peter_m7uk

Hi Simon, I've tried yanking the gearbox hard and it's definite that nothing will touch. It's probably more like 15mm minimum clearance, although I'm not sure what you mean by "how close are they 10mm" ? I'll have plenty of photos and the tunnel top will be removable in case he wants a good look! On another note, did you sell your Lightweight in the end? Just wondering what you got for it??! Cheers, Pete

Further pics from different angles.

I routed the copper fuel pipes on my Lightweight along the transmission tunnel and wanted opinions on how close the gearbox can be to the pipes before you would fail SVA/IVA, please! In the attached pics, you can see looking down directly from above at the route taken, in the first pic. In the second, I zoomed in on the point where the box is closest to the 2 pipes. It's hard to get perspective, but the 2 pipes are p-clipped so that one passes above the thin strengthening "fin" on the box casing and the other passes below. If the box were to move to the left it would have to move at least 10mm and would then hit the bolt holding the p-clip. Any thoughts? Anyone routed their lines similarly? Pete

Testing

Hi Dave, Nice work, interesting approach! If you are using Solidworks to investigate the bending strength and torsional rigidity of the chassis, that could give some really handy results. I was just thinking, though, looking at the bits of chassis that you've included in that Edrawing pic, you seem to have missed out the entire tunnel top sheets, which do complete a box section running up the middle of the car. I think the results with and without a complete tunnel could be quite different? Also, I would argue that the battery tray and even the scuttle are important structural elements, as they again complete a box which is otherwise open on one side. The only other bits I would point at are the eight thick aluminium square sections which are used to mount the suspension front and back. The front 4 in particular add an awful lot of strength and rigidity at the front of the car when they are bonded, bolted and riveted into the surrounding area, so it isn't really representative to miss them out. I don't know how easy it is to do, but I think if you added all of those elements to what you have now, you would really see a big difference. This is just based on my "feel" for the design, but I think boxing off areas of chassis is very important for a monocoque. Hope your build is going well, anyway. Check out my site for progress on my own Lightweight. Hoping to have the engine running in August Cheers, Pete

Hi Graham, Just wondering what engine Dan is running with?? I have often thought that the Lightweight should not be overpowered, given its known problem with diff mounting. My Pinto should give about 130bhp, but I would be wary of putting more in than that. Diyer has been using a standard Zetec for the last couple of years since he got on the road, but reports no diff problems. If you tell me Dan has a modestly powered car then I will be worried!! Since you have had these problems, I'm thinking of strengthening the front diff mount a bit. I suppose if I just take a few washers out (the ones recommended in the original instructions) and put a decent thickness of steel in there, bolted to the rest of the chassis, that will give me a solid mounting. I also used the holes on the back of the diff to tie it to the boot floor, so those two mods would give plenty of torque resistance at the extreme mounting points. Apart from diff mounting, no one has actually reported bending or failure anywhere else on a Lightweight, have they? Cheers, Pete

I suppose I should have expected a difference of opinions! Some think I'm worrying over nothing and Iain thinks it is important. I suppose what I'm looking for is practical experience here - Has anyone run a prop with a degree or two difference in the working angles and actually had big problems??? The theory suggests that a small difference could be significant, but I have no idea in practical terms. The problem is that I don't have much room for adjustment. It's basically impossible to adjust the diff angle on the Lightweight, I can't lower the gearbox, so that just leaves raising the engine. However, I'm using the EFi manifold on a Pinto and have had to cut a hole in the bonnet already. I don't really have the option to raise the engine any higher! I suppose what I'm saying is that I don't really have an option to change the alignment, but how much does it really matter? Pete

Hi Jim, I'm going to get one of these alternators as well. On the diagram from the supplier, it shows terminals 1 and 2 joined together, but wondering if this would work? The ignition light connection must be switched live as well, or else the light would be on all the time when the ignition is off (unless a diode prevents this?). So, it sounds like it would work, but would the energising terminal need more current than the lamp could stand? Pete

Hi Zed, This is true, but lorry and van propshafts are going considerably slower than Seven kit cars, with their large wheels and slow-revving diesel engines. I don't think big angles at each end are a problem as much as the difference between the two angles. Looking at this and this suggests that, for each turn of the gearbox end of the prop, the diff end will slow up and speed down twice. Doing a quick calc for 1.35 degrees (like my Lightweight) shows that at 3000rpm, for example, the diff end will go from 2999rpm to 3001 rpm twice per rev. No idea how this will actually feel or what effect it will have on the chassis!! Can't be the only person with a slightly misaligned prop though Pete

Nigel, They may have been a bit more heavily engineered than the Lightweight! I would have thought constant vibration in an ali chassis is not great news. Pete

Evening Hoodies, I recently ordered a propshaft from GBS and it set me thinking about the angles of the U-joints. I measured the angles of the box and diff and their relative positions and got the following: The gearbox output shaft and diff input shaft centre lines are at 1.35 degrees to each other. The diff input shaft is 37.5mm higher than the gearbox output shaft, at a distance of 632mm apart, giving an angle of 4.1 degrees (distance between joints is 525mm). This gives a working angle of 4.1 degrees on the gearbox and 5.45 degrees on the diff. I then read this link on propshaft angles, which states that the working angles should be within 1/2 degree (not 1.35!) on high speed propshafts and the maximum working angle should be 4 degrees (I have 4.1 and 5.45). Clearly, I am out of spec by their standards. How much does anyone think I should be concerned?? I don't think there's an awful lot I can do to adjust these angles, but is the prop going to vibrate itself to bits, or is that web link being too critical?? Cheers, Pete

