Got a new project, pictorial

[craigb]

Oscar, I really recommend a filter dryer to go on there. Ones with a regulator are readily available and really cheap, say $30. I also undo the drain on the bottom of the tank and just blow off any water there regularly. I figure it has to be better for the tank but it doesn't take much to do it every hour or so while you are working and using the compressor a lot. The filter drier I have just has a button on it that blows off the moisture.

The tyres I have are a Yokahama that is pretty grippy but still a road tyre. These are secondhand and came with a car I bought but I used this particular model probably 10 years ago when they were the bees knees without going to slicks. These work incredibly well compared to the good condition standard tyres that were on there. The equivalent today is a Yokahama C drive and I have them on our Pug and are equally impressive. About $150 for a 14 so not the cheapest tyre you will buy but really not expensive either and I think fantastic value for money. If you go to around $250 a tyre you will get Yokohama AO42 (think that is right) and that really is a slick with a few grooves in it to make it legal. Depends what you are looking for I guess. I started using a pretty standard tyre on my Alfa and learnt about the car and its movements and then moved to the Yokos and instantly shaved several seconds off my time and it was just nicer to drive but wasn't tempted to go further. Anyway, hope that thinking helps.

Was just examining a solex for the first time on the weekend. the main secondary butterflys (down the bottom) seem to be mechanical in operation and those top butterflys seem to be to ease the cutting in of them (I guess so it doesnt get a big gulp of air in one hit and die ). Free revving it hard I couldn't get them to open but on the road you could feel a real pulse when they finally cut in. we stopped and played with that top butterfly and sprayed a bit of inox and lanotec mix and on the way home Andreas said the pulse was gone but still pulled hard. Can't help more than that but it did look a bit complicated. I guess once you sort it all out it is not such a mystery. Interesting info from 13b on here somewhere when he gave me links to an adapter plate and the right holley. Cost was something like $100 but in the end i just did the gas thing.

[s class]

Good progress Oscar, you must be stoked.

I can only second what CraigB says about a regulator/trap combo.  Even a cheapo one is way better than nothing.  You must also install the trap some distance from the compressor (because the air is hot when it leaves the compressor, and cools down along the line, leading to condensation.  I have my compressor feeding 5m hose, after which is a combination trap/regulator.  Then another 3 or 4m hose to a cheap in-line trap mounted onto the base of the gun.  This setup was adequate even when I lived in a humid climate near the coast. 

[oscar]

Must admit, this motor is smooth as opposed to the problematic smoke blowing other two 280's I've had running and there was no smoke or choking exhaust in the garage.  It's a good start to have a motor that looks like it doesn't need new gaskets or rings to get running properly.

I'll be purchasing one of those filter dryers tomorrow, thanks for the tips guys.

sclass, my elcheapo plastic hose burnt a hole in itself on the compressor the first day I painted, so I got a decent 10m hose so I could leave the compressor in the shed.   But one thing I noticed is that it takes some fiddling and adjustment of the regulator to get the right BAR setting because of the stored pressure in such a long hose.  I read this in a book not to get a long hose and now I think with these cooler days we're getting there's plenty of opportunity to get moisture build up in there but oh well.  In line filter is the way to go.

Craig, what you say about the secondaries, I've found that the dashpot that has the perforated diaphragm shouldn't be much of a concern.  It dampens the secondary butterfly's motion to stop that big gulp of air but I'll not know what effect it's performance will be like untill we're on the track going up hill at 5000rpm's I reckon.  If the solex dies for some reason, I'll be able to install the holley from the red 280S.  For now I think all's not too bad with the solex. I think it's in good nic after all.

I've just been out and wired up the headlights and got them working except the left side rear and front parking lights.  I just want to get these panels done and bolted on and tinker with the motor.  BTW, got a little ambitious too this afternoon and bought 4L of the same white paint.  I'm going to repray the lot but will just tape over trim and chrome etc.  It's how the car's been painted before but good or bad, my respray will at least make the car the same hue of white.

[oscar]

Got another couple of coats of paint on the panels.  I wont be doing the whole car unless the panels work out ok.  I bought an elcheap as possible filter/regualtor.  I searched for good ones that were up around the $150 mark but not only were they not in stock at a couple of engineering places I went to, but SuperCheap had these plastic things for $17 usually $45.  I thought what the hell and bought it.  Seems to be working ok for the moment.  I couldn't find anything that attaches to the gun.

