Yes, it is me, I still haven't manage to find any footage of my car in action.Quote:
Originally Posted by calibra-keith
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Yes, it is me, I still haven't manage to find any footage of my car in action.Quote:
Originally Posted by calibra-keith
Shopping list-:Quote:
Originally Posted by novarally
In car camera
Maybe Colin?
/\ weight.....
colin has lightened the whole car, sometimes by grams..
Quote:
Originally Posted by mowgli
Found this
http://www.spytechs.com/spy_cameras/fly-cam.htm
Ultra light weight 30grams! Used on rc helicopters
too heavy.... he even has to go for a slash before each run just to make sure....
:thumb: lolQuote:
Originally Posted by mowgli
Small update, as there are lots of ongoing jobs on the car at the moment, and not a lot of them are finished.
Over the last few days I got around to sorting out the rocker cover. Ever since I got this Nova, the rocker cover gasket has leaked, and has been replaced several times.
It's the old cork type gasket as used with the metal smallblock rocker covers, which are clearly just terrible at sealing. I have to tighten the bolts down after every race (less than 40 seconds sometimes), as they just come loose.
So I've now changed to the later style plastic rocker cover which has the rubber 'O' ring style gasket;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...cort/001-7.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/003-43.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/002-40.jpg
You can see where I've modified it to fit the breather unions in to the top, and where some bits of plastic have been welded onto the inside of the cover to act as splashguards to stop oil going directly out of the breathers.
The eagle eyed may spot that the splash guards have been cut out of an Ecotec engine cover..........
With a splash of paint and a bit of carbon fibre cut for it, it looks quite presentable;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/004-36.jpg
Hopefully this will solve my leakage problem..........and the plastic rocker cover is over 200g lighter than the aluminium one, so it's all good.
And I've also fitted one of those 'Aero' wipers, which was all of 40g lighter than the previous wiper blade;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/005-30.jpg
Every little helps I suppose!
I'm currently relocating the battery to the passenger footwell, and upgrading the battery cables at the same time as they were a bit weedy in my view (and the view of others too).
I'm also taking the opportunity to wire in an Anderson plug so I can start the car each time off a slave battery, and save discharging my ultra lightweight and very small race battery.
I am not happy about the weight being added, but it has to be done to aid reliability.
The revised front brakes should be with me next week, the other major job which is in progress is (again!) fitting the wide rear arches.
I'm also waiting on some different 15" wheels for the front, as I sold the Compomotive MO's which I was using. The plan long term is to have a set of 15" split rims made to my requirements, assuming that I am happy with the gearing after the change to a 4.18 final drive.
looking great colin, are you allowed to ditch the wiper all together and just run rain-x or at least remove the arm for dry runs?
How does that windscreen look from inside, as i can see a few slight scratches on it, my plexi rear window has some scratching and it gives a haze glare etc..
Looks like your really starting to get things together now mate, just a quick question, what was the start weight of the car when you bought it, and what has it decreased to now?
Scott
Good shout on an Anderson setup :thumb:
colin, i can't remember if you run an alternator or not?
No, the wiper arm has to be there at all times.Quote:
Originally Posted by lee303
The windscreen has been polished to try and get some of the scratches out, and it's not too bad, but now looks worse after it got sprayed with brake fluid when the pressure valve failed!Quote:
Originally Posted by scott.parker
The screen is on the 'to be replaced' list, but I can't justify the expense right now. It's £250+ for a new one.
I'm going to hold fire until I strip the whole car for re-painting, and then I will bond in a new screen and do away with the heavy rubber.
When I got the car it was 614kg (if memory serves correctly), and now it is roughly 565kg, subject to a final weighing when it all goes back together again, and my scales come back from being loaned out yet again!
Nope, no alternator.Quote:
Originally Posted by mowgli
Yeah a scrutiner at SCRW told me you can buy a polish for perspex/plex/ploy windows to help stop/reduce it etc, cant remember the name of it though, and I'm contemplating replacing my rubber with bounded and a few screws etc, and maybe same for the rear 1/4's as i weighed the car today, needs a diet i think 800kg with halth tank fuel no driver.
Scott
This is the stuff a lot of people use;Quote:
Originally Posted by scott.parker
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Plastic-Polish...item2554b9d4a1
I did have some of this polish, but the bodyshop who I used for the polishing job managed to lose it (!).
In the end they did it with a very fine cutting/polishing compound on an electric mop. It came up really well, obviously you've got to be very careful not to burn/scratch the surface.
Thats the stuff..
Cheers Colin.
Scott
Brasso works really well too.
Would a magneto based ignition setup save weight over the battery/dizzy/coil? Would one be suitable for your motor Colin?
it only needs enough power for about 5 mins running then it can be recharged.
Last week's photos, getting ready to go off to the National Championships meeting at Gurston Down;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/020-18.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/021-17.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/022-14.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/023-11.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...cort/024-9.jpg
Lack of time prevented any painting of the rear arches, and as you can see there's still some work to do to sort out the finishing off of the rear arches.
