Idle tuned

Forum Issues Update

More useless companies!

No explaination, no ability to talk to different departments...

Only way to get this fixed is the "constant hassling approach".

Now on my 3rd call since 9am!

Billing say I am in fine fettle, they pass me to tech support, useless bastard there is no help.

Back onto tech support again now, someone who is actually half useful this time, he's calling accounts again....

Time to move companies!

They cannot give me any instant explaination!!!!!

I drove "The Beast"

Cheeky nip up the road and a few laps of a local housing estate.

Was hoping a proper update on the forum, but thats out of action till tomorrow?

Thoughts...I did one run and couldnt bare the chattering rosejointed radius arms as they prevented me "listening" to any genuine rattles, so I fitted two "lined" joints on body end to shut that up only 20min job. I'll refit bushed arms ASAP.

Went out again.

Cooling system works, engine is smooth but needs crossover to main-jets sorting, runs very nicely from 0-2500 but the rest needs tuning. Plenty of torque, can pull off with no rev's and pull off in 2nd. Clutch works ok. Gearbox ok.

You know the engine is very hard mounted as there is quite a bit of vibration into the chassis and tub, doesn't bother me I expected it.

Exhaust is quite loud, but ok. Quiet sensible below 3000. Will quieten down once the engine is tuned. Exhaust does introduce harmonics into the shell at 3000rpm, but again this is a sportcars not a 525i. I think this is due to the engine "stumbling" a bit there and the exhaust getting noisey and the solid engine mounts are putting the "off balance" combustion harmonics through the car. If the engine is running lean, which it is the engine will wobble and moan.

I know the engine is not RICH on jetting anyway, the plugs are still sooted from the starting issues I had, but are cleaning and telling me it needs smaller air correctors, more idle jet, a switch to 5 tubes etc. Time will tell. I haven't opened it up anyway, didn't rev it over 3K.

Nice to feel the extra torque, you just pull off, give it basically no throttle and it drives off, you just reassure the pedal and upshift! Should give me a great ecomony.

Like slipping into a warm slipper again on the 2nd run, nice to drive around, potters nicely at low speed, 5th gear @ 30mph. Steering is nice and light and feels GOOD, car is smooth, doesn't appear to be any propshaft harmonics. Front dampers are quiet with their rose-joints.

Engine is a very active, rarr rarr, light and eager to go, instant throttle response. Exhaust cam appears to be timed well, idles nicely @ 900, yet I have not even set the idle air balance or made much effort to sort the idle screws...Bonus of a bigger engine with relatively mild camshafts, it's easy to setup and not that fussy. To be fair I didn't even "open" the throttle at all really but it's got a plenty of torque in the few mm of pedal!

Brakes are shat cause I need to bed the pads in and haven't buffed them against the discs yet. I need to back off the rear shoes a bit to make sure the front pads get most of the pedal action for the bedding.

Could use front-end dropping 1/2" I think...Plenty of "fine" tuning to do. Good news is though that all the fundementals appear to be as intended and working, ie all the stuff I made and stressed over. I couldn't give a monkies about the engine going wrong, cause I can just slap in another!

Only annoyance is a small developed weep from my oil block, will do up the connections a bit harder, if not I'll have it off and look at it and the clutch release bearing started sounded a bit rough after 10mins when you depress the clutch...Which is annoying ...however it may "bed" in and shut up, had this before.

If not it will be run into destruction and swapped for a mondeo hydraulic unit or something.

Bound to be something I didn't make or build myself that causes me to take it apart!

If it goes I will be pissed off that I make all this stuff that works and it's let down by some wank bearing...I remember Ray Passell whining about his actually, but I can't get on the forum to read any resolution, if it's a design issue it's totally unacceptable after 10mins!

I've good mind to look into legal action against BurtonPower for the labour in changing it. Clutch is quiet high, I may fit a 5/8" master cylinder to lighten it and make it deeper down on the pedal as the extra throw on the 3/4" is not needed and the clutch is "man-ly". I could possibly reduce load on the release bearing by adding a "bump stop" on the clutch pedal...Stops you going all the way down and loading the bearing even more.

Throttle could use a heavier return spring on the pedal. I got used to it but may as well swap it.

Exhaust "tip" is quite noisey, it's making a turbulance whistle so I could adjust the shape sometime.

These are just my initial thoughts, I was well pleased till I drove it into the garage and heard the release bearing...Atleast I know the rest is ok.

This car will be an snarling animal from the outside, I can tell...It's gonna be quite "raw", yet once you are in the drivers seat, it'll drive like a total joy! Induction noise is very noisey!

Straight back into the car really, I felt at home right away, the first drives being very tentative though. It'll be a tentative build up to extreme use, I've no interest in going nuts from the off. Whether I'll use it on the trackday, who knows, depends how it all pans out...

I try not to be too positive or biased, I expect I'll find something needing modification before long.




http://www.youtube.com/user/davesideways

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRoaXWzrm5M&feature=channel_page

Another ticky crappy digicamera video.

FORUM ISSUES

The ISP has been screwed all day.

I am not sure if they have disabled all accounts on my hosting package but the forum maybe offline till tomorrow when I contact accounts. As I have called support and they cannot help telling me to contact accounts.

There is no reason for my access to be disabled as they took payment for the forum hosting last week! I am nowhere near the limit of my hosting options.

Sorry!

If they have disabled my account for any reason bar this ongoing server collapse they are suffering I will be VERY annoyed with them, as they have made no contact with me about issues regarding any reason to disable my access.

Slog

22hrs later. Just the hardware TLD should have supplied to be made. Few nuts to add.