I also spent ages on the wiring but didn't get far, still haven't solved the non working LHS park light.  I also made the brackets for the fan.  I was going to do a full boxed shroud and thought I'd practice on some sheet metal off the wrecked bonnet.  Apart from being a little too small it weighed a tonne so I just made small brackets to support the fan which are ample.  Got the fan temporarily going for a test and it didn't move whilst the fan spun up and down.  Will take it apart again tomorrow for painting of a few parts amongst other things.  I'll start putting some serious thought on how I want the fan to switch on.  Works a treat but I reckon perhaps nothing outrageously more than the OEM engine mounted fan.

Oh BTW, you may notice the car has moved forward.  I put small 11's in the garage:D . I also remebered to put a new bonnet cable in.  Still have to fix sticky throttle though I haven't experienced it yet.

Video of the fan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0KejsXoFWE


Ok, the real video of the fan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMJGcaoagDU

[s class]

Very cool oscar (pun intended).  The first link is amusing, the second link is broken....

[oscar]

Damn, thanks for pointing that out sclass.  All fixed now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMJGcaoagDU

[nathan]

i 2nd ryans call.
that first vid is funny as hell, can only imagine how long you searched for that audio clip!

[oscar]

True, it took me just as long to put two sound clips together and match it to the movie as it did to put the fan in

More on the fan in a sec.  Finally went for a test drive this evening finally   I got jack of trying to get the paint perfect that I thought if I'm going to retouch the whole thing, might as well whack the panels on and go for a drive.  But there was more to it than that.  I've had two solid days working on the car and there's still so much to do.  A couple things I've learnt about the body stuff.  Again, suface preparation has such a big impact on the finish. Secondly, I can see why paying a pro is worth the money (presuming the pro is a pro in every sense)

Other things done today, replace brake caliper and pads on front right.  You've all seen the flatspot Cam created on the left side,  I thought it strange that there wasn't the same on the right front considering Cam stood on the brakes when skippy jumped out in front.  I've also noticed in the past couple of days some kind of liquid leaking on to the front right tyre.  Pulled the tyre off and sure enough, the caliper was leaking and coating the disc with fluid.  So I pulled a caliper from the brown 280 which was different so far as the pad pins and retaing spring was different, put a thick pair of pads in, washed the disc in petrol to clean it and it now works tops.  I also replaced both front tyres with ones of the red 280.  The last thing I did before the panels went on was replace the tie rod arm on the LHS.  I think my wheel alignment now needs adjusting

So now, the vids and pics -
The first video is of the test drive.  I'd be interested to hear what people make of the bunny hopping in 2nd gear in the "2nd takeoff".  Is it clutch, carby, something else??  It drives alright and although it sounds fantastic, she aint that fast i think, but I've yet to change anything, still haven't done timing let alone shed some weight.

The second video is the fan fully completed.  There was a relay already installed by an autoelectrician presumably when R134a was put into the a/c.  After searching for wires and thinking about what I was going to do I thought I'd try my luck with the wires previously attached to the aux fan.  At best it would activate when the a/c switch was on, maybe.  Better!!  The fan turned on when the ignition switch is turned to II   It's brilliant.  I mean, a stroke of luck really, I didn't have to rewire anything, just reattached the existing wires to a female plug I pulled off the brown 280's cruise control which clicked straight onto the male prongs of the fan.

Performance wise, without fan and at idle, the temp went to 96-100deg C.  With fan, it was below 80degC the whole time.

Test drive http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix4htFHawc8

Fan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU1D2UKzdJI

Close up of fan finished.  The gloss black I painted it with ended up hammertone   more to do with me cleaning the surface with thinners when the paint is actually acrylic.  Thought I would've learnt that lesson by now


A pic of the fan wire and the pulled apart plug from a cruise control actuator


Brake fluid on the inner right fron tyre


The reason there was no flat spot on that tyre.  Disc is coated with brake fluid


Replacement and bent tie rod


Blurry view from the front


Blurry side view. Hmm, we had friends come round just before this and commented how the colour scheme resembles that of a Lebanese taxi.  Smart asses.


Before the test drive - The young fella makes slight camber adjustments    Nah, he was removing the mudflap

[oscar]

Right, where were we.

It's been a month since I've done anything major to Povo but finally it's on the road kind of.  Tonight/tomorrow I'm going to take all the trim off and give it that once over white colour.  First thing I wanted to do before worrying about aesthetics was to make sure the engine was fine.

Yesterday the cam cover come off and everything bar the cam lobes was all lacquered up.  I've gone Castrol Edge Sport full synth 10W-60 and used Castrol Multitraxx for the transmission.   I've done a quick front wheel alignment which isn't perfect but good enough to take it out for a spin and try the gear changes again.  Have to say the seem faultless now.  Also found there's about 7-8deg chain stretch.  I think that's just about it's limit, so that will need to be replaced.   The ignition was too retarded as well so I set it at around 7degBTDC.  Made a hell of a difference.  I didn't adjust the tappets as the feeler gauge was tight.   Having done a botched job of the 350's valves the other day I decided to leave well enough alone.

