I know it’s been a while, but I’m back with a new safety article.  I’m sorry it’s been so long, but I’ve just been busy down here with work and building some new cars for next season.  I don’t want to write you guys something half-ass, so I like to sit down and spend a good four hours on an article.  Lately, it’s been hard to find a spare four hours.  This article is one that has been on my list for months.  I feel it has to be one of the most important mechanical parts on any racecar, it is the throttle linkage.  I’m sure we all have at one time seen one stick or have seen the remains of what used to be a racecar from one sticking.  I had it happen to me in 1998.  I had a compression fracture in my spine, and let me tell you, it hurt.  Looking back though, I’m glad that is all that happened.

There are two basic types of throttle systems used in sprint cars.  They are either going to be a throttle cable or a throttle linkage.  The throttle cable is basically a cable that moves inside of a flexible housing.  Throttle linkages are composed of small rods, heim joints, and bell cranks.  Both of these systems are designed to move the throttle input on the carb or fuel injection when the gas pedal is pressed.

First, let’s go over throttle cables.  Throttle cables are very universal.  They can easily be switched from motor to motor, or carb to fuel injection.  They are very beneficial in a hard wreck.  In a hard frontal impact the motor will move forward, when it does this with a linkage system that is mounted to the car, it reacts as if the pedal is being applied.  With a cable system that is mounted to the motor, it doesn’t affect the throttle position.  This is good after a wreck; the motor is not going wide open while you’re knocked out.  That’s the good things about throttle cables. A bad side to them is they do require a bit of up keep.  It is a good idea to take them off often and clean them thoroughly.  After cleaning, they should be well lubed and checked for damage.  If you don’t, dirt and track grime build up inside the housing causing the cable to bind.  This leads us to the other problem with throttle cables, binding.  This can be caused by grime build-up, sharp bends, or high heat.  It is a good idea to use only as long of a cable as needed.  To long of a cable leaves it open to get snagged on something or cause a bind from a sharp bend.  High heat situations will cause the outer housing to melt causing it to bind up also.  When the cable binds, this is a possibility for a stuck throttle.  Another tip is to spend time on your mounting brackets for the cable.  Use quality parts and if you don’t know how to weld, don’t use anything in this system to learn how to.

Throttle linkages work a little differently.  They use a system of rods and bell cranks to mechanically actuate the throttle on the carb or fuel injection.  They are fairly simple in design, and can be adjusted easily, for different driving styles.  If a driver like very little pedal movement from idle to wide open or vice versa, the timing in the bell cranks can be adjusted in minutes, unlike a cables system that is pretty much set by the throw on the carb or fuel injection linkage.  The biggest problem is that they are mounted to the car.  Like I said earlier, when the motor moves and the throttle systems stays put, it’s like the driver is pulling the throttle linkage open.  It is very hard to get help to a driver in need when the motor is revving wide open.  Another problem I see is people not getting all the binds out of the system during construction.  The system should operate smooth as glass without any assistance or tight spots.  If it has any, at the shop is where they should be taken care of.  All the heim joints should work freely and be lubed weekly.  If they are not, they will stick and potentially bind.  Another downside to the linkage system is that the entire system is exposed.  All of the moving pieces are open to getting caught by breathers, hose clamps, spark plug wires, and even dash panels.  Any one of these things can cause the throttle to hang up.  It is a good idea to imagine a three inch radius around the entire system.  Anything in that radius should either be moved or secured so not to come near the linkages.

Something new to keep throttle linkages from sticking in a wreck are aluminum rods.  Normally, the rods are made of steel or stainless material.  In a frontal impact when the motor moves forward, the rods are designed to break, this causes the motor to go straight to an idle.  If the motor’s throttle is stuck after an accident, it can cause further damage to people and racecars sharing the racetrack.  These rods can be bought from your local speed shop relatively cheap.

Another hazard to the throttle system is the air cleaner system.  If the hose clamps on the air breathers are loose and let the breather fall down, they can sit on the barrel valve.  If this happens going down the straightaway, it holds the throttle in a wide open position.  This can also happen the other way.  The stacks can come loose from the injection system and get caught in the throttle.  It is always a good idea to check the stack clamps often and the hose clamps on the breathers to prevent this from happening.

Carb users also have problems with air cleaners.  On the deep dish air cleaner bottoms, they can snag the throttle linkage in a wide open scenario.  Always check this before you leave the shop or after changing anything in the fuel system.  If it doesn’t work 100% while testing it at the shop, then make it right.  If you make any mistakes in this area it will easily cost you a racecar.

I hope giving you these tips will give you something to look at next time you’re working on your ride.  I make it a point to handle the throttle linkage system of anything I drive myself, especially if I didn’t build it.  The point is no matter which system it is, is to make sure it works freely, it is well maintained, and has a clear area around the entire system.  By doing this you ensure that you won’t be buying a racecar because of a stuck throttle.  As a driver, I’m trying to make it stick even while I’m waiting to get fired off.  I would rather it stick in the pits than on the racetrack any day.

I don’t like doing safety articles on a lot of mechanical things, because everybody has their own way of doing it.  These are just a few tips that have worked for me and if somebody gets something out of it, then mission accomplished.  Remember, our goal is to keep you guys as safe as possible, and have fun in the process.  If you readers have any suggestions, please leave a comment, any helpful info is great.  The fewer the times this problem occurs, the less an opportunity of someone getting hurt.

