DNF causes...

[Whitey]

Just thought i would start a thread on what electrical & mechanical (non driver error) problems have been encountered causing DNF's or issues at service.

[Whitey]

Although not resulting in a DNF, the regulator wires on the alternator (white & red ones) flexed around and break off causing battery issues. Either overcharging or not charging.

I resoldered the spade connectors in the plug and attached heatshrink over the connector and a good few centimetres of the wires.

Incidentally to get the spade connectors out of the plug you need to remove the rubber inserts and clip & insert a fine screwdriver in the rear of the plug to push the tab in and then push the spade and wire out the back of the plug from the front with another screwdriver or pointy pliers.

Hopefully it will make more sense when you are looking at it.

[Crazy Dave]

You said mechanical causes, so I can slip in the fact that I reckon my steering arm bent causing me to role the car.......

On a more serious not, I have been having trouble starting the car lately when it is hot and have traced back an earthing problem (as Glenn mentioned in his speech in Sydney) and aftermarket earthing leads slowly working their way loose. Also a suspect starter as well which might be realted to dropping it when the engine was out of the car.

[HMCA]

As discussed at Glen's the other day and the need for good earth conections. Harv had a special wire brush (fits in a drill) that had a centre bit that just sits in the thread area(no contact with the thread) and the wire brush spins around the outside cleaning all paint etc off. It does a better job then scratching the paint with a screw driver.

Also the bolts that are used on the earth points are different to the normal bolts used elsewhere in the car.

We had some problems with the Battery lead terminals at Taree. The cable was a bit short going between the Starter and the kill switch and the battery cable eye conector broke at the starter. We believe this was the reason but also we are now careful not to let the starter hang from the cable.

Cheers Mick

[Glenn]

I've got a whole list of failures recorded that I need to post up....no time to do it now, but remind me if I haven't done it in a couple of weeks.

The only Mechanical/Electrical DNF that I think an Excel has EVER had (I'm quite prepared to be corrected here) was mine at Coffs last year. I had simultaneous failure of the starter motor, MAP sensor and Alternator. :mad:

All of the others have been "impact" related :)

Cheers

Glenn

[Crazy Dave]

So now I have a real mechanical DNF all though I don't know if you can do much about it as I did everything to try to prevent it. A hole in the side of the block of the rebuilt engine. We put just about everything new we could get our hands onto (pistons rings, exhaust valves, big end bolts, bearings, all the oil galleries cleaned and plus replaced, welsh plugs etc) to go for reliability but something failed. I so wish we had of just dropped the second hand motor in there now in stead of trying to play it safe and rebuild one, especially as that engine owes me about 6 secondhand engines worth.

[ernysp76]

Crank sensor burning out due to exhaust flange failure, fixed by fixing exhaust flange gasket and making heat proof gaurd for sensor covering the lead in 2000 degree heat shielding. That way if exhaust flange gasket goes again I can keep going to service.

Also alternator failure in service, bench tests ok but in the car it has a intimitant fault that will stop the car.

[Crazy Dave]

http://www.excelrally.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=38&stc=1&d=1174294130

Damage from front of block looking at what used to be the outside of number 4 piston:(