Lots of Little Things

Well now the body is temporally fitted its time to start doing lots of little jobs that all add up, such as the handbrake fitting with the cable. I made this harder for myself as when i fitted the body i didn't pay attention to where i had laid the handbrake cable and consequently jammed it between the body and the chassis (right under the floor pan) so this was a bit of a sod to free as i had to lift the body again and pull the cable out the offside rear wheel arch.

However with that done i was able to locate the handbrake bracket and secure into place, this uses one of the body tub securing bolts (back) and a new hole drilled for the front bolt through into the chassis leg. With all that done all seems to be working and doing what it should do. I'm still awaiting a delivery of springs which attach to the handbrake calipers and chassis to aid the release of the handbrake and stop it sticking.

 After a visit to a fellow Cobra builder/enthusiast (Ian Cogdon) i saw he had printed out faces of his gauges to allow some idea of layout on the dash. This idea has been quickly stolen and i am now doing the same. This is raising some concerns over on the Cobraclub forum, as some people feel so emotional to the dash layout and despise anything that vary from the build manual or the thousands of other replica cobras. One member said it will affect the resale value of my car.... but considering I'm building this for me and not for anyone else, and that if i ever do have/need to sell i sure as hell don't give a shit if someone is bothered about the dash layout. Personally i quite like this layout so far, and when i trial fitted the dash i still like it. Maby I'll change the spacing a little to allow for further switches

and warning lights. But overall I'm pleased with how it looks..... I'm not pleased with the £700 odd pounds i have to find to order the bloody gauges, but this is what is required so "needs must"

You will also notice in the picture the lack of steering column and wheel, this is because i went and got the incorrect donor parts way back before the chassis order was placed and so has left me up poo creek as trying to now find a BMW E34 column, lower column, steering wheel, ignition key without an airbag is like trying to find rocking horse poo. However i think i have got one (I'm just awaiting confirmation of the extraction and that its correct)

So progress is being made little by little, however now the body and exhausts are on space is very very tight in the garage. I find myself going to bed in the evening and dreaming of double garages with electric roller doors and inspection pits, roofs that don't leak and smooth plastered walls which you cant see daylight through. But balls to it, got to make the best of what i have, and its certainly isn't taking any of the fun away from the build.

Body Fitting

  Well now that i know that the engine is sorted and running nicely, i can make some progress on fitting the body. Since i took delivery of the chassis and tub, the tub has been sat in my front garden with a tarp over it and the weeds and grass growing up around it. So I'm extremal pleased to get to this point so the body is sheltered from the elements in the garage.

So with the help of a couple of my neighbours we uncovered the tub and started to lift it to the other side of the street where my garage is. It was surprising how heavy the tub actually was, i know many hands make light work... but i didn't have many hands only two other people, so many many thanks to Tony and Eric.

 So we lifted the body round and placed it beside the chassis, i had previously cut holes in the tub for the gear stick and the fuel filler and fuel sender, so this gave the clearance for us to basically lift the tub high and lower onto the chassis, aligning up as best we could.
The body fitted nicely in place and most of the attachment points aligned with only a couple that will need opening up to get the bolt through. So were starting to look like a car now. Hopefully this will help the passing traffic that stops and says "what are you building?"

The body will be removed again just prior to permanent fixing, as the tub is also bonded on to the chassis. I will also be removing all the protective plastic off the stainless steel engine bay cladding, and cutting all access holes/panels that i will need.

So now the tub is on, i can start cutting more holes for the sidepipe headers to fit to the manifolds. This was a scary thing to do. But the basic rule of cut little at a time and open up slowly. I started off with using a straight edge to follow the length of the manifolds to touch the inside of the body tub. I then drilled a 2mm hole in each corner to give me a rough guide on the outside of the body. I then simply drilled a bigger hole in the middle and started to open up the hole with a jigsaw. The initial length and width was about 4inch square to allow me to slide the headers in and slip on to the manifold, then just a mark and cut procedure (about 5mm each time) until i had the exhaust fitted, with a good enough clearance around the headers as so they wont melt the tub when they a hot.

