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IanW

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Posts posted by IanW

    Blyton Park 2022

    in Track

    Posted

    Thanks to Simon and James for organizing this event in unusual circumstances.

    While not feeling well enough to complete the day on track, I did manage to take some photographs of the action. Pictures here. If you would like a full-size image, let me know.

    Regards, Ian

    Fuel tank repair

    in TechTalk

    Posted

    I had a fuel tank leak two years ago. I tried patching it with some sealant, which worked for a while but eventually started leaking again.

    Eventually I bit the bullet and I purchased a new tank from Redline. Replacing the old one was straightforward and also gave me the opportunity to adjust the float for the fuel gauge to give a more accurate reading.

    The old tank has been up-cycled into a flower planter.

    PXL_20210514_135917081r.thumb.jpg.547b4fc618a60f78814a2c81587a74e0.jpg

    LED Headlights - my experience.

    in TechTalk

    Posted

    After a discussion at my local 7Club meeting, I decided to try out some LED headlamps. Replacement H4 LED headlamps are relatively cheap from eBay so at less than £20 a pair I ordered some of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H4-9003-HB2-260W-26000LM-LED-Headlight-Kit-Car-Hi-Lo-Dual-Beam-3-Sides-Bulb-Lamp/272757826058?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649. (They appear to have increased in price!). They were chosen because the control electronics were separate from the lamp and I was concerned about the amount of room behind the reflector as I have the smaller 5.25" bowls.

     

    The first thing I did before fitting them was to measure current drain of the existing halogen bulbs:

    Dipped beam: 8.7A

    Main beam: 9.7A

    After fitting the new LED bulbs, I re-measured the currents:

    Dipped beam: 4.6A

    Main beam: 4.8A

    As you can see, there is a significant reduction in current.

     

    Next I looked at the beam pattern and this is where I noticed a problem. The two bulbs did not give the same pattern when on dipped. On investigation, there was a difference between the small LED panels that were lit in dipped mode. My assumption was that the control electronics was wired incorrectly.  The main beam looked the same because all the LEDs are lit. After an email discussion with the supplier and providing proof that I had rendered both lights unusable, I was sent a replacement pair. When these were fitted, the beam pattern was consistent but there was still a disappointing difference between dipped and main beam.

     

    Rather than give up, I decided to purchase another pair of bulbs that had a different construction.  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-CREE-H4-Hi-Lo-9003-HB2-26000LM-LED-Car-Headlight-Kit-Double-Beam-Bulbs-6000K/401319848450?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649. These have the control electronics built in to the main bulb assembly. As it turns out the extra depth is not a problem, even with the smaller headlamp bowls.

     

    The current consumption for these bulbs is:

    Dipped beam: 5.0A

    Main beam: 6.0A

     

    In the garage, the beam pattern on dipped beam looked a lot better than the previous bulb and  there was a significant increase in brightness when switched to main beam. The first problem I noticed was that one of the bulbs flickered.

     

    I decided to try the lamps and the local evening meeting was an ideal opportunity. The light still flickered but otherwise appeared OK. The drive there was in twilight but the beam pattern appeared OK on the road. When I left the pub, I had an opportunity to test the main beam. Visibility was very good. When I got to the end of the unlit road, I switched off the main beam. The light from the headlamps didn't seem the same as earlier and I soon realised that one of the bulbs wasn't working. The bulb that failed was the one that was flickering earlier.

     

    The next day, when I checked the bulbs, the flickering had returned, but the bulb was working. A three day trip around Wales where I used the dipped beam at all times. The flickering remained but the bulb didn't fail again. Maybe it was related to using main beam, but I didn't get the chance to test this theory.

     

    Another round of email conversations with the new supplier resulted in a new set of bulbs being sent. These were duly installed with no sign of flickering. The next road test occurred in full darkness and although it appeared to be going well, when I was travelling along unlit roads, I was flashed three times by drivers who thought I had left the main beam on. Conversations at the pub raised concerns about the light spread from the bulbs above the horizontal.

     

    In an attempt to reduce this glare, I masked off the top third of the headlamp with a clear tape which diffused the light from the top of the headlamp without affecting the dipped beam. I was a little concerned about the main beam as the top half of the lens is where this light comes from. The diffusing effect of the tap appeared to be OK in the garage test. On the road however, the main beam was woefully disappointing. The light in the dipped beam area was increased when switching to main beam but the distant road was not lit at all well. This was what I feared.

     

    In conclusion, the LEDs give a very bright, white light with a good range. The heat generated by the LEDs is not a problem. Although the fan can be heard when standing next to the headlights it is not loud enough to be annoying. The headlamp bowls get warm to the touch but never get too hot. If there were no other road users, then these lights would be great. Unfortunately, the glare from the dipped beam is just too much as it affects oncoming traffic. So replacing the standard bulbs with LED is not a good solution for me and I'll be switching back to the halogen bulbs.

    Speedo working intermittedly

    in TechTalk

    Posted

    Mine used to stop working on hot days when the brakes were applied.

    Resolved it by fitting LED brake lights, to reduce the power drain, and earthed the sensor to the chassis at the back (probably similar to the aforementioned factory modification).

    Track day tyres for 14inch wheels

    in TechTalk

    Posted

    Thank you all for the suggestions.

    I need to check the details, but it looks like the reason I have to use a spacer on the front hubs when using the A048s (185/60R14) is that they have a larger diameter than the CR500s (195/45R15) that I usually run.

    I'm now looking for some tyres that will fit without the spacer. Current options arre A048s (185/55R14), which are only available in Medium hardness. Or I could fit Toyo Proxies T1-R (195/45R14) which are cheaper.

    The Nankan NS 2R (185/60R14) is reported to have a 13% larger contact patch. This, I assume means that the tyre is 'squarer' in profile and because of the spacer problem mentioned above may not fit the front without a larger spacer.

    Descisions, descisions... *confused*

    Regards, Ian.

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