Shattered, shattered - she-do-be

Wow, it's been a year, and yet here we are again - transmission problems.

It's two nights before the Last Chance race to get a spot in Pinks All Out coming the last weekend in May. I don't know if we have a shot, but we're going to give it hell.

However, this is not what you want to see on your garage floor two nights before the event begins:


See the ring toward the lower left of the collection of parts? It's not supposed to look like that. Here's a closeup:


That's the forward bearing retainer at the bottom. We thought the throwout bearing was going bad. Not so. It was the front gear on the main shaft rubbing against the inside of the main case. The retainer should look like the piece at the top of the photo. It completely shattered to pieces all around the snout, which is lying there all forlorn and helpless. The other piece looks like one that will replace it, but it won't. It's a retainer for a three speed. Besides not physically bolting up, it's a weak casting. I'm glad it didn't fit, as we would have put it on and destroyed it likely after two or three launches.

So, now my brother is sitting in his car sleeping in line out at Raceway Park to get his spot in line for tomorrow's registration process, while tomorrow morning I will wake up bright and early and start calling around town trying to find a piece to replace this one. I guess I know now why they make billet retainers. Huh - that used to seem like overkill to me. It's not like we're doing tens, but I guess enough six-grand launches will take their toll.

If we get this together and make the show, it's going to be friggin' awesome.