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-   -   Royale Sabre - Take two! (https://madabout-kitcars.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3824)

8 Valve Ed 31st May 2015 22:43

Looking good Peter, those Volvo mounts may be the answer, quite handy.

How did the suspension look with the engine sitting in the chassis?

peterux 1st June 2015 14:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8 Valve Ed (Post 67640)
Looking good Peter, those Volvo mounts may be the answer, quite handy.

How did the suspension look with the engine sitting in the chassis?

Hi Robert,

Yup, it's coming on nicely and not having to make some engine mounts is a real bonus.
I didn't notice too much change to the suspension but it's not at all optimised yet. I'm planning to rebuild the front suspension using Granada hubs, adjustable track control arms and Cosworth brakes. (Providing the brakes fit within the steel wheels that I've bought). New coilovers and springs are also planned as the old shocks are probably now 20 years old although zero miles :lol: I am assuming the springs were supplied by the Royale Motor Company when the kit was purchased but they are an odd spec as they look like they will become coil bound before the suspension bottoms out? The old back copies of the Royale Owners Club magazine have a variety of conflicting advice!!
I've also got some wierd positive camber on the rear wheels that I haven't figured out the cause of yet :wacko:

All part of the fun of building or rebuilding these old kits, ....as you know :smile:

....peter

8 Valve Ed 1st June 2015 15:19

Yes indeed they are interesting to say the least, take nothing for granted.

Sounds an interesting mod, the Berlinetta is sitting far too low, for me anyway, I was hoping for 200mm ground clearance, but I doubt if I will have 140mm as it stands. Way too low, it even grounds going into the garage. I have had to dig a level path for it to get in and out so it doesn't gaunch the sump, which is 15mm ABOVE the bottom of the chassis...

I think I probably need some un-cut original Cortina springs as a starting point. If such things still exist!

peterux 2nd June 2015 19:56

Engine movement?
 
One drawback of moving my engine mounting forward by 35mm is that I now have a point where there is only a small clearance between the sump and the chassis.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/377/18...4c46e68b_z.jpgSump Clearance by marlinpeter, on Flickr
(This photo was taken looking down from above the chassis just behind the nearside engine mount)

The gap is about 6mm and I'm wondering how much the engine and gearbox will move forward under hard braking.
I know this is a 'how long is a piece of string' question and it depends on the weight of the engine plus the stiffness of the rubber in engine mounts and the gearbox mounts, but just wondering what the views of forum members based on their combined experience. :smile:

I think it would be possible to cut off the corner of the sump and have a flat plate welded over the hole but don't want to go to that expense if it's not necessary. Also, any advice on where you would get an alloy oil sump welded would be appreciated.

...peter

Amir Manzoori 2nd June 2015 20:36

Hi Peter,
Must say there must be lots more people like me who enjoy reading about your progress, and what we see and read on these pages, to me, is dedication and love for what the end product is going to be. Good luck

8 Valve Ed 2nd June 2015 22:29

6mm is getting close but, there is a very easy way to stop the engine moving forward under mild impact or heavy braking; use a Morris Minor gearbox restraint. They had a short piece of steel cable which was attached to the back of the gearbox and was tensioned through the gearbox cross member with a nut and locknut. The reason was to counteract the pull forwards when the clutch pedal was pressed, if the cable snapped as thy did when they had a few miles on the clock, the clutch stopped working because the engine just moved forward instead of pulling the clutch arm.

Else a small bump stop mounted strategically in front of the sump?

Welding the sump is simple enough with TIG but would need totally degreasing in the weld area at least. Oil and TIG welding don't mix. Old aluminium sumps and crankcases can be sods to weld because the older aluminium can be porous and when heated the oil comes out of the pores in the metal and makes it almost impossible to make a decent weld. I would expect a modern aluminium sump to be OK.

If you do decide to weld a corner, it might be wise to bolt the sump to your spare engine block to stop it from distorting with the heat. I would discuss that with your welder, but be aware, they can twist unexpectedly.

