[DeTomaso] NPC: The slow drive home Monday night.

[Asa Jay Laughton]

It was an evening like any other evening.  The Sun was slowly dangling 
to the horizon like a tired man reaching for his bed.  Traffic was 
moderate as the long drive home spread out before me.  I'm driving my 
1998 ZX2.

Settling into a nice groove behind other cars in the center lane, it was 
just past the Division street off-ramp, west-bound.

A slightly disturbing noise, hard to describe, but kind of like a 
shreeeezachtzzzzzzzzzzzz...
from the right front fender, and the car seemed to lose power.

The car was stable and the wheel solid, so it wasn't a tire.  Pressing 
the throttle a little... nothing.
On goes the turn signal, right lane change.
Hazard lights, shift to neutral, head for the Maple street exit.
The engine dies.

Shift to fifth and let the clutch out slowly.  Engine seems to fire but 
stumbles and won't stay running.  It's just causing me to slow down 
faster.  Better not do that.  Back to neutral it goes.

So I drift off the freeway at Maple, get into the left lane and (some 
folks say there isn't a God) and have just enough momentum to drift 
through an empty left lane into the church parking lot and under the 
freeway.

I crank the engine and it shudders as if trying to shake off a cold.

Game over.

One AAA tow home and this is what I find after pulling the timing belt 
cover:
http://www.asajay.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2717

mmmmmmm... little black Belt Bits, (They taste best in a slightly 
seasoned 5-30W oil)

Looks like my timing belt decided to take a vacation, or at least some 
of it did and got into an argument with the rest.
As for timing, this photo tells the rest of the story:
http://www.asajay.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2721

Those two slots in the end of the overhead cams, are supposed to line up 
Although neither is parallel to the head surface, you can plainly see 
they won't line up at all.  One of them has skipped at least one tooth 
and perhaps two on the timing gear (seen in the previous photo).

<sigh>

So much for getting good mileage to work.  Looks like it will be the 
Mach I for a while, at least until I get this bit of mechanical 
nightmare repaired.  I'm still waiting for parts back on the Pantera, 
otherwise it gets better mileage and I would drive it instead.

At least God gave me the presence of mind to get OFF the freeway as fast 
as I could, and provided a clear path for me.  Thank you Lord.

Asa Jay Laughton, MSgt, USAFR, Retired

& Shelley Marie
Spokane, WA

1971 Mach I Mustang  [ASA JAY]
1973 Pantera L 5533  [ASASCAT]
<and a broken ZX2>
    
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