richyb66

I just got home and Friday's post included a letter from VOSA. Test date is Friday 30th September also at Kiddy - no phone calls, no discussion and no choice of date???? Looks like I'll have to stick with this or have more delay, seems strange Thrashed applied a day before me and got a test 2 weeks sooner???? Maybe Kiddy only do IVA's on a Friday?

Probably worth getting another price - is that all new or re-con using your ends? I'd give Dave Mac a call, I've used them a few times and they're highly recommended. They offer a collect and deliver service and fast turnaround so worth a phone call. http://www.davemacprops.com/

Yes, have a look at this http://nw.rhocar.org/SVA%20lights.htm It's SVA positions but IVA is essentially the same. Remember also that the maximum widths from the outside of the car are measured to the widest point so for front indicators on a 2B, the rear arches are the widest point not the cycle wings. In practice the rear lights are pretty well self locating, just observe the 350mm minimum height (and 900 maximum if the reflectors are built in) and 100mm minimum separation to the fog lamp.

Fuel is normally supplied direct from the pump to the fuel rail and the injectors, the regulator then controls the pressure in the fuel rail by limiting the bleed back of fuel to the tank. So basically you take the high pressure feed out of the fuel rail and that goes into the pressure regulator (probably the bottom pipe on the photo although I'd like to think it's marked somewhere)and the pipe feeds the bleed off fuel back to the tank. As you said, the smaller pipe is a vacuum connector to the plenum so it maintains the fuel pressure as a constant above plenum pressure - the nut and screw on the top would be for adjustment within the regualtors normal operation range which I think is 0 to 5 Bar. I suppose a gauge fitted to the fuel rail would help with setting up.

Why, wouldn't that make them rather difficult to adjust?

Mine leaked after I'd had it blasted and powdercoated (didn't leak beforehand so the blasting obviously dislodged some dodgey weld - not one of mine I might add). I just drained the oil, ground off the powdercoating around the leak and migwelded it it situ. Seemed to have worked ok and easier than dropping the sump off.

and it should only work with headlamps on (dip or main) not with sidelights.

Can't they join general union rather than a specific trade one - something like Unite? They're a big organisation so should have some clout. http://www.unitetheunion.org/default.aspx

The IVA manual says this: Where provided Identification of Controls, Tell-tales and Indicators; 1. Must be clear so not to cause confusion. 2. Must be on or as close to the controls, tell-tales and indicators as possible as not to cause confusion. 3. Must stand out clearly from the background. So I'd expect HORN written by the switch as opposed to the symbol would be OK.

NW RHOCar to the rescue again: http://nw.rhocar.org/sump.htm

With the plugs out, can you turn the engine over with a spanner on the crank pulley? If not then something inside the engine is preventing it from turning over. See if you can wind the engine backwards to determine whether the engine has rotated against an obstruction or if it's locked solid. If it will turn over with a spanner, re-fit one plug and try again. If the plug is fouling the piston you should at least be able to turn the engine almost a complete turn before it stops. If it turns over ok, then fit the rest of the plugs one at a time and turn it over again after fitting each plug. If it's all OK with all the plugs fitted then maybe the starter motor isn't fully engaging with the flywheel. If you remove the started can you see signs of damage on either the starter pinion or the flywheel?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-LITRE-PINTO-STEEL-THERMOSTAT-HOUSING-/270793230945?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3f0c88ca61

Is the hazard switch ok? Looks to project from the surface of the dash so it should have a minimum 2.5mm radius all round. Looks like you're almost there. I'm busy ploughing through the last few issues on mine.