JG 2nd June 2015 22:31

6mm is tight. I think if you can grab hold of the engine and rock it for and aft it will give you a good indication of how much clearance you actually need. I suspect you will be on the limit although once you have the gearbox mounted it should reduce engine movement a bit more. Could be simple fix to re-drill the mounting holes to give a bit more clearance.

John

Amir Manzoori 3rd June 2015 05:46

Another possibility to increase the clearance between sump and chassis, corner of the sump, which from the picture is the only part close to the chassis, could be reshaped to give you the required clearance, providing the corner to be reshaped doesn't interfere with the internal components like oil pump strainer etc. Mind you, it would require aluminium welding.

Amir Manzoori 3rd June 2015 05:52

Now I realise I should read all the posts before any suggestion. Sorry.

garyh 3rd June 2015 07:49

is the worry that it may crack the sump if it hits?

reneanglia 3rd June 2015 16:29

If it is only the corner of the sump you can notch the chassis.
Easier to weld and in case of replacing sump you don't have to modifie another sump.

MartinClan 3rd June 2015 19:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by peterux (Post 67730)

I think it would be possible to cut off the corner of the sump and have a flat plate welded over the hole but don't want to go to that expense if it's not necessary. Also, any advice on where you would get an alloy oil sump welded would be appreciated.

...peter

Peter. I have a contact that welds ali (tig) should you reach that decision. He normally charges not a lot. Sometimes the obvious solution is also the simplest....

Cheers Robin

peterux 6th June 2015 19:39

Many thanks to you all above for some great ideas and some concerns to ponder on.
I think my next step is to bolt all the main ancillaries back on to the engine and then re-fit the main body tub, bonnet sides, etc and see how it all fits together.
I can then see which options work best.....

...peter

8 Valve Ed 6th June 2015 20:57

Sounds like a plan!

Good luck and don't forget to allow for the 'invisible' stuff, which you have taken off but has to be put back...

I have had to chop a bit of my battery isolator key because I hadn't allowed for the seat belt reel, not prepared to re-locate either so something HAD to give.

peterux 9th June 2015 20:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8 Valve Ed (Post 67874)
Sounds like a plan!

Good luck and don't forget to allow for the 'invisible' stuff, which you have taken off but has to be put back...

You're right there is lots of things to find a home for under the bonnet.

I've now temporarily bolted the major ancillaries back on to the engine and have bolted back on the innner wings and front nose cone.

It all seems to fit surprisingly well:happy: (maybe John Barlow who designed the Sabre had a straight six engine in mind?)

No issues with the height of the engine....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/453/18...26c38020_z.jpgM52B28 in Royale Sabre by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Or between the inner wings....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/284/18...9e2516e4_z.jpgFirst position of M52B28 fitting by marlinpeter, on Flickr

The front left corner of the rocker cover just clears the inner wing. Just a 3mm gap here so may need to move the engine across a little.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/278/18...aca26fff_z.jpgRocker cover to inner wing clearance by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Bulkhead clearance is now good and heater pipes are clear of the back of the engine......

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/444/18...25e0eca5_z.jpgBulkhead clearance by marlinpeter, on Flickr
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/343/18...b64c1942_z.jpgHeater pipe clearance by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Alternator and Steering pump both clear suspension without any issue....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/341/18...8118825f_z.jpgAlternator/steering pump clearance by marlinpeter, on Flickr
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/430/18...36a8d540_z.jpgAlternator/steering pump clearance by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Throttle body clearance looks good but I need to fit the rest of the MAf and inlet elbow gubbins.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/532/18...c0e03d50_z.jpgThrottle body by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Exhaust manifold fits without any obvious issues....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/518/18...8dd6155d_z.jpgExhaust Manifold by marlinpeter, on Flickr


Well that's it so far.....just got work out where the put the radiator, header tank, Inlet filter, brake servo, HP fuel pump and filter, Fuel swirl pot, windscreen washer bottle and probably a host of other things I've forgotten for now :lol:


...peter

8 Valve Ed 9th June 2015 20:48

How's the steering shaft (column)?

peterux 9th June 2015 21:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8 Valve Ed (Post 67979)
How's the steering shaft (column)?

