brumster

Ordered some various nuts and bolts yesterday from both Westfield Fasteners and Namrick - all turned up today, so excellent service. Westfield cheapest on the bulk stainless stuff but there were a couple of fine and coarse thread bolts I needed (brake pedal, rear diff mount, bellhousing-to-gearbox) so Namrick turned up trumps on those, and some countersunk rivnuts and the IVA bolt head covers...

If you look on the pic of the following :- http://www.ebay.co.uk/ctm/Ford-Sierra-Type-9-Gasket-Set- You've basically got (from top, going clockwise) - The round cork gasket that goes on the input shaft/clutch release arm cover. - A bellhousing gasket (5 holes in it; the top central hole is not for a bolt but to clear the selector shaft) These are the two gaskets you'll be interested in, plus the actual rubber seal of course. The rest of the picture, if it interests you, is - Top cover gasket - Front seal, rear seal and I'm guessing speedo drive seal inside the top cover gasket - Intermediate spacer gaskets for either side of the ally spacer on the 5-speed HTH!

Price drop £250

Oooo bug eye get some gravel tyres on it ready for the snow

I had no issues with option 1 on my Exmo although fuel demands and lateral grip levels were probably a lot different to what you're going to be experiencing! Option 2 also sounds "sound", as long as the steel isn't stressed in any way it should be fine, we're only talking a small tank effectively acting as a swirlpot. Option 3 should work provided they are positive displacement fuel pumps - you will double the available pressure but will still be limited to the flow rate of the single pump (assuming both pumps are identical) - but any valves or diaphragms in the pump could be subjected to more input pressure than expected (on the 2nd pump). I've never seen it done but a quick google shows people who have apparently done it - but I'm not sure I'd trust the t'interweb in this regard I would check with a pump manufacturer if you was going this route - easier to just find one that delivers up to yout 5 bar, to be honest

From that comment, I would say just start the thing and take it easy for 200 miles, varied driving (no steady motorway cruising/revs for example), no full load.

Oh absolutely, I understand. OLED/LED/LCD certainly a lot more effort to make look 'pro'. And I suspect you'd get visibility issues with LCD, to be honest. There are some OLED displays that have the graphics driver chipset built into them, complete with a command set for doing rudimentary graphics (I've got one here in my project box to rig up some time and have a play). Half the reason it's gone nowhere is for exactly the reason you cite A thought for your project - how about factoring in a relay driver for a variable-speed intermittent wipe based on road speed? If you fancied another challenge

I would say new cams need running at a fast idle, so ABOUT 2000rpm, not above it (some people might read that as "give it 5k!")... but yes it is common procedure for new cam builds.Basically the loadings on the cam lobe are worse at low engine speeds (ie. at idle).

Excellent little project! I love playing with MCUs too, I did a little project to make a sequential gear position indicator on an Atmel MCU... My next idea, if I ever get to start it, is to make my own OLED/LED dash display to provide all information to the driver, but realistically it'll be months(years) before I ever get to pick it up and properly work at it. I was always looking at the Stack displays with a simple two-row character LCD and thinking boy they are milking people for some very basic technology there. There are also lots of LCD-based, non-dynamic displays like the Race Technology and ETB Digidash systems but they look a bit naff and cheap to me. Then you get the serious kit like the DTA XDash, Bosch motorsport and the Cosworth (Pi Research) motorsport displays, which are what I would want - fully configurable and dynamic in what they display - but not at several grand . Good on you - will watch with interest!

No, no, please do, I was working from memory! Agreed the rear seal is nothing to do other than getting to it, but given the location of the oil spill I guessed it wasn't this one. I'm with you on the front seal now though, I recall the carrier you're on about - it's not really a seal is it, just a cork or paper gasket? Or have I forgotten the seal as well? Maybe I have blurred the two. It's not coming from the intermediate alloy spacer on the 5-speed is it, O.P.? So I agree, should think more I put finger to keyboard - input shaft removal not necessary sorry!

The front seal on the input shaft? Nothing special needed although if I remember rightly to get the input shaft to disengage enough to remove it, you have to drop the layshaft a little. Certainly no need to do all the seals but if you're taking it apart you might as well - and check the bearings while you're at it. The rear layshaft bearing can be a bit of a pig if it needs doing but everything else is really easy - most I needed to do was fabricate some arms for my hub puller to pull 5th off the output shaft, only because it needs to be quite long to pull off it. But if you're purely doings seals/gaskets, you should have no need to do this.

Remembered on Monday (doh!) I've got a work function straight after work in Milton Keynes; if it doesn't end too late I'll pop in on my way back home.

