Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

[Retromotorsport]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

I might be interested in the seats Paul, but it will depend on the size of them as Gary made my escort very snug (havent a clue how Dave ever fitted in as hes taller than I am)

Dont tell David, but i built it round Andy Pipe..

[4parajon]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

Dont tell David, but i built it round Andy Pipe..

LOL that explains it then

[nigelonich]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

Thanks for the kind comments guys

I think the injectors underneath is purely an aesthetic thing - just keeping the loom and fuel lines out of sight. I guess it'll make the car look better, but its going to be congested under there by time we get the electric water pump and laminova plumbing in place.....

Here's another shot - showing a little of the funky front panel:



Cheers,

Paul.

Thanks very much indeed for posting this image as I am looking for inspiration on where to fit my Laminova cooler in my mk2 escort engine bay which has a duratec in it and a dry sump system. My car has the dry sump pump on the drivers side and the tank in the drivers side wing (ralloy). I should maybe post some images of the car rather than lurking.

Question> The brackets you have made to hold the cooler onto the body, have you screwed them screws into the alloy body of the laminova as I didn't know the parent metal was thick enough there?
Cheers
Nigel

[PaulAlex]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

Hello Nigel - yes, we took advice from an engine builder who has done the same thing with his laminovas previously. We've only run the car for a single event in this configuration, but had no issues. BTW I looked at your thread - lovely machine you're building there

For all those who have PM'd or test about the seats, I'm going to have to hold onto mine until April I'm afraid. Basically, I've got a load of other parts that need buying to get the car running, and don't want end up with it ready to test and with no seats Also, by leaving my new seats until then, I'll maximise the legal life for doing events.....

Cheers,

Paul.

[PaulAlex]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

Been doing a few odds and sods today - and hardly any swearing for once

Have mocked up all but two of the dry sump pipes, which should mean I can get the new ones ordered before I'm away with work again. Also managed to get the headlights and front bumpers back on - basically to free up some space in the garage and save anything getting damaged.

Matt is due round later with the next delivery of bits - including the electric water pump so that I can try and decide where/how to mount it tomorrow.

Couldn't resist trying the old strut brace out - just to see how much lower the new engine install is. You couldn't get your little finger between the engine and brace previously.....



More updates tomorrow hopefully - probably including a horror story about having no room for the water pump

[PaulAlex]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

Well, the electric water pump might fit beautifully - but we won't know until I get a new radiator and see how proud the core sits from the mounting face towards the engine

Have managed to finish the mock-up oil lines, and do most of the fuel lines in the engine bay, including the sample valve. Even gave it a clean to get all the crud off it from being up/down the country recently....

.....then, just when I was thinking how productive a weekend it had been, I found out that my lovely looking new dry sump tank won't fit!?!? Basically, the integrated catch tank fouls the bloody rear quarter, so it's back to the drawing board for that change I can move the tank inboard slightly, but then the boot hinge fouls where the unions will be - so I think I'm going to have to ask Torsten at Gp4 Fabrications to make me another with the catch tank facing forwards or backwards instead. Nothing's ever simple is it?

I've now got the new wiring loom, ECU, launch control hardware, and a few other bits and bobs - so more updates next weekend

Paul

[105Ian]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

One step forward and only half a step backwards , so at least your moving forward plus you have updated your thread with pics recently to keep us all happy on this cracking car , at the rate your going will not be long untill your out giving the car the stick you built it for

[PaulAlex]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

Thanks Ian. I'm really trying to plan my time on the car and ordering bits so that I can keep momentum even when I'm away with work.

Next weekend is finishing the fuel rail plumbing, and possibly fitting a radiator if I can get one from stock somewhere. That'll tell us whether we have a headache with the water pump location, or if we've got lucky. I then need to miss a weekend, so the new oil hoses should be here when I get back.....

Plan is still to have it fired-up in March

[nigelonich]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

possibly fitting a radiator if I can get one from stock somewhere.

Ralloy sell alloy radiators customised to suit Duratec into a Mk2 escort. They also sell a silicon hose kit that pipes directly into the water rail im sure you will have and the thermostat on the other side. The hose kit is expensive but its a custom single item for each side. If you are not using the standard thermostat housing may be as well not using the ralloy hoses.

[PaulAlex]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

Thanks Nigel, but I doubt I'm going to be that lucky - this car fights me every step of the way

I'm probably going to be using a water outlet that exits the back of the head on the nearside rather then one that goes out above the exhaust manifold. This will ultimately make the plumbing of the laminova far easier/neater - but means an added delay while I wait for it to be machined....

Ordered my engine bay oil lines yesterday, but some parts arent in stock at Goodridge - so more frustration while I wait for bits that fit

[PaulAlex]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

Another step backwards coming up - engine back out again today for more mock-up purposes

On a positive note, this should be the last time it's out. Oil lines, radiator, dry sump tank and clutch should all be here during Feb - so March will be a big month for it

Only issue I'm fretting about is the water inlet on the electric water pump being very close to the rad - but I suspect there'll be a way around that - albeit that it probably means a special piece being fabricated....

More later,

Paul.

[PaulAlex]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

Good news - the engine was out and back in again within an hour or so

Bad news - it's all got to come out again in 4 weeks time to fit some parts that aren't going to be accessible in-situ

Highlight of the day (apart from everything fitting!) was the three of us with my new £££££ engine on a wobbly Black and Decker workbench on my drive - taking a hack saw to it

Everything else is going too smooth at the moment though. Oil lines, dry sump tank and plumbing parts are all on there way - and after today's mock-up I'm pretty sure that I can go ahead and order the custom radiator too.

Only unusual/tricky bit now is that we'll need a fabricate ally inlet for our electric water pump - but nothing I'm really fretting about yet.

A big thanks as always to Lee, Matt and as Le Smiff for egging me on

Paul

[Paul C]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

Sounds good stuff Paul. You'll be out in it before you know it! You weren't tempted to go 2.5 with the new engine?

What dry sump tank have you gone for? A split-able one? I spent an hour trying to clean mine today, and i'm still finding bits of engine coming out! (its a one piece tank with two baffles in it)

I would have said the wobbly black and decker moment probably was worth a photo for all of us!

[PaulAlex]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

Hi Paul,

As it stands, a competitive 2.5 litre generally means Millington, which always means big bills

Maybe at some point in the future we'll move up a class, but I want to have the funds to make the rest of the car the way I want it first - rather than be uber-worried about how many miles I've driven in it before the next rebuild bill hits me...

...and to be honest - the way the weight saving is going, having heard Matts at close range, and knowing there are upgrade paths open to me, I'm actually quite looking forward to seeing how many of the big boys we can scare with the 2.0

Regarding the hacksaw incident - I'm calling it weight-saving

[Paul C]

Re: Paul Alex's character building, pain-in-the-ar5e, bufty money pit

Thats fair enough. Thats the next thing for me once the car is all back together - weight saving. Not sure where i can save much though. All my mate Darren keeps on about is how much lighter his 205 is compared to my Escort, and keeps mumbling on about bhp/tonne !!

How much is a rebuild for Millington?