DAX Build Up

[Ian Anderson]

Work continues

Visited last night and the following had been done
Accelerator Cable fitted
Header tank fitted
Clip hold downs fitted
Front pedal cover fitted
Low pressure pump, pollack valve, swirl pot fitted, HP fuel pump location decided.
Battery purchased and final location decided
Final gear change dummy ready so send out to maachine shop


Paul is working on her again today and expects fuel system piping etc to be completed and then on to the other remaining bits (Door latches etc. final wiring fix etc.)

I also spoke to Richfield seats over the weekend and they are happy to develop a GT40 seat at a reasonable price (on runners it will have 5mm floor clearance) I have dimensions of Paul's GTD seat and will feed it to them today to advance this further (Estimate at weekend £500 the pair in leather)

cheers
Ian

 

[Bill D]

Great progress Ian. I would like to know moew about your headlamp bracket you glassed in. I have the same headlamps and am having difficulty figuring out how to mount them and still be able to adjust them.

Regards
Bill D

 

[Ian Anderson]

Bill

No problem - next time I am over I will pull a light out and take more detailed photos and e mail them to you.

It may be in one or 2 days (perhaps over Easter) Unless Paul sees this and beats me to it!

Cheers
Ian

 

[Ian Anderson]

Lights are now covered under a separate post in the Electrical section
See
http://www.gt40s.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/80107/an/0/page/0#80107

Ian

 

[Ian Anderson]

Paul has been an extremely busy (Easter) Bunny

Electrics have been commissioned.

The Flashers and Hazard warning gave a lot of fight but eventually were beaten ( need to replace the flasher units as they are eratic after sitting unused for 16 years)

The motor was turned over but not started (no fuel or exhaust) yesterday

The grin on my face is getting bigger /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banana.gif

The "left to do list" is shorter - buy exhausts and lambda sensors, replace the timex air filter, bond the screen, fit the seats, carpets and trim and then fit the door latches - sufficient to get through the SVA - time for string pulls?

I have to book SVA today for ASAP - that felt good!

Paul a huge THANK YOU

Ian

 

[Tony Hunt]

Ian,
Progress is inspirational.
You must coach Paul so he can build another Tornado in 6 weeks!
Seriously, Paul's work is excellent; you were very lucky to find him.

 

[Ian Anderson]

She SHOUTED today

We tried on Tuesday to start the engine but got no where.

Ian Osborne posted a link to V8 forum for Rover engines and after a day of reading (Not much work was done in the office) I came over a thread that explained our problem.

The wires were altered to the suggested connections and she spoke rather loudly. Only headers on and no silencers!!!!!)

We still have no water system but it was good to hear a 6 second run (I think Paul's neighbours would have complained if we had run it any more!

Time to get the water system sorted and get her up to temperatre!

Strange but I have been smiling since!
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banana.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banana.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banana.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banana.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banana.gif

thanks Paul I was starting to think LeMans would not work! -Back on track

cheers
Ian

 

[Ian Anderson]

This weekend was tiring!

My daugher turned 11 and we organised a party - ended up wih a sleepover and after 2am before they slept and up again at 6.

Finally got rid of them and round to Paul's at about 2 - just in ime to see Shuey win in the Ferrari.

Out to the car and it is moving forward again

Door latches fitted - no release mechanisms yet as the outside door handles will fail SVA and internal are normally said not to be radiused enough! End up with a string pull release to clear that hurdle

Rear Clip latches fitted and retaining brackets also fitted so now it locks down front and rear clips in place.

Nostril Dzus clips fitted

Seat runners fitted and seat tried in place - space getting tighter now

Electrics under the dash finished - including brake fluid level warnng light.

Rubber edges fitted to inside moulding on doors (round edge test for SVA)

Carpet set laid in place but found to be wrong size - must be from GTD so need to get more carpet.

Got the Ali pipes back form manufacture for the "in engine bay" These were really pricy and leave a "high point" on the system that will be a bugger to bleed. They will need a blead nipple fitted.

Need to get a wiper arm and exhaust system

People in Byfleet going to get exhaust job as they are local and offered a good quote.

The SVA form has been sent off and request date for 8 June (or there abouts) requested.

Hell that is a month away and Le Mans classic a total od 2 months away. That will give ne SVA, 1 week to alter and retest, 2 weeks licence rigmarole and then 1 week shakedown before an 800 mile trip - Must be CRAZY!!!!!!

Ian (happy but knackered after a busy weekend)

 

[Ian Anderson]

Windscreen fitter (RAC) came today and managed to break my screen

So who has a Dax screen?

Or a GTD one?

How Much?

Ian

 

[Ian Anderson]

Yesterday

Took sump off
Checked oil strainer and feed pipes
All OK
Filled pump with vaseline - over 2 tubs used in numerous attempts
Changed oil filter etc

Tried priming oil pump far too many times (about 10 yesterday and the same by Paul previously) Sill no oil pressure

Posted request for help in different section and Ron said hit it with a golf club (Cut down and inserted in an electric drill to spin the pump)

Will try this as soon as the car is back from the exhaust fitters

Thanks Paul for towing her around this morning.