Aye, true. Although I meant more for the manufacturer's market than us per se; the number of manufacturers has dwindled, although I will accept that is partially because some of the crap they put out should never have been on the road! But with that loss came the dwindling of the show scene to what it is today, and it's just been a snowball effect ever since. Less manufacturers, less kits, less interested buyers, less expenditure, less at shows, and it all just loops endlessly into the dwindling scene we have today. It's organisations like Rhocar that manage to keep aspects of it alive, thank god... don't expect the industry to. Case in point, GTM. Really quite delightfully designed and engineered kits, not perfect by any stretch but they moved with the times and the Libra should have done far better than it did. Then Potenza (Westfield) got hold of them and have just killed the brand off, presumably because it just didn't sell.

The kit car market was never helped with the dawn of SVA/IVA back in the 90's. Couple that with the ever increasing complexity and cost of donor cars, and the simple fact that everyone's got less money to put about these days, and it's hardly a surprise the market suffers. It's not just kit cars, imo, everything is suffering! But I'm told we are well into the economic recovery now, not that my disposable income agrees !!

If it's a standard Bosch injector then they all fit the same ("EV" type is it?), the only difference will be flow rates at a given pressure - and possibly spray patterns as a side effect of that. Put a bigger (ie. higher flow) injector in, without any other change whatsoever, and all you'll end up doing is squirting more fuel in and possibly loosing fuel atomisation if it's a REAL big change... how do you think that will improve matters? If you think it will perform better I tell you now, it won't If you just need new injectors then fair enough but any change of flow rate will need the ECU map altering and/or the fuel pressure regulator, so better to get the same ones that you've got at the moment. But if there's nothing wrong with them and they are supporting the fuel requirements of your current engine at no more than 80% duty cycle, then swapping them is a bit pointless. edit: double post with CMA really

Bulls Head is lovely. Sounds a plan, stan!

If you can't find what you're after on eBay, some of the most competitive places I've found price-wise (I spent some time searching!) are :- Nuts, Bolts & Things... better for smaller numbers, website not so great though. Westfield fasteners... I also like their website which makes selection of the right nut/bolt/set screw nice and easy... better prices if you're buying "quite a few" ie. more than 10 Namrick - as mentioned above, good place too, and wide selection. Similar prices to Westfield. No affiliation, just a happy customer. Be aware of the difference between zinc plated, stainless, etc. and also the grade of the bolt/cap screw/etc. when comparing like-for-like and prices. A quick comparison on buying 20x M6-25mm 12.9 grade cap screws... £8.08 from Westfield (inc vat and shipping) £5.65 from Nuts Bolts & Things £3.84 from Namrick but plus shipping, so somewhere between the other two. Obviously greatly depends on how many you're buying...

Unsurprised. I'll be ditching Orange next month when my renewal comes up, and I've been with them for over 10 years too. Prices are a joke but the main reason is the network coverage here at home is awful, it's hardly worth having a mobile with them. I'm going Tesco Mobile PAYG too, I think.

Wow, a wealth of opinions there! I went scouring the IVA manual in fear last night and this morning! There is nothing stating wiring has to be above fuel lines. There is nothing mandating the use of p-clips. I will use the zip-tie method to attach just one rubber fuel return hose along the brake line which, considering it's p-clipped to the chassis at 100mm intervals, should be more than sturdy enough. And I'll avoid using razor edged zip-ties :-S but 4mm+ jobbies. When pulling them up, I'll avoid putting the full weight of the titanic onto them. Yes, high pressure low down at the back. The tank is baffled, don't worry . I take your point but I had no hose supplied with the kit and already had the proper rubber fuel hose so the standard setup wasn't really necessary.

