Santa arrives late!  In a yellow van?

Earlier in the week the final jobs that needed to be done (before the engine was fitted) were completed. The side grills were re-done and we are really pleased with the result (so much easier second time round), as you can see from the pic we also found a better way of securing the grills in position. The Accusump locating holes were also slotted to allow for some movement as sure enough when we went to fit the engine the oil pipe to the Accusump fouled the adaptor plate.  The oil temperature sender was also fitted to the sandwich plate (in the wrong position, read on...). The final job was also so sort out most of the wiring in the engine bay as the Stack dash requires additional earths for all of its senders. Two of these were taken from the Accusump earth and the other from the Chassis (same place as the earth for the MSD unit). I now think we are ready...

So the big day finally arrived (Friday 2nd January) and Chris was dead on time at around 9.00 am in the morning (who says Santa only delivers on Xmas day). The engine was unloaded with great precision and in a matter of minutes the engine was unveiled for the first time and guess what? It looked bloody fab (but then I would say that...).

Ok so where's that dyno sheet, here it is:

After perusing the dyno sheet for hours (well you have to get your figures right!) it was agreed that we seemed to have a bit of an animal...

504.3 FT/LBS @ 4200 RPM
519.5 BHP @ 6500 RPM

Rev limit set to a whopping 6800 RPM!

Enough of the excitement, time to crack on, first job on the list is to fit the spigot bearing, having heard a few horror stories about this we were a little apprehensive. Needn't have worried though with the bearing coming from the freezer and the end of the crankshaft heated (gently!) with a blow torch the bearing went in sweet as a nut. Ok , so what's next?

Well while Dad and Chris work on fitting the clutch and the adaptor plate my job is to fit the MSD unit to the rear bulkhead. This job is easy enough if you have four M5 Riv-Nuts (I had three!). The next three hours were spent trying to locate Riv-Nuts (absolutely no one seems to even know what they are!), eventually I managed to borrow a complete kit thanks to Mark and Richard (cheers guys). So fitting it is easy enough, using the unit itself four holes were made in the rear bulkhead, remember the rubber mounts are slightly bigger that the edges of the unit so leave a small gap around the edge of the unit. Also be aware that there is a diagonal cross member behind that bulkhead, say no more... Next the MSD unit needed to be wired up, the red (heavy) was connected to the alternator and the black was connected to the close by earth point on the chassis. the white wire on the Ultima loom (coil) was connected to the other red and the 'tach output' on the MSD unit was connected to the black/white wire (other side of coil). The other wires (orange & black and green & violet) were just loomed into position as one set goes to the coil and the other to the distributor.

Dad and Chris (who had been waiting for some time!) had already assembled the clutch, flywheel and adaptor plate and so say aligned the clutch (again read on!). Also the newly assembled oil filter/sandwich plate was offered into position (it didn't fit!), the problem being the newly added oil temperature sender was fouling on the block, this required some modifying but after some fettling we got it to fit (TIP: if you have a Stack dash don't fit the sender in the centre of the upper sandwich plate fit it some 5mm lower). With the engine mounts bolted to the engine we we're ready...

The engine hoist was positioned (the car needed to be raised a little first) and the engine was raised over the rear cross members (you wouldn't want to drop it now!) and slid towards the rear bulkhead. Once there it could be slowly and carefully lowered into the engine bay (watch the paintwork). With the engine at about the correct height it was time to try and get the engine bolts in, this proved easy for one side only, the other was slightly more difficult. After moving the engine around in various directions we still couldn't get the bolt in as it seemed to far out of alignment. After a little cursing/ shouting (that was me, sorry guys) Dad slackened the engine mounts on the engine and the bolt went home sweet as a nut (IT WAS IN!, yipppeee!). All the bolts were re-tightened and we all stood back and looked at our handy work...