Not tried it yet but looks like it'll be OK.

The shaft runs behind the engine mounting like this....(this shot was taken when I had the steering column in to move the car from my lockup garage)

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7685/1...daed1ce9_z.jpgSteering Column to bearing link by marlinpeter, on Flickr


.....but it will need to be checked :lol:

MartinClan 10th June 2015 09:40

You've been busy :-) All looking very good. As the original instalation was 4 cylinders I think my main concern would be the length - but that looks fine as well.

As you say, perhaps the car was conceived with a 6 cylinder in mind? They do make the best noise ;-)

Cheers, Robin

peterux 10th June 2015 20:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by MartinClan (Post 67997)
You've been busy :-) All looking very good. As the original instalation was 4 cylinders I think my main concern would be the length - but that looks fine as well.

Cheers, Robin

Yeah, been spending a bit more time in the garage but all the ancillaries are only temporarily fitted with a few nuts and bolts. Putting it all back properly and installing the wiring loom will take much longer.
At the moment I'm kind of doing space planning to work out where everything will fit.

I've had a look at the air intake elbow and MAF sensor. It clearly doesn't fit in its original position pointing towards the front of the car.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/419/18...a529e15d_z.jpgAir Inlet by marlinpeter, on Flickr

But borrowing the standard Marlin solution, reversing the elbow seems to work.....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/263/18...ee0e6eb7_z.jpgPossible Air Inlet solution by marlinpeter, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/418/18...490bdeaa_z.jpgAir Inlet possible solution by marlinpeter, on Flickr

It's a bit tight so I've got to be carefull how much I move the engine across to clear the rocker cover on the other side.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/489/18...6f42602f_z.jpgAir Inlet clearance by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Just got to figure out where to put the air filter and 'cold air' input. I've also got to re-route the ICV pipe.

I also got out the windscreen washer bottle that I bought nearly two years ago. I think it'll slot in somewhere like this but shouldn't be too much of an issue to find a location.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/326/18...0c62acbb_z.jpgWasher bottle possible position by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Next up will be locations for the brake servo, Fuel pump, filter and surge tank.....

...peter

peterux 13th June 2015 20:53

More Space Planning....
 
As part of my 'space planning' exercise to make sure everything fits, I've been on a bit of a buying spree....

I bought my Fuel Pumps from Rally Design at the Stoneleigh kitcar show where they had some good deals on their own 'white labeled' pumps. These worked out at about 50% of the price of branded parts. I've opted for a standard Fuel filter because it is designed for the BMW engine, cost effective and easily replaced, if necessary.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/509/18...38ba16da_z.jpgFuel pumps and filter by marlinpeter, on Flickr

The cradles are from ebay at only £9.99 delivered! Excellent value for money and fitted perfectly.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/548/18...e23725fc_z.jpgHigh Pressure fuel pump by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Next up is an enclosed Air Filter from Compbrake Motorsport....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/378/18...07ca32dc_z.jpgAir Filter with cold air input by marlinpeter, on Flickr

...another bargain for £36!

It's an enclosed cone filter with a cold air input pipe.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/341/18...d96d378d_z.jpgAir Filter internal cone filter. by marlinpeter, on Flickr

For over a year I've had my Dual Circuit brake servo for which I'm now making some mounting brackets...

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/433/18...9ca22331_z.jpgRemote dual circuit brake servo by marlinpeter, on Flickr

I also picked up a really good tool for setting M8 rivnuts...

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/285/18...65393451_z.jpgM8 Rivnut / Nutsert tool by marlinpeter, on Flickr

....and it works great.

Finally for now, I bought a couple of heater hose elbows. I had to re-position the heater box further back....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/317/18...ca6d5d35_z.jpgHeater hose elbows fitted. by marlinpeter, on Flickr

This will allow me to move the engine back by 10mm to allow for better sump clearance.

