Bob Tucker

Hi Ant, I was trying to avoid getting too technical but you asked for it! The ideal amount of toe-in when running any car is 0 degrees, or a very small amount of toe in which helps self centering (but not as much as the castor). RWD production cars have rubber bushed suspension, which allows a slight amount of movement, so you set it initially to 2-3 mm toe in stationary, so the drag from pushing the wheels forward takes up the play which gets us back to 0-1 mm toe-in when running. With FWD cars the wheels are pulling forward, so you set up toe-out, to end up with the 0-1 mm toe in when running. The wishbone suspension is similar to any production car, the bushes allow some play. That's why some cars feel very odd after fitting the harder POLY bushes at the front. You have to reset the tracking. The pillars have no play whatever. They use a metal to metal bearing surface (the phosphor bronze bush sliding on the chrome tube), so you don't allow any extra for bushing play, just set it up the way it needs to run on the road. Hope that helps! check out your local library, there are some excellent books on steering geometry & suspension design. I'll get details of some of the best I've read recently as research on converting to wishbones. Cheers, Bob.

I had a few questions about side repeaters & other bits pre-SVA so I called the centre I was going to use & spoke direct to one of the testers, explained the dilemma & he confirmed that he would be satisfied with bonnet side repeaters. Best to speak to your own testing centre...thy have the first & last word!!! rather than anyone in Swansea. Bob

Hi Ant, I've got a similar Smiths tacho, but no identifying marks. You need a switched power feed from the ignition switch, an earth, and one connection from the LT side of the coil. I would guess that one is the bullet connector. Should be safe in any case, they both use a +12v supply. Sounds like you have the -ve connector sussed. Bob

Hiya Jim, With the sliding pillars, you can set it up as 0-1mm toe in. With wishbones, you could aim for 1-2 mm toe in. Bob

Some extra suggestions.... The tin glue is Dunlop S1358 from car trimmers or car shows. The crescent shaped s/s bit is a very different shape to the chassis. You can glue stretchy vinyl direct to the tube instead. Lash out on a NEW bit of drain pipe, twice the length of the cockpit side chassis tubes. Dont cut it in half, cut it to about 3/4, it will spring over the chassis rail & stay in place. Cover in your favourite flew...flour...brightly coloured vinyl & ping it on. Lay it in a length of angle iron to get a straight mark or cut. If you must use velcro, get the sew-it-youself version, glue it on with the Dunlop glue & put a pop-rivet at each end. Bob

Hi Paul, I've used the U bolts now for 5000 miles no problem. If you're worried, just place a rubber pad between the radiator & the chassis tube before tightening the U bolt. Bob.

Hi Dave, I got it fitted at SANSPEED in Bexleyheath, but there are quite a few fitting centres all over the UK http://www.sanspeed.co.uk/Default.asp Superchip seem to have a standard price across most ranges. I paid £499...much cheaper per HP than tuning the Hood, & they threw in the rolling road session. They were as interested to see the results as I was! The change is amazing, the engine is smoother, pulls from lower in the rev range and amazingly gives better MPG. Cheers, Bob

Hi Daz, the diesel has far more torque at lower revs than any Sierra petrol engine, & a Sierra is much more aerodynamic than our bricks. Also dont forget that raising the overall ratio increases the effective gaps between gears, which will muck up your acceleration even more. Unless you plan to tour on the autobahns, think about raising the ratio to 3.92. Mine now sits at 3500 at 70 in 5th (still pretty comfortable), but accelerates much better than with a 3.62, feels like a close ratio box, and still tops out at 120, (in Germany!) pulling 6000 in 5th. If you're at Detling, look me up for a demo. PS Re diesels can I heartily recommend SUPERCHIPS. I've just re-chipped my C5 2.2 turbo diesel. Its taken the hp from 133 to 168 (rolling road tested before & after) & increased torque by 35% from 2000 to 5000 rpm. It's now a real sleeper! Cheers, Bob.

It's unusual for an engine to lock up solid at tickover, so it does sound pretty terminal, but there's a couple of things to check first. Remove the starter motor to check that the bendix hasnt siezed & locked on the ring gear. Drop the cover over the bottom of the flywheel & see if there's any movement at that end of the crankshaft. Swapping just the block means stripping & rebuilding two engines. Why not just swap the complete engines to stay on the road, & take your time stripping & hopefully fixing the BRUTE?. 295 BHP sounds like loadsa fun & worth all the hassle!!! Bob.