OK Nigel, Hoodie cunning strikes again!!! I like it that I now know Halfords range of belts better than the staff, ta Will bear this in mind when I come to fit an alternator in my Lightweight shortly - Looks like that will have to be a masterpiece, with the steering shaft, exhaust header pipes and chassis rail all constricting space. Do you reckon you could use a Scalextrix motor as a DC generator instead? Pete

Nigel, Is this true???? I tried two branches of Halfords and they definitely didn't have racks of V belts arranged in racks by length. I asked and was told that they were only sold by vehicle. Which branch did you go to? Was it one of their big stores? Cheers, Pete

Hi All, I know plenty of people have asked questions on alternators, but looking for recommendations for a small one with single-v pulley to fit the Pinto in my Lightweight, please I want to get a brand new one, so was looking on ebay and found this Mitsubishi one. Anyone tried it? Any other recommendations? Cheers, Pete

Graham, Oh dear, sorry to hear about that!! I know you've sorted it now, but if you have any further troubles, how about one of my strengthening mods? I made up these Diff Brackets and attached like this. It was a bit fiddly, but I did it as a retro fit with the tank in and the wheels on. Just wondering, how is it possible for the diff to come lose only at the front mounts without knackering the other mounting points? Anyway, hope she stands up to the ST!! Cheers, Pete

Hi Marcus, Thanks for that. I suppose there must be lots of over the top Pinto exhausts out there, but I'd be wary in case I ended up with a 3rd one that didn't fit! I'll see what's out there. I'm afraid the picture from the old showroom didn't display - Could you try to post it again, or send it to me in a personal message? Would be handy to send it to GBS and ask "Can you do another one like that?" ! Cheers, Peter

Good to know that it has been done before! I sent you a personal message. Cheers, Pete

Oh dear, more problems with things that don't fit! When I bought my Lightweight kit back in late 2005, I got a special Pinto 4-1 exhaust with it (or so I thought). I finally came to actually fitting this exhaust recently, when I realised that it was the wrong one!! I compared my exhaust with the one in the instruction DVDs and realised that it was a bit different. The one I had in fact been supplied was for the 2B and no amount of fettling would get it to fit! So I contacted GBS and was told that the exhaust in the DVD was a one-off (?) and I would have to get a Zero exhaust which exits out of the bonnet rather than the engine bay side panel. But I'd already cut the hole in the side panel They had a look to see if they could find the one-off, but it was long gone, so I took it on the chin and arranged to swap for a Zero exhaust. Yesterday, I took the Zero manifold down to the garage, hoping to crack on with the build, when I realised that it didn't fit either! In fact, it's probably further away from fitting than the 2B one!! I have now been supplied two exhausts which were supposed to be for my car and neither was anywhere near, so what am I supposed to do now?! Just wondering if anyone out there is sitting with a Lightweight with Pinto installation? If I'm not the only one, what did you do about the exhaust??? I can barely believe it really. I mean, the Lightweight is presented on the DVD with a Pinto as the *standard* installation. How can GBS not give me the standard exhaust?!!!! Over the years, the Pinto has been far and away the most popular kit car engine, yet they made a one-off for the DVD and appear to have no records of how to make another one!!! I just don't get it When I spoke to Richard at GBS, he did suggest that they could make one, but only if they had the car to measure against. Well, I live 200 miles from Nottingham and I don't have a trailer or a vehicle with a towbar. At rental prices, it would cost me a fortune to go there and back twice to drop it off, then pick up when ready. Although, considering that it's their mistake, I think they should offer to drive down and pick it up themselves!! I'm going to speak with them again tomorrow, to see what we can work out. If that fails, what did everyone else do about their exhausts? Yours frustratedly, Pete

Thanks for the advice. My motor pinion and ring gear are perfectly clean at the moment, so that gives me one less job to do! Glad I asked now. Sometimes the "obvious" isn't so obvious! Cheers, Pete

Hullo chaps, Just wondering, and this may be a daft question, but are you supposed to grease the teeth on your flywheel and starter motor pinion? It seemed obvious to prevent the teeth from wearing away, but then I thought "Won't all of the grease be thrown off the flywheel at 5000rpm anyway??". So I thought maybe, because the teeth only touch for a couple of seconds each time you start the car, that there is no need for grease? Would be happy to hear a definite answer! Cheers, Pete

No replies, but sorted now anyway Went to Retroford near Heathfield - That guy has millions of old Ford bits in a couple of big industrial units. Got the single-belt crankshaft pulley and coolant pulley for £10. Recommend him Cheers, Pete

Gents, Discovered that the Lightweight engine bay is simply too tight to fit the Pinto injection pulley (twin belts), so I'm going to have to change to a single belt pulley that comes with the carbed engines. Anyone got one going spare?? We can do a swap or I will pay cash. Cheers, Pete

Never thought this thread would be so popular! In reply to Eric and Adam, I only got the crane (2nd hand but nearly new) a couple of weeks ago and it has been stored upright, but I transported it to my garage flat in the back of my car... I haven't bought any hydraulic fluid yet, so I'll try the trick of opening the valve and pumping first Pete

Thanks gents. I'll try a fluid top-up.

Finally onto the engine fitting stage of my Lightweight build, but found last night that my engine crane would only lift the Pinto engine and gearbox to about a foot off the ground! The crane is 2nd hand from eBay, but looks new and the previous owner had a Land Rover engine and gearbox out, so it must have been ok... It seems to be wilting under load, as I got the arm up to full height in order to lift the engine out of the stand. I then dropped it down, mated with the box , but couldn't get it up Anyway, I think it may be due to lying the crane flat in the back of my car for transportation, maybe causing the hydraulic fluid to run to the wrong place or get air in the system? Just a guess! Anyone know if there's some way to sort it out?? Cheers, Pete