rebuild for Le Mans

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (tewitt) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:51:43 PST

hello martin, just a quick point you might have overlooked, your car shouldn't boil-over at 100 as it is under pressure which increases the boiling point (obviously the higher the rating on the pressure cap the higher the boiling point). If you've got your cap of whilst testing the gauge it will be at 100 when boiling, and it would be loosing water when your using the car if it went over 100 at anytime.If you still have a problem try 'water wetter' Years ago when i was really thick, one of my other cars kept overheating according to the gauge- only when at speed though- turned out no regulator was fitted so as the alternator increased the voltage through the loom my gauges read higher and me to panic. I fitted a fan over-ride switch and tell tale to give me some reassurance that the fan was kicking in-which it did at any decent speed- turned out that the fan's rotation, caused by the air flowing through it, was enough to light my tell-tale making me think that the fan was...

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:52:15 PST

anon wrote:
sorry to mention another one you have probably done, but have you tried playing about with the thermostat ?

tried that, in fact it's easy as it's sitting on a shelf in the garage

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (anon) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:00:02 PST

sorry to mention another one you have probably done, but have you tried playing about with the thermostat ?

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:20:38 PST

Just to add to the demise of my car the gearbox is defiantly shagged and makes some horrible noises.
It got like this on the way there, but regardless I still gave it a couple of good laps around the track and nursed it to 100mph on the Mulsane straight and overtook a much faster Trevor on the porsche bends tee hee. Have to say that after completing the two laps expected I was a little concerned that we were all sent round a third time, 8 miles is a long way in a sick car, but the old girl made it, and got me back home at 60mph all the way

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:02:27 PST

well it does seem to boil over at around 100deg, so guessing it's about right

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (mendamantis) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:27:58 PST

Sorry for stating the obvious, you seem a capable sort of chap.
Are you convinced the temperature gauge is reading correctly?

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:49:44 PST

got back from Classic Le Mans today about 3-30am.
Le Mans was baking, I thought it was hot here last week but over there it was so hot my magnetic tax disc holder warped and fell off ! and I've spent several days with my shorts and shirt stuck to me, leather seats are not the way to go over there, and the alloy gearknob and chrome surround you could fry an egg on.
Friday night I checked engine over and found slight mayonnaise in the filler cap, time to worry ? dunno the oil on the dipstick looked fine and still clean.
Anyway, have had some time to drive it past week (including 3 laps of Le Mans track prior to the racing on saturday) and drove home after borrowing some rad sealant stuff to be on the safe side (K- something or other borrowed from Richard Wood, thanks mate) and discovered that if I drove with one of the fans on all the time the temp stayed at 80deg and no water lost.
When I got back here last night and...

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:41:04 PST

so, after changing the head gaskets made no difference what ever, sod it I'm just going, just have to take it easy, see you all there

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:22:59 PST

just returned from another run out, I wanted to run the fuel down too so as to see how accurate the gauge is now, well, ran out of fuel and gauge still showing just off empty, so a little bending required methinks.
Good news was that at around 60 to 70mph on A roads temp was pretty stable at 80deg and only crept up when I reached traffic, so doubt it's a gasket. I did find earlier that there may be an airlock in the top of the head where the temp sender is, and after trying to pour water in through a 8mm hole for half an hour, I may have actually got some in, which could have helped. So will continue the putting back together and see how it goes, running out of fuel wasn't such a good idea actually as it seems some crap has been dragged through and clogged the carb again, will have to sort tomorrow and set it up properly.
I think I deserve 'early doors' after all that see ya

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 15:05:20 PST

took a run up to Shrewsbury and it's certainly getting hot, at 70 mph it's reaching over 90deg and when I got home and stopped it did expel a little water from the overflow, dunno what to do now, it's either pull engine apart and check head gaskets, or sod it and take a risk. I'm not normally a gambler so would like to know for definate but don't know of anyone local who can check it for me

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:27:26 PST

Houston, we have a problem !
Seems to be overheating, went out for a run on Sunday and temp crept up to 90deg whilst travelling at 40mph, stayed about the same at 70mph on motorway for 5 miles, if I turn one of the fans on it cools down ok so hoping that the mod I made tonight by fitting a deflector at the bottom of the rad may assist, I've taken out the thermostat and haven't had a chance to take it for a run since, I know it was bloody hot on Sunday but still it seems to get too hot. The twin fans soon reduce the temp but it doesn't seem right having to drive round with a fan running most of the time.
Jonny T has been round helping and we've been working till 10pm all week and last too, still much to do, but no fat lady heard yet so still plan to get there in the Marcos even if I have to nurse it all the way.
No Pub tonight, I'm knackered !
Glass of Cider anybody ?

