I know what I'm entitled to and what I'm not. So.......... I'm done after this last e-mail to them. Now they want the Alldata time for engine removal, overhaul and install. It's 18.7 hours BTW. How fucking ridiculously optimistic is that? And why the fuck am I looking this shit up? Isn't this the adjusters fucking job? He told me how much he earns a year. I thought to myself, Fuck, you get paid that much to jerk people off and you don't even get your hands sticky.... Where the fuck do I sign up? /Tangent.

So I gave them a cashout number, they said no way. I told them they have until Monday night to decide to either pay me, or authorize KDR for everything including two new housings, and a new set of twins. I continued with, one of my best friends is an attorney. He's in CA until Sunday morning. Sunday night I'm buying him a few beers and we're discussing this and he is going to be involved come Tuesday if it's not resolved. We'll see how that plays out. I have yet to drop the bomb on them that my attorney friend was present for some of the engine rebuild, he was there 30 minutes after Goodyear overheated the engine, took a LONG lunch break that day , and he was there that night compression checking the engine with me and two other witnesses when we found the engine down 20psi from a week earlier and that one low bouce from the broken side seal. I'm waiting to drop that one until last.

Whatever, they're also asking for the Mazda list prices for all the parts. I just sent them a list with $8,602.79 worth of parts on it

[vex]

wait... 3 engines, 'xplain!

[TitaniumTT]

First was the used RE that I bought three years ago. That lasted 4.5 hours before, ironically, the same failure happened, just for different reasons. The side seal was carbon locked and broke a few inched from the corner seal. The side seal chipped the Apex seal which finally broke and took out the other two apex seals and the housing, and the rotor. Than this motor lost a piece of side seal and took out a housing........ but the Apex seals are intact..... but that's irrelavent becuase they won't be reused. So that's two motors, I'll be building, or Dave will be building, engine number 3 very soon.

As long as I make the Limerock Track day, I won't have to kill anyone. If the scumfuck spermburping ins co decides not to cash me out, it looks like Dave will have the car for 4-6 weeks which makes me a sad panda.

Although it will give me time to get some work done on my boat. Maybe get that in the water before fall

[TitaniumTT]

So the Ins co decided that they will cash me out for the parts that I know were damaged. Tomorrow I'll be going over everything again just to be extra certain that I didn't miss a warped plate or a warped rotor or something horrible like that. If everything turns out OK, then I'll be clearancing side seals this weekend and may actually get her done in time for the Limerock track day. That would be SOOOOOOOOOO fucking awesome as I should be rocking some Work VSXX's wrapped in Toyo RA1 r-comp tires too. My pants are tight just thinking about it

[Roen]

Boo....when is track day? I'm coming back 6/21.

[TitaniumTT]

Track day is 6/18. Come back a day early and hit the auto-x with me and maybe Alex & Maya on 6/21