project short arse

[chris61]

Due to yellabelly being a good foot taller than me!
So it's been washed, seat runners fitted so I can reach the pedals, alternator replaced (found a brand new one I forgot I had)so charging is spot on. Added some water wetter as I do on anything I've got.
Can someone advise on tyre pressures please? Usually around 30psi. Is that ok in something so light?

['The Gaffer']

I would try 18psi cold on the front and 16psi cold on the rear and see how it feels. Each tyre will feel differently. Add a couple more if it feels sqidgy.

[YellaBelly]

Blimey Chris, you don't hang about!!

I used to run the tyres at about 20psi all round mate, seemed fairly stable at that, but then I do weigh over 100kg!! (16+stone for the old buggers )

Glad it was the alternator like I thought, nice easy fix.

Jan laughed when I told her you'd already put the seat runners in and had a drive lol!

I'm sure the car will keep on giving you a smile matey

[chris61]

I drove it as soon as it came off the trailer pearched on the front of the seat like a child!
Just given it a polish and wipe over.
Hopefully get the insurance/tax sorted in the next few days so I can see properly what this kit car lark is all about

[Iancider]

10 out of 10 for enthusiasm Chris!

[Hairy Santa]

nice one - you will have fun 

[chris61]

Two of my toys, one extreme to the other! Hairy Santa may recognise the pick up.
Just got to sort the Speedo out, insurance and tax, put fuel in and we're ready to rock

[paintman]

I run 18 or 19psi, at 30psi your lose the back and or the front if it's slightly damp......

[benchmark51]

I asked the rep from Toyo about tyre pressures for my locost
195/60/15, he suggested I start at 20psi all round. I have them at 22psi
at the moment, but haven't had much opportunity to try it yet.

[Moleman]

On the road I run 18psi all round on 888's on cold tyres. When they warm up you will find the pressure's does increase which is fine. Though when on the track I do take the pressure back down to 18psi all round after they are nice & warm. 

[Lucky Ed]

I run my Toyo T1R's at 18 psi on the road, but I use them on track days in the wet, and have found them so hard that they need to be dropped as low as 13 psi to get some flex in the carcass, then they'll grt warm enough to grip... a little

[Iancider]

Sounds like if you sneeze in each valve it will be good enough!

[chris61]

i'll start at 20psi and see how I goes. seat runners are going to have to come out again the other half wants to drive it and shes only 5ft and the seat wont quite go far enough forward, but ive been given a free pass Saturday so i'll crack on then.
going to order a 'quick shift' linkage this weekend and looking out for a lsd, but think I may have to save a bit first.

[chris61]

had some time saturday, so popped the car up to my friends two poster ramp to redo the seats and have a good look round.
Seats done (still no far enough forward for the dwarf, sorry missus ). Noticed a slight oil weep from the sump on the welds, so as im sure there was a spare one in the box of bits, i shall make a new shortened one this week.
Changed the oil and filter, ordered a fuel filter, set tyre pressures to 18psi. i also thought it would be wise to see if it would actually get out of the trading estate over the speed bumps!(bought it in on the trailer) i have to go a very wierd and wonderful way, creep over at an angle but it JUST gets out without catching!!! although not with a passenger i'd imagine!!
My little girl saw it for the first time saturday too, walked into the workshop, 'wow daddy's got a racing car!' then spent the next hour sat in it. so i think she approves!
i'm also going to look into relocating the alternator as it got incredibly hot in a very short space of time being close to the manifold, not sure how yet, something to ponder over the week, as is the merc supercharger ive just been given.....
going to give the carb a strip and clean and possibly change to a manual choke as the auto choke is a bit irrattic and i want it simple and running smooth before dave at interpro has it on the rollers for tweeking.
Properly fallen for this car now!