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (mendamantis) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:40:35 PST

All gone very quiet again, either you have locked yourself in the garage refuaing to come out until she is ready for Le Mans or ????

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:05:41 PST

seems my memory card in my phone has thrown a wobbly and had to format it losing all my photos, most are backed up, but the ones I took yesterday are lost. Will have to take some more eh.
Have discovered that the leaking exhaust that I could smell in the car isn't !
That is to say it's not the exhaust that's leaking but fumes from the oil filler cap. Am going to fit an inlet to the air-filter so as to send them back into the engine via a breather pipe, dunno what the older cars did for this, just put up with the smell ? but I don't fancy a long trip in a hot car and arrive stinking like an old engine. Fans all wired up now as suggested earlier and work a treat, fan with thermo switch is hardwired via a fuse so works with ignition off too, most modern cars seem to do this so why not follow suit. Had a night off tonight as I'm knackered and have some homework to do for a training course tomorrow so a snooze was in order to stop me from keeling over, will finish early tomoz as...

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:49:29 PST

Yesterday was a disaster. after all the measuring and making of brackets I couldn't get the new rad to fit. Finished last night on a low but had another go today and with a few mods it goes in. Seems the bonnet on the nearside is slightly lower than on the drivers side, plus I had to modify the brackets a bit and the fans, but all in now and working a treat. Old rad overheated with the fan on, new rad will cool down with just one fan working so will wire the other one up to a switch on the dash. looking at the condition of the wiring that came with the fans they must pull a lot of amps, so better to just wire it this way anyway.
Will post some pics tomoz if I get time

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:54:07 PST

had a couple of nights off this week what with one thing and another, but back to it tomorrow, priced new jets up at £2 each so will have to order, if still no good may just buy new carb, these seem a good price and come with manual choke too
http://www.fastroadcars.c...viewProd&productId=6

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:56:18 PST

tried the new rad, and it will fit a treat, also started to clean up the fans that have become caked in dust and muck whilst lying around the garage for so long.
Rad is 635 x 420 and the fans are 610 x 400 so all should go well (I hope) had to cut the brackets off I'd welded back on after cutting them off last time, but that's car building for you, also bought some nice alloy mesh for the front and paid a mate £10 to sand down the front spoiler for me, that should keep him busy

oh my god..............that time again !

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:50:10 PST

well, all is not completely well, gearbox started jumping out of 4th on the over-run at the weekend, it was running pretty rough and I thought I'd borrow a strobe light off a mate and check it as the strobe I borrowed off another mate seemed to have some complex tacho system on it and no instructions.
Timing was found to be out by a few degrees so re-set it and went for a spin. Still got a misfire as you start to open the throttle but not as bad so am looking to replace the jets as cleaning them out may not have worked.
Also, loud bangs from rear when going over big bumps, didn't used to do this and having jumped up & down on the rear end tonight I think the dampers need turning up a bit to stop this.
It's all a bit trial & error really as so many things are either an unknown quantity or have been overhauled/replaced.
I've driven it tonight round the town a bit and the jumping out of gear seems to have stopped, think it may be down to the centre console...

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (The Quiffster) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:30:52 PST

Good man Martin!

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (mendamantis) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:02:21 PST

Congratulations......................................
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
.........................................

NOW GET ON WITH IT

Re: rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (Cool Mart) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 06:28:55 PST

rebuild for Le Mans

feeds@kickapps.com (martineztop) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:42:33 PST

Well, Spring is here at last and I've finally cleared enough room in the garage to get the car in. Old Pinto engine has sold on e bay in bits (I didn't realise what a good engine it was till I pulled it apart, 285 cam, ported head, vernier pulley and lightweight flywheel) and I got more for it than I paid for the 2.8 V6 that's replacing it !
Don't have time to fit the EFI system so am using a 38dgas. Engine has a 270/285 cam and has been dynamically balanced, total cost for 'Autosprint' to build the engine was £1100 ! and it was fitted to a Robin Hood race car. Owner wasn't happy with the performance so he went to using a 20xe instead. well frankly, it was never gonna run well with the original EFI system, so his loss was my gain for £150 inc. lightweight flywheel and headers
Anyway, I've made the engine mounts and have a 2.8 type 9 gearbox and alloy bellhousing all...