Having replaced nearly all the fluids I just got thinking that the clutch is bathed in fluid too, I think.  Does changing the oil in the gearbox mean the same as changing the clutch oil?  Is it one and the same?  I've had nothing to do with MT's before.

Anyway, here's a vid of another test run with the engine timed and new oils.   Glorious sound from the m110

Video Link

[craigb]

Hi Oscar

Definitely a dry clutch. The only clutch fluid I know is that in the hydraulic system to operate it. Really interesting to hear the effect of the trans oil. Like I think I said earlier, I have heard of this sort of thing before a number of times and good to hear that particular one worked for you in this car. If the effect doesn't continue, I would still try another oil or 'shandy' (like I think Ian suggested) before I went to the effort and expense of stripping a gearbox just for synchros. The 'box itself is still solid until you start to hear bad whining etc for bearings, layshafts etc.

I had wondered about oils for myself and making the synthetic leap which all reports seem to be positive on.

[oscar]

Excellent, thanks for coming back on that.  Years ago during my teens I pulled a PTO clutch apart off a tractor to adjust it and that's the only thing I've ever had to do with servicing a clutch, but I remember it being bathed in whatever fluid it was supposed to be bathed in.  So I'm glad there's nothing to take care of here.  Clutch operation is good and yeah, definitely thumbs up on the gearbox, and after some running in, another change will be the way to go.

Re synth oil, (the forum's almost due for a regular oil debate ),   I was sold on the idea by Carl J plus the blurb on the oil companies' sites and haven't had any probs so far.    Basically I think whatever you use, as long as you change regularly she'll be right.   But I just wanted something to be thick enough for racing which I assume this 10w-60 will be, plus the internal cleaning process will start too.

[kolin]

Excellent, thanks for coming back on that.  Years ago during my teens I pulled a PTO clutch apart off a tractor to adjust it and that's the only thing I've ever had to do with servicing a clutch, but I remember it being bathed in whatever fluid it was supposed to be bathed in.  So I'm glad there's nothing to take care of here.  Clutch operation is good and yeah, definitely thumbs up on the gearbox, and after some running in, another change will be the way to go.

Re synth oil, (the forum's almost due for a regular oil debate ),   I was sold on the idea by Carl J plus the blurb on the oil companies' sites and haven't had any probs so far.    Basically I think whatever you use, as long as you change regularly she'll be right.   But I just wanted something to be thick enough for racing which I assume this 10w-60 will be, plus the internal cleaning process will start too.

oscar,when changing to synth oil you must do an oil flush.to remove the old detergents and ashes and various other chemicals as much as possible.
just run the engine for about 20 mins then replace again. apparently what happens if you dont, you get little balls of the old oil that float around and may change the fluidity  of the synth in certain parts of the engine, ie oil pump

[Screamin TE]

i know this would be considered sacrilidge and punishable by death, but have you considered a toyota supra 5 speed gearbox for the povo?

The iron case versions(as opposed to the alloy cased) are supposed to be virtually indestructable, also you would get a better spread of torque having that extra ratio.


Chris

[SELfor50]

i know this would be considered sacrilidge and punishable by death, but have you considered a toyota supra 5 speed gearbox for the povo?

The iron case versions(as opposed to the alloy cased) are supposed to be virtually indestructable, also you would get a better spread of torque having that extra ratio.


Chris

Chris, my friend... the beauty of this car is that, it's already got a manual gearbox!!!  The merc 4 speed should be pretty much bullet proof also.  I know if I was going to convert my 3 speed auto, i'd put a supra 5 speed in.. but for now it's not on the cards..

But for what this car's gone through, and going to go through I think the 4 speed will be spot on..cause once she's going on the track, only 2nd -4th will be used anyway.. overdrive won't really make a diff.. i don't think?!  could be wrong.. and 1st gear won't really be used.. 

My 2c..

[oscar]

Hi chris, I've always been interested to hear about possibilities for manual conversions assuming that a non benz box would be the way to go.   For me personally at the moment, as a beginner, I want to use the stock engine and manual trans combo with other mods along the way whilst keeping within a budget.  I haven't tested it on the track yet but like selfor50 suggests, I've got a feeling that the standard 4spd manual will do me for sometime in povo.  However, if I step up to a 450 down the track, I'd love to pursue a manual conversion like you suggest.  I would imagine it would be an expensive excercise though.  I'd have to pay pro's to do all the work, I wouldn't know where to start.