I tidied all the edges using a flap wheel and low drill speed, making the cuts look straight and even. Now the exhausts were back on i could do another engine run. I did have to space the fuel filter out from the chassis a little, as the fuel feed in was catching on the body tub, so better safe than sorry. Apart from that just a few things on my snagging list to sort and were getting somewhere.

I also received a visit from a fellow builder Ian Cogdon this week. He is on the correct side of the Tyne and is building a Pilgrim Sumo. He mainly came to see the engine running but i had only just fitted the body and had not cut the holes for the exhausts, so i couldn't run with just the manifolds, as they would have melted the body... so sorry Ian, next time for sure!!!!

Here we have another video of the engine rumbling away to itself when the tub is on. This now looks and sounds amazing, and is a massive milestone in the build process for me.

First start and Fire Up

Well after a holiday in Greece i was keen to return and make some progress on the build. Basically because after i returned of Holiday the tarp had blown off the body again (about the 5th time) and ripped to shreds. So after getting another one from DIY store, i have decided to give a good progress push, so i can get the body trial fitted before the crap weather arrives and I'm stuck with 4ft of snow again for 2 months like last year. To get the body fitted i need to get a few things ticked off the list,

1. Engine Run
2. Pressure up brake lines
3. Fit prop shaft
4. Fit remote rear bleed nipples

I want to pressure up the brake lines to check all the joins for weeping/leaks, as when the body is fitted visibility and access are next to none. Also i need to have the confidence that my brakes are the best they can possibly be, in case they are needed for an emergency!!

So i also needed to fire the engine.... the fun bit!! after making a small investment in a good quality battery and a few battery cables i took the plunge and fired her up.

The test fire was a massive success, however like any kit car build it just proved that nothing can be fitted once and left. Obviously to run the engine the cooling system needed to be set up. I wasn't bothering with the cooling fan as the engine wouldn't be run long enough to get that hot. However a little bit of a hole in the stainless steel of the header tank where it was made was a bit of a bummer, as i was constantly pouring water into the cap to stop it draining away and running dry. This however has been rectified by AK and I'm just waiting for it to be sent back.

Second issues is that i ran the engine with no prop shaft, so with the yoke not being on the output shaft of the gearbox there was no oil seal and threw oil all over the flood.... messy but smells lovely.

Thirdly my fuel pump is basically fooked. There is a crack in the casting where the output union is screwd in... this pissed me off no end. I had waited months for this to be delivered, and i knew i would have a battle on my hands to prove it wasn't me over tightening the union and splitting the casting. However a replacement has been fitted now and the knacked one can be returned to Edelbrock for inspection.. but after postage to the retailer, and then postage again back to America, its pointless throwing good money after bad. This has however annoyed me big time, as it was not me over tightening the union that split it and i cant afford to loose money like this.

So As soon as the return of my header tank, i will fit the yoke to the gearbox to make the oil seal, top up the gearbox oil, and run the engine again... then i can tick that of my list and make some progress on the brake system testing.

Loud Pipes and Fuel pump

Yes another lengthy wait since my last update, all i can say in my defence is that i never really set a time scale for this project... which is lucky! Also funds are a little tight at the moment so i haven't had as much spare at the end of each month as i wanted.



However the illusive Edelbrock fuel pump arrived (took easily 2 months from order) This is now in suite to replace the blanking plate that was fitted from the engine supplier. It is mounted to an thin adapter plate which is bolted directly to the block. There is a long metal rod that slides up into the depth of the engine which operates the pump via a cam shaft lobe.

As you can see from the picture that i will be removing the pump again as i will need to rotate the "line in" and "line out" feeds as so they don't/wont foul the inside of the wheel on full lock. I'm also replacing the "line out" with a 90° union to help re-rout the line from pump to carb.

 I have also picked up my side pipes and manifolds from AK, these are the latest 5" pipes that are absolutely mega. they look (IMO) seriously cool and ironically they can be fairly cool to touch after a hard drive..... seriously i went out for a blast about in the AK demo car with these pipes fitted and when we returned i could easily touch the pipe without burning myself. The headers and tail piece will still get stupid hot so i will have to watch that.

