|
Well that's it for today, great day overall, tangible progress.
Lots of fiddly finishing jobs done this evening, e.g., trimming the exhaust temp thermocouple wires to length, then sleeving them in Raychem. The sound pad is now fixed in place, and looks 10x smarter than the previous one. Glad I decided to go that extra mile. I'm a few of the plastic buttons short; strangely, when I removed the original pad this morning I found that a number of the studs that are welded onto the bulkhead were not pushed through the material, the pad was floating on top of them - very weird, but is another opportunity to reclaim some clearance space. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...DA70EB5640.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...C59C2C0BA4.jpg I need to order 5 or 6 more buttons to finish this off, but you can see from the pics above that it now doesn't sag on the front edge, and the pad now follows the contours of the parcel shelf and bulkhead (that isn't a sagging area on the LH side, if you're not familiar with it, it's the profile of the parcel shelf). Tomorrows first job will be to finish that last fuel line retaining clamp; need to get some breather hosing to finish the plumbing for the charcoal canister/dry sump tank back to the intake manifold. Want to buy a new battery as well, then fingers crossed Dad and I can get the motor installed back into the car! |
Not quite as many jobs completed today, but what has been done I'm pleased with, all whilst listening to the live stream of the testing day from Le Mans.
Todays job was cleaning the driveshafts - needs to be done before the engine/'box is reinstalled, as I don't want to be spraying the chemicals required anywhere near the new engine. So, a before and after shot...well, almost...the left and right hand CV joints. Some use of Gunk and AluBright saw them come up nicely, then a good rinse and dry before a liberal coat of Dinitrol to protect them. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...A9B33DF17D.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...9B462C93DE.jpg I was going to do a complete strip down and clean-out, but in retrospect, I think this is best done as part of the suspension overhaul, when they'll be removed from the uprights as part of that operation. They worked perfectly well before this project, so shouldn't present any problems. The final fuel line fixing is now in the chassis; a rivnut and a stainless M5 stainless stud Loctite'd into place. Once set, I can then use another stock/modified fuel line clip to retain the 2 fuel lines and the vapour breather return line. With muscle help from my Brother, Dad and neighbour Ian, the car is now back in the garage in the correct orientation for the install....very tempted to start installing everything on my own this evening, but there are a few jobs I want to do first (like reinstall the harness into the cabin and through into the engine bay). Finally, I got around to doing a job that's been bugging the hell out of me for 4yrs...re-aligning the fuel filler door; it's been mis-gapped ever since I bought the car, but 5 minutes with an 8mm socket and it's sitting centrally in the aperture again. Engine install now going to happen one evening this week, after work. |
A quick lunchtime drive out today....
New battery now bought - no messing about, Bosch S5 "096" with 780CCA and 77AH capacity...and a 5yr guarantee. The Exide I have (that came with the car) has been on trickle charge for the last day, and it's not really recovering. It's slowly creeping up to 12v but by now I'd expect this to be in excess of 13v. Also, it was only a 640CCA unit, and if memory serves, didn't feel particularly strong beforehand. The rear bumper structural beam was also finished on Friday; another nice job, 10x more presentable than the naked aluminium one I gave them a week ago.... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...755F52AFAA.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...D982047C41.jpg So its time to now wash the black bumper buffer things, repair some where necessary and then use the new splined nutsert kit I've got, to re-fasten them with stainless fittings. Also hoping that the new mounting brackets aren't far from being completed. Stainless fasteners (and new CV joint bolts) are ordered, they should arrive tomorrow. Yet more items for re-plating were dropped off today, just some bridging plates for the inboard CV joints, but they came up very nicely after a dip in the AluBright. A new clutch hose is now being made as I type - the guys at HEL Performance are extremely helpful; the hose will have 2x 90º female swivel joints, so I can then remove the female-female hex union inside the transmission tunnel (we'll fix straight onto the male union), using a 90º fitting there will allow the line to run nicely along to the transmission, up and over the top of the 'box, then another 90º fitting presents the hose via a male/male adapter to the slave cylinder in a far neater fashion. Hoping this will arrive tomorrow as well. Finally, another order to Opie Oils was made; a litre of Pentosin for the power steering, and 3litres of brake and clutch (Castrol React Performance DOT4). The Lotus could do with a flushing of its brake fluid as well, hence 3litres. |
**** Landmark Evening! ****
Well, tonight has been a little bit of a momentous occasion for me...the engine and gearbox are now back in the chassis! This time as a working unit, of course, not just a lump of expensive metal.
I'm not sure I'll ever get quick at doing this job - each time seems to consist of a new routine, and always a complete wrestle to get things like the ATV lift to roll in the right direction, for the engine to stay level, for the gearbox to align correctly, etc...but anyway, it's now done, and no mishaps. Big thanks to Dad and my Brother for giving up their evenings to lend a hand. The gearbox mating to the engine went very smoothly, using the masking-tape-holding-the-clutch-release-arm-in-place-trick....worked beautifully. Everything in that area is new; replaced the needle rollers, the shaft, release arm (with new plastic bushes), even the retaining bracket and plastic bung piece were swapped out for brand new items. No real need to take any photos, the same deal as a few months ago when Dad and I installed the engine for the dummy run, and to do a clearance check. So, the next jobs are to:
I can't honestly see this taking too long...maybe the clutch will give me aggro, it all now looks flipping tight in that area. The new driveshaft bolts arrived this morning, along with the new stainless bumper structure fixings. Am now expecting a load of items to arrive in short order. I happened to check the voltage of the new battery I bought yesterday - good job I did, t'was flat as a pancake, 2.1v. Two hours later and one of their delivery van drivers delivered a replacement; no harm, no foul. I really do need to start thinking about ordering the fire extinguisher so that the lines can be run alongside the new harness to the engine bay.....more pennies....lots of. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...7F3A80072C.jpg Right, time for a curry and a celebratory beer....no food in the freezer apart from my daughters Korma...not my normal dish, but needs must....sorry Lucy! ;) |
Congrats! I still have a bottle of champagne (sparkling wine) in my fridge my parent bought me for when my car actually starts. You must be so stoked...beautiful!
|
Thanks SB, yes I am....I cannot wait to finally clear the myriad of boxes and packets of parts that are littering the whole house...and office....and the space in the barn that I have use of!
|
Todays jobs....
