Mickeyduck's machines

[mickeyduck]

Thanks Paul but I think I'm going to go with the K&N option. K&N have worked well for years and heaps of k's when I've used them in the past. In fact a K&N filter can easily last as long as the car it's attached to if you clean and re-oil it about as often as you might replace an OEM paper element. I guess oiled cotton doesn't perish like foam rubber does eh? And if you expand out all the pleats you'll find a K&N pod filter has way more surface area too, which helps induction and also makes it last longer before you need to clean it.

Not being a totally "cold air" setup it might not work quite as well for drags if sitting on a start position cos in that situation a pod filter will be sucking warm air from the engine bay, but on the road it will be getting plenty of cool air and that's "cool" in my books.

Mind you can I get a K&N filter in there in place of the HKS...??? Time to investigate different shaped options.

My thread repair kit and tap turned up today. Nice fast service from Carbide NZ and NZ Couriers.

Once the brakes are sorted I think I might have a go at doing what Simon suggested some time ago, block it under the ends of the suspension arms to simulate being on rubber, then use the lasers to set up the wheel alignment. Cos when I've done it myself in the past, by eye, the thing was nice and straight under full throttle. But no matter where I go if I get a shop to do it, it pulls to one side and requires steering input to prevent it committing sideways. So yeah I'm going to try Simon's nice simple way of simulating it being on wheels and have a go at setting up the wheel alignment myself.

Got a few other things to finish doing first though. Roll on Saturday.

[mickeyduck]

Contacted Paul at NZ Performance in Palmy and told him the rear springs had turned out to be too short, so he sent me to see Kane at Redline Performance here in Auckland and I handed over the 180mm springs in exchange for a 200mm set. AWesome how these guys, from competing companies, happily get together to help out each other's customers. As Kane said, "it's a small country, we all know each other". And me, I'm stoked. More than happy to recommend dealing with either outfit.

While I was there I scored a K&N air cleaner, a piece of stainless 100mm diameter pipe, and ordered a new "Bellofram" for the HKS GT-II wastegate. It should get here in time for the trip to Manfield.

So the rear suspension has been out and back in again this weekend and now it's as it should be. Nice.

Then I took another look at that replacement RF Brembo caliper. Seeing as it didn't want to take one of the brand new stainless bleed nipples I decided to very carefully try to clean up the half-naffed thread using the M10 x 1.0 bottom tap. Seemed ok... But when I put a silicon hose on it and blew into it with the new bleed nipple closed tight, I could hear air escaping. So the blasted thing isn't seating dead straight or something and as a result it won't seal. That totally put me off the idea of trying to helicoil it so I got Googling to find another solution.

It seems the only reliable way of fixing the problem is to fit a brass insert which itself has a seat and a bleed nipple. There are 3 options that look like they might do the job. Wilwood USA make one kind that is designed to drop straight into replacing an M10 x 1.0 bleed nipple if the thread has started getting dodgy. If they can be fitted, then instead of steel versus aluminium (soft and weak) you end up with steel versus brass. Much tougher and a lot less likely to seize. I've found a place in the USA that I can get them from at a reasonable price but I'm first waiting to hear back from a couple of Wilwood brakes dealers here in NZ to see if they have them in stock. Wilwood part number 220-6069

https://www.wilwood.com/linekits/LineKi ... o=220-6069

220-6069_lg.jpg (116.85 KiB) Viewed 3379 times

The only Wilwood ones I can find in NZ listed as being in stock are a different type at Cardwell's but they are 1/8-27 NPT which requires an 8mm drill before tapping a thread. So they'd be too small.

https://www.wilwood.com/linekits/LineKi ... o=220-0627
https://www.gewinde-normen.de/en/npt-pipe-thread.html

220-0627_lg.jpg (85.62 KiB) Viewed 3379 times

So, I want to score a set of those 220-6069 M10 x 1.0 drop-in replacements and hopefully a bit of that high temp thread locking stuff that Ivor got for me might lock in and seal up the slightly iffy one? The spec sheet for that Cotronics Resbond 907TS says it is resistant to chemicals, so I have emailed them asking if it is resistant to brake fluid.

https://www.cotronics.com/vo/cotr/pdf/907ts.pdf
https://www.cotronics.com/vo/cotr/rm_threadlockers.htm

