Hi Steve: Just a word of caution: the rod which holds the clutch release fork does not seem to be stock Quaife (Theirs does not have the three grooves at the splined end). I had the same in my ZFQ and it sheared off at the inner groove (see my build log). I just put in an original rod supplied by Quaife. It comes without the weakening grooves. At most you need one groove for the clamping bolt and I recommend you have one machined into one of Quaife's original rods right where you need it ( In my case a few slight brushes with a file did the job. ). I just put my car back together again. Also it is very important to keep a proper free play between clutch fingers and release bearing. This calls for a properly sized release bearing piston, then a fine adjustment of the length of the slave cylinder rod, as explained elsewhere on this forum. Finally, clutch pedal travel may have to be restricted. You don't want unnecessary pressure in the system. Good luck and lots of enjoyment with your build.I attached the starter and hooked it up to a battery and everything seemed in order. Then the train fell off the rails while attempting to connect the trans to the engine. First off, that transaxle is a beast. Getting the spline through the clutch plates was no problem. It was the last 3/4 inch that plagued me. I resisted all temptation to force it in with longer bolts and finally gave up for the night. I resigned myself to taking it all apart. With the clutch off, still couldn’t thread it through the pilot bushing. Yes, I did check the size on the spline prior to assembly. That came out next. I used tortilla and grease for some southwest flavor since we were out of bread. View attachment 132803
There was a tiny deformation of the inner hole when I put it in. Wouldn’t fit. Back to the Summit website.
I am using the clutch release lever from Safir. It has a different spline number than the Quaife. So I purchased and installed the rod from Safir. Hopefully it doesn’t bust.Hi Steve: Just a word of caution: the rod which holds the clutch release fork does not seem to be stock Quaife (Theirs does not have the three grooves at the splined end). I had the same in my ZFQ and it sheared off at the inner groove (see my build log). I just put in an original rod supplied by Quaife. It comes without the weakening grooves. At most you need one groove for the clamping bolt and I recommend you have one machined into one of Quaife's original rods right where you need it ( In my case a few slight brushes with a file did the job. ). I just put my car back together again. Also it is very important to keep a proper free play between clutch fingers and release bearing. This calls for a properly sized release bearing piston, then a fine adjustment of the length of the slave cylinder rod, as explained elsewhere on this forum. Finally, clutch pedal travel may have to be restricted. You don't want unnecessary pressure in the system. Good luck and lots of enjoyment with your build.
Yes, Quaife for some reason decided to use a different spline count and offer their own push rod lever. My setup is not from Safir based on the spline count and the shape of the lever. So good luck with your build- I'm sure in the end joy will win over any occasional frustration ;-)I am using the clutch release lever from Safir. It has a different spline number than the Quaife. So I purchased and installed the rod from Safir. Hopefully it doesn’t bust.
I was about to ask! Some people don’t paint the aluminum panels and I was wondering why? What are the cons and pros.I took an angle grinder to the bellhousing and aligned the engine, I drilled 2 holes for the engine plates taking the 0.4 inches further back into account. Then I continued with disassembly. View attachment 132845View attachment 132846View attachment 132847
So both my boys abandoned me at this point. Something about college education, for what’s that worth. I managed to put the car chassis on the dolly with my 13 year old daughter. She’s small and skinny but strong. Next I removed the suspension. I’m sure you can see the left tire in place still. That’s a story for sure. I was pounding on that spinner for an hour. I’m pretty sure in the wrong direction. The others came off so easy. I finally got it off with a tool I found in this site. https://www.knockoffspinnertool.com/
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I started sanding and degreasing. I used 2 coats of epoxy primer and then chassis black from Eastwood. View attachment 132851View attachment 132852View attachment 132853View attachment 132854
Again, I’m no expert. Here’s my reasoning. The aluminum does oxidize. However, I don’t think holes would appear in our lifetime. One guy polished the entire chassis like he was trying to win an Overdrive Pride and PoIish competition. Got to get it to a mirror like finish. I went with 2k epoxy primer with chassis paint over top. Others use POR 15 and look up some posts from Neil. He uses airplane grade etch to prevent oxidation. I think it looks cool with a black backdrop behind the engine. I was planning on raptor liner for the undercarriage and lizard skin inside. Both require a primer over the bare metal. Plus, it gives me something to drag this entire endeavor out, while I wait for my air conditioner parts.I was about to ask! Some people don’t paint the aluminum panels and I was wondering why? What are the cons and pros.
Painting aluminum panels is more that simply for appearance. A fundamental question is "What is the aluminum alloy?" Some alloys, mainly the weldable grades are suitable for leaving bare. So, too are the "Alclad" alloys, the ones with a very thin skin of pure aluminum bonded to their outside surfaces. High-strength alloys such as 2024-T3 or 7075-T6 are very corrosion -prone and should be coated with primer at a minimum. My stressed bottom panel is 7075-T6, the highest strength aluminum alloy, so there was no option of leaving it bare.I was about to ask! Some people don’t paint the aluminum panels and I was wondering why? What are the cons and pros.
Nice work Steve Merry Christmas!Here is a short holiday update. I had a small victory with my greatest nemesis to date. I posted long ago the problem I was having with my throw out bearing being too long. I had a machinist friend holding on to it for months to no avail. He was concerned about turning hardened steel and the number of blades he would destroy trying to cut it. Thank God for YouTube. I found 2 guys from Australia cutting a motorcycle axle. I turned my drill press into a lathe and used a dremel drill. I was able to get the center axis of the bearing using an expandable wedge stopper for 2 inch pipe for $5.00 from Home Depot. View attachment 135045View attachment 135046
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