A/C Pump now bolted back in place, belt tensioned, electrical connection done. This needs to be done sooner rather than later to be able to eyeball the AC lines, how they'll route and whether they'll clear, etc. Interestingly, versus the photo in the previous page on a Carrera, the AC connections look to be well clear of the oil filler neck, however, the height looks to be the limiting factor. The plan may have to be revised, where I was going to use a pair of adapters to present AN fittings, then a pair of 90º couplings onto the hoses. I think they'll mount too high and hit the engine lid. I know that Griffiths (Keuhl) do a revised manifold that presents the connections to the back of the pump - this may have to be the method we use. Anyway, I can now resume the conversation with Burgaflex armed with measurements rather than guesstimates.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...45AFA5FAE5.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...0CDB8DF619.jpg
The rest of the evening I spent building the rear bumper structure. Very pleased with how this is looking, real shame none of it will be seen! First job was to repair the black buffer mouldings; they each had at least one crack, but careful application of Superglue and some deft cramping using a) the jaws of the lathe + the tailstock nudged up against it, and then similarly, b) the vice on the pillar drill with the quill lowered and nipped up to apply a little pressure. A couple of hours later, and for once, the glue seems to have bonded really well. Time to then drill out the mounting holes and insert the nutserts. I also used Loctite Retainer (the green stuff, 642?) in there to stop any chance of them spinning around. Despite me buying a splined set of nutserts, the M6 ones (for some reason) aren't. Retainer will do a sterling job, I'm sure. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...F9C62EFA57.jpg The towing eye bracket was an easy item to bolt back. All properly cleaned beforehand, of course. The stainless shallow-head allen screws, plus spring washers and plain washers to protect the plastic were used to mount the 3x buffers and 2x end caps. Next up was the U-shaped channel that's riveted along the top edge. Used some more AluBright to bring it back, but it seems to have got quite badly scratched, so used wet-n-dry to apply a satin finish....et voila.... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...EC9914D5FD.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...A9C05E18F0.jpg The next job is to drill out the holes for the M8 nutserts, however, it was when I went to insert the first one that I realised that the one nutsert mandrel that I snapped a few years ago was....the M8 one. Dammit. I know Pete the welder has a pneumatic gun, so I'll see if we can insert all 8 once I go over to collect the fabricated mounting brackets. And that's it for another evening..... |
Nothing to report so far this weekend; I may get out later on and tinker, but it occurred to me the other day that there's still an "intermediate"/"not so quick" job left to do which I'd completely overlooked...the dry sump tank breather, which normally is fed into the pre-filter side of the air cleaner box.
Of course, running a foam filter I can't now run it in the same way; with some searching on the 911 Technical forum, there's a variety of answers, anything from "run the pipe down under the engine and vent to the ground" (!!!), to folk using a mini air filter and venting it inside the engine bay, to some running an oil separator tank. This is my preferred option, however, because this isn't a traditional PCV affair, the diameter of the pipe needing venting is 25mm, not an 8 or 10mm hose. So, most of the eBay or more professional Mocal style tanks don't cater for this. Somebody did post a link to a Moroso 85475, which looks the best bet so far in terms of off-the-shelf solutions (albeit, it has a -16AN inlet, not a straight much on hose connection) You then look into some of the cheaper imitation tanks - of which there are many on eBay - and it's obvious that they won't be constructed in a way that best separate oil and air, nor prevents the exiting gases from still being contaminated....ie., no filtration inside the tank. Classic case of "you get what you pay for". So, I've contacted Moroso to see if there are options with connections. The other thought I have, is whether I can then feed the outlet of a tank directly back to the turbo oil drain tank. The stock tank comes with a pet-cock style tap for manually draining oil. I can't remember there being much (or any) evidence of oil in the air cleaner box when I removed the engine, so I struggle to image that there's much fluid to even catch or drain. However, I can make it completely maintenance-free if this were to trickle back via a -4AN line to the turbo catch tank, and then it would all get scavenged back via the auxiliary pump. The other option is to make my own, being Mr DIY.....I have an almost full length of brand new 3" diameter ally pipe that I used for the air inlet tract, I could then make a small tank to custom fit the space I have available in the back right corner of the engine bay. It could be a screw together unit (like a decent dry sump tank would be), making maintenance easier, incorporating both a 90º inlet pipe to feed "dirty" air to the bottom, through a filtration layer which the clean air would have to pass before exiting the tank. This could then be fed into a 76mm silicone "T" hose that would then join the inlet to the air filter (replacing the existing straight 76mm coupling hose). Something like this (but cunningly committing the tricky bots of how the filter would be retained, how the tank would be assembled, etc etc.... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...94F87CA9D6.jpg And just when I thought I was on the homeward stretch! :D |
OK, Mk2 of the catch tank design...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...6C1B605F20.jpg Managed to pop into Think Auto this lunchtime, handily they're only 3miles from my office...conveniently.... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...C0350C66CF.jpg Armed with the above sketch and some ideas as to what-will-fit-where, we came up with a plan to use 2x M30 connections and swivel couplings. Trying to get that diameter hosing to radius that tightly = bugger of a job in the space available. They will reduce the ID slightly from that of the dry sump tank, but I'm struggling to believe that this tank needs to exhaust enough air to require a hose with 20.8mm ID. The M30 fittings are 18.8mm ID; I reckon 10% reduction is still alright. Some -4AN fittings for the tank drain line; hedge-bet with a straight vs 45º fitting, just in case. (The rubber hose is to hook up the carbon canister and 1-way valve from the oil tank back to the intake manifold). I've just dropped ITG a quick note to see what they can do with the filtration layer - hopefully some offcuts of filter material and the wire mesh to sandwich it with can be bought. The billets of aluminium have also just been bought - basically the same job as making the top-hats for the front wheelspeed sensor housing back in January. So, my DIY catch tank is not going to be a cost saving exercise; that collection of parts above is £80/$125, plus the ally billets, plus the welding, plus some hosing/swaged couplings to hook it all up, plus a new "T" section to connect the air filter to the inlet tract...plus the anodising once finished....but hey, what price custom-fit, eh? My new ECU is also now with me; collected this today on the way home from work, all loaded with the latest/greatest cut of the map we created a few weeks ago. Steve has made some fine-tune adjustments recently, with a few more to come once the car's up and running. We were also discussing how we can create a secure "valet mode" setting, for if/when the car has to be left somewhere. Essentially, we'll use one of the available positions that the ECU can see for boost control (we're just using 3 of the 8), but we'll program it such that the eGas throttle will not open a certain %-age - so although we can't control/bleed off boost less than the 0.6bar springs fitted to the wastegates, we'll just hamstring the engine with throttle availability! :D |
Bumper Update....
