Journal: August 2001

	Choose Your Month Pick a Month June, 99 July, 99 August, 99 September, 99 October, 99 November, 99 December, 99 January, 00 February, 00 March, 00 April, 00 May, 00 June, 00 July, 00 August 00 September 00 October 00 November 00 December 00 January 01 February 01 March 01 April 01 May 01 June 01 July 01 August 01 December 01 February 02 May 02 August 02 January 03 Final Entry

  Friday 8/31/2001, Woohoo!!!! I figured out what was making the tick in my engine and It turned out to be something easy! I went over the whole engine for about the fifth time last weekend using a big stick as a stethoscope but could not really localize the noise enough to justify tearing into the engine. It has always seemed loudest when sitting in the passenger seat so just for grins I put the stick on the aluminum at the front of the footbox. It seemed louder so I started looking at what was mounted to the frame there. After some fiddling around I isolated it to the canister purge solenoid that controls recycling fuel vapors from the charcoal canister to intake manifold. I'm not sure why but it starts hammering like a jack hammer when it's under load. I guess it's either bad or not getting enough vacuum. Bottom line is that if I disconnect it, NO MORE NOISE! I can't believe I spent this much time on something so simple but I'm at least glad that it stumped a few experts.

So with the engine tick out of the way all that stands between me and a completed Cobra is the body work, paint and a few finishing touches. The good new is that Gary my painter is settled in to his new shop and has started to work on the body again. He got the seams pretty well done this week and should have it in primer next week. I'll also be finishing up the insulation and carpeting in the cockpit this week.