brumster

A quick search does indeed suggest they are stretch bolts : https://workshop-manuals.com/ford/focus_1999_08.1998-12.2004/mechanical_repairs/3_powertrain/303_engine/303-01b_engine_1.6l_zetec-e_(zetec)-1.8l_zetec-e_(zetec)-2.0l_zetec-e_(zetec)/description_and_operation/diagnosis_and_testing/general_procedures/in-vehicle_repair/removal/disassembly/assembly/engine/ With stretch bolts it is sometimes possible to re-use them (ARP are like this) but you need to specifically measure how much the bolt has stretched from original spec, and adjust the tightening procedure to compensate. ARP give you the details for this; Ford don't (which probably means don't reuse). Coupled with what you are describing, I really wouldn't risk it. These puppies really do take a hammering. It's one thing to do half-measure fixes on kit cars like "Oh, that wheel arch isn't on quite square but, pffft, I'll live with it" but with engines, I never cut corners, it usually not worth it in the mid to long term. Put some ARPs on it anyway, that way you have some reuse in the future (measure them before you install and keep a note)...

I would inspect it first and just check how much wadding is still in it - it might have blown/burnt it all out, in which case yes you'll see an improvement

Agreed/seconded, hikvision are everywhere (often rebadged by security companies), for the money, unless you're after a commercial grade system - but to be honest, for the features they have at the price bracket, they are pretty damn impressive. 1080p coax systems are cost effective now. Just buy decent cameras; some of the cheaper CCDs crap out after a few years and the whitebalance goes off on them.

Just a suggestion - from my experience some places don't take email contact very seriously, I always try to ring first, have a chat, go over the idea, and then follow up the detail in an email if they ask for it. Builds up some conversation so that they take you seriously versus just another "internet hero with great plans in his head but no intention of actually following through when it comes to committing"....

Maybe, maybe, let's see how this weekend goes - don't want to count my chickens

That'll be done this weekend winter doesn't count

Oooo you've just reminded me I do have a rear diff seal to do... hmmm... that can probably wait until spring

My winter project will hopefully be kitting out an entirely new garage (fingers crossed we're moving!) with doors, insulation, heating, new floor, pillar lift, etc... and not touching a car at all!

RHE themselves made a short-run kit (prototypes only, maybe?) with the lump in the back (the Rover engine, if I remember correctly)... I can't imagine the car would handle very nicely though

You turbo lot are all torque....

Other option is to buy a calibrated sensor first-off. KA Sensors would be my recommendation. You get a spec sheet with the sensor showing voltage range and calibrated pressures at specified voltages (or temperatures/etc). But then you need a specific gauge of course, or something that can be adjusted to match. So it's all a bit high-end really. Most of the time you just want to know a ballpark figure - is there any oil pressure at all I don't care whether it's 15 or 20 psi, as long as it's not 0

Aye, it's open to interpretation. The original premise was that hydraulic systems are liable to leaks or fluid expansion and so can "bleed" the stored energy in them when applied, so were frowned upon. Certainly in motorsport, scrutineers have this as a hot topic and I know many stories of people denied starting an event on the basis they'd had their factory handbrake removed for a hydraulic. I'm told these new electronic handbrakes have safeguards in them in the sense they are motor/cable driven with a ratchet actuation still, should something fail. I know the debate between stored energy in a fluid line versus stored energy in a tensioned cable could be a lengthy one - I'm not offering any interpretation, just mentioning how I've known past discussions go good luck!

I'm sure you're aware, but pay close attention to 09A.9 in the IVA manual. The interpretation has been debated, I'll leave you to make your own and discuss with the IVA inspector as and when. Might be worth a call to them first and just validate what their definition of "mechanical" is.

Is it me or is the Charnwood one pretty much a rebranded/rebadged Aldi replica (ie. they're made by the same person and just branded accordingly)?

As per Longboarder, that's the problem, the clamshell-type wings simply don't meet the requirements of coming down the front and back of the tyre enough. Of course you could modify or make your own wing that's got a "squarer" front profile (still, no sharp edges!) and tapers in less to the rear, and you'd be ok, but would the aesthetic of the swept wing still be acceptable? Not sure.

When you're tweaking for emissions, you really do need exactly what you say - a gas analyser and the ability to tweak the fuel map live. It's not necessarily the case of making it as lean as possible - you lean it off to much and you get unburnt fuel and your hydrocarbons go through the roof. You can also fiddle with the ignition map a little, I found this didn't really achieve as much as I thought it would, but maybe it's different from one engine to another. Probably of more use on the idle test, rather than fast idle. I found that once I had addressed the air leak in my exhaust, getting it on the money in terms of the emmission requirements was pretty easy.

I have one here, but obviously bit of a journey for you but you're always welcome! Aye, aftermarket ECU is probably the most direct approach to fixing, assuming the engine is genuinely healthy and can make the required figures if the fueling was controllable enough.