[Iancider]

Chris,

You don't hang about!  You could wrap the manifold to lower the heat output or put an aluminium polished sheet between the alternator and the manifold as long as it does not impede the airflow to cool the manifold.  A ducted air vent in the body or from the front of the car could help by blowing cool air over the alternator and then the manifold.  The best insulator for the manifold is Silicone Rubber coating but it is expensive.  Otherwise traditional exhaust bandage.

Ian

[benchmark51]

I remember a customer from years ago who had a Lotus Elan, she was vertically
challenged too. She had extension blocks on the pedals!

[chris61]

Chris,

You don't hang about!  You could wrap the manifold to lower the heat output or put an aluminium polished sheet between the alternator and the manifold as long as it does not impede the airflow to cool the manifold.  A ducted air vent in the body or from the front of the car could help by blowing cool air over the alternator and then the manifold.  The best insulator for the manifold is Silicone Rubber coating but it is expensive.  Otherwise traditional exhaust bandage.

Ian

Im not risking losing any fine weather!lol
There is a heat shield wrapped with exhaust bandage, its probally no hotter than it would get anyway but its on my mind now lol.
i do want to change the bonnet fastners as due to me being a ham fisted prat, i slipped with a screwdriver and put a nic in the paint  i think they're called dutz fastners? i know i you can get the same sort of thing for motorcycle fairings with a d ring so 'quick release' but they arent big enough. can anyone point me in the right direction to finding any please?

[Moleman]

I'm not sure what type you have but try Car Build Solutions? I get there magazine as it's free but you could try their site?
http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/
Hope this helps?   

[Iancider]

Chris I think you mean Dzus (Quarter turn) fasteners - useful one to remember in a Scrabble game!

Here's their website for the range - many fastener companies stock them.  http://www.southco.com/en-au/product/hierarchy.html?hid=7345  There are loads of other types available from Southco as well.  Any external over-centre latch could also solve you problem - I used the only rubber one on the market which you can find at Car-Builder Solutions.

[chris61]

Thanks chaps I'll have a look.
Think my next job will be the sump as whilst building a tool box I noticed the locost has decided to lob it's oil on the floor... Didn't have time to look underneath so put a soak up mat down and will look tomorrow night

[YellaBelly]

Well Chris, I think it's safe to say the car has got a good home!

I spent forever trying to stop that weep from the sump, but in the end I thought as it's a Pinto I would live with it

Moving the alternator was another 'project' of mine, I made the bracket for the one on there now, and was going to get a smaller Denso type alternator and re-work the bracket to get it further away from the manifold. I still reckon the heat is what foobarred the original alternator.

Glad all your family approves and let's hope we get some decent weather so you can enjoy it.

Thanks again for looking after her mate I still miss the old girl

[chris61]

Love my customers sometimes, just got a four branch manifold for £20 which just by eye will give a good inch more clearance from the alternator, so if I wrap manifold hopefully have minimum heat transfer. So better breathing and possibly sorted hot electrics for £20!

[chris61]

Dropped the sump and rocker cover off today, decided that as the sump was coming off to be hot washed before welding the rocker cover should get the same treatment! Going to take another 5mm of the front of the sump as it's just proud of the chassis. I can't decide if the rocker cover will be painted or polished yet, might give the engine a lick of paint yet too, because I've just ordered a stainless bolt kit for the engine and new manifold studs for when I get around to fitting the manifold. Which tbh may not happen until next winter as it's going to take major surgery to get on so will probably get my mate martyn at infinity exhausts to do.
Just having a cuppa whist figuring out the best way of repositioning the alternator to give more airflow around it

[Iancider]

Still impressed by the pace Chris.  The pictures are a little murky so I think you dripped some sweat on the lens! 

Ian

[chris61]

probably oil on the lense! im too lazy to do anything that could induce sweating! I'm not going to get anywhere near it next weekend as I'm at toolfair from Friday afternoon so got to get a wriggle on!

Has anyone converted an auto choke webber to manual? is there anything that I need to know or just make bracket for a cable etc?

