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myothercarsa2cv

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Blog Entries posted by myothercarsa2cv

  1. myothercarsa2cv
    Actually nothing to do with the new site!
    After fitting the little upgrades, and passing the MOT, and enjoying a really great day out at Dunsfold hooning about and doing donuts, it's all over in the blink of an eye.
    My little brother had a coming together with a gate catch, which clipped the sump, pushed the whole drivetrain back three inches or more, and mangled the chassis in the process. Andy Belcher at Tech7 was a bit of a hero in accepting the car so late on a Sunday and on assessing the damage, thought it was beyond economical repair. The insurance company agreed and that was that.
    KGM, the underwriters for MSM, were pretty uncommunicative and for someone going through this for the first time I found this quite stressful - Caterhams are different to most cars, they are part of the family and when something like this happens you feel like someone has died. I can't expect everyone to understand that, but insurance companies would do well to realise that some people have more of an emotional attachment to their cars!
    Anyway, the cheque is here, the car is on eBay, and now I'm wondering what to do with myself. Plenty of house improvements in the pipeline, new roof for the garage, and the 2CV needs a fair bit of work, so once I've tackled those and figured out what I've got left, I'll make a decision but for now a 7 seems unlikely unless the prices come down a bit over winter!
    I'll still check in from time to time though. I know someone described the blog as a way to feed ones own ego, but I've found it a good way of documenting what I've been up to, if nothing else!
    Cheerio!
  2. myothercarsa2cv
    So this year I vowed, in fact made it my New Year's Resolution, to drive the car more. I did that, and even made it out on a blat! I still didn't drive it enough though. As such, I have insured my brother on the car, and he has taken it on a couple of runs around the countryside to keep it warm. Highlights for the year are probably listening to my brother scream as he was driven around at the Dunsfold Handling Day, and seeing his smile when he drove it at the Handling Day! Closely followed by a successful day of hooning at the Supercar Event, and finally giving that passenger ride I offered up as a raffle prize in 2012...
    Now because my brother is a bit of an airhead, and will likely leave the lights on and kill the battery, I decided that it was time to fit a master switch to entirely isolate the battery when the car is parked up. This will add an additional layer of security, not a bad thing. So the switch was ordered, and arrived, and I found that I needed some new cables as the terminals didn't match up. I fitted the switch in the bulkhead and wired up as much as I could, and Ian (SM25T) helped out considerably by popping over during the day, diving in to the garage and finishing up the wiring for me, all in time for little brother to take the car away for the weekend without fear of killing the battery!
    Now I know I would lose the key at some point, and as such I have a spare, but I figured that a better way to ensure that the key was always removed and never lost would be to attach it to the ignition keys! I now have a rather fetching curly wurly thing going between the two.
    So now the days are getting a bit dark and nippy, I have some more plans! And I've already got stuck in.
    A couple of the original ZV3s were getting tired, having been hooned at various handling days, and amazingly were close to the wear bars! I managed to pick a few up for free from a fellow Blatchatter, so duly collected those and had them fitted to the rears. The fronts will need doing in the next 6 months or so I guess, but are fine for now with a good few mm left.
    At the same time, I picked up some close-to-the-wear-bar Toyo R888s with the intention of getting a second set of wheels and using these as fronts for handling days.
    When Neil K (of Supercar Event fame) offered up his vast collection of spare wheels for sale, I jumped at the tattiest ones - perfect for the handling days! These have ZV1s ready fitted, so I'll swap two for the R888s and I'll have the perfect set of drift / donut wheels. I am hoping to borrow a friend's blasting cabinet and painting kit to get these looking relatively straight again, gloss black with fluorescent yellow should look sufficiently bad-ass for hooning days!
    All I need to do is source a couple of scaffold poles to fit across the garage to store them now, as I have limited floor space!
    But for ultimate hooning I need a couple of other upgrades too, namely an Apollo tank and an LSD. I have found both (well, it's a Quaife ATB rather than a true LSD, but it should be better than a straight open diff) and should hopefully get these over Christmas to be fitted for the new year. As such I'm holding off the oil and filter change until I get the Apollo in.
    As I've now been aero for some time now, I think I will be selling on the weather kit as I just can't see me using it - the car is pretty much a fair weather / weekend fun car now given my time constraints, and I can't see me selling it, so there's just no need to be wasting garage space! This will help to offset the cost of the Apollo and ATB diff.
    I will also be able to get rid of a kilo of weight from the wiper motor, so that is being removed over Christmas along with the washer bottle, pump and plumbing. Roger Ford kindly sent me some grommets that will fit the leftover holes perfectly and keep it all looking tidy without needing to replace the scuttle. I'll put this all up for sale with the doors, screen and stanchions when I have everything together to photograph - watch this space.
    So what after that? I'm half tempted to have a crack at painting the car, I can borrow the kit from a friend, so it's just the time. Other than that, I'd like to replace the bulkhead with carbon fibre sheet, but I don't think I'll have the time to do that. It would be nice to clean up the bulkhead, as it has a blanking plate for the heater is just generally untidy.
    I'd also like to get the bypass relay back in to the MFRU box to hide it away and make it look neater - a fellow blatchatter has done this with success so I may try my hand at it in the future. Otherwise, I just need to enjoy it some more!
  3. myothercarsa2cv
    After collecting the diff from Phil, it sat around for a bit, not doing much, until my brother offered his services to help get it ready. Taking him up on his offer, and knowing that presented with a challenge he'll always accept, I got him to bench press the diff in to position while I sorted the hardware, and, half an hour later, it was in! A few other bits we tackled there and then, but called it a day as we both had other things to get up to.
    A week or two later and it's time to put everything back together. First, I pumped the diff oil in to the diff, then reassembled the rear end. The A-frame was the biggest pain in the behind, as manouevering the de dion tube on my own, whilst trying to line it up with the A frame, was not easy! I then torqued it all up, making sure I got everything as per the manual, and polished off the wing and as much as I could do on the front end. This involved making up a bracket for the water bottle out of some old aluminium, measure, cut, drill, rivet, all pretty straightforward and a masterpiece if I may say so!
    A few days later, and my hose arrived from Think (quite an ordeal to order it, but got there in the end!). I fitted that, got it all as tight as I dared, and filled the engine with oil. Stuck the battery on charge just in case, and cranked for pressure until I got worried about damaging the battery. Did it again a while later, for as long as I dared again. Nothing on the gauge... One final crank, and I figured that if there wasn't oil in all the right places by now then there was not much hope for the engine! Fired her up, started first time, and although there was a little clicking from the top end to start with, it disappeared within seconds. All good!
    A little drive back and forth in the garden ensured everything was moving ok, and I left it to warm up a bit. The new 'dual' temperature gauge worked flawlessly, and it was seemingly leak free. Time to take it for a test drive. First impressions are good - the car seems to have a lot more traction, and is a lot harder to provoke, which is good. Some clonking is apparent, but no more than there was before. No over heating, good oil pressure, and plenty of speed. Fell in love all over again!
    Got back to the garage and had another quick check, and all seemed to be in the right place still, but rolling the car about did reveal some clonking from the rear end - I'm not sure if this is normal for a ATB, but I think I'll check with the POBC and Phil.
    I then decided to tackle the half doors, and that's when my run of good fortune came to an end, pulling a rivet through the skin at the rear and making it look like a dogs dinner. A strategically placed popper base should cover it up, but it might just be safer to use a self tapper and secure the doors on permanently. I should be able to get in and out ok like that... Ah well, it's not the end of the world. The chassis is looking a bit grotty so perhaps a full strip and rebuild and reskin is in order some time in the next few years (perhaps that's a job for a bonus, if I ever get one!). I can live with it for now. Called it a day, so will tackle the doors another time.
    A couple of pics:
    http://photos-g.ak.instagram.com/hphotos-ak-frc/10254142_551934458257094_1567892980_n.jpg
    http://distilleryimage2.ak.instagram.com/792cb81ece5c11e3a3940002c9c756b2_8.jpg
  4. myothercarsa2cv
    I've been busy with exams so not had a lot of time to get in the garage unfortunately.
     