I collected the fabricated bumper mounts from Pete yesterday lunchtime, very nice job!....."strangely" it's not a job he wants to repeat, haha! :D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...496E8A14A6.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...FF9A5FC3EE.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...B03DEB259D.jpg I need to drill the mounting holes that fix it onto the structural beam, as well as the M12 clearance slots that in tandem with the captive nuts, mount the whole thing onto the chassis. Thinking I'm best milling them, so will order a 13mm slot cutter in anticipation, rather than using an 8mm cutter and making-do. Once the holes are cut, I'll radius some of the corners, remove the worst of any markings and then get them powder-coated....shame not to, seeing as everything else is (there's enough clearance in the tolerances to allow for the thickness of coating). The mounting holes on the beam itself were drilled out, then using a wipe of Loctite 648 Retainer, the M8 splined nutserts were fixed into place. They shouldn't be moving any time soon. Latest batch of plated fixings also now collected, just spare M8 washers and nuts, but also the 6x driveshaft plates for the M10 bolts -> gearbox output flanges. And finally...the oil catch tank... Chris very kindly contacted me about the oil-to-air separator that I'm about to fabricate, with the great idea of using a 3" v-band setup to enable the tank to be opened and cleaned. A little searching for a UK supplier of a kit with aluminium flanges (there are loads of suppliers with stainless steel flanges for exhausts....); that's now on order as well. This kit also has a silicone gasket to seal the two halves of the tank. Using a v-band just removes the opportunity of getting the tapped holes misaligned, and means I no longer need to worry about turning top and base caps with o-rings sealing everything. Welded-on top and base caps will keep everything far simpler. Another job for Pierre..... ;) |
I can't believe you're going to install that AC pump in its present state. Surely it needs a bead blast or acid clean. :)
|
Haha, funnily enough I thought the same thing the other evening when I looked at the photo. It's not actually as bad as that, I blame poor photographic lighting. It has been cleaned once, I did look into vapour blasting it but the guy who does this was really antsy about ingress. I have a feeling I need to remove it, yet again, to fit a ducting hose from shroud to inner wing, if so then yes, *just for you* :D I'll apply that AluBright solution. Carefully.
|
Hi Spenny
Will I see you at Le Mans? With Tom K not racing and Jan Magnusson out in his Corvette. Cheering will be on Porsche. |
Yes mate, we're here, staying in Ecommoy just south of Mulsanne town. Shoot me a PM with your phone number if you like? Would be great to have a beer!
S |
New Toy....
Update time folks.
No progress in terms of building since the last instalment due to the annual pilgrimage to La Sarthe to watch the 24 Heures du Mans...FINALLY I get to see a Porsche victory! (one of the very few years I've missed is 1998, their last overall win) Whilst away I received the 3" V-Bland clamp assembly. Actually rather large, bigger than I expected, but looks nicely made and has the silicon seal to sit between the two ally halves. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...3F1EB539D7.jpg And this evening I collected my new fire extinguisher setup whilst up in Herts. Big thanks to best-mate Matt and the guys at CAM Auto Developments for sorting me out with a cracking little unit. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1E43275C64.jpg I went for the Lifeline 2.25kg Zero 360 Novec 1230 unit, electrically activated. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...81CA55B163.jpg Lifeline have reduced the overall size of the bottle over their previous generation unit, a little shorter; as you can see, it really is tiny "in the flesh", fractionally longer than a Sky+ remote.... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...41ACAB7A00.jpg Great kit, nicely presented, excellent engineering on the pushbuttons, nozzles and electronics. It even ships with nylon braided sleeve for the extinguisher pipework. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...C0D97B7BFF.jpg This now allows me to re-install the cabin wiring loom with this pipework in tandem, then refit the interior again. I'm also going to measure up for a small 1kg Zero360 handheld extinguisher, possibly mounted using one of the really nice Rennline quick release mounts and seat mounting bracket....needs some research with dimension first, though. Hopefully tomorrow evening I'll be able to get back into the garage and recommence work "proper". |
Update time - nothing was done last night, think the craziness of Le Mans caught up with me!
