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F1 News & Discussions => Pit Pass => Topic started by: cosworth151 on March 02, 2018, 03:53:12 PM

Title: $3 Bolt Ruins McLaren's Test Day
Post by: cosworth151 on March 02, 2018, 03:53:12 PM

McLaren racing director Eric Boullier is not happy about McLaren's last test day. A $3 exhaust bracket bolt failed. That caused the exhaust to drop and fry parts of the power train & electrical systems.

"It's a stupid bolt which broke in the exhaust," Boullier said. "It's a $3 problem which cost us a lot of track time. Everything was burned, so we had to rebuild the back of the car. It didn't cost us much to revise the design, it's more about the track time lost. As you can see the design is still the same and the car is still running."

I'll bet he originally used a different, more colorful adjective then "stupid" to describe the bolt.  ;)

http://www.racer.com/f1/item/147719-stupid-bolt-ruined-mclaren-running-on-tuesday

Title: Re: $3 Bolt Ruins McLaren's Test Day
Post by: John S on March 02, 2018, 05:29:58 PM

It was ever thus.

Many times good F1 and other motor series race positions have been lost to failures of supppsedly simple and cheap components.

Better it shows the vulnerability in testing than in actual racing I'd have thought. 

Surely that's what testing is for - to find weak spots.

Title: Re: $3 Bolt Ruins McLaren's Test Day
Post by: Jericoke on March 02, 2018, 07:54:09 PM

That's why you always use the $5 bolt

Title: Re: $3 Bolt Ruins McLaren's Test Day
Post by: Scott on March 02, 2018, 08:47:36 PM

Quote from: Jericoke on March 02, 2018, 07:54:09 PM

That's why you always use the $5 bolt

:DD :DD

...or better yet, the $50 bolt, like NASA, the military or the government would.

Title: Re: $3 Bolt Ruins McLaren's Test Day
Post by: Dare on March 02, 2018, 10:05:06 PM

A cheap part cost the turbine engine a Indy 500 win

Title: Re: $3 Bolt Ruins McLaren's Test Day
Post by: lkjohnson1950 on March 03, 2018, 02:18:30 AM

As I recall a "5 dollar bearing".

Title: Re: $3 Bolt Ruins McLaren's Test Day
Post by: Dare on March 03, 2018, 04:27:35 AM

Quote from: lkjohnson1950 on March 03, 2018, 02:18:30 AM

As I recall a "5 dollar bearing".

Wasn't that the last year turbines were allowed to compete?

Title: Re: $3 Bolt Ruins McLaren's Test Day
Post by: lkjohnson1950 on March 03, 2018, 05:47:31 AM

No. Granatelli and LOTUS teamed up to run the AWD LOTUS 56. The first doorstop wedge at INDY. They did reduce the inlet quite a bit which reduced the power.


https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/img/Lotus-56-Pratt-and-Whitney-15638.html (https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/img/Lotus-56-Pratt-and-Whitney-15638.html)

Title: Re: $3 Bolt Ruins McLaren's Test Day
Post by: Robem64 on March 03, 2018, 01:37:22 PM

Japan 2017 - Vettel retirement, spark plug failure!

Title: Re: $3 Bolt Ruins McLaren's Test Day
Post by: Alianora La Canta on March 03, 2018, 04:11:21 PM

Damon Hill, Hungary 1997 - 50 p washer. One day, I might come to terms with that particular cheap component...

Title: Re: $3 Bolt Ruins McLaren's Test Day
Post by: cosworth151 on March 03, 2018, 08:51:14 PM

Quote from: lkjohnson1950 on March 03, 2018, 02:18:30 AM

As I recall a "5 dollar bearing".

$5 was worth a lot more back then.   ;)

Title: Re: $3 Bolt Ruins McLaren's Test Day
Post by: Dare on March 03, 2018, 09:11:50 PM

Quote from: cosworth151 on March 03, 2018, 08:51:14 PM

Quote from: lkjohnson1950 on March 03, 2018, 02:18:30 AM

As I recall a "5 dollar bearing".

$5 was worth a lot more back then.   ;)
[/quote

Yeah you could buy 25 cokes and 25 candy bars....now 2 cokes and
1 candy bar