Ticked off.

Not as in angry man. Some jobs are done! 

Design and fit new diff cover for fuel hoses. Designed and still doesn't fit. It's painful, I have been making it harder by not removing silencer boxes first but I felt I needed the full exhaust in place to help with location.

I bet BMW and Mercedes don't use Rice Crispies boxes to help with pattern making for suppliers!

It's had a few trial fits - I'm getting closer. I do a bit and then put it down for a few days until I feel inspired enough again to have another go.

Send electronic accelerator pedal to AK to make up pedal box

This was sent with Mr Kellogs cardboard pattern above to AK who turned it around lightening fast along with making diff cover v3 and so I had it back with pedal box.

Above you can see the pedal box along with the Corvette 'gas ' pedal in situ. Managed to use the brake booster studs to locate accelerator pedal too with a little bit of fettling of the accelerator pedal bracket to allow nut to seat properly. Works a treat. 

Was a bit more challenging to get it fitted into the car body. Much sweat, bruised ribs from lying on side on transmission tunnel and general shouting (I hate you might have been aired once or twice) trying to get them fitted whilst opening up holes with drill extension above my head, upside down on one of the hottest days of the year in the drivers footwell. 

It's in. I forgot to take a photo of the accelerator pedal being in too. The pain was too much and I had to walk away!

The brake booster has been heat protected with special tape - although given that it's a vacuum in there and it's a vacuum being refreshed by the engine intake all the time it seems a bit overkit but someone else did it and I thought it was a good idea too

Just got to pop nylocks on and then fit the cladding, open up the cable hole at bottom and that bit is done. One of the less enjoyable tasks!

Replace rubber washer in polo heater valve - done and I will cover in a separate post as it's an important one for IVA rule conformity.

Gear lever position has been approximated and gear lever with correct detents (indents to you or I- the bits that lock he lever into position) for my transmission has been ordered from the States.

Whilst I could have had a go doing this myself it's a really important part that if I muff it up will leave us stranded somewhere or just look homemade in a highly visible focal point of the car. 

Fit engine bay cladding

Started and have since chatted to AK to find out best order for doing this so need to find some weekend time to do the rest.

Fit heater matrix into body

Have had a test measure and another chat with Job about locating this as I really don't want to make a mistake with this. Will have a go when I get back outside for a good stint.

Next in the task list

The list of things that need doing before I can get the body ready to go on are these:

Design and fit new diff cover for fuel hoses

Relocate the coil packs (see below)

Modify engine loom and re cover

Send electronic accelerator pedal to AK to make up pedal box

Replace rubber washer in polo heater valve

Measure and triangulate locations for the body cut outs for fuel filler and sender in the boot.

Same for gear lever position

Fit engine bay cladding

Fit heater matrix into body

So for the coil packs - they are not that attractive on top of the valve covers but more importantly I've already melted one of the spark lead boots where it touched the headers.

The IVA test won't like this so I need to move the coil packs and make up some different leads with a better routing away from the headers.

So lots to do in the coming months!

Bits and bobs

Lots of little post start up jobs to complete before I can seriously look at getting the body on.

Exhaust needs sealing up - the headers to main tubes first

Using Holts Firegum exhaust sealant that goes semi hard when heated up. Smear a good section over the male pipe being careful not to check any down the tube or on top edge as I don't think the cats will like it.

With the exhaust clamps tightened up a little bit squeezes through the petals showing what I think is the right amount to get a good seal.

Both sides are done. 

I'm not doing the other join yet until I've finished fiddling around with the fuel line cover under the differential at the rear. The standard AK one isn't fitting well - not an issue with the part more that my unique configuration is causing non standard fitment issues. So I've mocked up in cardboard the new shape / profile and will send the old one back to AK with the mock up to get a custom one made. Whilst it's not an IVA must have, the fuel line does pass less than an inch away from the exhaust line at the junction with the swirl pot so I would rather have some shielding in there.