The exhausts are fitted via two brackets bolted to the underside of the chassis to support each sidepipe with a cotton bobbin (engine mount) between pipe and bracket.

The manifolds are slightly harder to fit as they are specific to each side of the engine, and take some fetteling to align the fixing bolts to the heads.

As with a fair few jobs on the AK kit, there are not many jobs that you can do once and be happy with. When fitting my manifolds the HT lead from one of the spark plugs is in contact with the manifold down pipe. This will cause problems, as the manifold will get fricken hot and basically melt the lead and in turn create all sorts of nasty running issues.

As you can see in the picture this is way to close for comfort. It also will not allow me to remove the leads when the manifold is fitted... so that would involve removing the sidepipe and manifold just to service the car and change the plugs.... need a solution!!!

After speaking with AK, Jon said its not uncommon for this to happen, just means i have to remove the manifold and heat up the pipe causing the obstruction (red heat) then flatten out a little. So this is something I'll have to do once my neighbour has got some more oxy gas. I will also be fitting a protective sleeve over the rubber boot, which "according to the manufacturers" can be touching the pipe and it will not transmit the heat to the lead or create firing issues? I'm only fitting them as a safety precaution as even after i have flattened the pipe a little it will still be close!

As you can see the headers of the pipes fit to the manifolds using a slip fit. There has been a thread on the Cobra forum lately about these slip joins leaking, this will obviously be IVA/MOT fails. But considering i still haven't had my engine running yet, its not an issue....yet!

I have also placed an order for some gauge senders and all the relevant adapters with pressure switch. So technical once these are fitted i can do a test fire of the engine!!! that is something to look forward to. I could test fire now without the oil pressure switch, and gauges however this is stupid risk with such an expensive engine. I need to be able to see whats going on as its running so that i can shut down if any problems occur, and potentially risk destroying my engine.

So come back in the next 6 months and I'll have fitted the new fuel union. LOL seriously i must warn you that i have been robbed of a wad of cash for a bloody holiday for 2 weeks in September, so this will slow progress down even more!! LOL

Messing with my body

Well with progress being made on the chassis, and with a few jobs left to do like prop shaft and clutch line, it was time to start paying some attention to the body. With the way things are going i think I'll be trial fitting the body along with exhausts before i test fire the engine. not a perfect situation, but it also means i can pressure test my brakes and clutch with the pedal box being in suite.

First job was the heater box. This is from a mk2 VW Polo. I am doing things differently to the AK build manual here as it will make things easier... i think. Current IVA regulation states that air drawn in through the heater must not come from within the engine bay. So this will involve fitting some ducting to the intake of the heater back through into the cockpit of the car. As you can see in the picture above the heater is mounted, i had to cut a hole in the bulkhead to allow the air through the matrix and into the car.

The AK build manual advises to fit the heater opposite to how i have done it. (picture above the heater motor on the other side flipped over 180) This is because the heater is made with a angled lip which allows easy mounting to the angle of the bulk head. I took advice on clearance to the bell housing and have removed this lip  with my dremel (see picture left) for a few reasons. Main one being that the heater hoses are now on the same side as they are on the engine, so it will make for easier routing of the heater hoses when i get to that. And also because its advised to have the intake ducting fitted to the motor side, as so that the air is drawn past the motor and will help keep it cool. I may also take an air intake from the heater hose side also, most people just blank this off, but it is the bigger intake so will aid airflow if i use it.

On the cockpit side of the car you can now see the heater matrix. This is where the air is blown through and as the air passes through the fins it is heated by the hot engine water in the matrix and hey presto hot air blowing onto the screen to de-mist... should i ever need it?? On this side is fitted a fiberglass box section to seal the unit and rout the air flow to the relevant place. I intend to just lock the temp control valve to open (Hot) as it will very rarely be used as the car will be a spring/summer drive only. However if i change my mind i can easily sort out a control gauge wire.. this will clutter up the dashboard more so not interested at the moment.

I have also trial fitted the pedal box, checking for a good fit with no clearance issues. All seems to be ok, but i will need to get longer bolts for the clutch master cylinder, as the bulk head is fairly thick.

