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Post by perthwa on Apr 22, 2022 10:22:47 GMT
And a few more tasks. Whilst cleaning up the engine bay I noticed an oil leak. Whilst looking for that I saw that the expansion joiner on the exhaust pipe under the gearbox sump had almost no clearance. This photo here shows my modified bracket. Originally it was about 4 cm long and sort of 'butt joined'. Anyway, I halved the height by bending both sections and overlapping them. This provided at least 1 -2 cm of new clearance between the sump. Now, about the oil leak, I cleaned the parts and then drove up the driveway for a few minutes... Then I took a photo... looks like the oil pressure switch might be to blame.
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Post by buildityourself on Apr 22, 2022 19:07:06 GMT
3. The centre console gets hot after a half hour or so... I will add some heat proof insulation material to the tunnel. This will help wires and also make the Aluminium console a bit cooler.Assume this is from the coolant pipes. Have you got room for plumping pipe lagging? its cheap and effective.
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Post by perthwa on Apr 27, 2022 13:22:02 GMT
That is a good idea. Yes I have some room. I was considering some insulation.. Off to the hardware store. As for another lucky find... I was pushing the Rocket out of the carport to get a twilight photograph. I heard a squeaky noise coming from the front left wheel. move it a bit more and the same noise. Sounded like it was coming from the plastic wheel nut cover.. removed the cover and discovered the bearing cover was floating free. This is how it came off when I released the cover. Not really a big drama... THEN I had a look at the Castle nut and there was no split pin. Then I moved it with my fingers!!! SO lesson learnt... never assume that someone else has done every nut up! Considering that I was out doing 100kmh the other day, not really what you want to find. Strangely enough, I have checked every suspension bolt and many other fasteners. I will now go and check the other front wheel nut and the drive shaft retaining bolts. By the way, here is the LUCKY photograph that I took... Lucky, because I heard the squeak! The car is close; new battery installed this afternoon. Various harnesses have been fixed to the body and tidied up. Checked the horn and decided that a proper earth wire attached to the internals of the steering housing might be better than the metal contact that does the same. Haven't checked as it was 9.30pm... other jobs I listed: Brake bias adjust Shorten brake slave cylinder rods or buy new shorter ones so that I can adjust bias. Not sure that rear brake slave cylinder is completely releasing. Drill bracket and fix wires on side of engine. DONE Fix Horn. DONE Fix source of power to ignition and also gauges to try to eliminate random cut out of gauges... Shield cabin area from Radiator air flow under hood. Add thermo shield to centre console. Join keys and cutoff and Pats on a single wire. Left side rear 'toe out' adjust one more turn if time. Whoops... Fix the oil leak...
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Post by wishful4444 on Apr 28, 2022 11:49:02 GMT
Good day perthwa
The castle wheel nut find was lucky, also concerning! No split pin is poor to say the least.
I note you have reflectors on the front wings. Is that an Australian requirement?
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Post by perthwa on Apr 28, 2022 14:00:17 GMT
The front wing attachments are a parking lights and they are a requirement. They can be, and usually are, adapted to the headlight assemblies. The ones that can with the car did not have the hole in the reflector to add parking lights, so I went for the aftermarket NARVA add on. I checked right hand front wheel... No split pin... Now it does. Then I decided that I can block some of the radiator air flow into the cabin by placing a role of Foam.. across the front frame area. Will test that this Saturday when my next permit is activated. Shield cabin area from Radiator air flow under hood.- DONE Also then worked on the Horn...I thought that was done BUT apparently not! I had continuity tested the switch on the steering wheel and it did appear to give an earth reading. BUT when I tried to get it to actively earth the 12 volts from the relay it would not work... I was frustrated after removing the steering wheel 4 or five times! Decided to go another route. Removed the horn sticker an put it on the dash as I have a spare switch. Press up for courtesy lights and press down for the horn. Can't remember what DOT rules are but I can not get the steering wheel circuits checked without a puller. I might just take it back to the supplier and get them to fix it... At least I now have a horn. Have been making up Tyre pressure Sticker and DOT 4 brake fluid stickers... Still yet to do brake bias etc... oil leak, brake slave cylinder bolts, key chain, p.s Noticed that the Front right hand headlight has a broken low beam. more $.