Gawd you lot plan ahead! I don't think beyond 4 weeks at the most

I would suggest a build thread in the proper section of the forum... with a better topic title, and pictures, and updates as you go along. I visit these technical sections of the forum less; I always thought of them more for questions rather than statements. I suspect you'll get more interest.

It's what I did. I used quality Mikalor clamps, I would suggest the same, their profile is relatively low. For IVA you will need to position the clamp bolt to the back, between the pipe and the bodywork, so that it can't be impacted by the test sphere (or you can wrap it with exhaust wrap to protect the sharp edges if you wish - but for me this wasn't necessary). edit: https://www.304stainlessexhaustparts.com- they are very helpful, sensible prices, good quality steel and they are happy to make up a sleeve to any drawing you provide... can swage in the ends/slits too.

It should be M18x1.5 - I've got one also if need be

Yeah we heard the rattle too just before it happened - it sounded like the exhaust; Lily and I were trying to understand where it was coming from but it was buzzing at a certain low RPM and it honestly sounded exactly like a baffle or somesuch in the silencer... ahh well

What a cracking weekend, despite the variable weather! Set off on a lovely Friday morning, joined up with the guys en-route as planned. Got to Telford and the heavens proverbially opened up on us, totally and utterly drenched, a quick 20 minute push through it to the Montford Bridge to get the Surrey top fitted - a bit of a case of closing the gate after the horse had bolted, but it made for a nicer journey from there on in, even though the weather let up a little. Got to Nefyn pain-free, no real issues bar a minor throttle cable niggle for one member. Saturday started off great, a little cool but it soon warmed up, we managed to do a portion of the Evo Triangle before meeting up at Llyn Brenig. Had a nice little razz up the hill, was the first time I got to give the Zero the beans on a proper road. Was good fun. Even got to watch a motorcyclist attempt to morph himself into a half-man-half-2B genetic hybrid with Trev, but (probably thankfully) the attempt failed. Twat. Weather turned in for the rest of the Saturday and it's probably fair to say it was pretty miserable but to be honest I was chuffed with how the car handled it all, everything worked wonders from the 'roof', to the wipers, to the demisters, it was fairly pain-free as long as you accept a few drips and drops are going to find their way in one way or another. Lovely hospitality at Trawsfynned from Martin, an event-free potter back to Nefyn and a few beers in the hotel lobby - happy days! Sunday unfortunately took a nose-dive for the worse suffice to say I made it home by 5.30pm in the comfortable warmth of a recovery truck after the engine decided to drop the tensioner and slip the belt... borescope tells me bad news; pistons and valves have decided to have a little soiree without asking first, so it's engine strip time. Ah well. Genuinely bemused as to how the tensioner loosened but, well, *bleep* happens as they say. Maybe the ragging on the Saturday didn't help but, oh, she screams so beautifully up those hills it was hard not to give her a beating . Shame, she was a joy to drive all weekend... Just to echo my thanks to all the members who made it such an enjoyable weekend, particularly Rich and Jackie who organised it all and very kindly helped transport my daughter around to horsey type affairs on the Friday, and the forest fun on Sunday (looks like I missed a laugh there!)... Link to pics of some of you : https://photos.app.goo.gl/5TDkkgFHHeei92TW8 "You 'ent sin me, roit?"

In the space of 6 hours, daughter and I have made a trip to Jacksons of Old Arley and with the aid of her sewing, cobbled together a rudimentary surrey top just in case. I'm dead chuffed with her efforts! Hopefully we won't need it though See you tomoz...

Maybe so. Basically, the story is this. Due to revised suspension geometry, my rally car needs slightly longer shafts but thankfully the Peugeot 309 had ideal shafts - they were 10mm longer than the 205. But the OE stock has dried up and they are no longer available. So in trying to buy some brand new shafts, I was told the best they could do would be to take some new shafts from another model (ie. way too long), cut them to the desired length and then friction weld them together. I'm no engineer, but I distinctly remember saying to them (via my supplier contact) that they did realise these were for use in a competition vehicle, right, and I was a bit worried that the weld would present a weak spot. They assured me the weld would be strong, in fact the shaft would break elsewhere before on the weld. On my first loop out (thankfully the last stage prior to service) the shaft snapped while absolutely tickling it through a tight, nadgery spot - it basically hit a bump in the road and the shock snapped it in half right on the weld. You can see in here (fast forward to 6:05, it happens at 6:15 but you can see at this section it's really bumpy and we were taking it really easy!) We got back to service, swapped for the other one, and then later in the day it did it again on another stage in equally mundane circumstances. After that I moved to hollow shafts from a Peugeot 306, shortened, sleeved and welded around a joining insert (V-grooved around the join) and those have been reliable. I've since spoken to Dave Mac (who are making my new shafts, so it happens!) and they are not surprised. Don't rate friction welded shafts at all. My new shafts being made up for my new gearbox are solid shafts but they're F1-grade S155 steel, with a lifetime warranty from Dave Mac so I guess I'll just be breaking CVs now lol It sounds like you're genuinely happy and having better experiences, which is great, I just figured I'd chip in in case it was all a bit "new" to you - which clearly it isn't !!