New Haven Gathering, dead UrQ and live 'possum (report, long)

[Larry C Leung]

Well, we met at Gary's around 1:30, had fabulous eats (lobster, soft
shelled crab, steak, kraut and 'wurst, potato salad, and hot 'shrooms),
enjoyed Audi paraphenalia including the SportQ special Audi Driver, and
FINALLY went to work on the UrQ. We bantered about several ideas, checked
cam timing, ignition timing, spark (mystery, #1 only fires on the first
crank, then quits, the others spark as normal), fuel was coming in JUST
fine (anyone smell anything?...). We then checked for any pulses out the
exhaust and the intake (possible mice.....hmmm, we do have a furry
visitor, but none in the intake nor exhaust, more later), and we
found......the adjustment stop for the air sensor plate was one step away
from breaking off and becoming a great reason for a new turbo! (UrQ
owners may wish to check this, it controls the height of the contact
spring for the plate, don't know of it's existance in other intake
tracts). We also noted that the contact spring was heavily (visually over
.030" deep) pitted. It also meant that the sensor plate was WAY out of
place (probably 3 - 4 mm ABOVE the venturi cone, so we fixed it) Also
checked the hall sender wiring (couldn't get Gary's LED checking device
to show any life there, not sure if there was no Hall signal or we
weren't working it right), tried jumpering around it to no effect. We
cranked it several times, a few times it almost caught, but adding
throttle position only postponed the stall by a few extra cranks. Smells
and acts like there's no spark, so we also tried turning the distributor
around 180 degrees (no effect, and we knew it was right to begin with)
So, anyway, sorry Gary.

Finally, as we were deciding that there didn't seem to be much hope for
this try at the UrQ, we heard a slight shuffle to see.....The List
'Possum. Looks a little young, and definitely unpreturbed by cranking,
coughing and sputtering Audi wearing ode du petrol, spent the entire time
looking at us, ignoring us, and cleaning itself. Even an attempt to bring
the remaining dinner party guests to see the 'possum in all of his glory
didn't seem to make him wander far. He was slightly shy and hid under a
cushion somewhere when the second garage door was opened, but as soon as
the garage was buttoned up, there he was, sitting up on a cushion, having
a good old time. We (Gary, Toby Bergstrom and I) pondered if he should be
the new list mascot!

Final note, it turns out Toby went to and works at my undergraduate Alma
Mater, WPI. What a surprize!

Thanks again Gary for the food, fun and furry friend, sorry your UrQ is
only one half of 1% closer to running....

LL - NY