So, the cabin side of the wiring harness is now reinstalled, with my new ECU also in place and hooked up. Kicking myself slightly, as the reason I held off putting this back sooner, and for buying the extinguisher system now, was that I intended running the 8mm ally lines along with the wiring loom through to the engine bay. But now I look at everything, I'm considering actually running the extinguisher lines through the centre console on top of the transmission tunnel. a) They're more protected from any squashing or inadvertent damage (otherwise they'd be buried under the thick sound insulation, and any sort of oversight may result in damage) b) The main line can run through the access hole aft of the handbrake assembly, into the underside of the engine bay. It can then "T" off to the top half. Somehow. Not figured that out yet. Was playing about with mounting locations earlier, and being so small, it does tuck up really nicely under the lower dash shelf - not completely hidden, but discrete enough. I just want to eyeball what's on the other side of the footwell before drilling and nutserting, so time to get the car hoisted on the lift; so many other jobs need the car airborne, so seems like a good time to lift it and go exploring. I'd forgotten just how tightly packed the transmission tunnel now is with the gearbox back in-situ....hmmm....I wonder how many jobs I'll regret not doing before reinstalling everything?!? I got one of the driveshafts fully bolted up (the LHS), with the new and replated fixings, it all looks quite nice and fresh. You can now see the traction control timing wheel - fits like a charm, just need to bolt the HE sensor back onto the gearbox. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...C957B41515.jpg I'm deliberately leaving the RHS driveshaft off at the moment; it drops a lot lower out-of-the-way than the LHS, and this is the tighter side of the car to work on, so any and all available space is welcome. I also messed about with removing the stock dashboard clock. I;ve been itching to see what the new Stack-VDO-alike boost gauge looks like.....and I have to say, I reckon it looks bloody superb. Please excuse the self-congratulatory pat on the back. It's only plonked in there temporarily, no rubber ring, nor has the wiring loom been hooked up, although I have remembered to swap the bulbs across..... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...14525B48DD.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...CA96814B90.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...75635142A0.jpg Another loooong list has now been drawn up on the whiteboard, capturing every small job I can think of relating to the hooking up of the engine. Lots of small jobs but still daunting! Hoping that this weekend I'll make some really good progress. |
Well, upon crawling under the car and having a good look at the underside of the engine, it looks like I've got to now remove the ****** exhaust headers; evidence of sooting on the fins of the barrels from the dyno session. Despite me measuring that the sealing ring heights were sufficient to seal against the protruding primary that sits inside the exhaust port, something clearly is causing them to leak. Maybe just expansion under extreme load/heat? Of course, I will just check that all nuts are tight first.
Interestingly, when I first bought the car, it came with a snapped header stud on #3 (iirc), so I got a local Porsche specialist to do-the-necessary on his 4-post lift. We noticed that the headers were installed with 2x rings per port, double stacked; seemed odd at the time, but I was told that this is quite usual. Guess I need to go and get another set and install with the existing ones.....is this "usual"? Seems odd to me. One step forward, two steps back. |
Progress report for this evenings work...
1) Starter motor now connected, with new +Ve feed for the MBE ECU tethered safely in position on another perimeter stud on the gearbox. 2) New "Golden Rod" gear linkage now bolted up, although not convinced all is correct, as it feels like stirring a pudding (but car is too high up in the air to get inside and test properly) 3) Both traction control sensor brackets are mounted; the RHS has the sensor installed and gapped correctly to the timing wheel. The LHS sensor needs a spacer collar making to space it correctly. 4) The throttle cable outer sleeve, I've noticed, has a cracked adjuster ferrule; where the outer sleeve enters the hex adjuster, midway along the transmission tunnel, the small diameter is no longer attached. Annoying, but I'll continue to hook it up to the throttle assembly and see if it functions correctly. If it feels odd on the pedal, then I guess I'll have to replace it somehow (it's routed along and clipped to the top of the gearbox) 5) After another chase, and rather terse phonecall, I've now been promised by the MD that my clutch hose was being made this afternoon and will be in tomorrows postal delivery. Back tomorrow with more updates..... |
Saturday update.....
