RF#025 Historic Build and ongoing development

[Ross Nicol]

Some historic pics

[Ross Nicol]

Some current photos showing the temporary front wheels.Oil filter and catch tank mount on the rear of the bulkhead. I've never been happy with the original mounting where I used inserts in the thin alloy panels.This allowed the oil filter mount to flex when fitting and removing filters.It was the same for the catch tank and cooling system header tank.I've fitted 6mm alloy plate and bolted through to nutserts in the chassis.Quite a job but much happier with it. Note the oil tank is actually the same shape as fuel tank. Also note the oil temp sender next to the outlet. I'm waiting on the crank which is being balanced again because Ross lost the weight for the flywheel.
More to come
Ross

[JackW]

cool photos Ross. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers

Jack

[Troy]

Hi Ross,

On the track, do you run the slicks, and if so, what size rubber?

Good pics. Always helpful to see another of the same breed to work out just exactly where everything goes!

[Jim c]

Ross

Looks like a different lower arm but the same upper.
8th pic up from the bottom the upper inner front rose joint looks like its in a link adjuster or is it my eyes playing tricks.
Just curious.

Haven't you put new uprights on if so a pic would be nice

Jim

[Ross Nicol]

Hi Jim - Sorry I missed your post. Yes the lower arms are newly fabricated. With the upper arms I had longer straight tubes with rose joint ferrules fabricated and welded on as original.Essentially the arms are as original but extended by 50mm.As a result though the geometry locates the hub forward from the original position, hence increasing the wheelbase slightly, which is handy if I choose to add castor. I will take some pics when time allows. I'm in strife with wheels and tyres now as all the old front wheels have the wrong offset. I'm racing at Winton this weekend so have a chance to check the steering weight around tight corners.If what I felt during the 3 laps at Phillip island holds up it should be good even though I'm down on power with the old motor.

Troy

My slick tyre sizes are front 265/625 R17

Rear 300/640 R17

I presume the 625 and 640 are rolling diameter in millimetres and no aspect ratio is given
Ross

[Ross Nicol]

Latest update
Yes the old motor is back in and I was driving the car home from a club meeting last night when the cops stopped me.After the breath test and satisfying them I had been to the meeting,he noticed I wasn't displaying a front plate, so fair cop $121 fine. You may enjoy a couple of experiences I had while the motors were exchanged.I don't know why but I seem to lift the motor out of the car differently every time I do it. Anyway on this occasion I chose to remove the transaxle first and then lift the motor out. Senility seems to have grasped me and lack of memory of good past experience. I wrapped chains around the engine mounts for the lift and all went well until I was ready to set the motor down on the trolley.The whole thing flipped on me and I couldnt stop the weight from crushing 3 of the intake trumpets. I immediately built straps and chains to bolt to the exhaust manifold holes so this will never happen again.Order new set of 8 trumpets from DC&O $340 oh well.
So you ask, "heck what else could Ross do to eclipse that" Well it goes like this, when I changed motors the new motor had an internally balanced crank and I removed the flywheel weight which rightly or wrongly I believed was part of the 50oz external counter balance required for the stock HO shaft.So with the old motor going back in I decided the weight must be reinstalled.So I searched and searched and searched even shifting 1/2 the workshop for days.In the end I had to move on and removed the crankshaft for re-balancing.I was lucky because the machine shop that balanced it originally still had data on the rod/piston weights, so I left the pistons in the bores and gave them the harmonic balancer,crankshaft,flywheel and clutch pressure plate.They add weights to the big ends (Called bob weights) to simulate the rods and pistons and balance the whole lot as a unit.An absolute must for racing. Apart from this all went fairly smoothly except the firing order of the 2 motors is different and because the injectors fire sequentially in the firing order something had to be done. I made extension leads instead of re-routing wires cost of plugs $110. However when the bigger motor goes back in I only have to remove the extensions. Always plan ahead I say.Mmmmm not always possible.
I downloaded the old motor's Motec data and fired it up last sunday seems ok but still checks to do.On monday I went to fire it again and it didn't fire easily, so I put a little throttle on and tried again.Well it shot into life and suddenly spat oil from the filter in through the car and onto the chassis,shop floor etc,etc.The cause of this is pressure and cold thick oil.The filter tries to send oil through the holes at the top and when it can't builds up pressure blowing the filter seal at the top.So unless I use the SP filters with larger holes I have to start the car with no throttle angle and wait for the oil to warm up before revving, easy isn't it.
Ross

[Pete.]

I'm sure you were a journalist in another life Ross. I guess we all have storys like that.
Re the cold oil issue, come and join us in Sunny Queensland; Problem solved.

[Jac Mac]

Ross,
The only time I have ever had the O-Ring blow out of a filter was due to a stuck relief valve in the pump & that happened in Perth on a 351c. My point is that 'YOU' know how cold it gets down my way- I tend to think your problem might be in the lines or filter housing ( Oil goes into the filter by way of the outer holes-exits by center hole ) rather than the filter itself.

Actually the cause might be those fittings going into the filter block, what is the bore of them on the small end ? No point in having -12 or -10 hose if you have fittings the equivalent of -6 or-8. All fittings should have same bore as hose & ends.

Jac Mac

[Ross Nicol]

I hear what your saying Jac Mac.Yes I do know how cold it gets in your neck of the woods, I remember during school holidays sitting in the kitchen with our feet in the coal range oven listening to the holiday programme on the radio. We also put milk outside in a container at night and after a good solid frost it would be cold enough to make milkshakes.
Now, no there is nothing wrong with my setup, I have never had a problem when the oil is hot but on this occasion I had a cheap Chinese filter, because it was to be removed after a short time.The dry sump pump with that quick burst of speed (read bit of an over rev, alloy flywheel too). My son did it once when he was demonstrating to a young friend when I wasn't around. Left me to clean it up though. I generally stick to Purolator or Ryco filters and they seem to be good.I always warm the oil before giving it a rev though.Oil is 20w-50 castrol R (formerly GP50) not grapefruit oops I mean synthetic. Been warned off that stuff by V8 supercar engine builder. All the fittings are -12 Jac Mac. Oh yes I understand the oil enters the filter through those outer holes and exits through the centre. I was trying to describe the filter inlet holes in my post but it didn't read very well. I believe when the oil is cold these holes provide quite a restriction but when its up at race temp 100°c (see that I remembered how to do the degree) never causes a problem. I also have 11 litres of oil in the system, I will never run low again. Promise!
Ross

[Ross Nicol]

Oil pressure gauge reading 350 to 400 kpa, solid as a rock unless Ross doesn't put enough oil in.There is a relief valve built into the pump but the pressure has always been at this point in other words it's no higher than normal.Funny you mention the Cobra Daytona Jac Mac, as Richard Bendell was here yesterday and he makes them.He's also the CEO of Motec very handy.
Ross

[Ross Nicol]

As I have previously mentioned upgrades will continue on my car.Here is the latest. An alloy rear wing fitted as per GT40 race cars except I couldn't be bothered slotting the bolt holes to make it adjustable. Looks good let's hope my downforce improves to match. I made it out of 3mm aluminium (that's the correct spelling isn't it Russ?) We will test it at the upcoming State Race Meeting at Sandown this weekend.

Ross

[Ross Nicol]

put the photos up Ross