More bits arriving next week....:madgrin:

...peter

Mike 17th June 2015 08:32

Peter

The M50 Marlin Cabrio/Sporster solution is marginally more involved than your stright forward 180 degree rotation, but offers two significant benefits:
Significantly reduced effective elbow width, which will help with your rocker cover location on the opposite side, and
The ICV pipework remains at the bottom of the elbow, not rotated to the top as your photo shows.

I do not know that this will work with the M52, but the solution on an M50 is to cut off the concertina section of the elbow, which currently attaches to the MAF, and then use the new end to attach to the throttle body. This then positions the ICV port facing down.

I cut an old elbow up to test fit and prove it worked, and then bought a new elbow and made the change before for the final fit.

My elbow is rotated further round than you may need to, due to the position of my steel water tanks and my decision to take the air inlet pipe back to the bonnet.

[IMG]https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3753/1...f6bcbed9_z.jpgComplete M50B25 Inlet Manifold Fits - Just! by Mike Garner, on Flickr[/IMG]


Quote:

Originally Posted by peterux (Post 68012)
Y
At the moment I'm kind of doing space planning to work out where everything will fit.

I've had a look at the air intake elbow and MAF sensor. It clearly doesn't fit in its original position pointing towards the front of the car.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/419/18...a529e15d_z.jpgAir Inlet by marlinpeter, on Flickr

But borrowing the standard Marlin solution, reversing the elbow seems to work.....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/263/18...ee0e6eb7_z.jpgPossible Air Inlet solution by marlinpeter, on Flickr

It's a bit tight so I've got to be carefull how much I move the engine across to clear the rocker cover on the other side.

Just got to figure out where to put the air filter and 'cold air' input. I've also got to re-route the ICV pipe.


...peter


peterux 18th June 2015 21:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike (Post 68315)
Peter

The M50 Marlin Cabrio/Sporster solution is marginally more involved than your stright forward 180 degree rotation, but offers two significant benefits:
Significantly reduced effective elbow width, which will help with your rocker cover location on the opposite side, and
The ICV pipework remains at the bottom of the elbow, not rotated to the top as your photo shows.

I do not know that this will work with the M52, but the solution on an M50 is to cut off the concertina section of the elbow, which currently attaches to the MAF, and then use the new end to attach to the throttle body. This then positions the ICV port facing down.

Hi Mike,
thanks for the suggestion and explanation.
I've had a a look at mine and found that the MAF is 80mm diameter but my throttle body is only 73mm so swapping the elbow around has it's own challenges. But I will keep your idea in mind as an option if I need the extra clearance. I guess the m50 has a larger throttle body?

...peter

Mike 19th June 2015 07:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by peterux (Post 68365)
Hi Mike,
thanks for the suggestion and explanation.
I've had a a look at mine and found that the MAF is 80mm diameter but my throttle body is only 73mm so swapping the elbow around has it's own challenges. But I will keep your idea in mind as an option if I need the extra clearance. I guess the m50 has a larger throttle body?

...peter

Hi Peter

I've had a quick look at my set up, and the throttle body is 73mm, and the MAF is larger like yours.
By cutting the concertina end off the elbow, the new internal diameter of my elbow is 73mm, so that fitted perfectly onto the throttle body.
My MAF is larger (I can't get at it easily to measure) so I bought a rubber adaptor from K&N taking 70mm upto 80mm.

http://www.knfilters.co.uk/search/pr...x?prod=85-6001

The adaptor comes with a sleeve and jubilee clips to join it to your elbow, so its a simple fit.

Its not particularly cheap, but it will gain significant space over the straight forward 180 degree rotation, and makes fitting the ICV pipe a nice neat standard fit, rather than having to adapt it to plumb it up and over the top of the throttle body.

I added a length of flexi tube in my set up to be able to locate the MAF in a different place (it would have interfered with my washer/water tank?) and to then take the air intake back up to the top of my bonnet grill to ensure a cold air intake.

This was my initial set up, after I had cut 75mm out of all 6 tubes of the M50 inlet manifold, as Marlin recommended, in order to fit the M50 into the engine bay - (they did exactly the same on their demonstrator)


[IMG]https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6054/6...9a0fe44e_z.jpgAir In-take : Revised - see later by Mike Garner, on Flickr[/IMG]


I was never happy with the chopped and sleeved inlet manifold (it was always a potential weak point for a reliable engine) and looked for a way to fit a standard one.