See photo of old one.

Other tasks done.

Air intake. I've cleaned up the slot in the intake tube and made the bolt holes and threads for the Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF). 

I've modified the bung to take countersunk bolts as opposed to the normal method of welding on.

I've made a temporary rubber grommet which I might actually remake as a permanent part - originally I was going to use araldite metal bond to permanently fix the bung onto the stainless but now I'm thinking a rubber grommet or gasket will be more forgiving on the fitting.

MAF in situ. 

Next up the final hose clamp for fuel lines. Now I have resolved leaks, know that adequate fuel is getting to the engine  even with only a couple of litres in the tank there's enough gravity feed I can make the fuel lines a permanent fix. Look at where they run over the chassis rail and under the differential I've managed to reuse a hole that also anchors the nearside rear brake line. 

A longer bolt and good planning means the brake line is attached followed by fuel feed and return line and importantly the fuel lines cannot chafe on the chassis rail, nor on the brake line and all is secure. Hopefully leading to a happy IVA tester.

It is going to be interesting getting to this bolt if I ever have to change the lines once the body is on!

It's still alive...

Clearly rendered speechless by the fact the engine actually started, the last post was a bit lacking in content.

So, review time. The engine starts, it runs. There's one code in the computer at the moment which indicates too higher voltage from the oil pressure sensor. There is oil pressure so I'm not too worried at the moment - I've got a mechanical oil pressure sensor to double check - just waiting for an adapter to arrive. Then probably a case of getting a new sensor. That it in the below photo with the blue grey locking clip.

Whilst we are on that photo I also rigged up the brake vacuum booster... Above shows the vacuum connector from the intake plenum, I've shortened the feed hose as now the engine is in a right hand drive car the line needs to double back on itself. From there it passes through a sensor and then to the brake booster hose. I've borrowed a bit of the old transmission cooler line to jury rig. 

I'm pleased to say success! The temporary 'pedal lever' I set up takes a full handed push to brake the front wheels. With engine running it just takes two fingers. Nice and light. Very happy with that!

Other things tested - my oversized fan was wired up, warmed the engine up and at 94 degrees c the fan kicked in on the normal / slow speed setting for about 45 seconds till the temp dropped to 92. I'd say that was a success but need to check what the programmed fan on low and high speed actually are and what sort of temperature I should be aiming for.

The one challenge is that the transmission cooler is temporarily suspended behind the fan - it really needs moving in front of the actual radiator so some brackets need fabricating for that. I'm also goin to spray it an aluminium colour to blend into the radiator.

Finally transmission fluid was set. This a convoluted and painful process. There's no dipstick for it. The car has to be level, the transmission warmed up to between 30 and 50 degrees. Any higher or lower will result in the wrong level as the fluid expands or contracts based on temp and therefore potentially shorten the life of the transmission. The final part of this is having to run the trans through all the gear selection positions.

So duly levelled and warmed on axle stands I then had to slither underneath whilst the engine is running to open the fluid level drain plug. Let fluid run out till it drips - if no fluid drips out then fill some more till it does. On third attempt it was right so the plug goes back in and torqued up to the right spec. This should not need looking at for 50k miles now. 

Another job ticked off the list.

Whilst we had it running I wanted to check whether the tap shift electronic gear change was working. I put into sprit mode but not sure if it's actually working. As the drive shaft isn't in and clearly not pushing the wheels against the road I think the transmission is not getting the right feedback (newtons 2nd? law of an action having an equal and opposite reaction) and that's not being passed through to the engine either so it could be that. Will have to wait until we are on the road to test.

In normal drive mode the gears definitely changed and the speed registered car speed from calculated values so that is all good!

One small fuel leak to resolve - I had only done the feed from tank to first filter up by hand so once done up properly is fine.

Also, the lower return hose from radiator had a small drip too so I've nipped he clamp up a bit more. I will get another on there to double up and enable me to tweak the positions a bit.