Hands up, confession time.....first job of the day was to have a look at the exhaust headers and see if the nuts were perhaps loose. I admit that the prospect of removing the whole exhaust assembly; turbo, 2x wastegates, associated hosing, silencer, lambda, heat shields...had me dreading the next few days, but was preparing myself just to bloody well get on with it and have a beer afterwards. However....for once....I got one helluva break. With some decent torch light (and I'm chuckling writing this), the only two cylinders that showed evidence of leaking with sooty evidence, but had one nut missing on each! Yes, I'm embarrassed! There's no way that nuts were never fitted, so my best guess is that when installing the headers, I quickly spun a couple of plain nuts on to hold it in place, but must've missed swapping them for the M8 copper crush-nuts. My second guess is that they vibrated loose on the dyno a few weeks ago. Whoops! Never mind, Spencer has a get-out-of-jail-free card, and 10mins later, new nuts fitted and the soot cleaned off. The RHS driveshaft is now installed - bit of a wrestle to get everything lined up with the timing wheel, but all in place now. The harness for the rear wheel speed sensors is also now routed correctly over the gearbox and tethered. I'm now midway through making the spacers to position the sensor for the LHS. The front wheel speed sensor harness is also now routed and clipped in place along the transmission tunnel and over the steering rack. The RHS and LHS Sureseal connectors are absolutely spot-on length-wise, and also now routed to each of the front wheels. The oil feed line from the tank to the crankcase is all back in place and tightened. Unfortunately, I need a 38mm spanner to tighten the AN fittings on the oil return line....biggest I have is 36mm, so a new combi spanner is now on order. Somehow I've lost the spacer/washer for the "fit bolt" on the gear linkage, so I quickly turned one up and installed it. Memory is letting me down here, but just leaning into the cockpit and trying the gear lever, the return springing from the 1-2 plane to the 3-4 plane is nice and strong (as is the reverse notching), however, the resistance and centering return from the 5th gear plane to 3-4 is really weak.....anyone know of an adjustment? Or are they all like this? (I only drove the car for a few months before the project, and that was 4yrs ago). |
Quote:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...E6A8618D69.jpg Another really productive day. Job #1 was to finish the spacers for the LHS wheel speed sensor on the transmission. Now fits a treat with the correct gap between the HE sensor and the timing wheel... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...12866C81D7.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...22CBF4DC07.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...6A28C0B9D8.jpg Job #2 was one I've been looking forward to doing for a week or so, and honestly, I was starting to have a sense of humour failure each time I whacked my head, crawling under the chassis! So, time to switch my attention to the bumper mounting brackets that Pete fabricated for me the other week. First job, mark up the 4x mounting holes on each one. Each now uses M8 shallow head stainless cap-heads, but of course, drilling out the original rivet holes, plus the alignment of the nutserts in each hole, means that you can;t simply use the old brackets as a template, stuff moves. Use of masking tape and then extrapolating the hole centres worked well...in fact, I'm chuffed to bits with this, all holes are exactly 8mm diameter, no need for any clearance "cheat" holes of 8.5mm..... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...F09CCA0815.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...7604A533_1.jpg Once satisfied that all alignments were correct, time to drill out the 13mm holes for the long 12mm mounting bolts to pass through. The original brackets have elongated/ovalised holes, but for the time being, I've drilled them dead-centre as round holes; when I get the bodywork back from Shaun one evening this week, I'll rebuild the whole assembly and see whether any adjustment is required. If so, then time to get the files out and adjust, then send them for powder coating. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...475980CB49.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...145461693D.jpg As you can see, it all fits like a glove onto the chassis. Another fairly major job off of the To-Do list. That's the progress so far; this evenings job is to replace all the heating/cooling hoses and fittings onto the exhaust system and rear blowers. Should be easy enough. |
Some more evening progress; I got the cold air hoses and pipework fitted; as I'm running a non-stock set of headers, the pipework for the heating is also very non-stock, it doesn't use a couple of the metal elbows for example. All went back together ok, just needed some re-alignment of the blowers to get the orientation correct....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...6B67883970.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...165A85503E.jpg Another job I've been keen to cross off the list is to give the rear lamp recesses a clean and polish; they were "socially" cleaned a few years ago, but another clean-up and coat of polish never hurt. Then time to fit my new lamps and rear reflector; I may be a little previous in doing this, but hey a good morale booster as it looks even more finished now! (Engine lid needs alignment) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...066FFC4094.jpg I've just noticed that the under tray for the gearbox looks to be the wrong part! Something I saw the other week was that one of the tangs that clips under the tunnel cover has been snapped off at some point (not by me), so cross referencing the part number vs the PET and I see that there's a specific 965 part (965 504 129 01); the one I have is for a manual Carrera (964 504 129 02). Terrific.....that's another $430....time to see how friendly my OPC can be :rolleyes: Anyway, not going to dwell on that, the car came with this part on, so worst case it can go back on again temporarily. A good weekends work, time for supper and catchup on last weeks MotoGP races. |
Ok, the clutch line....argghh! the bloody clutch line.....