As the standard manifold was effectively 60mm wider I needed to reduce the effective width of the elbow to compensate. By cutting the concertina section off, it now just fits.

[IMG]https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7186/1...02f73475_z.jpgInlet Manifold Fits by Mike Garner, on Flickr[/IMG]

peterux 20th June 2015 07:15

Thanks again for the K&N link and pictures, Peter

peterux 20th June 2015 13:20

Weekly progress....
 
This week I have been focussing on positioning the dual circuit bake servo...

The Iruna brake servo has one M8 mounting bolt on one end and two m5 bolts the other. It is really designed to be mounted horizontally against a vertical bulkhead. The m8 welded on bolt is designed to take most of the weight and the two m5 fixing points on the other end are to support its weight and stop it rotating. The Royale Sabre does not have too many vertical faces strong enough to support the weight of the servo so I made up some 4mm think mounting brackets. It took a while as it was a kind of 3D puzzle to make them up. The Iruna has a bleed nipple on each slave cylinderso the m8 fixing hole is slotted so I can level the servo once the cars suspension has been set up.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/490/18...1a22f50e_z.jpgBrake Servo mounting by marlinpeter, on Flickr
https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3856/1...0d8cba8e_z.jpgBrake Servo mounting by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Brake Servo support brackets bolted to offside chassis rail.The 'rusty' bar in front of the servo is the the 'A' post support. I've not finished de-rusting and painting it yet. Before final assembly the brackets will be primed and painted and the mounting nuts will be changed to nylocs. Pipe routing will be finalised and installed once I've got other components, like the fuel pump and filter, positioned and the engine is out again.

Another new component arrived this week.........

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/555/18...0fbe9384_z.jpgFuel swirl pot or surge tank by marlinpeter, on Flickr

This is the fuel swirl pot or as it's sometimes called the surge tank. This is to ensure that the HP pump always has a constant uninterrupted supply of petrol. Looks like a nice piece of kit and was hand made by a guy in Wales who advertises on eBay.

Next up I will be mounting the swirl pot, HP fuel pump and filter.....

...peter

lordivanhoe 23rd June 2015 14:02

Hey Peter, looks like fantastic progress being made there. Lovely shiny new bits to put on - practically drooling here! I noted in your threads that you had doubts about the front springs (too many coils!?) - have to say that was my experience and eventually they just broke. Not only were they too tightly coiled they were also rather 'soft' - especially once I'd swapped out my first 2l SOHC engine for a 3.4 Essex..! You'll probably want to do the same I should think. I ended up getting new springs which a/ had fewer coils and b/ were stiffer, and it markedly improved the ride. Especially over speed bumps, as the Sabre is not particularly far off the deck anyway! After changing for the stiffer springs it made it much easier to traverse humps without bottoming out, so I thoroughly recommend doing it. I'll have a look through my old docs and see if I can find the exact spec of what I ended up with and will let you know! As ever, it's properly inspirational seeing what you're doing and I follow with interest. Cheers! Ivan.

peterux 23rd June 2015 19:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordivanhoe (Post 68505)
Hey Peter, looks like fantastic progress being made there. Lovely shiny new bits to put on - practically drooling here! I noted in your threads that you had doubts about the front springs (too many coils!?) - have to say that was my experience and eventually they just broke. Not only were they too tightly coiled they were also rather 'soft' - especially once I'd swapped out my first 2l SOHC engine for a 3.4 Essex..! You'll probably want to do the same I should think. I ended up getting new springs which a/ had fewer coils and b/ were stiffer, and it markedly improved the ride. Especially over speed bumps, as the Sabre is not particularly far off the deck anyway! After changing for the stiffer springs it made it much easier to traverse humps without bottoming out, so I thoroughly recommend doing it. I'll have a look through my old docs and see if I can find the exact spec of what I ended up with and will let you know! As ever, it's properly inspirational seeing what you're doing and I follow with interest. Cheers! Ivan.