Pics on her reurn - should be Thursday or Friday Bloke at Classic Exhausts said the last 40 he did pipes for was Noel Edmonds. (Original 40)

time will tell and twisted my arm into stainless - more expensive but better welding or so he said. (Also want to feature the car in his ads - what should I charge?

Ian

 

[Ian Anderson]

Try again my typing disappeared!

This week
Got Carpet, fuel level sender unit (one didn't work), oil prime tool but now I don't have the car as it is in the Exhaust place

We argued about 4 into 1 and crossover and I insisted on crossover - now being done and looks likes the dogs nuts! Stainless that will polish up nicely. - even making a heat shield for the clutch slave cylinder and making lambda sensor mountings in the 4 into 1 collectors.
They should be finished on Monday / Tuesday

Also chased up the SVA and got a date of 16 June at 8 am - 4 weeks today and 3 before Le Mans - this is going right to the wire but I'm still aiming for a fast lap!

Now to get a screen! Tornado will / may fit - will borrow Geoff's for a trial fit before I buy one.

Any other ideas?

A Rather smily but broke Ian

 

[Ian Anderson]

Got the car back from the Exhaust shop

9 meters of stainless steel in the headers!

The shop is so proud of them they are now shown on the home page of their web page
http://www.classicexhaust.co.uk/index.htm

They are willing to undertake more builds if so desired - will also remanufacture from templates / old system.

Now we need to get the oil pressure up and see how loud they are!

Ian

 

[Graham T]

Ian,

Lots of stainless there but please make sure that you have awfully good or double layered insulation under your rear deck. Those pipes are horrendously high !!!!!!!!!!!!

Graham @ GTA.

 

[Ian Anderson]

Graham

I'll double check on the clearances but I think we have some space. (Dax being 2 inches higher than a GTD or similar)

It has thermal heat mat covering the whole of the underside of the deck

But I will check - better safe than blistered!

Ian

 

[Ian Anderson]

Some days things just work!

Paul rang - he had tried the oil prime tool and the oil pressure came up in a few seconds.

He needed The sump gasket to seal the sump

We changed the gasket

Filled with oil and she ran then got real lumpy and died - realised we only had fuel in 1 tank and we were drawing from the other! Click switch and it drew fuel and ran.

This after about 13 litres of water in the system.

Took headers off and gaskets fitted (stop some leaks)

Paul fitted seats

Re blead brakes and clutch - loads of air

Brake pedal solid

Clutch getting about 1/2 inch movement as slave

Ran to full temperature 100 before fans cut in - need to change fan switch for a lower setting one.

Could not select gears with engine running - either need to change master of bleed better (air could still be a problem)

Need to set idle speed on EFi - anyone know how to do this on the Rover Efi hotwire system?

As I say a lot done and so good to hear it run!!!!!!!

Ian

 

[Ian Anderson]

Windscreen fitted today

Many thanks to Frank Catt who organised the fitter - it is a straight fit for a GTD screen.

Fittter came, removed old adhesive, tidied up the hole, trial fitted the windscreen - it cannot take a rubber seal, painted the edges black with sealer / primer, coated rear of screen with primer around outer edge, gunned adhesive around spider and put screen in place. (less than one hour start to finish) He would have run a silicone bead between the glass and fiberglass but advised against it until it is painted as the painters will paint into groove.

Said call me back once the car is painted and the silicone will be done FOC - cannot get better service than that in the UK

Once again many thanks to Frank for organising the whole deal and if any other DAX owners are reading this and need a screen call Frank!

Tomorrow gearbox is coming out as clutch is not disengaging - perhaps stuck after doing nothing for so long

Ian

 

[Jim Cowden]

Ian

The clutch plate has rusted itself to the flywheel.

 

[Ian Anderson]

Jim
Thanks for the diagnosis - we discovered this today - got the box off and took the pressure plate bolts out - even pressure plate did not move.

Tapped with a hammer and it fell off - scraper under friction plate and it too was off

Took worst of the rust off with a light emery cloth and reassembled.

Hell the cross over exhaust are a pain to realign but all back in place.

Start the engine and gear select and trive the hubs (up on stands still) Pull handbrake and the clutch can be slipped to hear motor take the strain.

At first she was running sloppy rich - it is set up for no lambda sensors and we battled to understand how it should adjust. Read the manual (if all else fails) and we were missing a resistor between 2 pins on a connector. Seems the engine loom is set of a Range Rover Automatic - when the drive is engaged Found a similar resistance (510 ohm) at a TV tepair center (got 470 ohm) the engne ran and idled much better.

Changed the rad fan switch for a different one as the original was too hot. Rebled the system and after managing to get an air lock got it all correct. Now runs at 85 degrees fans cut in for about 15 seconds then cut out so radiator is really efficient. (Radiator from Docking) One problem the fans both run and oush the ai forwards - need to change the polarity tomorrow.

Refitted the rear clip fitted the wiper (now the screen is in) filled up the washer bottle

tomorrow is fit out day for carpet etc. final shake down on electrics - rev and speedo set light beams.

Some pics taken by Paul today like when I was reassembling a bundle of snakes and making a can of worms! Post those up soon

Ian

 

[Ian Anderson]

Caan of Worms or bundle of Snakes?

 

[Ian Anderson]

Pressure plate and flywheel - no wonder the clutch did not work