    However, I did manage to get hold of another cam cover to replace the original one which I drilled on the nearside as per the imperial chassis apollo tank set up, but, as the metric chassis sits the tank in the middle, the offside makes more sense. So rather than have too many nuts and bolts floating around the cam cover, I thought I'd just get another and drill it on the other side.
     
    An eBay bargain later and it duly arrived. A bargain, or so I thought... There's a fair bit of corrosion on the cover and I might want to get this looked at at some point, maybe get it blasted and coated again. Maybe something colourful? Anyway, it will have to do for now. I might rub down the problem bits and spray it with some plasticote, but it'll be covered for the most part. Ah well.
     
    I slapped some paint on the trailing arm and A-frame while they are off the car too. A nice coat of hammerite to start with, then I'll rub it down and give it a finishing spray with the plasticote. It's under the car so doesn't need to look amazing. I need to decide whether to get under the car and tidy up the underside... It's a lot of effort, and I don't have all the time in the world! I start a new job in a couple of weeks so I'd like to get it done by then...
     
    My SBFS half doors (second hand) arrived too. They look nice and smart, and are easy to fit, needing just a few poppers. Of course, the ones in the doors don't line up with the ones I put in for the plastic doors, but the holes will be covered. I'll just fill the holes with a rivet. No problem. If anyone wants some plastic half doors, they will be for sale... They're just too much effort for me to fit - I can't be trimming them down and what not when I don't have the right tools.
     
    I had a quick look under the bonnet again to see what I could do better with the air filter situation, when I noticed a bit of rubber poking out from under the hose clip... The rubber neck on the filter has split where the brace sits under the clip. B*ll*cks. Tried a bit of evostik, hopefully that will do the trick...
     
    Feeling a bit dejected, SWMBO cheered me up with a little present. It's a well known fact that Caterham gear levers get cold, so I now have a little woolly hat to keep it warm at night! Awwww.
     
    http://photos-d.ak.instagram.com/hphotos-ak-ash/10013044_275387242628243_1779546903_n.jpg
     
    Oh - I also dropped the diff off at Road and Race this morning - Phil is busy as he's been away on holiday, but he's going to squeeze it in this week - hopefully the car will be rolling again by next week! How exciting.
  5. myothercarsa2cv