Tickled away a bit more at the weekend. Rear brake lines in, went overkill on the fastener spacing at 100mm lots of photos taken (and even some video) as evidence at IVA. ...and the rear lines to the flexis, and the fuel pump while I was at it... Finalised the column too, although there's no adjustment in it as such. You can see the new spherical bearing that supports it so well at the front end, but I've also left the rubberised ford bush in place to seal the bulkhead up, although it does nothing in terms of supporting the column. Started running the fuel lines. It's going to be tough getting feed, return AND wiring loom down one side so I assume it will be okay to run the return line along the brake line and zip-tie it to the brake line at regular intervals? Is this acceptable? Or does the fuel line need it's own clips into the chassis? There's obviously not enough room on the chassis tube to put two sets of clips in there, one for brake line and one for fuel line, so I assume this is ok provided the zip-ties holding the fuel pipe to the brake pipe are <300mm apart? The other main job, and good news to report, is the trial fit for the second time of the engine/gearbox with the Caterham bellhousing. And it fits, and all the problems are solved, thank goodness I also took the original Robin Hood steering column extension (which is too long) and ground out the welds, shortened and re-sleeved/welded the end fitting so it's now the right distance between column and steering rack - saved me a few quid buying a new one from GBS Next jobs are, I think, to get the engine mounts sorted and take it all back out again. Then finish off the central column, mainly with the wiring needed, so that I can panel it up along with the bulkhead and plan around where the wiring loom and hoses are all going to pass in/out. Are there any gotchas I should be aware of before fixing the battery tray panel and bulkhead panel in place? Or do I *have* to do them in conjunction with the whole scuttle panel to get the positioning/spacing right?

The rims and tyres off the Exmo are no use on the Zero, unfortunately, as the rear rims foul the lower wishbones, so regrettably these are up for sale shame as I really liked the look of them. They are in excellent conditions, no dings whatsoever, tyres have plenty of tread left (hardly used - probably done all of 500 miles since fitting), all fully balanced, no puncture repairs on any of them. There are 3 6x13" rims with 185/60R13 tyres, and 2x 7x13" rims with 205/60R13 tyres for the rear. Ford Sierra fit. The spare wheel is just a no-name cheap brand tyre, but the four main tyres are all Yokohama Advan 032R directionals. Generally a fast road tyre, not as out-and-out as a Toyo 888 or A048, with better wet weather performance. Best I can measure the front rims are around a ET24 offset, and the rears are around ET11 (being wider). They all measure ~100mm from inside edge of rim to hub mating face. Here's what they look like on the old Exmo.... ...and some snaps of the treads should it worry you... £300 £250 for the lot - 5 rims, 5 tyres. I promise you they are in excellent condition. Collection obviously preferred, but if they need couriering we can discuss that separately; could be quite costly I'd think... As noted above, I can confirm these are NOT suitable for a Zero, but they should fit any of the older Hoods on Ford hubs.

I've got the flat GRP one from GBS. I'm assuming it would come under the "Shelves" classification in section 12 of the IVA manual? All things sitting on it will be more than 25mm high, although I'm not sure the ECU edges are rounded enough. I'll make them non-contactable by the sphere in some way - either by making an aperture that the sphere can't fit through, or otherwise maybe just a cover/door arrangement that covers it all up but it removeable for access to fuses/etc?

I know, I did think about that - I've been careful to round off the edges and none of it will protrude out from underneath, nor offer anything pointy/sharp to the kneecaps . So it won't prove any more obstructive that the standard crossbar that it mounts on.

It's used, but has presumably spent it's time in the comfort of a dry-use only Caterham

Did a few extra aluminium panels; one under the dash/scuttle to put things like ECU and fuseboard on, and the usual little fillets in the back chassis area around the diff where the fuel pump goes. Pretty obvious to most people but in the interests of making a build thread that's useful for complete noobs.... Measure your panel out in card first, trim it to suit the area... ...then transfer that onto the metal, mark around an cut. Use proper metal shears, left or right handed depending upon the edge you're cutting. To avoid a sawtooth cutting pattern on the final metal, DON'T cut with the snips through their full travel but stop just before the fully closed position - edge along a bit, cut some more. Avoids the bad finish when the point of the cutter goes through the material. Finish off with a file and/or bench wheel and you're sorted. The rear fillets needs a little more trimming after this phot was taken, in order to clear the welds and sit flat, but you get the idea... The shiney bits arrived from Procomp.... They are Protech dampers but as I'm sure you know, Procomp re-engineer the valving in them to be appropriate for lighter cars like ours. I've gone spherical joints (1/2" bolt) with the machined spacers you can see to pack out to 1.25" on the mounts... with the exception of the top front, which I'll use washers/additional spacers to pack appropriately once it's finally fitted. Bigger 2.5" ID springs, too, preferable over 1.9". I've gone a 25lb lighter on each corner than the norm, which is just personal preference really as I like the car to be supply and move around a bit. The springs are only £22 a pop so if this ends up being a bad call it's hardly the end of the world. A quick trial fit because you can't resist getting home and putting a shiny bit on .... I also sorted out the gearbox/engine angle issue thanks to eBay... sourced a Caterham bellhousing. Chuffed with this, as it's saved me spending £425 on a QED bellhousing that's exactly the same (to all intents and purposes). Was a lucky wheel for this to pop up I think!