Stylussprinter's Stylus

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  • Stylussprinter
    Spanner Monkey
    • Sep 2006
    • 347

    #16
    Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

    Originally posted by Retromotorsport
    Post each caption here ... its easier for me ..

    flip open

    repair

    more repairs

    etc


    and Congrats on the position.. onwards and upwards
    etc
    OK 1 to 18 pic's
    1)flip open after repairs showing my kevlar engine guards cut from second hand floor panels and gold heat reflector over heat mat , curticy of a friend in F1.
    2)2008 Abingdon chicane with engine upgrade but still sporting a one piece body.
    3)upgraded engine just collected from Paul Dunnell . This is my original block and head that ran on 45's until 2006 .
    4)shutting edge being made up after my tree shunt ready for a new hinged flip designed front end.
    5)small bonnet bonded in to the cut and shut new half body made by Tim Duffee just 2mm's thick. Carbon fibre strengtheners needed to prevent it flapping around.
    6)originally the body shell sat higher on the road so had smaller arches. My modded car at 90mm's front chassis height needed the arches cut out 35mm's and flared 40mm's to just cover the wheels , hence the holes to help bonding.
    7)space framed Escort trying hard to beat my time , exiting Goodwood's chicane. 15th May 2010.
    8)me trying to make sure he doesn't and lifting the inside front.
    9)exiting Goodwood's chicane for my first ever wet win in 2009.
    10)upgraded engine installed before body damage with own made airbox fitted to house 115mm's trumpets.Air pipe 100mm's to grill filter.
    11)kevlar flare overlapping inside and filled to give extra support.
    12)looking very poorly at home after the tree incident.
    13)fettling for a tidy shutting edge and air vents cut out.
    14)ready to paint now.
    15)outside for a wash before trailering to paint.
    16)front cut off approximately for easier suspension repairs. Exact cut when the body arrives.
    17)suspension repaired plus all new rodends for safety. Hinge and radiator yet to be done.
    18)Tim Benbow SSC Stylus manufacturer making the first cut . I'd already designed the hinge system to allow full opening before the body came .You can see he's in thinking mode ---- think twice --- cut once .

    8)

    Comment

    • Stylussprinter
      Spanner Monkey
      • Sep 2006
      • 347

      #17
      Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

      Well , I may be tempting fate here but I've entered Brands Hatch sprint on the 12th Sept-- OR-- rather I'm on the reserve list having sent the forms off on the 2nd August. I've never spectated there , let alone driven the Indy circuit so am a touch nervous about learning ' paddock bend ' on a sprint !
      All tips gratefully received . Apparently there's no camping the night before so it'll mean leaving the house at 4-30am but if I here nothing regarding moving from reserve to an entry by Friday 10th , then I wont be trailering the Stylus all down to Brands simply hoping someone doesn't turn up .
      Last edited by Stylussprinter; 06-09-2010, 09:09.

      Comment

      • Stylussprinter
        Spanner Monkey
        • Sep 2006
        • 347

        #18
        Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

        Well, Brands was a very steep learning curve ! To cut a long story short , on entering Paddock looking for 4th out of 5th , I managed to get 2nd pulling 10,000rpm in the process !!! Got back into 3rd and got my way up to Druids then back into the pots . The engine sounded ok but I didn't actually open the bonnet to listen . Went out for the next run thinking '' I know this track now '' then promptly understeered my way off at Druids ---ugh ! Someone had told me not to brake before Bridge because being uphill it wasn't necessary --- h'mmm . Next run after clearing out masses of gravel from every where , I got so determined to get it right for a winning time that I forgot to come off after the timing equipment along the Cooper Straight !!! This was my last run so assumed the clerk would disqualify me. I went to appologise on my knees and they let me off so the time stood at 97 sec's standing start ---- not on the pace but got me some points. It was 1.75 laps of the Indy. A few weeks later I was preparing the car for the Debden Sprint and after checking everything I started the engine to load the car ---------- h'mmm , it didn't start straight off then sounded like the tappets were short of oil when it did start . Again to cut it short , I cancelled my entry and started investigating and it was bad news. Valves had touched the pistons , guides and tappets were buggered then to top that number 2 port had a crack into the waterway --- ugh ! Welding was tried 3 times but failed so a secondhand full race head has been used but it's valves are bigger than the big valves already in the bust head. I can't afford steel everything plus a dry sump to take advantage of it's potential so it will have to run under 8000rpm and not the 9500rpm that it's capable of. NO big bhp gains then but hopefully a little more across the range , we'll see . I'm collecting it tomorrow , it's on the dyno testing today at Dunnell's. Financially this will be VERY painfull , even worse than the body and suspension damage in 2008 . One saving grace though is that Ive just heard Ive won the sports libre class championship in the ACSMC Hamilton Classics Sprint Champ. A rather expensive way to win a ' pot ' though aye ?