Buffed and waxed valances.
Bit bright!

Squeezed in.

Does what it said on the tin.

Arse

Phhhhttttttttttttt.

I was intending to finish the entire front suspension of this god-damn car in the garage this weekend!

It broke the bloody vice! Pushing the bloody studs in. This car is possessed. I also got a few parts from my mate in worcester but I buggered if I can find them, more delays, need a new vice and go and get another batch of parts...Royally pissed off.

I was good mood earlier this evening, now I am pissed off, the story of this car! I had to resort to drinking 4 stellas.
Lucky I got one hub done before the vice exploded. Nearly had a heartattack.

Some painted valances.

So there we go...I may hold off on any further work on my car till I can get shot of this object of depression thats just ruining my mood everytime I lay a finger on it, it's REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY getting on my nerves.

The garage is like good cop, bad cop. Why the fuck did I get involved...Lessons learnt over the last 12months?

Problem came with this project that it was dumped here on in Novemeber, yet dispite any promises of payments, nothing REALISTIC materialised till the 3rd week of July....Thats 8months.....By this time I was sick to the arsehole of my eyeballs of the sight of it. Despite sending no fking cash at all the owner seemed to enjoy hassling me constantly for the first 6months, when people hassle me without showing any commitment I tend to dig my heels into the deck...Sadly after tripping over it for 8months I got bored of the sight of it.

Well it'll soon be 8months since I got any funds worth lifting a finger over, so I guess were even?

Soon it'll be gone. I'll be happy, sadly I am fked off that my weekend's plans have been "shattered".

This car needs another 1000-1200hrs of work and 7-10 grand wasted on it to make it worth the £30,000 wasted on it. Yes £30K...Yes it looked better than it was...I think the seller got a good deal.

Shit, I've just been ranting in a totally aimless fashion, sorry readers, I am drunk...This happens everytime I work on this car, I get pissed off, then I resort to beer and get REALLY pissed.

I REALLY must stop this torture! There is only one answer, get it on it's wheels and get rid, quiet next week, it could be the one with a week of solid 12hrs of daily pain!

Bit like a catch22.

Problem is hate working on anything unless I am enjoying it, I might as well be shoving stuffing up turkey's arses in a factory otherwise?

By christ I have developed BAD PSYCHOLOGY towards this car. I need to go to bed.

Record Vices are like £200!

The Beast is done!

Well all the fab and pain is over.

If you want the full down on my exhaust fun there is a thread on the forum called the "the crazed spitfire.

Remade the short pipe off the collector from some 2.5" and as detailed on the forum VASTLY improved the constriction at the end of the collector where it means the main pipe.
Plenty of work into this, but it's all there now. Just needs a few more tack welds and take it off and send it for TIG.

Really it's perfect, millimetre perfect in everyway, its worked out really well. Labour involved is unbelieveable!

Finished the silencer too, welded, constructed, packed and fitted ready to run...

Need to paint the manifold or get it coated, then it's just a matter of slitting one join pipe for a clamp, final polish and sticking some sealer on and clamping it up.

Need to get my engine bay valances coated too and fit those, I DO want it all done before it leaves the garage. There are some small jobs like welding in a lamdba sensor boss and sorting an airfuel gauge first, I want to see whats cooking with the engine from the offset.

Bit more fettling on the ignition and carb front before I drive it also...

Silencer

Bit more polishin.
Two halves of silencer skin welded by Bob Hall with TIG. Neat job on 0.5mm stainless.

Polished a bit.

Polished a bit more.

V-bands back in stock...Now I just need get all the pieces here and the job is complete.

Furious Polishing

Furiously polished. No I didn't use Autosol! That might take around 4months of solid work!

Before and after.Cloth wheel and soap, normal business.

Makes light work of this job, still a couple of hours of polishing!

Delays on my silencer shell, cause the guy was snowed up at home. No biggy.

This and That.

Now really running out of evening jobs.

Fitted the brake pad retaining pins and rattle plates.
Cleaned my front wheels and waxed them. Stuck some CV2 grease on the studs and torqued the nuts down to 68nm.

Got under it with a torch and really really looked hard to find any weaps or leaks and found none.

Slight petrol wiffage in the boot if you leave it closed, so removed the pump and resealed the NPT connections with epoxy. Wasn't quite happy with my Metro fuel sender, on the empty there is an 8litre reserve, so adjusted the sender, by benind it a bit, yet to recheck it.

I have all the parts for the exhaust, bar the V-band clamp (out of stock).

The place made a hash of the pipe I had made, however with 2.25" removed from before the sill 90deg bend it will fit perfectly after some adjustments.

This bit is fine.

Silencer skin is off being TIG'ed, should get it back tomorrow I can assemble the silencer over the weekend and weld the pieces needing joining.

Sorted the crankcase breathers by running them into the filter backplate. No oil will come out anyway.

More running

Totally complete bar the exhaust. Everything works fine, perfect, not a single snag.
Wanged this on to quiet it down :)

Bit more tuned and fettled. I have given the cams about 15mins @ 2250rpm.

Next run I will lower it to idle speed and tune the idle mixture. I then await an exhaust and I can see how it idles...Might have to play with the exhaust cam timing a bit, cause I like to see the results of stuff, it helps you learn and understand and gives you knowledge, I can get a handle on something I have never done before...? I set it to what it should be from the pipercams book, but the compression, exhaust, carbs make it no more than a guess really, the spec is not "normal". I doubt it will be hard to setup.

Engine sounds strong, very smooth and low vibration. Plenty of compression.