Rally Design 01795 531871 sell a purpose built panel with a flip cover ignition (on) switch, a push starter switch, and an accessory switch. ref TAN 30600 but call & check first....that's from an old catalogue. Bob

Hi John, I used 19 mm rubber pipe from Halfords. I slit it & used double sided tape (inside the pipe) to "temporarily" fix it to the bottom of the dash. Passed SVA about a year back. Bob

Hi Guys, the mechanical fuel pump is a real B****er for working loose. I've replaced the lock washers & used threadlock to keep it done up tight. Seems OK now. Also, re the breather, agree, take out the 1 way valve, then take the pipe up in an inverted U shape to vent into a catch can at the bottom. The can will accumulate oil mist, very little actual oil. Bob

Hi Julian, the manifold will have either a tapped hole, or a boss you can get drilled & tapped. Or you can drive without the servo connected. Pedal pressuer will go up for a given stopping force, but the pedal feel is far firmer. Try disconnecting your present system to try it out, make sure you block off the manifold hole properly. Bob

Hi Alan, Rally Design do a number of gizmos, including a rev limiter. www.raldes.co.uk easiest to call them, (te website's hard to navigate for specific items), but they're very helpful, & good prices. Bob.

Hi Paul, the RHE supplied block is often a loose fit on the Sierra shaft. Dunno why. Just RHE's way of making us think!!! The answer is to sleeve the hole in the block with a thin walled tube, then ram the UJ rod into it, & tighten it up. Or just weld it if you can. Bob.

Hi Ant, mosts SVA stations now test against the widest part of the car. The indicators must be within 400mm of that. I ran a tube through the nosecone, fixed it with epoxy & fixed m/c indicators on the ends, with heat shrink tube covering the nuts. They come out right under the headlight (pillared 2B) See the Yahoo site, Photos, BT's B for a clearer picture Bob.

Hi Robert, I took the non-leccy way out. I put the switch into the line going from the column switch to the starter solenoid. To start, I turn the key against the spring, then push the button. It means that the switch cant be pushed acccidentally by "prodders" while parked. I'm sure there's a "proper" way to connect it so its safe, but I have no idea what magic that might need..... Bob.

Hi Kieran I run a 38DGAS, FR32 cam & big inlet valve head. I couldn't for the life of me get the ESC 11 system to run properly, or the second earlier electronic unit from a scrappy to run either. I gave up & bought a Bosch distributor from a 2.0 Cortina/Capri, with points & condensor, which runs a treat. It may cost a few HP but it has still run 135 bhp on a rolling road. I havent had to touch it in 5000 miles last year. I carry a spare set of points & a condensor for backup. You need a big base Weber manifold from an early Sierra, which had the Weber DGAV fitted. The DGAS has the same bolt spacing. KISS always works for me... Cheers, Bob

Hi Jon, I know it's a fair run in a brand new untried car, but I can recommend Gillingham (Kent), a number of 2B's have passed there at the first or second attempt, all with useful feedback from the testers. They get all the factory built Caterham 7s, and Tigers, so they know 7s inside out. Cheers, Bob.

Hi John, There's always a fair smattering of Hoods at Detling. I'll be there as well as 3 others I know for sure. The show is very good on accessories, but a bit short on manufacturers. I gather this year there's also a chance to sprint your own car...I'm in!! It's always B***DY freezing perched up on top of the hill, so take the thermals. Hope to see you there, Bob.

The best start point is to fit the screen base as close as possible to the demister vents, allowing only just enough room to fit your own style of louvres. The fitment of the bonnet also affects the 66" length, I've seen widely different overlaps at the top of the dash. If need be you can rake the pillars back a little, but it really is just trial & error once you have the hood available. Bob

The blue bottle of stainless steel cleaner from the local "Pahnd" shop works just fine. It's not abrasive & polishes off completely with no smears. Works even better than Baby Oil (on the car anyway!) Bob.

One tip on tracking when you use the two bits of supported wood..... Measure the distance from the rear of the tyre to the front at the level of the wood. Make sure the wood extends in front of the wheels by roughly the same amount. Mark the wood at the front of the wheel, measure the previous distance forward again, then check the difference in crossways measurement between the front & rear marks. It means you don't have to grub around under the car & avoids having to measure around engines, chassis etc. Anything from parallel to 2mm toe in will get you safely on the road, but get it checked/redone professionally soon after. Cheers, Bob

Hi Ant, I had a set of RHE early coilovers, which I very soon ditched, but inside was a rubber bellows (dust cover), just like the one fitted to the rack. I cable tied it to the TRE & the outer end of the existing bellows, Passed SVA & looks good...it's still on there. Bob.

Hi John, you can remove the servo from the standard Sierra setup, but obviously the pedal pressure needed to stop will increase. But it's not quite that simple. You need to obtain a different length pushrod to fit between the pedal and the master cylinder. Tiger Racing sell a suitable one. Cheers, Bob