    Air filter

    By myothercarsa2cv,

    Deciding to stick with the monster Ramair filter, I bought a couple of bits to help make it fit. They were a silicone elbow, an alloy joiner, a couple of clips and a bracket to support it from something...
    The idea was to get the air filter under the higher part of the bonnet and angle it down slightly to aid clearance. I think it came out alright!
    http://distilleryimage1.ak.instagram.com/de826956a20211e397a10eb94f794f39_8.jpg
    I am tempted to do a little bulkhead shuffling at some point (maybe when I cut some carbon to shape for a carbon bulkhead!) and build an airbox to use the redundant bonnet louvres usually used for the heater. The louvres might have to be reversed for the best effect, but this wouldn't be too difficult I'm sure (for someone who knows what they're doing, anyway).
  6. myothercarsa2cv
    I started Monday night by trying out the new fancy Ramair filter that had arrived in the post. Initial impressions were that it's big! The foam looks to be finer than the Pipercross version, and it seems to be well constructed. After trying it on the car, though, it was apparent that it would not fit straight on the throttle body - not only did it foul one of the connectors, it also sits too high to go under the bonnet. Darn it.
    http://distilleryimage9.ak.instagram.com/2ede59829dad11e386250e4caf43b375_8.jpg
    As such, I have ordered an elbow, bracket and connector to relocate it a little further away and lower down. I hope that works... We shall see. Perhaps one day I'll make that airbox that sits in the place of the heater.
    Ian then popped over to lend a hand and help speed things up. We started by tackling the Apollo tank. As I was fitting a second hand unit from an imperial car in to a metric car, a few things were different - starting with the location of the tank itself! We tried to see if we could squeeze the hoses around the alternator to avoid the alternator belt replacement nightmare, but it wasn't to be, and I wasn't comfortable running them under the car - just in case. So through the belt it was, and lots of brute force and ignorance got it all in to place. Sounds a lot easier than it was... Because of the tank's new location, the header tank has to move. I'll put a strip of steel on the right side of the chassis to bolt the carrier to, it should sneak under the nosecone ok. I also need to get a longer hose to go from the tank to the cam cover - an ideal excuse to get that one way valve.
    http://distilleryimage7.ak.instagram.com/8e4c7dea9dad11e38e6d12bcad13b8ff_8.jpg
    Next up was diff removal. It actually came without much of a fight, although it required a little jiggery pokery to extract! It is now in a box waiting to be taken to Phil at Road and Race Transmissions. All very exciting!
    http://distilleryimage4.ak.instagram.com/624c04689dad11e38194121232f404e8_8.jpg
  7. myothercarsa2cv
    I managed to sneak in to the garage for a few hours this evening. I thought I'd finish the handbrake lever and get that back in, and start dropping the diff.
    After filing down the lever, I managed to get it to a point where the collars slid on. So the rear one didn't slide too far, I filed a step in to the lever to stop it.
    http://distilleryimage3.ak.instagram.com/c51e1e2c9ce111e3a08e12e91b67ee2b_8.jpg
    As you can see quite a bit of material had to come off to make it round enough! I then gave it a couple of coats of plasticote, just to stop any rust forming out of sight, and bolted the lever back on to the car (I REALLY need a 13mm ratchet spanner...). With everything back in, it looks rather smart, I think.
    http://distilleryimage2.ak.instagram.com/f5de2ea89ce111e3b4b00e1aaf66de96_8.jpg
    With some shiny stainless screws holding the steering wheel on, the cockpit looks spot on.
    http://distilleryimage7.ak.instagram.com/1e662e349ce211e3af1c0e00870f07bb_8.jpg
    Yes, it just needs a good clean now!
    I then started tacking the rear end with a view to getting the diff out to take to Phil at R&R. I decided to use the 'remove one driveshaft' method, as I have good access to one side, but on the other a wall is in the way. I whipped the boot floor out, and took off the wing (no problems there for once) and removed the trailing arm - the powdercoat on it is terrible, it's going to need a good rub down and a lick of paint. Next I unbolted the caliper and suspended it on some string while I took the whole ear, hub and driveshaft off the car.
    http://distilleryimage8.ak.instagram.com/4580d7bc9ce211e398e4126114bab374_8.jpg
    Once on the bench, I extracted the ear from the driveshaft and loose fitted it back to the de dion tube and the caliper so it wasn't relying on a piece of twine.
    Then it was time to crawl under the car and get the A frame off. Same story with the powder coat, I'll be doing quite a bit of painting I think! Prop bolts next, still wriggling around on the floor and feeling the blood slowly drain from my arms! I'm sure it was easier than this when I built the car! While I was down there, I also took out the bottom diff bolts and slid allen keys in there to hold it for now.
    Back on my feet again, and time to tackle the long bolt... I positioned the jack under the diff for safety. After wrestling with it somewhat, I got the nut off one end. Then it was hammer time, and, using a drift, knocked the bolt out. Success!
    I then called it a day, I'm too tired to be enthusiastic about getting coated in diff oil...
  8. myothercarsa2cv
    Now my aluminium bolts have arrived from Pro Bolt, I could finish up the removable scuttle project. A little aluminium washer for each, nipped up hand tight, et voila, done. The paint finish on the scuttle retaining channels isn't perfect, but it's good enough for under the dash, and those went back on with a stainless washer and new nylocs. I whipped off the mirrors quickly and placed the screen stanchion on the scuttle and drilled an access hole so I could adjust the mirrors without removing the whole thing, going to be a bit of a pain getting a tool behind the plates that hold the wiper mechanism, but less of a pain than undoing everything. All reassembled and re-fixed with big penny washers behind the skin. All in all, pretty good - the captive nut retaining channels are useful for swapping between windscreen and aero, but with the windscreen now gone, there won't be any more swapping, so I might as well save the weight. It's not a big difference, but every little helps and it does all add up.
    http://distilleryimage11.ak.instagram.com/cb5623fa912611e394a00ef4841a629f_8.jpg
    The car is also now up on stands, I've taken a seat and the tunnel top off and removed the handbrake so I can more easily work on it when fitting the carbon handbrake sleeve. I'm looking forward to how nice that will look when it's on! Next I have to figure out the best way of fitting the Apollo and get the diff out too. Need to pull my finger out on these, I'm faffing...
  9. myothercarsa2cv
    Haven't had much of a chance to get in the garage as things keep getting in the way. I managed to sneak off last night though and pack up the last of the parts I am selling and take them home. While I was there, I decided to do a bit of weight saving.
    The scuttle retaining channels are steel. Heaven knows why, aluminium would have made much more sense - it doesn't need to be that strong. Anyway, the standard retaining channels are heavy. The captive nut retaining channels are heavier still! Those were sold and the originals reinstated, but this time, I showed them the drill. This exercise shows unequivocly that I need a pillar drill!
    http://distilleryimage11.ak.instagram.com/bf3d0f228eb811e3a7161268af5f78d7_8.jpg
    Mm nice and wonky. Good enough though, no one will see it. Didn't want to go too overboard but they feel lighter already! As it's steel, I also gave it a couple of coats of Plastikote, super easy to work with and a decent finish every time.
    http://distilleryimage2.ak.instagram.com/e4e570528eb811e38ce00e7f19e5af3a_8.jpg
    Terrible photo but it shows nicely my custom made spray booth!
    Alloy bolts and washers are on their way from Pro Bolt, and then everything will be secured back down again. Until the next time!
    I've also orderded some files so I can get cracking on the handbrake lever. Fun times! I'm also watching a sierra differential on eBay, as then I could get the LSD built in to that and swap over at my leisure and still have a spare. Bit more expensive, but less hassle and less time out of action... Choices choices.
  10. myothercarsa2cv

    It continues...