Right, in the spirit of this maybe being useful to somebody in the future, and it not being an obvious answer, let me precis my findings so far, which I've already posted in my thread on Rennlist..... The problem (can't remember if I've already mentioned this...) was that I damaged the original complex bended line that, on RHD cars, connects to a chassis line that runs down the transmission tunnel and stops about where the tail of the gearbox sits, it then crosses the transmission tunnel and snakes its way up near to the slave cylinder. I should’ve been more attentive when Dad and I reinstalled the engine/box a few months ago; the tail of the ‘box snagged the line and kinked it. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...E794E0F2DA.jpg Then there's a rubber line that connects up to the slave cylinder.... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t/IMG_6780.jpg Okay, that sounds easy enough, eh? Just look-up in the PET the correct part and order one?....Kind-of....not. The PET is described thus: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...2009.18.56.png ...which got me scratching my head a little; Item 13 is the Female-Female adapter which I'd just got re-plated. Ok, then Item 12 must be the bended pipe, as it then interfaces into the rubber line....so why is it showing as a straight length? I spoke with OPC Tonbridge to try and confirm whether Porsche ship it like this, or if it comes pre-bent. Frankly, I didn't want to go and buy an 8mm pipe bender, then mess about trying to bend it accurately to re-install into the chassis clips. The answer back was that it comes pre-formed. Great. Order one, only £19. Then I received this: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...AD9339CD79.jpg ...which in fairness, does look pretty similar to the diagram (it has a pre-bent "hook" under the polythene wraps). Oh great. Not only is it 50% too long, but looks nothing like what I was hoping for. Plan B....lets return this and make one single piece line to replace the steel and rubber length, using teflon -4AN hosing. Next challenge is that Porsche decided to use M14 fittings; they're hard to come by to say the least...at least, they are with the correct convex/concave, female/male combination...believe me, I've tried. My usual supplier, Think Automotive didn't have anything, so I thought I'd make my life easier and order one from a specialist car/motorbike hose manufacturer. Apparently this was possible, but a month later and numerous chases, I received completely the wrong part, fittings at both ends being the opposite of what was needed. Nice try, but no cigar. Upon further clarification, apparently the parts I *would* need are "just not available". Hmmm. Alright, so, back to the part I ordered from Porsche - can I modify this? i.e. shorten it, re-flare a mating face and then form the bends? Well, I was pointed in the direction of a hydraulics hose manufacturer local to me, but after a 30mile jaunt, they don't do automotive stuff. By the way, this isn't a standard SAE single flare, for which I could buy one of many DIY pipe flaring tools.... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t/IMG_6766.jpg By doing some Googling, this is a DIN flare, with the square shoulder abutting the M14 ferrule. My next plan was to then make my own single-piece length (Rob, I can hear you cheering from here...) running from master to slave cylinder. Plan was to use 2x metric adapters, then 2x -4AN fittings and -4AN teflon hose. There looks to be a metric adapter from Goodridge that’s described as this, however, without seeing a tech drawing and verifying seat angles, I can't be sure it's correct. And at £23 each for steel/plated examples, not cheap enough to take a punt on. So, I thought I'd make my own! I have both the imperial and M14 dies, I have the ally hex stock....easy enough..... When I crawled under the car to start measuring the hose length required, it all became apparent with regards to the Porsche parts....let me explain.... If you look at diagram 702-08 (above), then refer to the table, right at the bottom.... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...2010.23.11.png ....there's a description for an item that has no item number, nor is it shown in the diagram - it's a "hidden part" - number 964 423 114 00, for RHD models only (which makes sense, as this pipe crosses across the transmission tunnel, clearly not required for LHD cars). Arggghhhh!!! Hidden-bloody-parts!! Why, oh why, oh why....? The part I've bought is the middle section of the line; where the rigid line fixes to the master cylinder in the footwell, it then exits the cabin via a very shallow angled hole, right above the power steering lines, hence why I didn't immediately see it. This is right at the front of the transmission tunnel. "My" line then attaches to this using another F-F hex adapter, goes up the tunnel about 125cm to the second F-F hex adapter, where it then attaches to the wiggly pipe that I now need. So, the line from master cylinder to slave is composed of 4 parts not 3 as indicated in the PET; 3x rigid lines + the flexi black hose. The PET is therefore not wrong, but very much incomplete, insomuch that the wiggly pipe is just not shown! Anyway, he's ordering one from Germany so we can have a look-see...about £53 and 2 days away as I type. So, that's a long write-up for not a lot of part content....but hoping that somebody in the future will benefit from this, as/when their original lines need replacing. |
We all love Porsche's cars, but their parts & technical documentation is woefully lacking in contrast to other major manufacturers (ex: BMW, Nissan, etc.)
Glad that got figured out. Excited for you to get driving! |
Haha, yeah I was so relieved to have nailed it - I hope - that I needed to get findings down on paper, just in case!
My next consideration is around what we discussed a couple of years ago and whether to (...while I'm at it) buy a new clutch master cylinder and also to modify the clutch pedal with the 3.6T setup. I've printed off the 2x PET diagrams to compare the parts required; I'll cost it up over the next few days and see if I want to go for it, before I fill and bleed the clutch system. If I do replace the m/c, then thats the whole system swapped (I had the occasional hanging clutch pedal before), so then the only thing left to change is the kinematic plate, unless that forms part of the 3.6 spring/cam assist assembly. |
Quick pre-weekend update.....
The fabricated bumper mounts have now been powder coated; as always, a superb job by Windridge Coatings. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...F1E70252CB.jpg The thickness of the coating - although certainly not "thick" - has made the fit onto the beam a very snug fit; the retaining L sections for the captive block nut have needed a little gentle persuasion to open them up a smidge, next job is to fasten them for the final time, then fit the heat reflective shield onto the beam. More pics tomorrow. On another subject, I've had a few discussions with Lifeline, the fire extinguisher guys. Turns out their techie, Dave, is another Porsche owner (944 Turbo), so we had a good chat about the project, and has given some great advice with regards to installation and use of the nozzles. I'd got into analysis-paralysis mode with thinking about where to locate each of the 6 nozzles you get with the kit. Long story short, as I'm going to be also buying a handheld unit, we're not using any nozzles in the cabin, and by the time you know about any fire in the frunk, chances are it's way past being able to do much about it, with the fuel cell there. So, I'm going to use all 6 nozzles on the engine bay; 2 on the underside at the rear near the turbo and oil catch tank, then 4 in the upper half of the engine bay, one per corner. Now I need to fabricate some brackets to mount them with, then route the pipe work. Whilst chatting, we mulled over the idea of installing the bottle externally to the cabin, in the huge void between the transmission tunnel and the frunk recess. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...B8CC471E92.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...6C90DB681E.jpg This would've been very convenient; the line could've gone straight down the tunnel undisturbed, however, the plastic cover that installs under there is just a bit too open to ingress, so Daves advice was to play it safe and go back to Plan A, fitting it inside the cabin at the top of the passenger footwell, tucked up under the dash. |
The Oil/Air Separator Tank.....
