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Dragon Power after it was first purchased in september 2005. other than a fresh coat of paint, it was about standard - took it to Haverfordwest to try it, and blew the turbo on the first outing
During the winter of 2005, the turbo was replaced with a large KKK unit, the engine was intercooled and water injection was fitted. The fuel system also was opened right up ready for Shillingstone 2006 which went quite well apart from blowing the KKK Turbo.
For the 2006 Tractor Challange a Garrett Turbo was fitted. Was a very good pull, leading to some of the best runs of the year.
As the weekend went on the dust was getting greater, and started to become a bit of a concern as to how much was being inhaled by the engine
Unfortunatly then, on the sunday afternoon the turbo finally gave up, But seeing as how it had been such a good weekend I was not too concerned
For the Landford and Hamptworth pull 2006 the KKK turbo had been reconditioned, but during the weekend there seemed to be a considerable lack of power, but overall quite a good weekend
2 weeks later and it was off the the 2006 Welland Steam and Country fair, since Landford the reason for the lack of power still hadnt been determined but the pull went well with no major problems
The week after Welland was straight up to Pickering, quite a good weeks pulling, but still with the lack of power - saturday nights pull came, and half way down the track there became a very bad misfire - the end of pulling for that weekend!!
After Pickering the cause of the misfire was found to be a broken rocker, tractor was soon running again ready for croeslan. The whole of the weekend the tractor was sick, there was oil and fuel coming from everywhere, and I just could not develop any boost. At the end of it I had had enough and parked the machine up for the rest of the season, unfortunatly missing the GDSF and Berwick st John pulls.
Over the winter many further modifications were done, a much larger Holset HX-60 turbo was fitted, the water injection was altered and at last the cause of the lack of power was found - blocked intercooler element!! Also had time for another new coat of paint!
The first outing was a static show at Malvern in March, just gave me a chance to let it get up to temperature to ensure everything was running well
Havefordwest April 2007 - At last Dragon Power started to give me the results i wanted - to the end. A very good weekend which left me very satisfied with the winters work!
Beginning of May and a trip was made up to Nottingham, new sledge and new track which I struggled to make and traction, by the sunday the track hardened and Dragon Power was starting to run well again!
The next trip out then was to Shillingstone, where unfortunatly it revved a bit too high and a valve felt like leaving the head - the engine was a write off - resulting in me missing Astwood Bank and Wincanton pulls
After my unplanned mid season rebuild, the first outing was Lowham were i needed to test my new uprated valve springs.
They seemed to hold out and it was a good weekend with the exception of the weather!!
After Welland was prosponed due to the rain, the next trip was up to Pickering, generally a good week but I was starting to get that dreaded miss back again!!
Yet another rocker had played up so a full set of new ones were modified to cope with the extra revs. The next trip to Croeslan showed that they made a difference!
A long week of Pulling at the Great Dorset Steam Fair went very well with some of the best pulls of the year - time to try some new injectors and open the pump up a bit more ready for welland!!
Welland was a bit wet on the Friday morning, I hooked up and built up the boost, let the clutch out and suffered bad wheelspin, the engine revved for too long and seized. The next day I managed to get it fired up again, but was knocking badly - so that was it - keep looking in the workshop section to see whats happened!!
2008 brought the new evolution of the tractor, and the start of pulling with the SWTPA. The first event was at Bristol which was a bit of a learning curve. Clutch problems meant that we could not get a hook until late on the monday, but heavy rain whilst sat in the holding area really damped the track too much. The class was postponed until later, but was still too wet. A reasonable first pull with the new tractor gave me a respectable 2nd place.
The next pull was an independant event at Astwood Bank which allowed me to set the balance of the tractor ready for the next event. I managed to get three hooks, in which the tractor performed better than ever. Only problem was a broken throttle linkage.
Heddington & Stockley went well, best run so far this season with a respectable 81.78 metres, which gave me 2nd place. Lets try and get to the end next week!!
Another dry weekend at Carmarthen allowed some good pulling, first run was out of the end with a full pull, 1st one this year so very happy, sledge dragged me down at 71.11 metres leaving me in 2nd place. Overall very happy!!
Next on the calendar was Lowham, excellant weather allowed two days of good pulling, points on the saturday, a good run gave me 86.72 metres leaving me in 2nd still, and then for trophies on sunday 88.42 metres once again in 2nd. One day we will manage to beat The Viking (hopefully) !!
After Lowham, Dragon Power had a month off until the pull at Croeslan, The track and sledge were ready for the Sunday, but unfortunatly the weather wasnt, and the ground proved impossible to pull on. A independant pull was also attended at Diesworth, but unfortunatly the weather was against us
It was then a trip up to Malpas in Cheshire for the SWTPA final, in which the sun finally did shine, and the track conditions were great allowing some excellant pulling. A 2nd on both the saturday and sunday meant that as for the final results for the year, 2nd place was obtained.
