T40 Nightmare!!!

[Matty Winslade]

After 3 days of messing about I finally turned the nova over after putting the dellortos on !! so me and my mate manage to find a decent idle and checked for leaks etc ! Then I took to out round the car park and it's running very poor (which is acceptable as I'm going to get it all jetted and dyno'd soon). Anyway I noticed a squeeling and the alternator belt is running on the lowering bracket so I need to raise the alternator and get a smaller belt (why do people say I'll need a larger one ) and also I noticed that it's getting ridiculously hot .....when I filled up with coolant i put about 3.5 liters in and the header tank was full :s !! there is a problem there !
So questions are
1)anyone had the belt problem and had to use a smaller one?
2) what could be causing it to get hot quickly ??
And
3) did anyone else get furiously frustrated fitting these ??

It's going to Tom Airey soon but before that I need it driveable but it idles all over the place intermittently and it's slow and stuttering at low revs and picks up after 2500 !!
HELL

[comptoncj]

1) There is a similar thread about this that was started a week ago, cant remeber the belt size that was suggested though, think it is 864mm

2) Did you allow the cooling system to self bleed and make sure the fan cuts in before driving it?

3) Yes mine annoyed me until they were set up but the noise makes up for it!

[mk1nova_rich]

1) you need an early type alternator with the smaller pulley to use with the lowering bracket. I have one here if you need one...

2) the cooling system has an airlock or blockage in it somewhere

3) don't know lol

[peester]

you have to expect with cars things never go smoothly; or at least not often.. especially with a more major modification , such as twin carbs..
Thats your answer to question 3, anyway..
Take it steady, yeah youre going to want to get in and enjoy as soon as poss, of course.

[Matty Winslade]

Of course I did expect a few snags !! :(
My car is a 1990 1.4 MK1 SR ,it's alternator is a delco remy item !! So you say there is A different type :s it's fouling the bracket by a good centimeter or so :( and yeah I've squeezed all the hoses and it shows in the header tank but the level won't go down :( so obviously I rather get a smaller belt (if there is such an item ) but I may take you up on that offer rich :( !! also ...it whistles a bit when I put my foot down and I can hear a knocking noise ..which I assume is my alternator smacking agains the bulkhead :( I love my car but it does test my patience sometimes lol

[mk1nova_rich]

Yeh I tried a lowering bracket on a 1988 SR and that had needed the smaller alternator pulley as it was fouling... got a 1984 12ST in pieces in the shed which has the required alternator, possibly the belt too...