As always, thanks for reading, and sorry about the wait.  If you have any questions or comments, get a hold of me or the web-site and we’ll get you the info.  Come back to FloridaSprintCarFans.com, the safest website in sprint car racing, for all the latest news.

Be Safe and Have Fun!

Scotty 67

scotty67hotty@yahoo.com

http://www.scottademaracing.com/

Hola amigos and amigas, and thanks for checking in on another safety article.  I have to start by saying thanks to all you readers for the kind words and support.  I’m still getting great ideas for articles coming daily.  I enjoy writing about the ideas you guys request, because I know at least one of you is interested in it.  I really like seeing people from other crews wearing my threads.  The shirts that FSCF.com came up with for me look awesome.  I might be a little biased, but they are the best looking shirt out there.

We’ve gone over track safety crews and even how to be safer at the track ourselves.  This article is going to cover safety at the race shop.  This area is often overlooked, but speaking for myself, I get hurt at the shop more than anywhere else.  If you don’t think bad things can happen at the shop just think a couple of weeks back to the Jesse Hockett tragedy.  He died while loading his rig for Indiana dirt week.  Something as simple as that turned into a tragedy for such a young upcoming racer.

The biggest cause of injuries at the shop (at least mine) comes from rushing.  There is a huge amount of work to do on these cars between races.  With work, kids, and just life in general time is very limited.  As a racer I’ve found that doing things quickly lets you get more done in the time you’ve got available.  I’ve also found that this causes more potential for injury.  I know it’s easy for me to say slow down while writing an article, but it will help you.  When you’re not in a rush you tend to also do better quality work and be aware of the potential dangers around you.

Hopefully, at your shop you already have a first aid kit on hand.  If not, you can get a nice one for about thirty bucks that will help with most injuries at the shop.  The most common injuries at the shop are cuts, burns, crushing injuries, and even electrocutions.  I’ve said it in past articles, but you know if you work on these things long enough you’re going to get cut.  We’ve also talked about how attractive duct tape is on these, but remember to make sure you get them cleaned and bandaged quickly to prevent infection.  Simple hydrogen peroxide is the best thing to clean cuts with.  If the cut is deep, you need to get stitches.  You have to get them within a few hours of the injury or else they won’t be able to use them.  Without stitches the wound probably will take twice as long to heal, and will leave a nasty scar.

Burns are an easy fix.  Simply soak with cool water for five to ten minutes, and apply burn cream or spray to help with the stinging.  If it is deep go to the doctor and get it looked at.

One of the most serious injuries mentioned is a crushing injury.  These can be as simple as pinching your finger in something, to as serious as the car falling on you.  For some reason, I can’t put an engine in a sprint car without pinching my fingers at least once.  The best thing for this is a simple ice pack.  Keep ice on the area for twenty minutes, and then let it set for twenty minutes.  After about five cycles of this the pain should get better.  If in a few hours it still hurts, switch to heat in the same routine.  The heat will help relieve the swelling.  If something more serious happens, like the car falls on your foot or hand, definitely apply ice as soon as possible.  This helps reduce swelling, bruising, and numbs the pain a bit.  If it is that serious please go to the ER for an x-ray.  Bones in your hands and feet are easily broken.  I know nobody likes to go to the hospital, but if you have a broken bone and it doesn’t get set properly, it will be screwed up for life.

The least common, but most dangerous injuries are electrocutions.  This can happen by using bad electric cords or power tools that are not connected to a GFI receptacle.  In Florida we get the pleasure to do most of our outdoor activities with the rain falling on our heads.  This makes the possibility of an electrocution really high.  With all the oil and water heaters connected to the cars, it just adds to the potential for a problem.  Even newer trailers have outlets on the side of them so they can be run off shore lines while being loaded.  Remember, trailer manufacturers don’t have the same building or electric codes to follow.

If an electrocution should take place it will happen one of two ways.  Either the person will be simply “poked” and it will hurt for a while or the electricity will “grab” the person, not letting them go.  If this happens DO NOT touch the person.  Find the breaker box and kill the power source.  If you try to grab the person you will be locked on also.  If this happens, once the power is cut, call 911 immediately because basic life support might be needed.  This is not to scare you, but I want you guys to be prepared if this were to ever happen.

A good way to help prevent most of these problems is to make sure you never work alone at the shop.  Having another person there ensures both of your safety.  If anything were to go on, at least there is another person there to help watch your back.  Also make sure one of you has a cell phone or that the shop has a telephone.  This gives you the ability to get help should something arise.  Having two people also helps prevent the most common shop injury of all, “the pulled back.”  When working alone we try lifting all sorts of crap we have no business trying to lift by ourselves.  At least with another person there it helps prevent a potentially lifelong injury. (Sorry Miller Chiropractic for letting that out.)

The race shop is chock full of stuff that can hurt you.  All we can do as racers is be as prepared as possible for when it happens.  I didn’t mean to get so detailed about the possibilities, but I want you guys to be educated on this stuff to help you out.  Hopefully, it never happens to you or anyone you know, but if it does at least you have an idea about what to do.

Thanks for all the kind words and e-mails.  If you have any questions, please contact me or the website and we’ll get them answered for you.  This article is dedicated to the Hockett family.  Hopefully, with a little education we can help prevent that situation from ever happening again.  Come back again to FloridaSprintCarFans.com for all the latest racing updates and more upcoming safety articles.  Remember, FSCF.com, the safest website around.

Be Safe and Have Fun!

scotty67hotty@yahoo.com

http://www.scottademaracing.com/