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Post by perthwa on Apr 29, 2022 13:48:49 GMT
Shortened up both of the Brake pedal pushrods by about 0.5cm; needed to get a 5/16 UNF die and make the threads a bit longer and then I made sure I had the 3mm gap on the sides of the Bias bar. This should allow the bar to move a bit easier and give me some adjustment. I think it will allow both cylinders to return fully to their standby position. Not sure this was happening before.
Testing in the drive way soon and then out on a permit tomorrow afternoon.
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Post by perthwa on Apr 30, 2022 9:53:46 GMT
All day working on car Decided to polish the Fibreglass things. Then bled the brakes. Still not happy with pedal adjustment. Removed the pushrods and reduced them by about 6mm each. Now I have some free play and the bias bar now has a lot more travel. Purchased an New Sealed beam headlight. Got some brake fluid. Bled the brakes again. Still have an issue with the rear master cylinder the volume level drops on pedal application, that make sense, then it drops on a repeated pedal press. then it slowly rises as the pedal is released. That feels like air in the system. I remember something about upside down bleeding required if you flip the Focus rear brake callipers!. But as far as I can see, the bleed nipples are at the top, the brakes are set up as leading and therefore they should be ok. Added my Tyre Plackard. and some DOT4 fluid stickers.
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Post by buildityourself on Apr 30, 2022 19:53:19 GMT
Are you sure about those tyre pressures? Been told that the best pressure is around 18-20 psi for such light kits.
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Post by kiwicanfly on Apr 30, 2022 22:50:22 GMT
I agree with tyre pressure comment, I'm running 20/22 with 205/50/15 tyres.
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Post by perthwa on May 2, 2022 12:26:20 GMT
Engineering update: list of 7 things 1. I made a stupid error and got 16 out of the 17 digits correct for my VIN plate... 94% still an A+ just a stupid error... nothing an hour can't fix! 2. need an immobiliser as the PATS key thing is apparently not acceptable. I will seal PATS key to the aerial ring of the PATS and just pretend it doesn't exist. Just looking up COMPLIANT immobilisers... 3. Need a sticker on fuel cap saying Unleaded fuel only! 5 minute job. 4. Need a 5 gas test... just planning it around the weather. 5. Could not remember where I put the weigh bridge certificate. I never put things in the pouch in my wallet. Well, almost never. Found it now... so cross # 5 off. 6. Needs proof of purchase from previous builder. Technically I provided that via an email... but I will reprint. #6. Done. 7. Need a label on the dash for brake warning lamp and High beam light. I new that BUT just ran out of time bleeding the bloody brakes... Managed to get through the panic brake test from 55km per hour. Front brakes just locking up. Will adjust before DOT. Managed to do almost the same test, with lock up, 25 minutes latter when a truck pulled out of a construction zone into my lane. lucky it was a 60 zone .. I gave him a clap as DH of the day as I went past! Now clocked up 450km or thereabouts on permits. car seems to be running quite nicely. Brake pedal was not full returning and so brake light was sticking on. Managed to attend a car show and shine with 9 others from the Sports car builders club. One was a Sonic 7, and here are a couple of shots of the show. If anyone asks, I trailered it to the show!. Proud moment!. p.s. That rubber tube I ran across the bonnet to stop the hot air coming into the cab is the best. Hardly any hot air coming under the dash and into the cabin. High Vis brake and parking light: I took the car to a mates place Saturday evening and he noticed that the High Visibility Brake light was on when I was parked at is house. I said: "it is supposed to be on because it is a 'rear red Parking light' and also a brake light." The light has two stages; 2 LED glow with parkers and the other 8 come on with the brake light! He said "it is a DOT fail"... A pair of snips and some insulation tape and it is fixed. Brake master cylinders... I decided that I should switch the Wilwood master Cylinder to the front Wilwood brakes. and the PBR unit for the Focus rear brakes. Done.... That is why I was still bleeding the brakes at 10pm Sunday evening!