And on the engine side of the body the brake servo and clutch master cylinder are mounted neatly. All will need to be removed again to make hose connections and to peel off the protective film of the stainless steel engine bay cladding, but they fit as they should do and can now stay until a trial fit of the body which i hope to be fairly soon!!!

Its getting HOT in here!!!

Well i haven't really got a massive amount of stuff to do on the chassis, until the pick up of my exhausts etc... and i am still awaiting delivery of my fuel pump from Roadcraft (ordered 6 weeks ago) they advertise the item on line as being in stock (and still are doing) yet they apparently have non and are waiting for them to be delivered from the USA. Starting to get a little miffed now!!!

Anyway i received my radiator and cooling hoses so i set about doing a quick trial fit and checking for any potential issues. All seems to be fairly straight forward allowing me to mark up the position for the header tank and fix into place on the chassis cross member using a couple of good old rivnuts.

The initial fit looks ok, however the little overflow hose from the header to the top of the radiator has a massive internal diameter and IMO will never be able to compress the amount it needs to in order to create a seal. So i think this i will have to change this. Also the bottom hose to the water pump is very close to the front brake pipe T piece, this will touch with the engine vibration, and road bumps, so some more playing there to allow a better fit.

I've spent most of today basically ticking off the snagging list. eg. my rear hubs were ABS hubs and because ABS is for homosexuals and i have removed the ABS toothed ring and sensor it has left a hole in the side of the hub where the sensor would have gone. So I've made up a couple of alloy sheet plugs that screw nicely into place and with a little instant gasket to seal them they should now stop any water ingress into the hub and mixing with my bearings.

Other little jobs i have done is wire lock the bolts for the inner pivot rear wishbone carrier, this is one of those jobs that i wish i had have done when it was first put on and torqued up. i had to take off the protective plate from under the diff and fiddle about trying to get the lock wire through the holes and twisted up... fiddly but glad I've done it.
 I've also checked the camber again of my rear wheels and lock tight the drive shaft nuts to final drive studs. I'm still uneasy about how many shim's i have had to use to achieve the required tolerance however job done. This is another job that took time because it basically involved stripping the rear shocks/springs and getting everything level, removing wheels and just bloody tedious really.

Coming next will hopefully be the prop shaft, which i will need to get shortened and balanced. and also i still need to order and fit my clucth line and unions.

I'm still Alive!!!!!

Well its been some time since i last updated my blog.... a very long time. I would love to say that I've been busy working on the Cobra and that progress is coming along nicely, but I'd be lying apart from the odd weekend tinker progress has been little to none.

However i attended the National Kit car show at Stoneleigh over the May bank holiday and I'm determine to use this better weather we are having and make some progress on the Cobra.

So after a little messing about and sorting i have mounted the fuel filter. I  was initially going to mount an electronic fuel pump at this point, however my plans have now changed and I'm reverting back to a mechanical fuel pump off the engine block. Mostly this is to save space and reliability, electric fuel pumps can be noisy and on my chassis will take up space that is not available.

As you will see on the image beside that i had to drill two 10mm holes in the chassis along the inside leg, to allow me to insert two rivnuts for the mounting of the filter bracket. Not as easy as it should have been, as the gearbox was in the way, however they are in and secure so job done.

The bracket was butchered from an old fuel pump bracket, and with some cutting to the top to allow clearance for the assembily bolts on the filter. All looks good.
I have decided to run 10mm (3/8") internal diameter fuel line from tank to carb, so i have re ordered some fuel unions along with my new Edelbrock performance mechanical fuel pump.

Unfortunately i have received an e-mail saying the pump is not in stock and will be some weeks before i recive it..... balls up to my weekend in the garage.

I have removed the blanking plate of the engine block, and apart from an initial test run i was surprised at how much crud was behind the plate, so a bit of cleaning up and now ready and waiting for my fuel pump to be delivered. 

I have also took the plunge and ordered my exhausts and manifold headers from AK. These will be ready in July when i attend an open day that AK are holding so two birds one stone and all that jazz. They have taken one hell of a punch to the old budget, but these will be the newer 5" pipes as opposed to the older 4"...... Bigger is better!!! Fact!!!!