    By myothercarsa2cv,

    It's quite nice to do things how I (or Caterham) should have done them in the first place. For example, the scuttle comes from the factory riveted to the bulkhead. When I came around to removing the windscreen wiper mechanism, I managed to get the two screws retaining it out, but the tube connecting the spindles was ziptied to absolutely everything. The only way not to risk snipping the loom was to whip the whole scuttle off. Not a major problem, as I wanted to make it removable for the future (e.g. for painting) at some point anyway. So out came the drill, and after removing the heater blanking panel and 30 rivets, I managed to wrestle the scuttle free. Not completely free, though, as my shift lights are wired through it... Typical! This made accessing the wiper mechanism much easier and it was out in a jiffy.
    When it came to refitting, I ordered some alloy M4 rivnuts and a tool so that I could just whip out some screws next time I wanted to remove the scuttle rather than drilling loads of rivets. It should also look more professional, but will weigh more... A price I'm willing to pay! I had to enlarge the wholes on the bulkhead to 6mm all the way round, and the tool made easy going of installing the rivnuts. The only minor issues were the last two rivnuts, the ones right by the chassis rail. They were so low, the tool couldn't get square on. Time to get my Heath Robinson Manual out, and using a screw from an old fuel hose clip, some kind of strange fixing that I guess was an M5 knurled knob, and some washers, I managed to fashion a make shift puller. I used mole grips on the rivnut, held it all firm, and tighted it all up with a screw driver - lo and behold, it worked! That's a rare occurrance for me!
    All I need now are some alloy M4 screws and washers. Pro Bolt seem to be the popular choice, but they are quite pricey - the number I need will mean spending a good £30 on screws alone! The price we pay to avoid galvanic corrosion... Still, best do it properly.

    I also put some rivnuts in for the battery tray - I was using self tappers before, but the rivnuts should make a much neater looking and more secure installation.
    Now that heater blanking panel I mentioned... Caterham supply a HUGE L-shaped piece of aluminium to cover up the heater duct hole and most of the bulkhead. There is no reason it needs to be this big. So out with the hacksaw! It is now considerably smaller, and incorporates the battery master switch. A few rivnuts in the bulkhead (I love these things) and the blanking panel can now be removed easily if I need to get to the switch and don't want to crawl around under the dash. Ideal!

    It's a bit wiggly, but I can clean this up at a later date if I manage to get the right tools. I reckon I can also get it considerably smaller, and thus lighter!
    One last job for the day was to remove the handbrake lever handle to replace with the fancy carbon fibre one made by Carsten. It was a nightmare to wrestle off, and after much cursing and aching forearms, it came free. The Carbon lever unfortunately doesn't slide straight on - where the lever is pressed in to a tube, it is left as a tear drop shape. I shall be getting the file out and putting a groove in the collars, as this shape will help stop it spinning, and I'll file the button end of the lever so the 'client-facing' collar is unmolested. As I couldn't face doing much more, I decided to bring both levers home and weigh them! The results are in...

    67g for the standard rubber. Pretty light, this will be hard to beat...

    38g! Great result. Saving 29g for £50 has to be some kind of record! Regardless, it will look much nicer than the original item, and the car will appear much more 'finished' than before. That's worth it I reckon. I'll have to remember to remove the wedding ring or wear gloves, don't want to scratch it, now...
    Next up, I have to tackle the lack of threadlock on the Apollo breather hose take off in the cam cover. I completely forgot last time! I have some new crush washers that should help nicely. Over and out.
  11. myothercarsa2cv

    It begins...

    By myothercarsa2cv,

    First up was getting the washer bottle, pump and hose out. The hose relented eventually after much tugging and swearing after it got caught in a ziptie somewhere way back in the tunnel. I just need to get under the car with the drill and get the bracket off the footwell, and I'll have shaved a good few hundred grammes off. Now to find a grommet that fits the washer jet hole...
    Next up was getting the windscreen wiper mechanism out. It's held in by two bolts, the spindles and numerous zipties. It was such a pain trying to get it out that I gave up and took the whole scuttle off! I wanted to go 'quick release' at some point anyway, and having it like this will make it easier for when I eventually attempt to replace the bulkhead with carbon sheet. So I drill out all the rivets, wrestle the scuttle off, and extract the wiper mech out the top. Easy!
    I am treating myself to one of Carsten's gorgeous carbon handbrake lever handles (probably weighs the same as the rubber, but it looks smart!) so thought I'd try get the rubber one off. No chance. I'll have to reconsider my approach...
    I also took a look at the wheels. Where the lacquer has lifted it looks quite unsightly, so I had a go at it with some wire wool. This method works, but it's going to be super slow... I may have to just bite the bullet and get them blasted and coated, but that's more than I really want to spend on them. Perhaps some paint remover will do the trick? I'll tackle that another time as well.
    I also offered up the Apollo to the chassis. Well, sort of. The hoses are still attached, and not wanting to remove them as they were sealed when they came off the old car, I wondered about wiggling it in the space somehow, but I don't think it will be possible. The base plate will also need some new rivet holes as the chassis is clearly different to the one it came off. The hose attachment is installed in the cam cover though! It was surprisingly easy taking it off, I left the gasket in place and covered the engine with a newspaper, and got the drill out, slowly working up in size. copper washer on the inside, nip up the nuts as tight as they'll go, spend ages trying to get every last bit of swarf out, then back on and all bolts torqued up to 7 lbft. Here's hoping it doesn't leak!
    The next stage will involve getting the car on stands, draining the oil, and slipping the apollo tank in to position. I think it's going to require some trickery... Or I might just resort to draining the coolant and getting all the hoses out the way! Watch this space... The diff will also need to come out at some point. I'm dreading that part, I will try the one ear off method first...
    My part collecting for the rear anti roll bar is also going well. I have secured an anti roll bar and bushes (good start) and also some droplinks. I just need the hex adaptor and the brackets to hold it to the chassis, and we're away! This will only be connected when on handling days, and will remain disconnected on the road. No point in making life uncomfortable for myself given how terrible the roads are around here!
    That's it for now... 
  12. myothercarsa2cv

    Frustrated

    By myothercarsa2cv,

    With a whole pile of 2CV and Caterham parts under the tree waiting for me, I just want to get cracking and fit them now!
    I now have all the parts I want for the Caterham (for now anyway) to make it a lean mean fun machine, so after my exam I'll be popping the diff out of the car and giving it to Phil at R&R to work his magic in the New Year. While he's working on that, I'll be fitting the Apollo tank and I have new seals and a temperature sender for that purpose. It's always hairy drilling holes in the chassis but I'll manage! At a later date I'll find an ON-OFF-ON switch so I can wire in the temperature sender to see oil and water temperature on the dash. A nifty but fiddly job!
    I also intend to document the process so I can put it on my How To page, which has been woefully neglected this year...
    Parts gathering for the 2CV is also well underway. I have some new seat covers, so will be recovering them once I source some good, firm foam to go under them, and new rear lights to replace the gaffer-taped-up ones I currently have. They have lasted well, being 32 years old in a few months. I also got myself new bushes for the gear change mechanism - this will, I'm sure, improve the gear change no end!
    Next up, wheels. I've started making enquiries about the body work too, so it makes sense to acquire the parts bit by bit and get them all painted at the same time. New rear wings work out cheaper for GRP versions, so a good weight saving and one less thing to rust too.
    I am also faced with a choice - do I stick with the lowered stance and fix the castor angle (and thus the heavier steering), or return it to standard ground clearance? I prefer the look of lowered 2CVs, but they aren't as good at off road work! Tough call.
    Next update will hopefully contain news of donuts, better oiling and fancy new seats.
  13. myothercarsa2cv