        Comment

        • Retromotorsport
          Part of the furniture
          Decade Plus User
          • Mar 2004
          • 14285

          #19
          Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

          Bad news

          The winning .. good news
          Gary

          Don't be mean, become green and support Turbosport - Click here

          Comment

          • Stylussprinter
            Spanner Monkey
            • Sep 2006
            • 347

            #20
            Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

            Engine now sorted but a crack in the head on port number two exhaust couldn't be welded after several attempts. So now have a second hand full race head but with slightly bigger valves than on the original head . Nicer head too but most of the added grunt will be at the top end and I couldn't afford the steel crank,rods and dry sump to pull 9500rpm . It will cut at 7800 as opposed to 7750 rpm before . So not expecting gains really --- perhaps a little more torque ??? We'll see . At the moment my varley 25 is having trouble starting it . It turns over ok but half fires for five minutes before starting. It shows a green light and 13.4 volts on the auto charger but won't start it a second time after switching off . Not sure if I need a new one or maybe a varley 30 with this head ?????

            Comment

            • mervhill
              Pit Crew
              • Oct 2005
              • 1268

              #21
              Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

              Liking that a lot! Respect to you for your determination too!

              Perhaps one of those gel batteries might be a better option? Lighter too! Is the starter motor man enough?

              Comment

              • Stylussprinter
                Spanner Monkey
                • Sep 2006
                • 347

                #22
                Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

                Originally posted by mervhill
                Liking that a lot! Respect to you for your determination too!

                Perhaps one of those gel batteries might be a better option? Lighter too! Is the starter motor man enough?
                It turns over quick enough but just pops about almost running but not quite. Seems to take a lot of this before actually starting. Battery is VARLEY REDTOP 25 and the starter is geared from LUKEMOTORSPORT . It started perfectly before the rebuild , normally after 5 or 10 sec's . I'm not sure what you mean by a Gel battery ?
                These batteries are supposed to be good for 680 cranking amps over 20 sec's . The Dunnell ecu is programmed to cut off if there's insufficient power so I'm assuming that may be the problem . Starter drawing most of the current along with the fuel pump then possibly just not enough left to function the injectors ????? I'm no electrics wizz so just guessing. I've sent the ecu back to Paul Dunnell so he can check for faults possibly ?
                Having said that , it really sounds nice when revved once she's hot.

                Comment

                • alladdin
                  World Champion
                  Decade Plus User
                  • May 2005
                  • 9248

                  #23
                  Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

                  keep the updates coming

                  Comment

                  • mervhill
                    Pit Crew
                    • Oct 2005
                    • 1268

                    #24
                    Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

                    Surely when the engine fires and starts to run the alternator takes over? Maybe the alternator hasn't got enough oomph? Either that or the ignition is a little out? However I'd doubt that if it has been mapped by dunnel. Just guessing I suppose.

                    Comment

                    • Retromotorsport
                      Part of the furniture
                      Decade Plus User
                      • Mar 2004
                      • 14285

                      #25
                      Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

                      sounds like a power break to the starter .. left an earth loose or possibly the terms have gone green in the wire ... put a jump lead from the engine direct to the battery earth.. no change... put a jump lead from the engine/starter body, to the earth term on the battery.. still no joy... check the kill switch ..undo the big reds and both together ..

                      if none of that works ..get the battery checked with a discharge tester ..
                      Gary

                      Don't be mean, become green and support Turbosport - Click here

                      Comment

                      • Stylussprinter
                        Spanner Monkey
                        • Sep 2006
                        • 347

                        #26
                        Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

                        Originally posted by Retromotorsport
                        sounds like a power break to the starter .. left an earth loose or possibly the terms have gone green in the wire ... put a jump lead from the engine direct to the battery earth.. no change... put a jump lead from the engine/starter body, to the earth term on the battery.. still no joy... check the kill switch ..undo the big reds and both together ..