At this point it was time for Chris to leave (thanks for all your help) and for Dad and myself to contemplate what was next, where's that gearbox. The gearbox was ready prepped by the boys at Ultima so all that needed doing was to fill the gearbox with oil (3.5 litres). This was duly done and the clutch fork was then positioned and held in place with and elastic band. Guess what, yes that's right it wouldn't go on, trust me we tried and tried but for love nor money would this box go on. Basically it would go all the way bar the last inch or so. Now to cut a long story short (about 6 hours) the clutch was not in fact aligned, because after it was re-aligned it went on first time and almost took my fingers with it (TIP: make sure it 's aligned). When we did it a second time the alignment tool was left in position while all the bolt were slowly tightened (about half a turn at a time) until the bolt could be finally torqued up (this worked for us!, gotta be time for beer...).  NOTE that the top left stud on the adaptor plate is too long once the gearbox is slid fully home, you will need to either fit the nut before the gearbox is fully home or cut it down by about 5mm as we did.

After a little celebration it was time to continue, the starter motor was fitted next, closely followed by the clutch slave cylinder. The clutch cable /pipe was the connected up with just about the right length of pipe left. the support bracket was next on the list and this went on easily and lifted the gearbox and engine nicely into position. With the gearbox mounts tightened it was time to step back and admire our handiwork, it was looking very good indeed. Finally the drive shafts (fantastic looking items too!) were fitted with some thread lock again with no problems, these were then all torqued up and it was another good job done.

Well what a great weekend lots of work done and pleased with how it's gone.  Next weekend it's time to start plumbing the engine in (water, fuel, electrics etc), maybe the following weekend we get to press that big red starter button (scary, huh!).  One last job before I go is to fit what has to be the Ultimate accessory...

Almost there...

Unfortunately I didn't get much time on the build this weekend as we had a wedding to go to (tut!, no consideration some people! Even may father was on holiday, outrageous!). Managed to get some time in on Sunday though and got a few jobs done. First up was the fitment of the water hoses both for the engine and the heater system. The blue silicone hoses as supplied by Ultima are just the job and look great. The drivers side assembly was fitted first and with a little washing up liquid/water solution it went on easily. I actually assembled the complete assembly first (two silicone pipes & one ally angled adaptor) and then fitted that to the car (don't forget those jubilee clips first!). With the jubilee clips tightened it was time to move on to the other side.

The passenger side was a simple pipe cut to length (I cut it approximately first then adjusted it to length after a trail fitment) once again this was aided by the solution described above. The heater hoses were connected up next the upper of the two hoses (i.e. the one with the valve in it (check passenger side pod)) is connected to the upper connection on the engine the other is connected to the water pump housing. I cut the ends to length with a proper hose cutter (thanks Geoff) to ensure the end wasn't ragged.

The other major job that I also managed to do was to final fit the oil pipes, as these had all been left 'finger tight' until now. The pipe that contains the 'T piece' is the pipe that connects to both the Accusump and the rearmost (closest to the engine/left) connection on the oil filter sandwich plate. All were then tightened with spanner covered in tape to protect the anodised ends. After that the cable for the oil temperature sender (STACK only) was connected up.

Numerous other jobs were also done, the alternator was connected up (if you can't find the terminals it's because they're hidden under a rubber cover that needs to be removed).  So next weekend should be a biggie, we hope to have the engine up and running on Sunday (fingers crossed), until then....

P.S. As it was Xmas I treated myself to a number plate:

She takes here first breath (thanks to Renault)...

After some 15 months the big weekend had finally arrived, hopefully on Sunday we were to start the engine for the first time. Saturday saw engine preparation start late at around 1:00pm due to other commitments (Happy Birthday Derek), but things went well.

First up was the fitment of the water temperature sender. This had to be heavily modified to as the Stack sender is somewhat different to the normal Ultima Sender. One of the plugs from the side of the block was removed and along with the Stack sender was sent back to the boys at Ultima. Upon its return the plug had been modified to allow the sender to be screwed into I, allowing the whole new assembly to be just screwed back into place (cheers guys!). the appropriate wire were connected and it was onto the next sensor.

