261 replies to this topic

[Tonylamb]

very cloese to getting the car on the road. Bleeding the brakes. driver side rear leaks at the connection to the slave cylinder. Doesnt matter how much I tighten it. I'm wondering if the threaded part on the end of the brake pipe isnt long enough so won't tighten fully.

My other problem is that I can't get any fuel out of the tank. There was when I first started it and the fuel pump is clicking away. There is no fuel the tank side of the fuel pump which is a bit odd. Either there is an air lock or the little filter inside the tank is blocked. i've no idea how to get the filter out. Presumably its a fuel tank out of the car job. Any thoughts?

Once they are fixed its just a matter of dropping the car down of the jacks and tightening the front wheel bearings. I'm still trying to work out this idea of using a washer to tighten it all up before doing it without the washer properly. Then I can go for a short and careful test run.

[Tonylamb]

So I drove the car just down the road today to make sure the brakes were working and checking for any little obvious issues. These are my current things to think about.

1. oil pressure seems very high at over 70psi. It also stays at that pressure even at idle. I think the car has an adjustable pressure relief valve but presumably that would only adjust pressure at higher revs rather than idle. I only drove the car to the end of the road. It warmed up but I'm also assuming that the oil probably didn't get that hot. What should the hot oil pressure be at idle. On my other classic car the pressure drops to say 25psi at idle and then rises with engine revs?

2. The temperature gauge shows a steady temp over 90. this may of course mean the gauge needs adjusting or the car is running hot. Its a brand new engine and does need tuning. I dont want to run it hot at idle whilst tuning it. What should the engine run at temp wise and where is the best place to test it, engine, rad, one of the pipes.

3. engine runs on just a little bit after switching off. I'm running a pretty high compression ratio but I have put high octane fuel in it. No obvious pinking either. if the carb is rich would that cause running on? maybe the idle is a little high?

4. lastly the clutch seems to be making a real rattling noise. out of gear it rattles as soon as you depress the clutch the rattle stops. Thrust bearing? or something worse. The box has a close ratio set in in and straight cut gears. it was built by a really good guy so I doubt if he has done something wrong? its an orange diaphram so pretty ferocious on the left leg.

[Tonylamb]

So I've sorted out the oil pressure issue by shortening the spring on the oil releaf valve.

The car still seems to get hot if I leave it at idle. can you check if the fan is on the right way around and should there be a rubber skirt around the fan housing? There seems to be a gap which is allowing a lot of air to escape.

I've advanced the engine a bit because it was set at O advance at idle. to around 8 degrees. Doesnt seem to run on now. have also lowered the idle and re set the mixture with my colortune.

I've attached some stick on temperature gauges and the far end of the block around cylinder 4 does seem to get hotter.

Its probably not good for it to be getting hot at idle I'd rather take it for a run down the street to see if it gets hot but the weather is nasty.

[nicklouse]

fan smooth side to the engine. rubber skirt was from the cowling to the surround on the inner wing. 

 

you do have the right spacers fitted to position the fan correctly in the cowling?

[Tonylamb]

OK so the ruberr skirt goes the far side of the radiator between rad and inner wing.

 

I'm starting to think that the fan is round the wrong way.  Schoolboy error.

 

When you say the smooth side to the engine in this attached picture the side you can see upwards should go towards the engine???

Attached Files

•  mini cooling fan.jpg   39.45K   1 downloads

[Tonylamb]

Here is my car with if you expand the offending wrong way round fan.

Boll*#$a because it's a proper shag getting the fan out. Radiator will have to come out.

[Tonylamb]

Sorry forgot to add the pic

Attached Files

•  engine bay.jpg   57.8K   11 downloads

[nicklouse]

looks like you do have it the wrong way around. the old ones even say engine side on the smooth side.

[nicklouse]

you should also have a 4.5mm spacer between the fan and the drive cone.

[johnR]

you should also have a 4.5mm spacer between the fan and the drive cone.

He may already have that or the fan would contact the breather? 

[Tonylamb]

What a bell end putting the fan in the wrong way round.  Although as I said I'm relieved to find the problem.  

 

I don't have the spacer in but I do have one.  The fan was incredibly close to the radiator in fact touched it slightly without the spacer in.  What is the idea behind the spacer to get the fan blade closer to the rad.  It clears the breather no problem.  I have an aluminium radiator which seems a bit bigger than the standard item.

[nicklouse]

ok then you may not need the spacer. it is to position it well in the cowl as the airflow is generated mainly at the tips as it is a ducted fan so need to be in the cowling duct to work fully.

[Tonylamb]

So I've got the rad out and have turned the fan around with the proper space. I actually bought the spacer to use on the front wheel bearings. Its supposedly the right size to use as a washer to torque up the wheel bearings. Although I never used it for that. Lots of swearing getting the rad out in particular the bottom hose lol.

Tomorrow night putting it back in should be fun

[nicklouse]

bottom hose. always leave it attached to the rad. just disconnect from the water pump. way easier for removal and fitting.

[Tonylamb]

Correct the bottom hose was the big issue, plenty of mechanic level swearing LOL.  Couldn't squeeze it past the bottom of the fan surround.  eventually used a long screw driver to get it undone and pull it off then the rad came out no problem.  So I now have the fan round the right way.  Actually turned out that there was a nut missing from under the alternator which had become loose.  The fan belt wood have slipped like crazy.  So in a way this job has probably saved more problems later.  Its one of those mistakes you wouldn't make twice.

 

I put the spacer in between the fan and the water pump.  I'm hoping that it all fits that way otherwise it will have to come out again.  I'm also hoping I haven't damaged the engine by boiling it up.  I think I stopped it when it was getting hot so probably not.

 

Thanks for the help.