Hi Ivan,
thanks for the feedback and yes this is the exciting bit of the build with lots of new goodies :smile:
I would be very interested to hear what size and stiffness springs you fitted as I'm definitely going to change mine.
I spoke some time ago to Malcolm Badger at Automotive Creations who now supply and build Sabres. He recommends 8" 300 lb springs which sounds a little on the firm side to me but he does have a lot more experience than me.
cheers, Peter

lordivanhoe 23rd June 2015 20:42

Hi Peter, well I just checked. 8" springs with 300lb would I suggest almost certainly not be too soft - I went for 9" springs at the same (300lb) weight. What I do remember is they certainly helped keep her a lot more level in the corners! Either way, clearly the originals would by popular opinion seem to have been very soft. I can't claim any particular expertise myself but at the time I took advice from my brother who used to do spanners for Benetton and McLaren F1 teams (as well as running his own saloon race car!) and they were his recommendation. He would probably as a rule favour slightly harder suspension, of course..! ;-) Hope that helps! Ivan.

peterux 23rd June 2015 21:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by peterux (Post 68419)
Next up I will be mounting the swirl pot, HP fuel pump and filter.....

So there I was in my garage making up some brackets to mount my new swirl pot when I started to ponder on why the donor cars don't have or seem to need swirl pots. I knew that some Ford Sierras had external HP fuel pumps that according Mr. Haynes run directly from the fuel tank so I thought it was time to take a closer look at the fuel tank that came with the Sabre. I'd gaffer taped the holes up, to keep the dust out and stored it away in my garage loft but hadn't looked at it closely.
Sure enough, peering in through the fuel sender hole I can see it has an internal baffle / surge tank.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/470/19...d55b0800_z.jpgFuel tank internal by marlinpeter, on Flickr

I also bought a sender some months ago which luckily appears to be the right fitting for this tank. The supply and retuen pipes sit inside the baffled tank when mounted.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/326/18...f3e18478_z.jpgFuel tank sender unit by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Not clear to me what the rubber foot does? Should it have a gauze type filter around it?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/291/18...e2f772c4_z.jpgFuel tank supply and return by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Unfortunately the loom that came with the car didn't have the plug that goes in this connector. Anyone recognize it?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/490/18...9023e4aa_z.jpgFuel sender connector by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Ford Granada fuel tank sender locking ring. Anybody know the whereabouts of a new one? I've only got the old one that was fitted to the old rusty tank.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/391/18...fc368ee2_z.jpgFuel sender locking ring by marlinpeter, on Flickr

So I think I'm going put the swirl pot and LP pump 'back on the shelf' and keep it simple with just the HP pump.

Whilst I had the tank out of storage I decided to give it a coat of paint....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/347/18...5b802677_z.jpgFuel tank by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Comments and contributions welcome....

....peter

peterux 23rd June 2015 21:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordivanhoe (Post 68517)
Hi Peter, well I just checked. 8" springs with 300lb would I suggest almost certainly not be too soft - I went for 9" springs at the same (300lb) weight. What I do remember is they certainly helped keep her a lot more level in the corners! Either way, clearly the originals would by popular opinion seem to have been very soft. I can't claim any particular expertise myself but at the time I took advice from my brother who used to do spanners for Benetton and McLaren F1 teams (as well as running his own saloon race car!) and they were his recommendation. He would probably as a rule favour slightly harder suspension, of course..! ;-) Hope that helps! Ivan.

Hi Ivan,
that's great information, thanks for looking it up. I think I'll be getting 8" 300 lb springs then :madgrin:
Do you recall if you used the standard Sierra anti-roll bar?

thanks, peter

peterux 5th July 2015 20:45

Progress update....
 