    Progress

    By myothercarsa2cv,

    So now the wheels are collected and the Apollo is in the post. Just the ATB diff to sort out, and then to work!
    My sister has thrown me a curve ball though, in that he has got engaged and requested the 2CV as the wedding car! Should make for some cute pictures, but as Bugsy has been used as a daily runaround, is not in wedding condition! This means some time and resource has to be thrown at the deuche - on the cards are new seat covers, new wheels, new rear lights, spruced up mirrors, and a bit of body work to get things looking tidy. Oh and the small case of four new wings! These have become a little battered and bruised having had numerous careless drivers bump into them. Including Dad!
    So, lots to do - I shall be busy after my exam is out the way in January!
  14. myothercarsa2cv
    After running the car up to temperature after finishing all the little bits that needed doing, we noticed a little drip of oil. I nipped up the sump plug and the screws holding it on, just in case... However, after running it up to temperature again, I noticed it was coming from behind the alternator pulley... Suspiciously like it would from the crank seal. Given it was coming out at too high a rate for me to feel comfortable driving it, and that putting oil on the track at Dunsfold would make me supremely unpopular, I called it a night and abandoned the idea of getting my car out on track.
    A drive around the block also brough to light the true sponginess of the brakes, and some overheating issues that will need to be looked at.
    A close inspection of the rack bridge also revealed it was higher on one side than the other - quite how I managed that I will never know!
    So all in all I was feeling a little bit blue, but some encouraging words from friends and fellow members, and I think I will have another crack at the seal, brakes and coolant. Who knows, I might get it right. If I don't, it's off to Redline I think!
  15. myothercarsa2cv

    8 months on...

    By myothercarsa2cv,

    Apart from the odd run around the block, the car has basically sat idle in the garage. The starting issue has persisted, with the engine barely turning when firing up.
    First port of call was to do the relay mod. At less than £10, bypassing the relay in the MFU is a good upgrade whether it's needed or not. With some slightly beefier wiring and a bigger relay, the engine should start more strongly. Ian (and then Elie) came over to lend a hand, and it was fitted in no time with minimal fuss (apart from running out of crimps!). However, it didn't fix the starting issue...
    But, bump starting works every time, so that's what I've done each of the few times I've taken it for a spin. I've just bought a new battery for the car, so once that arrives I will drop that in and see if it does the trick. I wonder if sitting around for 2 years with barely a run out every 3 months has left it discharged for too long. I have checked the cables and all seem sound, but I will be checking these again. Watch this space.
    With the MOT coming up, I shan't be doing too much tinkering apart from to get it starting under its own power! The lights work, the brakes work, and the engine goes so I should be ok for another pass. Bits that need doing are adding a bit more toe out, and giving it all a very good clean! I need to attack some of the flakier bits on the chassis with Hammerite, and maybe at some point I'll take a look at the diff seals as they seem to be weeping.
    I've signed up for Dad's Day Out again, so I'm looking forward to that, and I'll definitely be signing up for the Dunsfold Handling Day. If I can find a spare day, I might even try an airfield track day! But most of all, I need to go on a few blats. I suspect the Kent guys have forgotten what I look like...
  16. myothercarsa2cv
    A couple of days before, I took a look at the rear shocks, to see if I could raise the back to maintain ground clearance. It turned out that the difference between the highest setting on the lower groove and the lowest setting on the upper groove was over a cm - so I put that idea to bed and lowered the front a couple of turns!
    Waking up at 6:30am, I looked out the window and almost called in sick. Finally getting on the road at 7:15am, with the rain coming down, I'd reached the M25 before I realised I'd forgotten to print out my ticket. A quick stop at Clacketts and I managed to pull it up on my iphone - fingers crossed that would be acceptable!
    After stopping a couple more times to check my progress against the map, I finally made it to Dunsfold - wet, cold, and relieved - aquaplaning around motorways with nothing but brooklands screens for protection is not fun!
    After the drivers briefing, we were allowed to have a little practive. My first run saw me spinning on the damp airfield surface, approaching the barriers alarmingly quickly!
    James then kindly gave me his rears in return for my fronts, which saw us both running CR500s up front and ZV3s in the rear - an ideal combination! This gave me some much needed grip , and this really came into it's own by about 11am when the track dried out after the rain ceased, and the wind and sun worked together to dry us out.
    The first victims arrived at 9:30am, and from then on we had a steady stream of customers until the end of the day at 4:30pm!
    Everyone who took a ride had a great time, enjoying the noise, speed and sideways action that our fun little cars provide in spades! We had people who wanted more, and first timers who wanted to know what all the fuss was about; we also had those that wanted as much noise and silliness as possible, and those that just wanted a quick spin with no donuts; kids and grown ups, men and women, all rolled up to don a helmet and go crazy for a few minutes!
    One passenger thought the fact that I had overcooked a couple of turns and spun off towards the barriers backwards was the best thing he'd ever done! Another squealed her way around the course, drowning out the engine and tyre noise! And one chap was there for his birthday, and was getting his fill of sports cars.
    By the end of the day, we had given 196 rides between us, and raised nearly £3k for charity. With 200 rides the day before, our contribution was pushing £6k - and a few quid collected from the donut course, no doubt plucked from an unwilling victim's pocket as they spun around the cone!
    And talking of the cone, R.I.P. - it suffered quite a bruising, and was held together by hope by the end of the day.
    There weren't too many dramas, and on the whole the cars performed well. Poor Dave's Fury srung an oil leak at the cam cover, spraying oil over the exhaust manifold and producing spectacular flames! The passenger wasn't expecting that... The Fury made it home after a little nipping up of the bolts, though. And poor Chaz was out of action after only 2 hours, when his A-frame bush seemingly disappeared! He went home on a flatbed.
    Talloulah developed an annoying fault... When hot, she wouldn't start, sounding like the battery was failing. Suspecting battery or alternator, I got a push for a bump start (I wasn't the only one that day!) but letting it cool seemed to do the trick. I will check all the connections when I get a chance, but the first job is to clean the car, as it's filthy!
    All in all, a brilliant day, and well worth the drive in the pouring rain to get there. Everyone had a great time, and for a great cause too.