The oil temperature sender was next on the agenda, the adaptor supplied by Ultima also had to be modified due to the fact it was just a little too large and fouled on the inlet manifold (thanks the Mark for turning down to 18mm). This was then screwed into position with some PTFE tape, then the oil temperature sender could be screwed into the side and the low oil pressure sensor for the Accusump could be screwed into the top (again using PTFE tape). The wires were then connected up appropriately. While in the vicinity we also bolted the coil adaptor bracket into position on the chevy adaptor plate, after first screwing the coil to the bracket using the fixings supplied. Also the distributor was also connected up and then all the new wires were loomed into a tidy position. Next the choke was connected, just a matter of extending the cable and connecting it up (easy enough!). The join in the starter motor cable (that we had to extend using one of the earth straps) was first covered in some thick black shrink sleeve and then the whole extension piece was the covered in some red shrink sleeve.

Next up was the accelerator cable bracket etc. This was easy enough to fit but we felt it important to get a good straight pull on the cable. To do this easily we removed about 10mm from the end of the supplied rose joint and this allowed us to get a really good angle. Please note that the end of the cable is connected to the outside of the bracket on the carburettor (we packet the middle with a few washers). Ensure that once you have connected up the cable you are in fact not applying any tension/throttle this can be adjusted by using the two nuts either side of the rose joint.
 

Down to the last couple of jobs now and first up is to fir the final length of fuel hose from the filter to the carb. This was cut to length (I deliberately left it slightly longer to allow for a good curve and plenty of play in the pipe) and connected up with no bother. Finally the gearbox earth strap could be fitted, this was connected to one of the bolts on the gearbox and into the pate on top of the rear suspension mount.

It was now time to get the exhaust on, a job I was really looking forward to, but had heard a few stories about. Te drivers side manifold/header went on ‘sweet as a nut’ although the bolts are a little difficult to get to (don’t forget those gaskets by the way!). The drivers side was far more awkward due to the fact that the dipstick is in the most ridiculous of places. Basically there is now way the manifold will go on until you have modified the dipstick, some say it can be twisted (well we couldn’t). So we ended up having to bend it (not a lot) in numerous places in an attempt to get it into a position were it would come up between the head and the pipes. With this now done we found that the dipstick would now not sit down correctly due to the top being that much wider (i.e. the bit you hold on to). Again with further mods to the dipstick itself we were finally happy and the manifold could go on and it did. Next up were the silencers and the mounting bracket (lovely bit of kit this), this all went on without a hitch. The whole lot was assembled first in order to check the fit, this then enabled us to position the two holes that need to be drilled in the rear chassis rail to support the bracket. This bracket is supported on some rubber ujs and a couple of aluminium brackets. Once happy with the fit the holes were drilled and tapped and then the assembly was bolted up tightly (job done!).

That was the end of Saturday (about 10:30pm) and a damn fine days work had been done. There should now be no reason that we can’t go for an engine start tomorrow…

So the big day is here, first job of the day is fluids namely coolant and oil. First up was about 20 litres of coolant (50% antifreeze), this was poured slowly into the top of the swirl pot not forgetting to open the heater valve first! Next up was the oil and we added 6 quarts to the engine and a further quart to the oil cooler (we also knew that the oil filter was already full). With both the oil and coolant now in the engine it was time to start thinking about the fuel.

This was job that we were not looking forward to as to calibrate the Stack dash requires us to have some 40 litres of fuel around!! It was this little job that would end up costing us about 4 hours (NOT HAPPY!). I wont go in to any detail now, all I can say that after 4 hours we still had failed to calibrate the Stack dash correctly and we now had 10 litres of Shell Optimax in both tanks. Having now spopke to Dave at Ultima I now know that the ‘Reading’ display on the dash has now correlation to Litres! (it’s just an arbitrary number) oops! Will talk more about calibration in next update.

