I 'ate old cars!!!

[johnymd]

Well I do at the moment anyway.
I thought I'd spend the morning fitting the inlet manifold and tripple weber's. Nice staight forward job as the parts have already been used on another Z so it should just be a bolt-on easy one..........err, NO.

Starting with the inlet manifold :
It hits on the exhaust manilfold so lots of grinding, test fitting, grinding, test fitting, and so on untill it clears.

Next it's time to look at the thick washers, some of which have corners cut off them. These were fine for the su's but needed further grinding and cutting for the weber manifold.

Now there's not enough room for the nuts to clear the exhaust runners so a bit of modding with a club hammer and punch to give me clearance (making sure the mounting face does not turn).

Time now to bolt it all up.
Most of the nuts go on without a problem but a few have clearance issues for a spanner or socket. so its all off again and a bit more clearanceing with the griner and hammer on both manifolds. Start fitting it all again and its getting better but theres still 2 nuts that I cant get access to with a spanner or socket to tighten enough.

So I'm now looking for a different plan of attach. My main problem is access to a couple of lower fixings for the exhaust and inlet. So, if I put the nuts and washers on these but don't nip them up, remove all the top inlet manifold studs, then I should be able to lower the manifold into possition, replace the top studs and sten just nip up the bottom ones. Sounds good?


....................untill I snap a stud off in the head!



Time for a break before I make a big dent in the wing!

 

[MaximG]

And there I was thinking it was just me that fixes one problem and creates two others. I share your pain!!!

 

[Arkwright]

when we had the farm we used to fix most things with a length of baling string, what farmers call string welding. It's pretty good and I still have some left in orange, blue or yellow. I could post you some...........ouch!!

 

[johnymd]

And there I was thinking it was just me that fixes one problem and creates two others.

Nope, it happens to all of us. I actually think it helps to break things because I try to learn from it. I just wish it didn't happen so often.

when we had the farm we used to fix most things with a length of baling string, what farmers call string welding. It's pretty good and I still have some left in orange, blue or yellow. I could post you some...........ouch!!

I could use it to tie my hands behind my back which should stop me making mistakes for a while.

I fixed it now. I managed to get all the remnants of the stud out without damaging the soft ally of the head. Carefully drilled out the centre of the stud, loosened it a bit with an easyout, then picked out the first few rings. Ounce I had a bit of thread showing I run a tap through it which dragged out the main bit of the stud.

I've made a template for a heatsheild to stop the carbs getting too hot. I've read this can be a problem. Any comments or suggestions on this?

 

[twoforty]

I remember doing this when I had carbs on my car....I tried to remove the exhaust system that was rusted onto the downpipe.....lost my temper and ended up breaking it...I then threw it at my house in anger.....it bounced off and smashed the back light on the Mrs golf.......right that's it I said and went to my van for a hammer to do some serious damage to it....got my hammer out of my tool box and slammed the sliding so hard it broke the catch...at that point I started feeling like I was having a heart attack so I went inside and sat down..... funny

 

[datsun dave]

Sounds like you have had a day like me

 

[johnymd]

I try not to lose my temper around expensive things as it costs too much money.

You could elaborate Dave. It might make me feel a bit better.

 

[Mr Ex]

I've made a template for a heatsheild to stop the carbs getting too hot. I've read this can be a problem. Any comments or suggestions on this?

The template looks OTT to me, mine just has a bracket at each end & you'll be able to get to the nuts "easier" but some underneath have to be tightened with an open ender a bit at a time.

 

[johnymd]

The template looks OTT to me

You could well be right.

Those carbs look very clean. I better not take a picture of mine, even after I've cleaned them.

 

[datsun dave]

I try not to lose my temper around expensive things as it costs too much money.

You could elaborate Dave. It might make me feel a bit better.

Got ripped off on some RB parts..
Main alloy tank will not fit where it should..
Scratched some paint work..
Parts not turned up..

All before lunch.

 

[johnymd]

I'm feeling better already...........sorry.