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Post by perthwa on May 2, 2022 12:55:28 GMT
I agree with tyre pressure comment, I'm running 20/22 with 205/50/15 tyres. Absolutely agree with you both. As soon as I get the floor of the car over the 100mm lump of timber at DOT inspection, I will be making some spring adjustments and some serious air pressure adjustments. The engineer asked me today " do you have a tyre placard?" I said yes... he ticked a box! I talked yesterday at the car show and NO ONE has a placard... I joked with my wife about wtf you need a placard for? Is it so that the criminal that steals your car knows what tyre pressure to run! Engineer also told me I might need a seat belt open indicator... he wanted to know if the seatbelts I have had such an indicator. I said no!
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Post by perthwa on May 7, 2022 10:07:43 GMT
Another day. Booked a gas test for the upcoming Monday / Tuesday as weather looked better. Chose someone closer to home after a fellow member from the Sports Car Builder's Club of WA sent me some info and a photo and a positive experience review. Take two on my VIN number... Hopefully it is acceptable. Then I shifted the PATS and 'zip tied' the old key in place. It now lives on a bolt attached to my Brake pedal switch bracket. Have ordered my immobiliser. coming sometime this coming week. Bought a helmet. Just about new. $80. saw similar in UK shop ad for 300 Pound. Adjusted my bias on the brakes towards the rear but have not tested yet; permit coming tomorrow in preparation for gas test. Bought some new spark plugs and some more DOT4 brake fluid. Hopefully, I can get back brakes to do a bit more work and be a little less spongy. Also going to fill it with 98 octane.. see if that helps gas test... Time to make an Unleaded Fuel sticker and some dash stickers. Getting closer. P.S. DONE STICKERS see what they look like in the morning... I got bored so I tested the fit of the stickers. I will fuss around with the actual placement... before I glue them on. And I will move the fuel sticker down a few mm. Apart from that I am happy. Then I decide that the car is easily stolen right now as the PATS has been 'HOT WIRED' so I added my other passive device. That should ensure it is still in the driveway tomorrow.
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Post by wishful4444 on May 8, 2022 15:47:08 GMT
Good day perthwa
I also started off with a full face helmet but when strapped into the car found that the visibility to the sides was difficult. I now have an open face helmet which allows better visibility.
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Post by perthwa on May 9, 2022 12:10:13 GMT
Good day perthwa I also started off with a full face helmet but when strapped into the car found that the visibility to the sides was difficult. I now have an open face helmet which allows better visibility. I wore mine last night for the first time; was very noisey. I came home and taped up the vent on the top. Was just full of wind noise. I made sure that peripheral vision was not impaired before I purchased this. Drove it this morning without the helmet so can not compare yet. It definitely takes away some of the 'clubbie experience' and I probably won't wear it to do the shopping but the general feel is that at 110kph limit I will be wearing it. Especially, when there is a 20 or 30 kph wind also blowing.
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Post by perthwa on May 9, 2022 12:10:42 GMT
I got a prelim gas test today... Not good news... Here is text from dyno tuner / tester: "So 2003 standards for NOX is <20 and HC is <40 Yours is currently 141 NOX and 107 HC. So we are a long way off. I have noticed that the engine is popping a lot when holding 3000 rpm (required to do the test). The popping usually represents a lean mixture however it seems to be on tune according to the gas tester. So that's a bit odd. Would need to work out why it's popping like it is and that almost certainly the reason it isn't passing." Any suggestions? He asked if the travel permit was valid so he could do a few kms and get some HEAT into the cat. I said yes as it is a 48 hour permit. I checked with my receipt bucket from the original builder and he installed a brand new 2" Euro 3 Cat so it should not be the issue. He has it for another day so hopefully he can get to the bottom of it... before I have to spend too many $$$$.
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