Not made huge progress over the last couple of weeks but have spent a fair amount of time working out the locations for the fuel pump and filters plus the routes for the fuel and brake lines.
The previous builder had managed to crush the fuel lines between the body tub and the chassis so I have planned some routes that will hopefully avoid the same issue.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/558/18...a9a1eef7_z.jpgFuel/brake line planning by marlinpeter, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/551/19...356a34fe_z.jpgFuel/brake line routing by marlinpeter, on Flickr

I've also now trial fitted the fuel tank so I can start installation of the fuel lines.....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/498/19...3f27518a_z.jpgFuel tank - trial fitting by marlinpeter, on Flickr

I've also been buying up more parts from ebay.....

A high flow rate 100 micron fuel pre-filter.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/288/19...0ac796bd_z.jpgHigh flow fuel pre filter by marlinpeter, on Flickr

A 80mm diameter 180 degree silicone bend for the air inlet.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/482/18...23f45183_z.jpgAir inlet bend by marlinpeter, on Flickr

and another pedal box. This one is from an e87 BMW116 that has less offset on the brake pedal compared to the e36 and e46 pedals. Haven't had time to try it properly yet as the body tub is off at present.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/439/19...acc773c8_z.jpgBMW 1 (e87?) series pedal box by marlinpeter, on Flickr

And finally, started making up another bracket, this time to mount the air input filter....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/494/19...06bda378_z.jpgAir box mounting bracket by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Next job is to start the fuel lines and mounting the fuel pump,etc...

...peter

peterux 13th July 2015 20:39

Weekly progress report.....
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by peterux (Post 68864)
Next job is to start the fuel lines and mounting the fuel pump,etc...

Well, I did make a start on the fuel lines but then had to wait for some 'p' clips to arrive so went back to finishing the air inlet filter mounting bracket.
I then moved onto painting a number of brackets which I'll grab some photos in a future update.
I found the green house a useful place to let things dry....

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3775/...b089d6b6_z.jpgSpray booth? by marlinpeter, on Flickr

The item hanging up is the right hand fuel tank strap which is a standard Ford part with some unusual mounting points with rubber insulated mounts.
The left hand strap doesn't have any part numbers on it so I assume this was supplied by the RMC.
One of the benefits of documenting my builds on this forum is to provide a useful memoir for my own future reference and potentially for other builders, especially when some things are hidden or difficult to see once the bodywork is fitted. So here are some reference photo's of the fuel tank fixing...

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/289/1...0ff76a22_z.jpgRH Fuel tank strap by marlinpeter, on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/368/1...c469271a_z.jpgRH Fuel tank strap by marlinpeter, on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3699/...5e937cb5_z.jpgRH Fuel tank strap by marlinpeter, on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3740/...c9a4dd61_z.jpgRH Fuel tank strap by marlinpeter, on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/459/1...036c04d4_z.jpgRH Fuel tank strap by marlinpeter, on Flickr

Finally, before completing the fuel tank fitting I decide to give the diff/final drive an oil change. There is no drain plug (as Ford didn't believe it needed changing before the Sierra body rusted away and the car was scrapped). I didn't fancy disturbing the real cover's seal so I used a syringe and short length of plastic windscreen washer hose to remove the old oil. There was very little swarf on the magnetic filler plug suggesting all is well. The old oil wasn't in bad shape and not black as I expected. It was more the colour of a good brown ale whereas the new stuff is a nice amber colour.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3809/...8fce4cb0_z.jpgDiff oil change by marlinpeter, on Flickr

It looks a bit darker than it really was in this photo and it may have been unnecessary but as the oil is over 20 years old, it's one of those jobs that is worth doing while it's easy to do without crawling under the car. :smile:


Hopefully next weeks pictures will be a bit more interesting....

....peter

peterux 18th July 2015 20:19

Weekly progress report.....
 
This week I made up a mounting bracket for the pre-pump fuel filter. A couple of stainless steel 'T bolt' hose clamps riveted to a strip of steel. These were amazing value at only £3.18 for both including postage! The trickiest part was drilling the holes in the SS hose clamps.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/524/1...b0a8764c_z.jpgFuel filter mounting by marlinpeter, on Flickr

It's now mounted above one of the rear drive shafts and is mounted so that the filter can be removed from beneath the car with all the bodywork fitted.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/511/1...eff2756a_z.jpgFuel filter mounting by marlinpeter, on Flickr

I've now started on the fuel lines, photo's next week....