I've got some carbon fibre front wings and bumpers coming, so long term the plan is to strip and repaint the whole car (over the Winter).
Thursday night last week was spent fitting some ARP rod bolts, and on the way to Gurston I called in to see BTEC Racing who raised my rev limit to 8,000.
Along with the change to a 4.1 final drive, I was confident that this would allow me to get away with 2 or 3 less gear changes over the course.
Saturday morning practice seemed to bear this out, seeing some new quickest times and higher speed readings, so very happy.
Unfortunately as I approached the finish line in the early afternoon, there was a sudden drop in power..........
I was sure the head gasket had failed. We ran a compression check in the paddock (85, 110, 100, 125psi), so there was a fair bit of variation between cylinders.
We whipped the head off, to find there was no sign of head gasket failure, and nothing obvious amiss with the valves or pistons.
So now it has to be investigated further.
It would appear that the sudden loss of power is something else unconnected with the compression readings.
Very disappointing, as weather conditions on Sunday were perfect, and I know I could have taken a battle to the leading Minis.........those 2 went on to re-set the hill record 4 times yesterday afternoon!
A mate who races in quarter mile said to me anything close to 4.0 fd is about perfect for very fast acceleration and no more then around 100mph top end.
But i don't think i would want that on my xe really...
Colin thats a massive shame to here after getting it going well that something unexplained has gone and stopped you from finding it's potential, i guess these things happen as really your still testing it after getting changes made.
Hope its nothing to drastic though.
Scott
check the piston heights.. you might have bent the rods..
Some other bits I did last week........
Re-sited the race battery and made a quick release bracket for it;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/003-44.jpg
And fitted an Anderson plug so that I can start the car from a slave battery and save draining the tiny race battery;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/005-31.jpg
Acquired a carbon fibre bonnet (trial fit in these photos);
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...cort/001-8.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/002-41.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/004-37.jpg
The internals of the bonnet will be cut out to leave me with just the carbon outer skin.
lol how much for the bonnet as it is now??
The insides of the bonnet now cut out, and roughly fitted to the car;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/004-38.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...cort/001-9.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/002-42.jpg
The start of the Intercooler Spray System (awaiting delivery of a missing nozzle!);
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/003-45.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/007-28.jpg
Too late Scott, I've got it on the car as you can see!Quote:
Originally Posted by scott.parker
I'm delighted, it's saved me 1.5kg compared to the fibreglass bonnet.
Yes i was quick to ask there..lol
No worries, i was just being cheeky.
Scott
The internals of my engine..........first time I've ever seen inside it as well;
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/005-32.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ort/006-33.jpg
Note the liners inside the bores and rather small pistons.
The only consolation of this disaster is that it makes getting at the starter motor and block oil breather so much easier.
So I've taken the chance to replace the starter motor with a Z18XE one (same weight, but geared to make starting easier), and I'm revising the crankcase breather to the later GSi style one.
I've also taken the opportunity to replace some of the old water hoses buried under the inlet plenum with some silicone ones.
Whilst the head is off I will also be doing some measurements on the pistons to see if there's any chance of getting a 16v head on there one day.
Thanks to Mowgli for his research on small GM 16v engines around the World!
are the carbon front wings and bumper your getting going to be one full piece and will you be cutting out the holes on the carbon bonnet ?
dont suppose you know if any ones found or taken video of it yet ?
The carbon front wings and bumper are dsigned to be fitted as one piece and removed all as one. I'm going to be getting them next week so I will post up some photos.Quote:
Originally Posted by calibra-keith
I'm probably going to leave the bonnet as it is, I don't need the extra cooling vents, and less holes in it will mean more strength, as it's pretty flimsy as a single skin!
My friend got a video of me on the startline on his mobile phone, so I'll get him to load it up and post a link on here soon.
colin, as the cutouts prove, the 1600 head is 'too big', so getting 4 little cutouts would be doable...
Just got off the phone to Andrew Bradley (BTEC Racing) who built my Nova and the engine in it.
He's wondering whether the problem could be down to the hydraulic lifters pumping up as a result of the new revs (8k).
I'm out of my experience here, so who knows FACTS about the rev capability of standard lifters, and whether this could explain my sudden loss of power (and the fact that it subsequently ran ok again at idle and revving it up in the paddock).......
There doesn't seem to any leakage on any of the boost hoses, which was one of my possibilities.
I still have to check the fuel pressure in case there is any problem there.
PS - my bore size measures 70.5mm
i believe thats my old bonnet, was waiting for an update to see what it looks like
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2230604_n.jpg
I'd imagine the lifters are struggling at that rpm, possibly best to get some solids in their Colin.
Will catch up on the thread when I get home as looks like you have had one or two problems !
maybe in the short term, they could do with a good clean & the oil replaced in them, cos it doesn't drain out with the rest of the engine oil when you change it..
but i'd imagine you are at the limit on hyd. lifters
i have always been led to believe the rule of thumb for limit of hydrulics was 7750 and anything around 8k was a job for solids!