Just a top cover would be ok for IVA as long as it doesn't have any sharp edges. However, unless the cover comes down level with the vertical sides of the inner boot, then you might get water in the boot. On mine I panelled over the areas each side that you have left open and I'm currently making a cover to go over the top of that. Not the greatest pictures but it gives you the general idea:

Also check that the engine number on the V5 matches the actual engine - mine didn't, wrong engine number and was 1600 in the V5 but the new engine was 2000 as the donor car had a replacement engine fitted, fortunately I had a reciept for this. Originally I just sent off the V5 with the capacity change and the new number but they wrote back and asked for more evidence so I took a photo of the engine number and sent this to Ford's Tehnical Department who confirmed the capacity of the engine and the date of manufacture. I then sent all this, the reciept, the photos and the old V5 to the DVLA who swapped the capacity and the engine number and sent everything back. TBH without the reciept for the engine swap I think I might have been struggling. It seems the DVLA are being a bit more strict on engine swaps to stop people trying to register kit cars as "single donor" when the engine was never actually fitted in the donor car. Hopefully now my BUI should be fairly straight forward as all the paperwork will match but we'll see what happens in practice.

1 Classic minis used sealed beam lights. Minispares should sell the correct connector that looks like thes: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-HEADLAMP-LOOM-SIDELIGHT-BULBHOLDER-SEALED-BEAM-/150632944233 or alternatively just cable tie a normal sidelight bulb holder underneath the headlamp connector so that the bulb shines through the window in the sealed beam unit. 2 You'll need and led flasher unit (or an electronic one designed for towing applications). As your bulbs are mostly led there won't be enough current flow through the normal flaster unit to allow it to operate.

Steve, did they give any indication what the waiting time is i.e. from submitting the application form to getting a test date? I thinking about applying for mine in a few weeks time.

Heard a rumour you're using thin synthetic oil?

Try and get your cursor on the guys face. http://www.selfcontrolfreak.com/slaan.html

7cm on mine. I spent ages trying to get the curvature of the tyre to match the wheelarch, lots of clamping, measuring and eyeing up from a distance. In the end the front lower edge of the wheelarch was level with the bottom of the main side panel and the rear lower edge of the wheelarch was level with the bottom of the rear panel. I also had to make a curved infill panel to arount the front part of the arch, down to the side panel. It wasn't a 5 minute job (what ever is?), but I'm pleased with the result. Looks like this now: http://www.oldschoolannexe.com/photos/index.php?album=%2F0000%2F&image=118.jpg.jpg

That'll be it. Should be plain sailing now.

That's a nice short list, no major items. Well done. When are you having your build up inspection? - I thought Garretts Green only did them on certain days of the week.

I used black stonechip on the fibreglass mouldings I made for my instrument pack and heater control surrounds. I used cheap aerosol stuff from Autopaints and no top coat and it looks ok. It goes on quite fine as it's more solvent and less solid than some of the other stuff I've used and if I was doing a whole dash I'd probably want a coarser texture. In the past I used Plastic Padding Stone Chip on a Schutz gun - real good quality stuff, went on quite rough but once it was dry you could wet flat it to take it down to a more orange peel finish and then cover it with a few coats of satin black to finish it off.

Tomorrow - we meet the last Wednesday of every month (except December)

The google route goes along the M6 Toll, personally I'd stick on the A5 and take another 10 minutes and save your cash for beer. When you get to Bridgetown just follow the signs for the A460 which will take you parallel to the M6 Toll (pretty much as shown on the map but without actually going on the Toll) and then onto the A460 towards J11. Also note that there is a mahoosive pot hole on the A460 in Featherstone - basically as you come down the A460 from M6 J11, you pass a big HGV fuel station on the right and then after about 1/2 a mile you cross over some traffic lights. The pot hole is here - on the lefthand side of the road right where you cross the lights, if you leave a decent gap between the car in front you'll have time to spot it and take avoiding action. Also, to keep things nice and symmetrical - there's also a similar pothole at the same set of lights coming back the other way. This is the first one: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Featherstone,+Wolverhampton,+West+Midlands+WV10,+United+Kingdom&hl=en&ll=52.646535,-2.084304&spn=0,0.003479&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=6.4395,32.783203&geocode=FaJGIwMdQA7g_w&z=19&layer=c&cbll=52.646684,-2.084163&panoid=Tn_kLV_VnsbhF-fM6OD4_Q&cbp=12,32.51,,0,0 they obviously fixed it on the cheap - it's a big hole again now. The other one is similar.