The RCR Tunnel...

[Randy V]

So - Just when I thought I'd seen the end of the tunnel, there was the tunnel...

I'm curious how you guys arranged your tunnels with the coolant tubes, AC Lines, Electrical, etc..

Here's my tentative plan.

Starting at the top

1. Shifter cables (am I dreaming?)
2. Throttle Cable
3. Chassis Electrical from front to rear
4. AC lines (Hopefully side by side) - Zip-Tied together
5. COOL Coolant tube (wrapped with header-wrap for insulation)
6. HOT Coolant tube (wrapped with header-wrap for insulation)

So maybe I am dreaming about ducking these shifter cables in there? They'll come into the tunnel from the last couple of feet - just in front of the Parking Brake lever and bracket.
What about the header-wrap? I would think that some sort of insulation is in order. Not to mention something to protect the tubes themselves from wear etc..

 

[Chuck]

Randy:

Here is what I ran through the tunnel, starting at the bottom:

1. COOL Coolant tube wrapped with thin insulation
2. HOT Coolant tube wrapped with thin insulation
3. AC lines, stacked on top of each other (not enough room for side by side)
4. 3/8" line for expansion tank - radiator bleed line.

That is it. No electrical lines. No throttle cable. No shifter cable.

I still have room for the fire supression line, but not much more.

More details and pics on my build blog.

 

[Bill D]

I ran my coolant tubes wrapped with 1/8" thick thermal wrapping, throttle cable, brake and clutch lines, and AC lines. I ran the electrical on top of the tunnel and made a rounded tunnel cover from .040 sheet metal

 

[Jeff Hamilton]

If you get all that in there I'm going to need a video clip of how you did it. I ran electrical (in pvc),A/C lines and both coolant tubes. It was not easy to get it all in there.
Jeff Hamilton

 

[Dalton Veitch]

I believe that the Mk III road cars (UGH, I know) had the coolant piping running along the side sills of the cars. This sounds sensible to me, keeping hot piping out of the centre of the car. However, it may be a lot messier threading in and out near/through the suspension at each end. The Mk III's needed tunnel space for the central gearshift.
Dalton

 

[Bill D]

It can be done. However, since my car is RHS, the shifter cables were routed along the seat, passing theough the rear bulkhead and chassis, and exiting in the engine bay

 

[Randy V]

Thanks for the ideas and information guys... I'd like to cram everything I can through the tunnel. I'm considering using HD flat ribbon cable for the wiring runs through the tunnel.

 

[EGLITOM]

I consider mine the following way:

INSIDE TUNNEL:
brake and clutch lines isolated against vibration noise ( I dont have an issue with loud cars, but if anything rattles in a car, that dirves me nuts, will do a double walled rear bulkhead with sound and heatinsulation sqeezed in between for the same reason; the only thing i want to hear is the engine and the gearbox noise)
coolant pipes isolated
AC lines isolated too
fire suspression line isolated against vibration noise

ON TOP OF TUNNEL:
wire loom (including fuse box)covered in a alu cladding with quick acces panel fixed with camlocks.
main switch( in app LH shifter location) with outside pull cable ( routed from doublewall rear bulkhead panel)
starter button plus relay

RIGHT HAND SILL:
shifter assembly with cables routed along and back through rear bulkhead into chassis
emergency brake lever and cables

Bill your installation is just nice. I guess you have fixed your wire loom finaly with other means than tape :thumbsup::thumbsup:

TOM

 

[MReid]

I have from bottom to top:

rear brake and clutch hydraulic lines
cool radiator tube
hot radiator tube
throttle cable
main rear harness
a/c lines
power cable to front

IMO, there is no way you will get the shifter cables in there. Of course, everytime I say something like that, I'm proven wrong. So please post pictures once you do it!

 

[Randy V]

Only got about an hour in the shop this week so no real progress to speak of for me.

I'm curious what your logic was in the placement of the hot vs cool coolant tubes.

As you read above, I'm planning on having the hot one on the bottom to keep it further from the AC lines as well as keeping the heat further from the driver/passenger..

Yes - I forgot that the brake and clutch lines already run through the very bottom of the tunnel..

Ribbon cable...
Trying to find it in a 14g is not that easy... I did think about using computer ribbon cable (I have a ton of it) and using relays in the back of the car..
I think I'm over-complicating things though..

 

[Rob]

Hi Randy,
Mine are VERY tight, but that is because I used plumbing black foam tube over my coolant tubes. It was a bitch.
My order is from bottom:
brake and clutch
cooled tube
hot tube
#10 AC line
#8 AC line
Wiring bundle
Along side wiring bundle is the fire system

Logic for coolant tube order.....I'd rather have A/C efficiency loss than hot brake fluid. Just seemed like a directionally correct decision.

 

[Doug S.]

Ribbon cable...
Trying to find it in a 14g is not that easy...

Randy, do a google search for stereo speaker "flat wire". I think you'll find it. Frequently used when someone doesn't want to rip the sheetrock off the wall to hide the speaker wires--flat wire can fit securely behind the door/floor trim.

Good luck--if you still can't find it, PM me and I'll do a search on one of my audiophile forums.

Doug

 

[Randy V]

Thanks Doug - I found some Flat Wire. It has adhesive on it but I may be able to either take it off or just leave the plastic on it.