  17. myothercarsa2cv
    After the understeering mayhem of the Dunsfold Handling Day, I decided a few minor adjustments were required to improve turn in and front end grip in preparation for Dad's Day Out in June. Armed with some googled facts, I set about the car with some spanners! To do:
    1. Increase negative camber - the theory is that the harder you corner, the more negative camber is required to maintain a good contact patch.
    2. Add a little toe out - I didn't measure it, but I had a feeling there was a little toe in - a little toe out should improve turn in.
    3. Increase the rake - thus shifting the weight of the car forward a touch. As I sit a long way back (as far as one can) and so does the passenger, and as I will have a passenger for the whole day at Dad's Day Out, I will need to dial in a little more rake to compensate for the passenger and let the tail be a bit happier!
    Another major consideration was the tyres - the handling day proved just how bad they really are! On the road, limits are not pushed or even close to being pushed, so the rubbishness is not really noticed. However, once the car was shown some tight corners at higher speeds, the lack of grip became very noticeable. As a set will set me back £300, I shall have to see how finances are closer to the time...
    I started out by tackling the easiest tasks - 1 and 2. Jacking up the front, I whipped the front wheels off and popped the joints. I decided to give myself 1.5 extra turns of negative camber on each side, which roughly equates to 1 degree. With the rose joints, the whole job took very little time (the second side only took 5 minutes) and I dropped the car back on the floor. As increasing negative camber also induces a touch of toe out, I decided to leave that until I had driven the car.
    Unfortunately time wasn't on my side, so I put the car away again, but before I called it a day, I pulled the NSR stop light out as someone had kindly informed me it had gone! I was greeted with this pretty little thing:

    Unfortunately I didn't have one to hand, so I'll have to run to the shops and get one.
    Next time I will be looking at increasing the rake. I have two options - lower the front, or raise the rear. The rear platforms are already as high as they will go, so I may need to move the circlip up. However, it is mightily tempting just to lower the front, as it's easier to get to and less faff! Choices choices...
  18. myothercarsa2cv
    The day started well, I woke up, packed the car, dragged my guest driver out of bed and hit the road. About half an hour later, I realised we'd forgotten the sandwiches that SWMBO had very kindly made us, and the pump! At least someone would have a pump at the event, but no one could replace the sandwiches...!
    It then went a little bit wrong, as, in my tiredness, I had decided that (although I know Dunsfold is near Gatwick) the best way to get there was down the M3 and not the A3. Fortunately we made it just in time for the drivers breifing, got our wristbands, and made all the necessary adjustments (which basically involved checking there was still fluid in the right places, taking everything out, and putting air back in the front right, which I remembered I had used for an ezibleed about 4 weeks ago... oops!).
    After letting my guest driver get a feel for it on the runway, I let him loose on the 0-60 - disaster! Missed gears and loads of wheelspin! Never mind, have another go... Same again, but with less wheelspin. He decided that it was too much pressure trying to change gear quickly, so had a go on the slalom, and enjoyed that much better, especially after my run when Ray at the 'garage' remarked that there was a second gear if I wanted to go faster...

    While my guest did his best to understeer and oversteer his way around the slalom course trying to make as much noise as possible, I booked a go on the Top Gear Circuit. My guest didn't want to give it a go (nerves perhaps?) so it was all on me... My first time driving a track in my own car and I was in all honesty a tad nervous.
    Mark G was the pace car, driving Angus & Tessa's 7, and I was directly behind him, praying he didn't go as mad as Angus appears to in his photos! On the ZV3 widowmakers, I'd have no chance of keeping up...
    The first lap was pretty relaxed, and I got a good feel for the circuit, and it was certainly useful following someone who knew what they were doing so I could get the right lines (that was the theory, at least, I doubt I got a single corner right!!!). The second and third laps were a little more spirited and I'm embarrassed to say I lifted at the tyre wall... It's scary!!! They were over too soon, and I trundled back to the paddock wanting more! My guest enjoyed it too, with frequent thumbs up all the way round.
    After a few more slalom runs and 0-60s, I was determined to prove that a non-LSD car could do donuts... And failed! I just about managed 3/4 of a donut, but it was a very big one, with no opposite lock. Bouncing off the rev limiter and going around in circles resulted in a little tapping from the top end, but that went away after a few seconds once the oil started getting back up to the top again!

    The morning session was over too soon, but I'd felt I'd done enough - there's only so much you can take, and the bacon butty I had was trying to make a reappearance everytime my guest drove!
    After quickly showing off the brooklands aero to Phil, who is also after a set, we headed home, tired, filthy, and with massive grins on our faces!
    Massive thanks to the organisers, and I look forward to seeing how much we raised for such worthy causes, the Surrey Air Ambulance, and the Henry Surtees Foundation.
  19. myothercarsa2cv
    When an email came around asking if we wanted to have a dyno run in return for a donation towards Joe's new wheelchair (he has muscular dystrophy), I jumped at the opportunity. The brakes were working, I thought the car was ready for a run. The Thursday before, I pottered about the garage, checking and double checking... And I noticed that one of the tabs on the radiator that hold the tanks to the core was not even folded over! It looked like it had never been bent. Ah well, big pliers time! I gave all the tabs a precautionary nip, and hoped for the best.
    Saturday morning, I fired everything up and headed out to TDI in Thurrock. On arrival, there was a tasty Exige on the dyno, and various Lotus' and the like lined up ready to go, including a VX220, S1 and Evora, and I wasn't the first 7 either. The tension was building...!
    TDI's workshop is tidy. And when I say tidy, I mean cleaner than a hospital and less clutter than an empty room. The best comparison I guess is with the Audi R8 workshop on the advert!
    As my time approached, the tension built further. I filled in a form and took the car for a little drive to warm it up. I left her running, and then it was time. One of the technicians jumped in and took her in to the dyno room, and they began to carefully set it up - jacking the car, removing the driven wheels, and bolting the hubs to the dynos.