                        if none of that works ..get the battery checked with a discharge tester ..
                        Thanks Gary for all the ideas . The engine does turn over fast enough and has sort of muted firing but takes loads of attempts before it will run . The engine is directly earthed to the chassis in two places and the battery negative is bolted directly to the head via the coilpack bracket and very secure. If the FIA cut off wasn't ok , could the engine turn and run at all ?
                        I'm hoping the ecu will give clues when Paul has checked it out . He says a flashing light through a little 3mm hole in the ecu body indicates a fault . Mine flashes when you turn the ignition and ecu switch on then continues to flash during starting and when the engine is running !!! So unless he's misread the software instructions , (& is mean't to flash continuously) then something's not right but god knows what considering it does run eventually ------- VERY strange . Rob

                        Comment

                        • Retromotorsport
                          Part of the furniture
                          Decade Plus User
                          • Mar 2004
                          • 14285

                          #27
                          Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

                          Does sound like an ECU /coil/injector problem...Like the cold start map is disabled ... but it can be missleading with hi-torque starters.. but saying about the flashing light.. i'd be going with ECU
                          Gary

                          Don't be mean, become green and support Turbosport - Click here

                          Comment

                          • mervhill
                            Pit Crew
                            • Oct 2005
                            • 1268

                            #28
                            Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

                            I'm with Gary on this too, it suggests there's a mapping problem like I thought, it's not identifying the start map and idle map by sounds of things and might be reverting to a base map, a bit like a 'get you home' map on modern cars' ECU's.

                            I'm sure the guys will sort it out, but if the engine turns over fine with no hesitation then there's no problem with the battery or the starter.

                            Good luck with it!

                            Comment

                            • Stylussprinter
                              Spanner Monkey
                              • Sep 2006
                              • 347

                              #29
                              Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

                              I've had a long chat with Paul Dunnell today and apart from an issue with the air sensor(unit faulty or wire shorting) he assures me there are no issues with the ECU including no low power recorded. Cold start , recalibration for this head etc etc OK. So the ecu is in the post and I'll have to borrow my wife's laptop to load the original software onto , then plug in to the extention while it's starting and running. This is all very tricky for me , not being very into this sort of ' mechanics ' . COME back weber 45's all is forgiven !!!!!

                              Comment

                              • Stylussprinter
                                Spanner Monkey
                                • Sep 2006
                                • 347

                                #30
                                Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

                                Well I got nowhere with the laptop , couldn't even find the program on it. Tried starting again with my tractor battery 680amp job for a jumper onto the redtop 25 , no go ! Spent lots of time with light bulb and battery checking injector wiring and positives , other sensor wires too , all ok . Tried again for 15mins without result but the exhaust headers were quite hot so you'd thing fuel was getting there. I was invited out to lunch on Sunday so didn't try again till today . Looking down the plug holes , it was wet and messy . Pushed a cable tie down to see what it was but it was indistinct . Looked watery/ oily !!!!!! Started thinking of gasket even though it had been done by P Dunnell ? Finally I took the filter off after the gravity fed pump under the tank . Expected to see nothing because I'd already run the pump for two minutes with the pipe off the fuel rail and that looked fine. Nothing was exactly what I saw in a clean glass jar from the filter and pipes . Put it all back for another attempt to start and it was the same senario --- ten minutes buggering around almost but not starting. Again the exhaust got hotish. Then it ran once or twice for 2 to 4 sec's and finally it actually ran smoothly at tickover . Up to temp' and fan cooled back several times for 30 mins , everything normal , revved smoothly etc . Stopped it to see if it would start again. Left it 5mins and it started first time . Left again for 15mins and it started again easily . Although I saw no dirt I'll have to assume it was the filter ??????? If it starts tomorrow first time cold it's obviously sorted but it's bloody annoying solving a problem when you have no idea how you did it !!!!!

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