MDA Mk.II FE engined build - Page 2

Bill D · 10-04-07, 03:47 PM

Damn this is coming along nicely!! I can't wait to see the finished product.

Cheers
Bill D

CraigB · 12-06-07, 04:38 AM

Sorry for the lack of updates recently but work has kept me busy all over the North Sea for a couple of months.

The clutch, flywheel and starter motor have arrived from Kennedy down at MDA and now teh adaptor plate manufacturing is underway (nobody seems to make an FE/930 plate apart from MDA??).

CraigB · 12-06-07, 04:42 AM

Oops forgot the photos

Starter motor (it looks adjustable)

Flywheel

Clutch

Close up of clutch spring

I went for one of Kennedy's Stage II organic clutches which should be able to hang onto the torque from the FE (I hope)

CraigB · 02-21-08, 12:40 AM

Mark sent me some photos the other week of my engine/transaxle/headers in a frame mockup of the back of one of MDA's chassis (used for engineering work to prototype bits so they don't have to work on a "live" chassis). There is good clearance all round so it should drop straight into my chassis with no worries

I've still got to send the "Baldy" covers down to Mark, but I will probably wait until the engine gets back home after my next work trip before I fit them.

The clutch is actuated by a Tilton hydraulic release bearing made for the Porsche box (well it has been modified from one designed for a G50 to fit the 930), so there wont be any external brackets needed for a slave cylinder/fork actuation, just feed and bleed lines.

The headers will be ceramic coated a bronzey/gold colour.

Jac Mac · 02-21-08, 01:32 AM

Hope that clutch assy came with instructions & they only assembled it like that for shipping purposes

Jac Mac

CraigB · 02-21-08, 01:42 AM

I'm probably missing something obvious here? What's up with the clutch?

Porsche ring gear is mounted on the clutch assembly rather than round the edge of the flywheel as in most other engines if that is what you mean?

Jac Mac · 02-21-08, 02:39 AM

Diaphragm spring ( the piece with all the fingers ) appears to be fitted upside down. Small convex heat treated ( blue marks ) curved tips at end of fingers should face up to contact release bearing.

Jac Mac

CraigB · 02-21-08, 02:53 AM

Thanks Jac Mac I'll check it out with KEP.

I believe that was how it was delivered (I had it sent direct to MDA), will also check with Mark there today.

Dave Deerson · 02-21-08, 04:18 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong,but I thought all clutch kits for the 930 box are of the "pull" type rather than the later G50 style "push" type release bearing .The only push release type I've seen are for the Tilton multi-disc setup.If that is the case then a hydrolic(sp?) release bearing cannot work in this application.On my 930 boxed race car,I had to resort to using an early 915 release arm and a "generic" push type slave cylinder.

Dave D.

CraigB · 02-22-08, 01:32 PM

Hi Dave, thanks a lot for the input!! Needless to say some very pointed re-examination of the clutch has gone on down there and we are now going down the pull route as the 930 was designed for. Lesson's learned all round there I think

Another gem that this forum had tuned up.

I suppose that what you get for mixing Porsche and Ford

Anyway, hopefully normal service can be resumed shortly (as our rail networks keep promising us over here in the UK) and you can get some more updates soon.

Thanks again

Jac Mac · 02-22-08, 03:13 PM

I knew there was another 'good' reason why I told Jack Ondrack I was not enthusiastic about him bringing a Porsche down under, apart from the fact that the 'FORD' was already blowin them into the weeds! Imagine the chaos if I had ''fixed'' the clutch.

CraigB · 03-02-08, 02:24 PM

Well whilst I had a day to kill I thought I'd have a go at fitting the original spec door release mechanism to the passenger side door. The original is a Mk.VII Jaguar rear door system fitted to a cover plate which is in turn bolted to the door frame.

The hole cut to receive the mechanism

Mechanism on the base plate from the front

Mechanism on the base plate from the inside

Mechanism on the base plate fitted from the outside

[b]Mechanism on the base plate fitted from the inside/B]

The Red outline is where the push rod from the door handle runs, I will make a "Z" section in steel to join this to the release bar on the mechanism. I have re-tapped the bolt holes to M5 rather than 3/16" to give a larger selection of bolts; I have left them long to allow me to mount my central locking servos to the same points as the mechanism to the cover plate.

The internal release pull chord adaptor can also mount to the same mounting bolts which should also simplify future removal if needed.

The part are NOS but have degraded after 40 years sat on a shelf, they will be replated before final fitment.

CraigB · 09-02-08, 02:19 PM

Finally I can report some progress

Having spent 5 of the last 6 months at sea hooking up oil and gas wellheads to pipelines I have finally got 3 weeks off, woohoo. My company's generosity knows no limits!!

Got my car back from my friends where he has been welding up some chassis mods I wanted; so I took the chance of fitting the original spec (Mk.II) Girling reservoirs into the new windscreen front mount (between the rain showers)

Due to work commitments I will be shipping the car down to MDA after I come back from the Italian GP (got grandstand tickets at Ascari hoping for a repeat of Kimi's high speed parking) to get the engine/box fitted and some bodywork tweaks I want done. Mark will have some space then (he currently has 2 cars down there going through SVA) - I spoke to him this morning to confirm the arrangements (2nd Sep 08) so that's all sorted now.

I will get the car turned around tomorrow (the rain is bouncing outside at the moment) and get the rear clip mounted up on the new replica rear frame. With luck I'll get some photos of that out to you then.

After this it's just a case of getting the uprights finally painted and the centre section fitted before working on the front clip supports (what could possibly go wrong!!!

)

CraigB · 09-03-08, 03:21 PM

As promised here are some photos of the new rear clip mounting. Mark's one is fairly close, but each Mk.II seems to have a slightly different design back here, needless to say I have tried to replicate P1046

The new P1046 replica rear clip support. The pit lifters will go on after the SVA

I will have to get the angle of the top bit dropped a bit as it is meant to follow the line of the support running up to the horseshoe and not horizontal.

From the left.

And the right.

More tomorrow when I hope to get the body mounted on it. There is small spacer/bearing that fits between the frame and the clip inner arch which should be visible after I have cut away some of the excess glassworks.

Martin · 09-03-08, 04:25 PM

Craig,
That is sharpe. Your attention to detail will really pay off. Has Mark given you a timeline as to when you can expect your car back from MDA ? I'm in the process of purchasing his 331 stroker and I've got the same 930 gearbox mounting issue you have. I think he will make two sets of mounts at the same time, one for you and one for me. I need it done before i take delivery of the engine among other things.
Cheers,
Martin