Most of that you can deal with, but being ripped off really gets under your skin.
Nothing pisses me off more than someone being ripped off.
Hope there's a satisfactory outcome.

 

[Mr Ex]

Got ripped off on some RB parts..
Main alloy tank will not fit where it should..
Scratched some paint work..
Parts not turned up..

All before lunch.

Dave, you should have stayed with the "Duke of Cornwall" or whatever he was called. or was it a bitch?

 

[SeanDezart]

Johnny - why have that great paintwork, bright engine and carbs and then stick a rusty old drain-pipe on to get the gas out ?

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Johny, I've broken a stud too (the rearmost one) and had to drill it out very carefully. Yes some of the nuts are very difficult to get at but I only have 2 SUs which might make things easier. I still need a mix of spanners and sockets/extension bars though.

We all have times like this, but try working on a modern car in 40 years. Also the achievement of overcoming these problems is often quite satisfying - strange how the human brain works.

Dave - keep the faith you're almost there now.

 

[zedhead260]

The template looks OTT to me

You could well be right.

John, did you ever see Jon Mason's heat shield ? It's big like yours shielding the intake manifold from the exhaust, not just the carbs.
He used some exhaust 'U' brackets to help keep it in place.

After a run up to Santa Pod, we parked up and he opened the bonnet. The carb's and inlet manifold were icy cold to the touch - he later ran that 13 second quarter.

Like a twat I then touched the exhaust manifold and burnt my finger

 

[zedhead260]

Found his photos in the gallery -

 

[johnymd]

Johnny - why have that great paintwork, bright engine and carbs and then stick a rusty old drain-pipe on to get the gas out ?

I see where your comeing from Seam and would love to buy new bit instead of some of the "crap" I'm putting back on but there are a couple of reasons for this. The car has been off the road for 6 years now and I want to drive it again. I can't afford to replace the parts I would like to now so I would have to wait. If I wait then I wont have it ready for Le Manns in July(and that is my goal and motivation for getting it back on the road).

So. I am going to make use of the parts I've got, fabricate myself what I can, and get the car back on the road so I can enjoy it rather than look at it, sitting in the corner of the garage, unfinished. Everyone has a different goal or plan for their project and this is mine. I'm not saying you arn't right, its just that it doesn't fit in with my "current" plan. If I ws building a car of your standard or some of the others that are currently being built then your comment would be spot on, but I'm not. Mine will be a 20ft car thats built by myself and on a budget and the best it can be within those constraints.

Keep the comments comeing though as someone elses view is often enough to make me see the light.

Also the achievement of overcoming these problems is often quite satisfying - strange how the human brain works.

How right you are.

John, did you ever see Jon Mason's heat shield ? It's big like yours shielding the intake manifold from the exhaust, not just the carbs.
He used some exhaust 'U' brackets to help keep it in place.

After a run up to Santa Pod, we parked up and he opened the bonnet. The carb's and inlet manifold were icy cold to the touch - he later ran that 13 second quarter.

That's the motivation I need for going OTT.

 

[SeanDezart]

Johny - point well taken. I will remember this and come back to you later - a 20 footer is fine but under the skin counts for more - ask Jon Mason !

 

[Mr.G]

Johny it's great to see you are making progress, I hope to have my old girl out this year too.

I see where Sean is coming from but also see where you are coming from, I agree get her on the road and enjoy her asap.

If you want to read up any further on turbo blow through set ups then I highly recommend you get hold of Turbomania by Bob Tomlinson, written for the VW beetle crowd but techniques are relevant to any blow through set up.

Keep the momentum going and the updates coming, seems to work for most people in getting them in the garage and finishing their project off.

 

[Ian Patmore]

Johny,
Intake and exhaust manifolds that made by a lot of aftermarket companies, never take into account what inlet or exhaust it will be going on with. Common problem with fitting, so don't feel you are on your own. I presumed you checked the inlet manifold has a flat face (as even found new ones not flat)?

Keep on going..