SO LETS START THIS ENGINE THEN…
With fuel in both tanks we first checked to see if the pumps were pumping fuel. As the right hand side pump was switched on the noise changed as the fuel began to work it’s way around the fuel system up to the carb. A quick check under the car (thanks Nettie) revealed some small amount of liquid on the floor (it was fuel!). One of the connections on the one way valve was slightly loose, once tightened it was time to try again. This time we let the pumps run a little longer and checked foe any leaks, looking good, no leaks. Ok lets press this big red button, whirr, whirr, click, click, click… Ok ignition off, it seemed as though the starter motor didn’t want to engage. So we loosened the starter motor nuts rotated the motor a little (as there is some play/adjustment in the flange) and re-tightened them. Whirr, whirr, click, click (£%$$%*&”!). A few more tries and the result was the same, you could see the engine try to turn but then the starter just seemed to give up. We tried a charger on the battery next and this suggested that the battery was fine (later we found the battery charger was in fact US!) The last straw was to attempt a jump start in an attempt to give the starter all the power it could need. So the trusty Megane was called in and the cables were connected up.
 

Whirr, whirr, whirr, whirr… (no clicking, just need a little more revs, Nettie!)

Whirr, Roooooaaaaar!!!! (she’s a runner!)

Now if I could swear on this website I would now burst into obscenities as that seems to be the only way to describe this engine! Trust me you would never want to meet this baby down a dark ally…

The rest of the day was spent checking and adjusting idle etc. A water leak was discovered as the engine supplier had not re-tightened the coolant drain plugs! Although this was quick solved. Another couple of quarts of oil was also added to the engine.

Later Geoff came round with his son Kristian and I think they were suitably impressed. I will leave you with a few piccies and there final words, until next weekend James…

The last weekend...

So the last weekend is finally here, here's what we've been up to so far. Saturday discovered a small oil leak coming from a plug in the sump and upon attempting to tighten it, it was found not to tighten! Not good and after talking to Gail at American Speed we were now looking to replace the plug with another with more of a taper. A ½" NPT plug was required (could we find one?) we ended up settling for a ½" BSP which seemed to be fine (we will see)… As a word of advice to other builders I would suggest checking all plugs/drains on the engine before you install it in the car (could save you a lot of time, we've just lost about 4 hours!).

The rest of Saturday was spent fitting the rest of the gear linkage and this took some time to get it right. The rear linkage need to be threaded to mate up with the lower thread in the Porsche G50 gearbox shaft, this ensures a good solid fitment with very little play. The problem is that you cannot thread the top part of the linkage as you would never pick up on the lower thread in the gearbox shaft. The solution was to first drill right through the Ultima controlling arm (7mm) and then open the top out to 8mm (this will then allow a tap to be used). The linkage was then connected up and the holes carefully aligned (we used the 7mm drill). The tap could then be inserted into the top section, threaded through the lower Porsche section and the final section could then be tapped thus ensuring a perfect pick up once reassembled. This worked like a dream and after the final section had been shortened numerous times (to ensure equal travel on the front lower rose joint) we were done and the bolt was finally tightened for the last time. The last job of the day was bleeding the clutch ready for the first drive; this was aided by the use of a Brake Bleeder Kit (DemonTweeks (Part No. 3432-1)).

On Sunday morning we bled the brake system using the kit above. Each calliper was bled twice to ensure that there was no air in the system. With this done and a quick test to see that both front and rear brakes were working we were ready for our first drive (or so we thought!).

So there I was sat in the car with big LOUD noise rumbling behind me and with great trepidation I depress the clutch for the first time to be greeted with a knocking sound coming from the gearbox ($£%$%&!), I try again (gently!) and exactly the same, something is indeed awry. What on earth was the problem? We knew the clutch worked as we had tested it earlier. After much head scratching and a few choice words and disappointing sighs we think we had a possible answer. We seemed to have too much clutch travel (as the noise only occurred at the bottom of the clutch pedal). The only adjustment available was the actuating arm on the clutch master cylinder, this could be wound in and out. We guessed ours was too far out! This found me upside down and head first in the footwell, attempting to adjust the clutch and after a few more choice words I had adjusted the pedal about an inch.