    The operator ran it for a while, making sure everything was calibrated and running well, no overheating, nothing coming out where it shouldn't be... And then it was time for the runs. By now I felt like I was having a heart attack. Martin the owner reassured me it was normal to feel that way, and if it blows up, well, there are plenty of 25's about!!!
    Then, it was over! The chap killed the ignition and hopped out and checked the readings. "Just under 107 at the wheels, not bad". Nothing else was said, and according to the others, that's good! Because if he says more, there's something wrong...!
    The nervousness was over, and the wheels were put back on and the car taken outside again. I got my printout straight away, showing 106.5 at the wheels, and peak torque of 95.4 lb ft, which seems reasonable for a bog standard 1.6 - they reckon on about 15% transmission loss, which would amount to the stated 120bhp at the flywheel, but they don't put any of these numbers down, because they mean nothing on the road.

    And so there it is! If I was fussed, I could do some investigation in to why the torque dipped between 3 and 4k rpm, but for now I am happy - there are no dips in the power and it looks relatively smooth, so no major issues I don't think!
    Little Joe put in an appearance too, and his dad knocked up some hotdogs and burgers for everyone, and I doubt there was a single person not touched by how the two of them are coping so well with their situation.
    Hopefully a good amount of money raised for Joe, and we all had fun and learned something about our cars. Thanks must go to TDI for opening their doors and allowing all funds to go to Joe, it was super kind.
  20. myothercarsa2cv
    With the master cylinder obviously a goner, I managed to find a known working second hand girling. I also managed to find a high effort brake pedal at the same time, so got that as well. The high effort pedal has a slightly long bit above the pivot to give more push for your push, so to speak! I found it strange that the lower part was significantly shorter, but no worries.
    The hole for the clevis pin was a bit small so I opened it out with an 8mm drill bit and got that all ready (I had to butcher a split pin to get the old pedal apart, but found some handy lockwire!).
    Ian (SM25T) helped with the swapping of the master cylinder, the ezi-bleed forcing out the old fluid and making it dry enough for removal (it still goes everywhere though!) and the old master cylinder was put to one side. On with the new one, which was a Girling rather than a Lockheed, which fortunately shared the same dimesions, and that was that! Pipes in, and let the bleeding begin. Quite a few air bubbles came out (to be expected) and job done! Getting the pedals back on, I had to bring the clutch and brake to the forward position as it was just too far away - even for my long legs! The clutch needed a fair bit of adjustment to bring it back in line again, and the pedal stop for the throttle (possibly the most difficult thing in the world to adjust) had to be brought way back so the pedal could sit in the best place for a spot of heel and toe.
    So, what's left? I think a spot more negative camber on the front (it steers really lightly at the moment, which is nice, but I think I can get away with a bit more to aid turn in, fortunately rose joints are super easy to adjust!). Then I need to find out where all that coolant went! Only thing I can do is clean it all up and go for a drive and see where the leak is! Oh I also need to do the other stop for the throttle, the one that stops it coming forward too far... Check the clutch and brake switch adjustment... Give it a good clean and a polish and enjoy the damn thing!
  21. myothercarsa2cv
    The day of the MOT came around quickly. I'd managed to get some garage time in the night before to check it all over. It appeared fine - lights worked, battery charged, nothing too obvious to me.
    The morning started well - I was up on time, out the house on time, and with little traffic on the roads, made it to the garage in good time. Then it started going downhill.

    It started with me not being able to open the garage door - it got stuck on something, and only gentle persuasion with the right shoulder managed to shift it (and wake up the neighbours). I rolled the car out the garage, reconnected the battery, and started the car. Cough, splutter, dead. I'd forgotten to disarm the immobiliser. Not to worry, try again. The engine didn't catch though, it was like the battery was dead. I left it for a few minutes and tried again, and it just caught. Thank God...

    All togged up, I set out on to the open road - my first drive with brooklands screens and mini-mirrors! It was virtually impossible to see anything behind me, I definitely need the centre mirror, and will think about fitting that as soon as possible!

    I'd barely gone 200 yards, when, approaching a roundabout, I flicked the indicator switch and got the frantic high speed beep of a dead bulb. Not now... Nothing for it, but to push on - I don't have any spares back in the garage, but the MOT station will have something I'm sure. Glad I have my basic toolkit...

    Nothing else went wrong, really, apart from the brakes not being very good, but I gave them a good workout to make sure the new pads were slightly bedded in. Something wasn't quite right, but the car stopped so I pushed on.

    On arrival at the test station, I set about fixing the indicators. I checked the earths, nothing. Then, I swapped bulbs around to try to identify the problem - earth or bulb. And guess what? They were all fine after that. Not sure why, and I won't ask!

    Watching the car being driven over the pit had my heart in my mouth. And then, after some minutes poking about, the tester came in and summoned me to the inspection pit.

    Him: "Your car's got no brakes."
    Me: "Yes it has, it stops perfectly well."
    Him: "You have a go."
    Me: "Ok"

    So in I hop, and the pedal is even spongier than before... I press with all my might and just about manage to make the minimum braking efficiency, but can't lock the wheels. Perhaps it's the new pads...

    So I scrape a pass, get my certificate and head to a post office to collect my tax disc! PING!

    The handbrake goes... I just can't get a break.

    Taxed up, I take the car back to the garage and leave it there for another time.

    When I came back to the car, it turned out that the adjusting collar on the handbrake had slipped down the threads or was just not seated right in the first place. The part of the cable that went around the pulley at the lever end was also not seated in the groove properly, so a cable tie to hold it in place was employed, and I tightened it all up, and got a good four clicks.

    Then I remembered I had to put the tunnel top on again... Ah sod it, I'll try putting it back on without slackening off the handbrake. And I manage! After much pushing, shoving and swearing, it goes on, and breaks the 12V accessory socket now flapping around under the dash!

    Another test drive (via the Kent Weald meet) and the brakes were still not at their best. The pedal seemed to just keep going, and didn't pump up. According to the experts, this meant the master cylinder was leaking past the seals, not that there was air in the system. Not good news.