[garry h]

Hi Chris I had an old manual weber and took the choke mechanism of it and done a straight swop for the auto one brought a new cable and wired it up seems to work well.Ill take a couple of pics and post them,hope this helps 

Garry

[chris61]

Hi Chris I had an old manual weber and took the choke mechanism of it and done a straight swop for the auto one brought a new cable and wired it up seems to work well.Ill take a couple of pics and post them,hope this helps 

Garry

Thanks gary I'd appreciate that

[garry h]

Hi Chris hope these might be of some use








 

Garry.

[chris61]

thanks gary!

[chris61]

Went to see Colin today!
The bigger offset fills the rear arches a bit better and I reckon they're about 1.5kg per wheel lighter which is another bonus!

[Moleman]

Glad they fit ok Chris. They do fill the arches out nicely.  You didn't take long swapping them over. 

[chris61]

Exactly what I was hoping for tbh!
Right with this nice weather I'm wasting I've done a bit more tonight.
I've gone with the 'smear the living daylights out of the sump to seal it' method, as after a phone call earlier, I might have a new engine to fit over the winter
Given it a coat of metallic silver (what I had lying about) so it will show up any leaks easier. Gave the rocker cover a couple of coats of gloss black for good measure. Stainless rocker bolts should be here Monday. So I'll pop sump and rocker back on one night this week.
Air filter is drying after a good clean with k&ns finest. Gave the carb a good clean while the filter was off. I'll whip the screen off and refit the aero one in the week. I'll be insuring it 3rd week of this month so paperwork should turn up in time for taxing it at the end of the month!

[chris61]

Not been able to get near the car the last week or so, but spent a bit of time this evening on it. (just got in!) But now starts on the button, New plugs, leads dissy and a tweek of the timing has it running sweet as nut
Slight weep on the rocker cover so whipped it off and resealed, looks ok so far. Going to insure it tomorrow all being well.
I would like to raise the front ride height to level the car and help with speed bump clearance without upsetting the handling so looking forward to the track development's day.
Just looking at a solution for a sump guard. I'm thinking of some strips of nylon (or similar) attached to the chassis so the sump isn't the lowest piece so will hopefully lessen the chance of damaging it

[YellaBelly]

Can't imagine why I was worried about her getting looked after Chris! Your getting stuck in there for sure

It's really good that you are giving her what she deserves, I just didn't have the time or the money to get it all sorted.

Can't wait to see how she looks when you've finished (not that they are ever finished )

Keep up the good work mate

[Iancider]

Sump guard Chris?

I was thinking with all of the speed-bumps and tank traps on the roads today maybe Mexican jumping suspension would be good! Just jump over anything. 

[chris61]

Rocker cover still leaking, but I've worked out why 
It has a later, wide edged injection cover so the correct gasket for the engine is too thin edge to edge, so my friendly motorfactors will drop the wide edged gasket off tomorrow and hopefully that will sort it.
Had it running for about 30minutes so changed the oil again as I ran some flush through as there was traces of emulsified oil where it's been sat up for a while. Didn't get time to insure it so I'll try and fit it in tomorrow

[chris61]

After trying wider gasket, it leaked at another point along the cover.....
3hours and some 'special gasket goo' from a mate, I THINK I may have the only oil tight pinto!lol took it for a quick run around the yard to make sure everything is fine. Quick doughnut and she's just about ready.
Got some ramp time tomorrow night to make a sump guard/blocks and a final check.
Still need to do the Speedo and change a few fasteners but nothing that my sat nav and a flat blade can't overcome

[chris61]

[Iancider]

Looks ready to go Chris - sunshine and open roads ahead!

[Moleman]

After trying wider gasket, it leaked at another point along the cover.....
3hours and some 'special gasket goo' from a mate, I THINK I may have the only oil tight pinto!lol took it for a quick run around the yard to make sure everything is fine. Quick doughnut and she's just about ready.

Don't eat too many doughnuts every time you accomplish your next stage or you won't fit in it by the time it's finished.