Stuff

Brake lines
Cover.
Start of strut brace.

Box section.
Just need to check my shock tower alignments then drill the other holes. Need to make some tubes to tack inside the box section which the bolts will run through, so the box section doesn't compress when the bolts are done up. Whole lot will be seam welded with TIG. Ends of the box section will be covered over with a plate TIG'ed on.
Easy enough.

Suffering profound lack of motivation atm, and other stuff to be doing, so progress is faultering atm.

Blah Blah...

Most bizarre location for a brake M/C reservior...Needs must for now, looking at other options but actually not bothered by it. Doesn't effect my vision justs only sticking 3/4" above the winscreen seal anyways...no more than some stupid SatNav thing or a dash mirror etc...Yes of course it clears the screen!
So thats done. Only thing I should have possibly done different, however that would involve some hefty mods to the pedal arrangement...
Pipe work inside the bellhousing is done. I cleaned the bellhousing with metal cleaner also :) Thats all finished off.

Bleed and Feed on the outside.
Did make a cover for the hole from some alloy, just need to fix it on...It was meant to a cable clutch or a lever arm with a slave outside, but they suck if you ask me...The Burton concentric thing is far better!

More finishing stuff

A special one-man bleeding bulk adaptor, means I can have this sticking out the bellhousing and bleed the clutch alone. The spring bit means no need to do it up and close it.Just about the last fittings needed, bar the main fuel line.
Made a new radiator shroud, it seals to the bonnet via the "bootseal".
Bolts to the radiator and chassis.
Fitted perfect, plenty if time measuring and messing with carbboard.
Anyway its better and more durable than the last one, and 1 piece.

Will probably whip the tubes off the bonnet and repaint them. Made some adjustments to the bonnet fitting, fits better than ever.

Hopefully get the some stuff on to be welded tomorrow, alloy stuff.

Will work on my strut brace over the weekend.

Box and engine should be back together shortly, so can go in again.

Main boring work left is finishing off the gearbox tunnel and painting the floors. Will get some templates made so the local trimmer can make me some carpet section for the floorpans...

This leaves just a thousand unmentionable micro jobs. I need to nail the water rail for the outlet side, also one for the inlet. Make a bracket for the header tank to bolt on the strut brace...fuel line under the car. Exhaust section to be made. Probably a load more too :)

Brake pipes are done awaiting, all copper awaiting flaring and fitting.

Few other developments but...

Slow progress

Working through things.
Pedals are all setup awaiting plumbing. Really happy with the master cylinder bracket setup, its so solid, you can grab the top of the mastercylinder and yank it and it doesn't move AT ALL.
We have steering, NO PLAY, not more than 2degrees on the wheel, feels lovely, steering column is ROCK solid with the new brackets I made.
Been bolting various bits on and sorting loose ends. So many loose ends to tie atm.
Mooo...

Shocker Mod completed!

Thats all perfect just have to make some sidespacers for the rosejoints, jobs a good'en.
K-Nuts used, super strong, has its own washer and self locking action.
Maximum droop is limited now. Wishbone is flat at correct ride height. Has about 1.5" of droop before a wheel lift.

Bits and Bobs

These are great! Can fit any cable etc from 1mm to 22mm.Perfect, no foam seal crap on my car!

Repainted my modified AVO's cause all the paint fell off after 2000miles, I washed them in white spirit and it flaked off! Stripped to bare metal and POR15'ed and assmebled.
Stock Spring versus my setup.
Sphericals on both ends now.

Progressing in a forward direction.