It was time for a retest and after paying a quick visit to the toilet first, it was time to try that clutch pedal again. It went to the floor without a hitch, ok lets try a gear… I selected what I thought was first and slowly let the clutch out (WE MOVED!), sad it may sound but this was a momentous occasion and all of the worries were suddenly banished and that GTR smile returned…

The rest of Sunday was spent fitting the breathers (engine & gearbox) although I didn't get that far and work was to continue on Monday! (I have this week off (yippee!) to ensure the car goes back to Ultima complete (fingers crossed)). The breathers themselves went on without too much bother with the rivets supplied. The pipes however was something that I had always wanted to improve upon after seeing Brian Stanleys car (thanks mate!). Some over-braiding had been used to cover the somewhat dull rubber hosing normally used, this looked great, all that was needed to finish it of was some nice anodised ends. Thanks to DemonTweeks again for both the braiding (OB75) and the anodised ends (FMB1005). As Monday was coming to a close a few other jobs were crossed of the list; the gear knob was fitted and looks good and the front canopy was final fitted.

The work will continue for the rest of the week and I aiming for daily updates. Ultima will be here to collect the car at 8:00am on Friday 30th so I better get…

bye…
 

One more day to go...

Tuesday was spent fitting the rear wing to the GTR , lovely bit of Kit it is too. Unfortunately the wing itself had a small problem with it. One of the inserted threads in the underside of the wing was damaged and as a result the rose joint could not be threaded into it (we didn't want to force it…). After a quick chat with Andy it was decided that we would fit the bracketry (the most difficult bit) and Ultima would fix/fit the wing itself (the easy bit!). Andy sent us a small sketch with some dimensions on it to help (and it did), although we derived our own dimensions (they were very similar).

First job was to find the centre line of the car at the rear, not an easy task. This was done by taking a measurement from the inner edge of the rear lights. The relative hole positions (4 off) could then be marked and checked. Once we were happy that the positions were correct the 4 holes were drilled using a 4mm drill and then opened out to 8mm using a stepped drill.

Once the holes were drilled the main wing support brackets could be fitted. The brackets are supported from below with some aluminium brackets that connect to the rear canopy support braces. 'Low and behold' when these were now fitted to the underside of the main brackets the lower holes lined up nicely in the centre of the support braces (result!).

Drilling these was to be a little more difficult though. The first hole is easy enough the fun starts when you realise that you need to get a nut on the back and the brace is about 3" deep and you need to get a socket on that! After the first hole was drilled 8mm again using a stepped drill a normal 8mm drill was used to punch all the way through to the other side. This was then opened out to 20mm using another stepped drill. The washer and nut could now be positioned (careful don't drop anything down inside of there use some 'BlueTack'). With that done the holes in the support brace were covered up with a grommet that was glued into position.

Today Wednesday was spent mainly doing odd 'n' sods. The side luggage container covers were fitted after a little fettling. The windscreen wiper was fitted, as was the gear knob. Lots of other tidy up jobs and checks were also made. We also started on the final job of the rear grill. A cardboard template was made first and once we were happy with that the grill itself could be cut. This was done using a 6mm chisel (another trip to B&Q!). The exhaust surrounds were then bonded to the rear grill using some 'SikaFlex'. The grill is now living in the airing cupboard after having received many coats of paint.

Tomorrow we fit it (is that really the last job?)…
 

It's finished, but Ultima cancel...

On Thursday I got the call from Ultima that due to the bad weather the car would now not be collected until Wednesday of next week...

Thursday was spent fitting the rear grill which is now in place as you can see from the pics below.  We also spent a great deal of time calibrating the Stack dash for the twin fuel sender setup of the GTR.  Although it's not nice having to play with 40 litres of fuel (even if it is Optimax).  This seemed to go well though as on testing both senders seemed to give a sensible reading matching what was in the tanks.  The rear canopy was finally fitted back into position and the car was now complete.  15 months of blood, sweat and tears have gone into this project and it really now seems as there is no more to do (I think my father and I deserve a pat on the back, well done guys).

I will leave you with a couple more pics until next Wednesday when we try again.