    Back to the garage, tail between my legs, and on to the wanted forum to beg for another master cylinder.

    I now have a replacement, and a hi-effort pedal too, which will hopefully reduce the travel a touch. Update to follow...

    One day it will be finished!!!

  22. myothercarsa2cv
    I fitted the Brooklands over the weekend, and will be doing a write up for the website in due course. It was fairly straight forward, but time consuming - before I could even drill any holes I spent some time getting the best profile for the strap across the scuttle.
    Then it was screwgun time! I started with the guide holes that come pre-drilled in the centre of the strap. Using a countersink bit, I made it so the screw heads couldn't touch the scuttle.
    It was then a case of tightening everything up! The drivers side is maybe half a mil too narrow between the posts, but it fits fine, just a bit snug.
    Mirrors next, so off came the screens... I dismantled one mirror to mark up the hole positions easily - two to hold it to the strap, and one in the middle to allow easier adjustment of the mirror. I might well take this through the scuttle too if I decide not to go back to a full screen.
    I couldn't use the M6 screws I'd bought as they were too short so I'll be buying some slightly longer ones in due course, but the M5s were fine with a washer and some locknuts (I'd run out of domed nuts!
    It looks great, and all that was left was to screw the number plate to the nosecone. I just fixed it in the normal place with a couple of screws and nuts - I'm not too bothered about a couple of holes, and sticky stuff just falls off on me!
    So it's now all ready!
    Fingers crossed it sails through the MOT and then I can actually go and blat! I might even treat it to a (professional) service too...
    Once I've enjoyed it a bit, I want to get underneath again with a wire brush and some POR15 and cover up all the rust, as well as change the oil in the diff and gearbox, but those can wait for now!
  23. myothercarsa2cv
    The overheating issue turned out to be a stuck stat. Rather than replace it, I was lucky enough to pick up a PRRT setup for nothing. I ordered an extra bit of hose and some new jubilee clips, and carefully drained the coolant in to a *very* clean bucket. I had to butcher a couple of nice silicone hoses, but at least they were found on the cheap too!
    Butchering the stat was straight forward enough, using a hacksaw blade and a file made light work of that, and saved a useful tenner over buying a specific 'ring' to put back in the housing.
    Everything went well apart from running dangerously low on jubilee clips, when some of them turned out to be made of cheese!
    Thankfully no major dramas (for once) and I filled up the car with coolant. I only got a couple of litres in, but by this point was pretty bored of it all and came back to it the next day.
    When I came back, all the coolant had disappeared to places it was meant to be! I put the rest of the coolant in, and allowed it to settle again. It appears to be self bleeding!
    Firing up the engine found that it heated up and maintained a constant temperature of just above 80 degrees happily, but there was a slight leak from the radiator! It never rains...
    Rather than give Caterham the satisfaction of buying a new radiator, I whipped out some big ol' pliers and gave the crimps a good squeeze. Time was tight so I didn't get to see if my efforts were effective or not, and I packed up for the day.
    That was back in August 2011, and then I got married, went on honeymoon, moved house and started a new job so fast forward a few months and I'm back in the garage, armed with some new brake pads to replace the originals - some M1144s for the front, and standard for the back.
    I filed a chamfer in to each pad, and scrubbed the discs with oven cleaner and emery cloth. Swapping the pads seemed quite straight forward - however, I wasn't certain if the notches on the rear pads and caliper lined up - it's not easy to see!
    Next time I'm bleeding the system, I am definitely switching to flexible hoses at the rear - it's a nerve-wracking time trying not to bend or break the copper pipes!!!
    I didn't bother bleeding the brakes this time, I will do them again once I've had a proper go with them, but the car is nearly ready for it's first MOT!
    All that's left is fitting all the constituent parts of the Brooklands aero screens together and replacing the cracked windscreen for the test, and then it's off to the test centre for hoepfully an easy pass and a year of happy motoring!
    Once that's done and I've enjoyed it a little bit, I want to get all the suspension components re-powdercoated, and the rear basket coated in POR15 - the quality of the powdercoat on such a young car is quite shocking, and flaking off left right and centre.
    Nearly there!
  24. myothercarsa2cv
    I took Talloulah out for a run on a very hot day and she didn't overheat until we sat still. Which is half way there... It wasn't opressively hot so I suspect there's either some air in there or the stat has stopped working. I hope it's the former! Though, I've massaged until my arms felt like they were going to fall off...
    The brakes are still not great. I'm going to replace the pads and see if that makes any difference - they may have been contaminated with all the work I've been doing, and the brake bleeding disaster earlier on. Hopefully I'll be able to borrow Jake, who has the best pedal feel ever in his 7, too.
    It's sad to say, but I'm getting a bit fed up. I've missed most of the best weather, and I haven't seemed to have much luck. I don't have the time or money to carry on like this, so I have reached a fork in the road in my 7 owning life - do I carry on trying to do all these things in the knowledge I'll never be happy? Or do I sell it and come back to it later on? Getting married and buying a home would seem to favour the latter, we need something practical we can both drive without fear of it being in parts when we need it, and I can't justify 3 cars. And I sure as hell wouldn't sell on the 2CV - he was my grandfather's so that's not an option. It's quite upsetting even thinking about it, but it has to be done at some point in my life, and since I'm young it's not unlikely that I will return to 7 ownership in the near future!
    Choices choices...
  25. myothercarsa2cv
    One evening last week I decided that it was time to get the front crank seal sorted. With the 2CV off the road as well, I was without motorised transport and relying on my trusty single speed mountain bike.
    Everything came off quite easily, even the crank pulley! No screwdrivers required this time!
    On removing the pulley, it was immediately clear where the leak was coming from. A lip of seal was protruding, and, on removing the old seal, it was well and truly mashed.
    So in with the new seal! It went home a little way quite easily, and I spent the next couple of hours tapping it home ever so carefully. I gave up when it resolutely refused to go in any more, not quite flush with the pump body. It is in nice and tight though, so unlikely to go anywhere.
    I fired the car up, let it warm up a bit and took her for a spin! Mega oil pressure, 60 PSi all the time on throttle, and yep, no leaks!
    Still the minor problem of the overheating, and I think some more brake bleeding is required, but I'm almost there now!
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