....peter

peterux 26th July 2015 20:11

Weekly progress report.....
 
Work continued this week on installing the fuel lines...

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3727/...4eca18c1_z.jpgFuel pipes to tank connections by marlinpeter, on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/281/1...7e6c225f_z.jpgPre-pump filter by marlinpeter, on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/320/2...3f5a0dfc_z.jpgHigh Pressure pump and filter by marlinpeter, on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/437/2...c4452b92_z.jpgPost Pump filter by marlinpeter, on Flickr

For the flexible sections of the fuel system I'm using Cohline 2240 which is an FPM/ECO hose and it's even better than the so called 'R9' hose and can withstand 100% Ethanol. It's specified and used by BMW, VW, etc.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/398/1...59ee727c_z.jpgRubber fuel hose by marlinpeter, on Flickr

For the hard lines I'm using Poly-Vinyl Flouride (PVF) coated dual wall seamless steel fuel pipe. Steel pipes are resistant to corrosion from Ethanol in E10 petrol.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/454/2...9b19d510_z.jpgFuel pipes by marlinpeter, on Flickr

The downside of steel fuel pipes, as we all know, have a tendency to rust from the outside and unfortunately the hand pipe bender I'm using has scratched the coating off in places. So once I'm happy with all the routing and mounting points, I'm going to strip it all off and give the pipes a coat of paint. I also need to de-burr all the ends and blow out any swarf before refitting with the hose clamps.

The installation of the fuel lines has taken longer than anticipated due to the rather torturous route needed to avoid chassis members and the body tub but I'm getting to the end and can start on the brake lines next....


...peter

peterux 27th July 2015 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by peterux (Post 69612)
The downside of steel fuel pipes, as we all know, have a tendency to rust from the outside and unfortunately the hand pipe bender I'm using has scratched the coating off in places. So once I'm happy with all the routing and mounting points, I'm going to strip it all off and give the pipes a coat of paint.
...peter

I've just taken another look at the spec for the steel fuel lines and found that beneath the PVF coating is a zinc plating layer so some scratches in the PVF coating may not be a big issue. For anyone interested this is the manufacturer...
http://agscompany.com/product-catego...s/poly-armour/
I've now left an offcut out in the rain to see how well it survives.

swifty 28th July 2015 20:35

Just read through your whole thread Peter for the first time with great interest, looking like a very through build and i like the detail you put into the research for the various parts fitted.

Keep up the great work and looking forward to the next update.

peterux 28th July 2015 20:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by swifty (Post 69736)
Just read through your whole thread Peter for the first time with great interest, looking like a very through build and i like the detail you put into the research for the various parts fitted.

Keep up the great work and looking forward to the next update.

Thanks for the feedback, Swifty. I'm glad you are enjoying my updates.:smile:

lordivanhoe 11th August 2015 12:11

sorry peter, been offline for a bit - yes, I just used the standard sierra anti-roll bar. Didn't seem to cause a problem..!

Mike 11th August 2015 12:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordivanhoe (Post 70169)
sorry peter, been offline for a bit - yes, I just used the standard sierra anti-roll bar. Didn't seem to cause a problem..!

There are at least three, if not 4 different "standard" Sierra ARBs:
22mm
24mm
26mm
28mm
- as well as some having different crank shapes in the centre which can make a big difference depending on the engine you fit.

- do you kinow what diameter yours is? - and which donor it came from?

lordivanhoe 11th August 2015 12:42

sorry..
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike (Post 70170)
There are at least three, if not 4 different "standard" Sierra ARBs:
22mm
24mm
26mm
28mm
- as well as some having different crank shapes in the centre which can make a big difference depending on the engine you fit.

- do you kinow what diameter yours is? - and which donor it came from?

Rats. Apologies, I just don't know and as you know don't have the car anymore... I do remember that the donor was an E-reg 2.0i sierra with the SOHC EFI engine, if that helps at all?


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