I started preparing all the component parts for the oil separator tank last night, and have just finished for the evening (current 3.30am as I type this…), having now made all the components that Pete is going to weld up for me later this morning. Each half of the cylinder has been made; really nice fit into the collar for the V-band fitting.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...E68C4CC884.jpg The lid and base are cut to size with holes drilled for the weld-on bosses. I did try to mimic the stock 930 part, where the inlet to the tank feeds in tangentially (Chris's word!), effectively swirling the "dirty" air against the tank wall. However, due to the mounting location and the position of the inlet pipe, I just couldn't see how to achieve this with the fittings I have. So, after kicking myself up the arse to get on with it, decided on this design to start with and see how it goes. If I see evidence of oil in the inlet tract as part of my routine "new build" checks, then I'll rethink and redesign. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...148108A932.jpg I was going to use some foam filtration material, as used on my air filter, then sandwich it with stainless mesh. However, I do know they succumb to age. I happened to have stored in my loft an old filter from the Westfield - it was a little bit tired looking, hence I replaced it, but functionally it was fine and too good to throw away. I retrieved it hoping to use it for this project but after 2-3yrs in storage, it crumbled and literally fell apart as soon as I got it out of the box. Now, for the air filter, I can keep an eye on things externally but for a filtration layer thats contained in the tank, out of sight, I don't want to risk this crumbling and then getting ingested post-air filter into the turbo. So, a K&N style material seems like a good bet, and was available off the shelf from my local parts store. A bit extravagant perhaps, using a $60 part to then chop it up....could've had a look on eBay for a cheap used one, but wanted it straight away for the weekend. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...8F27930FF9.jpg My first attempt took bloody hours, albeit some of that time was cutting off the rubber gasket surround from the stock unit. Anyway it failed! What I thought would be a good idea, would be to retain as much filter as possible, keeping the original folded shape, and cutting a disc the same ID as the tank, then trying to cut a neat 1" hole in the middle for the inlet pipe to pass through. Ultimately, it looked a dogs-dinner, and didn't fit tightly enough to the outer wall to seal anything. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...22864682C2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...25C3358AAF.jpg Attempt #2 was to then unfold the material and cut a disc (a LOT easier this way), but what I hadn't thought about was the fact that it would fall apart, the two layers of metal mesh not retained and thus not keeping the filter material in place. Ok, version 3, easy fix, cut another disc that 10mm larger in OD, along 5mm all the way around to fold back on itself in a crimp fashion. Perfect....this can now sit in the gap where the 3" tube sits in the V-band connections. If I then protrude the lower tank pipe through its connection (see first pic above), when the 2 halves are mated, the protrusion will trap the filter in place. All assuming that tomorrows welding doesn't distort the pipework.... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...D21C95102F.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...94504EB38F.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...0AA81F98AD.jpg I may well make a second filter in the same way, but fit it inverted, so that both raw edges are inwards. I could then be trick and try using some Tiger Seal to join them and form a rubber gasket....we'll see. |
So what's the problem locating by the steering rack?
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Yep, that was my thinking too Chris - he did also say that if it were hidden, the chances are you also wouldn't remember to check the cylinder condition as part of your "pre-flight check", i.e. that the sight gauge is in the green.
Finished the tank today, really chuffed with it, will post some pics later; Brother and I are watching the McQueen Le Mans movie at the moment, reliving the atmosphere from a few weekends ago! |
Well I don't quite know how I'm still awake on 3hrs sleep, but thought I'd quickly post another update of todays progress.
Really good days work, not stopped apart from eventually kicking back with my Brother and making use of the lovely summer weather, having a BBQ, beer and watching Le Mans! The 38mm spanner arrived today, so I can now get the oil return line from the engine to the tank re-aligned and tightened. The stainless hose clips for the "hot" hoses from the exhaust to the rear blowers have arrived, along with the Mikalor T-bolt clamps to fasten the pipework to the main system. The "T" section silicon hose was the final part to arrive today, which I'm going to use on the inlet pipework to then accommodate the tank breather. Speaking of which....some photos of the finished tank which Lewis has done a sterling job of welding. A couple of hours over at Pete's place in Deal this morning (always great to catchup and natter about bikes, cars, trackdays, anything fast) for them to make sense of the mass of parts I walked in with! It's turned out exactly as planned, very pleased indeed. I spent this afternoon doing my usual thing of filing back and sanding the welds, in preparation for it to be either anodised or powder coated, although have to say that both Pete and I are almost of the opinion that it'd look good left as-is. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...F2640CF5ED.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...8EC76EA5B7.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...7658606B26.jpg I remembered after last nights update, that I also needed to put in a couple of baffles; nothing too complicated or even accurate, just something that gets in the way of the venting air to try and separate the oil using a pair of "C" plates overlapping. The inlet pipe installs down the middle ---> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...4BFFD56294.jpg Next job is to shorten the rear/right pillar that supports the intercooler mounting plate. This is approx 10mm diameter with M6 timesert threads; I have a spare (that I made fractionally too short), which is anodised and can now be made even shorter to allow for the mounting system you see in the above photos. Doing it this was, I can then pivot it around to the perfect location (I hope) before final tightening, and means I don't then have to drill into the chassis for an additional fixing position. Right, off into the workshop for more tinkering..... |
Some pretty good Sunday progress.....undertaken with the 6hrs of Watkins Glen being played in the background.
The rear bumper (the never ending sub-project) is a bit further along. Mounting bracket now finally mounted with the stainless hardware and zinc grease to ensure it'll come apart again in the future. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1299F30A7E.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...A6E8003A3D.jpg The heat shield is also now on, plus some sundry hardware items. Just need the bodywork back from Shaun now (Tuesday on the way home from work, hopefully) The oil return line is now finally installed, both ends tightened, the line correctly routed and fastened in place on the crankcase and the chassis. The middle of the line runs very close to the 4-5-6- header, so I've use a section of heat protective sleeving and fastened it just in that are, using stainless lock wire to hold it in position. Stupidly, I bought the sleeving ages ago but for some unexplained reason, forgot to put it on the hose before fitting the -16 couplings.....and frankly, I'm not about to undo them again to fit the sleeve; they were not easy to fit. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...2559393F0F.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...8BADB71BED.jpg Now the all the lines are fitted and tightened, I've filled the tank with oil; 8.5qts so far, but will of course take more one the engine's spun over and then once the thermostat opens and fills the cooler. Lastly, the rear pillar of the intercooler mount plate has now be swapped for the shorter one which I turned down to accommodate the new OAS tank.... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...C6C7C98A28.jpg The cold side charge pipe is now back off, so that I could get the air filter in place - some careful manoeuvring required to avoid tearing the foam. New "T" silicone hose is now on the inlet tract, and I'll be trial fitting this later. I was hoping to fit the last pair of ducting pipes onto the rear blowers but have just discovered that the supplier have sent me the wrong diameter of hosing. Again. I've received 70mm, I need 76mm. Also, the Mikalor clamps I ordered for the 68mm pipework are also wrong - my fault, 68mm is borderline between 2 sizes offered, and as a result they don't clamp down small enough. Grrrr. Plagued by irritating issues that just haemorrhage time, this really is starting to wear thin now. Plan for the coming week are to:
|
Dammit....just failed on the first bullet point.