Powdercoated stuff, to be honest its not as good as I'd like, came bagged up, only inspected it at home, it'll do, sorted a few bits on objects I wasn't happy with the POR15 stuff, which is good shit!Turrets back on, should be in the same place (re: engine mounts!).
Here are the turret mounts for the engine, same as Caterham, Jag E-type mounts.
Barely any weight on them anyway, under 40kilos a side.
Been working on my tanks. This is the header tank now read for some bosses to be tig'ed on and the whatever. The old pipe outlets on the top now have 1/8NPT threads on and one is a warning switch to indicate the water system has lost pressure, so indicating a leak etc. The other has a 1/8NPT to JIC3 adaptor and blanking cap. I can now, using a seperate braided line, run a connection from this to the bulkhead, onto the fuel pressure line adaptor on the bulkhead and take block pressure measurements in about 30seconds, from the fuel pressure gauge 0-20psi.
Got some tappets and put the top-end of the engine back together. It's gonna rattle like a bag of nails in a tin when I fire it up cause I emptied the followers as they fully pumped up and it would have no compression with them as they were, also piston/valve contact risk...Not sure of that was the way forward but after a couple of minutes they should bleed and fill.
Clean surfaces make David a happy boy.
All done, took me all evening ensuring it was all 100%.
Cam seals in.
Waiting on a few bits from Mocal.

Fk it

Was gonna do a blog but Google is being an arsehole.

Progress

Did a 2nd coat on the chassis, thats done.Refitted a few bits.
Sorted my clutch line system. Just have to do the bleed line. I did make something before, but will be remaking it, lighter more simple. I will use a -3 bulkhead fitting with a bleed nipple on it. Its a special MOCAL fitting. Basically just drill a 9.5mm hole on the bellhousing and stick the fitting in it, a very small bleed nip protrudes from the bellhousing.


Glued my gear lever piece back on. I will be getting a few alloy braces TIG'ed on, but the bonding will seal it up...Its rocksolid, I could just leave it bonded if you ask me...I deoxided the surface and roughed it up...The Epoxy should be strong enough to hold it on its own...I am confident it would be ok as is.

Gears seem to select better than before? the gate has a better spacing, more luck than judgement. Just bonded it on by "eye"....
73.5mm moved forward.

Dropped my metal parts off for powdercoating today. If they loose any of them or bugger any of them I will be in prison for murder.

Got some gaskets/ seals for the box coming.

Also VVC followers here Monday. Only problem the cam locking tool won't work with my VVC Piper pulley setup? Its loose...I'll need to source/make something before I can time the cams by lift @ TDC method.

Hopefully by end of the next week the engine and box will be mated and completed and back in, clutch working. All done bar setting up the carbs...I can start attaching stuff to the car finally.

Gotta have a big push for a bit. Its pissing me off now, I gotta finish it, its like a lead weight dragging on me.

Few more bits and bobs done(ish)

Fitted my baffles and sump...Just used the normal "correct" sealer for no gasket useage. Anaerobic sealer...All went fine, do not forsee any leaks.
Clean up a few bits.
Chassis has had 1 coat of POR15. Gonna flat it and topcoat it on a warmer day, not sure it liked barely above freezing.
Had a poke with the cam timing, just a look really. Still need some followers. I'll have to buy new ones. The tosser on ebay at BGF "cossieboyz" sells BMW followers for the Rover, cheap and good, but they weigh 2x as much as the VVC follower (lightest of all)...Have to buy proper ones, 8 @ £12 each. Its holding me up and have been looking for a bargain for 12months :)
Have to get my gearbox welded, need a few gaskets, can then finally stick the engine and box together and do the clutch lines, just have to paint the shock towers first, engine back in then and finally fitted!

Plenty to do, stuff everywhere atm! Hopefully a two week push will advance things dramatically.

May well remake the lower front wishbones from tube, it be fair it makes the bearing carrier job easier (a round thing with a hole and circlip groove tig'ed onto tube). Also GT6Mike should at his leisure being making me some tubed top wishbones for me, using Caterham ball joints and these have adjustable camber as a result, so no need for shims! It maybe on bricks for a while longer.

Baffle 2

Hoping this will d the trick. Shown below after final cleanup and wash ready for assembly.Better bloody work anyway! Plenty of small gaps for drainback from above the main plate.
Idea is just stopping shosh, should double as a windage tray also.
Took me bloody ages, I ruined one of the 2nd plates as seen below that bolts to the oil rail, which pissed me off, as I was 3hrs into making it! The 3rd small plate just bolts on with M4 cap heads and nylocks.

Left a reasonable sized hole round the pickup pipe for reasons I shall not bore you with.

Better bloody work cause its one of the nicest things I have made.