F******* car. |
Quote:
|
That's not a bad idea Fred....I may do better work facing the other direction!
(oh...you mean bottom-to-top?....yep, that makes sense as well) ;) |
Only a very minor and brief update this evening.....
Extinguisher bracket back from powder coating (I'm being a complete part-tart).....just in case I do have to fit inside the cabin, at least it'll be more discreet than the stock naked aluminium, against the black carpeting. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...A5B962E131.jpg Did a swap, dropped the OAS tank off with them once I'd masked all the mating faces and threads. Hoping this will be done in the next day or so. Last night - before losing the will - I was playing around with the oil drain line from the OAS tank. Made the line up using -4AN and a 45º + a 90º fitting. The good part about having such long protracted projects is that you tend to acquire loads of parts....a rummage around my Fluid Couplings storage drawer and I found exactly what I needed; a -4AN fitting that I can then fit into the crankcase breather chimney, substituting it for the previous blanking plug. This is where any oil will drain back into. I can't believe how much longer everything takes to fit, now that the engine's back in the car - JHC.....10x longer, I swear. And I really did swear. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ABB1CEAECB.jpg Tomorrow I'm working from our office near to Think Auto, so I'll nip out over lunch and get them to swage on the hosing for the OAS tank fittings. Just need to make some ally adapters to interface 25mm to 20mm and I'll be done. Clutch line and some sundry bumper support bracket fittings should also be ready for collection from OPC Tonbridge en-route home in the evening. Having an evening off tonight, got some work that needs doing before the end of quarter (tomorrow)....probably no bad thing to have a day away. |
Quote:
Try both, see what works best for YOU! |
Midweek update....well, almost...
Been busy doing work work most evenings this week, swatting for an exam this afternoon (passed...yay me) so not much opportunity to get onto car stuff. However... I now have the new clutch line - hallelujah! Was disappointed to find that my old one wasn't *that* buckled after all, when compared to the new one....but the places where it was damaged was on the 90º bends where the inside radius had deformed inwards; no retrieving that. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...A6FB1808BF.jpg (another boring photo, but so bloody relieved am I to actually have resolved this "challenge", I just had to) I have the oil-air separator tank breather lines, swaged at one end, I just need to decide what to do at the other ends. Favourite at the moment is to keep it simple and just make up some 25mm>20mm male/male adapters. Plan B would be to make some screw-on couplings to mate onto more 90º bends the same as I'm using to fasten onto the tank. I have a couple more weld-on bosses, I can get some ally tubing, then maybe to weld one to t'other and thus maintain neat swaged pipes entirely...hmm, dunno, need to mull that one over and see what looks best vs space available. I also now have the OAS tank back from powder coating; a slight miscommunication insomuch that I masked the tank up when I was over there, decided to keep the whole V-band section uncoated...then on the drive home had second thoughts and asked to just leave the 45º chamfered edges uncoated...but the chap there, bless him, had already done it! My fault, should've thought about it a little more. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...292E0D8141.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...30FB84ABB8.jpg On reflection I think its perhaps best the way it is; now that the stainless clamp is fitted, I think it looks pretty smart. Also, the clamp nips up really tight to the flange faces, and I'm pretty sure that it would've made a mess of a coated surface (with it's slight additional thickness). It's all hidden in the bowels of the engine bay anyway! The lines attached.... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...6031271B6C.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...E46C35F1E5.jpg I decided to swap the 45º fitting on the drain line for another 90º fitting. This enables me to lower the mounting height of the tank without the line going uphill on its return to the engine chimney area. Next job was to modify the pillar of the IC mount again, shortening the longer section then making up a spacer to take up the spare space above the tank mounting. Trouble is, I now don't have an allen bolt long enough to pass all the way through to the helicoil in the lower pillar. Tea break over, back to work... |
Quote:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...64F4A84F49.jpg The shortened lower pillar, with helicoil, then an M6 stud made from a long plated caphead bolt, threaded on the plain shank, and then Loctite'd using 648 into the newly made top spacer. This spacer has 2x helicoils, one to receive the stud, the other that the IC mounting plate will then screw into. Means I can now remove the IC mounting plate on its own, without having to remove the OAS tank....easy. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...701164CD83.jpg I got most of the way into installing the throttle cable last night, again, very tight access with the harness and various pipework thats right there. I got as far as re-routing it through the same aperture as the turbo oil scavenge pump return line uses (needed to loosen this to allow the throttle cable to pass...mustn't forget to refit it), the large rubber grommet needed to be carefully cut off of the cable (it wouldn't pass through the tinware), and the balljoint is now attached to the throttle assembly. Need to try and find the locking spring; no idea which bag that's stored in, but worst case I'll use some stainless lockwire. Ran out of patience while trying to contort myself to fit the rubber grommet into the bracket, so will come back to this over the weekend. |
Are you sure that catch-can / Air-oil-separator is going to be big enough? I know my freshly rebuilt 3.9 NA motor might fill it more quickly than you might think when on track...
|
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 04:31 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2025 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Pelican Parts Website