I've also flicked an email to Sulco to see if they have in stock a slightly larger version of the kind of thing Cardwell's have. It's 1/4" NPT and the tapping drill size is 10.7mm so it'd likely be perfect as a replacement for the naffed bleeder if I can't get one of those drop-in M10 x 1.0 widgets to seal in that hole. I'd need to score a suitable tap:
https://www.carbidenz.co.nz/1-4-18-npt- ... olkel.html
But the big question with this gizmo is this: Does the caliper have enough meat for me to carve the hole out as big as this gizmo needs? The widest part of a 1/4 NPT thread is 13.6mm but I think it would squeak in...

http://www.sulco.co.nz/Tools/BRAKE-BLEE ... R-KIT.html

Sulco.png (138.14 KiB) Viewed 3379 times

Scored some red caliper paint but need to see if I can get the caliper bead blasted before I paint it.

Anyway the SW sits "beach as, bro" until I can finish sorting the brakes. Worst case scenario I end up fitting the upside-down one again for Manfield and simply drive accordingly (ever ready to correct for that pull to the left when braking).

OK, air cleaner. To fit the cold air HKS setup, Scott had fitted an aluminium panel in the side vent area. It looked great, as well as doing the job, and when I removed it I found myself looking at a very ugly gaping hole in the side of the engine bay. Yuk...!

So I grabbed the left-over bit of perforated aluminium that Colin had sent me and set to work.

Used a jig-saw to cut it out, did the job.

I painted the outside of the mesh black and shined up the inside of it to match the engine lid liner.

At first I tried using the 100mm long bit of stainless tubing but I found the throttle cable ended up pushed to an extra tight curve and was rubbing up against the air cleaner's wire mesh. Not the best.

So with a bit of help from Michelle, bravely holding the thing while I attacked it with the angle grinder, I cut the old aluminium tube up so I could mount the air cleaner as close to the vent as possible and get the throttle cable resting gently against the tube as it did before.

With the 0.8kg air cleaner attached to a 100mm long section of pipe, if you hold the pipe in your hands and shake things up and down, there's not much leverage and it's easy to hold onto. But with the air cleaner on the end of a 200mm long pipe, doing the same thing quickly shows just how much more readily it will try to detach from the turbo if hitting bumps or pot-holes. It will be twice as likely to detach actually, thanks to leverage. So I did things up as tight as I dared (don't want to break the clips) and grabbed it and gave it a real good push and it stayed put. Should be ok. Better be...!

So... Suspension sorted, just need to check the wheel alignment and fine-tune things once it's back on the road.
Air cleaner sorted.
Brakes...

And a mate has just come back to me saying he'll blast the caliper for me. Mint.

I'll make it to Manfield yet!

[*84vvt]

Took a little bit of digging to find this again but here's a filter test
the Green mushroom of death does not look that good .
http://mkiv.com/techarticles/filters_te ... x.htmlbkbk

[mickeyduck]

It was probably put there because it fit in the intake duct, I'm guessing. I wasn't impressed when it fell apart in my hands. But the K&N will be SWeet. We run them on our AW's and they last for aeons.

Can't wait to get the brakes all sorted cos then I can focus on the suspension set-up. I want to be able to really lean on this thing in the corners, hopefully as much as I can in an AW. That would be very cool. It's a big ask but it would sure be a buzz.

[spyderballer]

Might be worth checking out this place re the brake caliper

http://www.justbrakes.co.nz

They fixed 3 snapped bleeders in tr86 calipers for me before, no issues after track use.

I cant recall price because i wasnt paying bill! But im sure it was under $100

[mickeyduck]

Thanks Hayden I'll keep that outfit in mind.

I did manage to buy some Wilwood bleeders from Race Brakes, at top dollar, and they turned out to be 2nd hand... Led to a bit of wasted time, but let's not get into that. Suffice to say I won't be dealing with them again.

Anyway I did a bit of research regards thread locking stuff that can handle reasonable temperatures and brake fluid. So I scored a bottle of Loctite 271

A mate blasted the "new" caliper for me, got it ready to paint. He said the original old paint was really stubborn stuff. Well I hope the new paint is too...

So that little puppy's been hanging on the clothes line in the sun today and hopefully in the morning will be hard enough to handle.

I cleaned up those sad old bleeders today too. Even got out the gun blue to redo the black steel bits.

Not perfect but better... I hit the threads with carb cleaner amongst other things. Need that Loctite to bind real well.

So tomorrow with a bit of luck maybe I can get that caliper ready for the car. Still a few things to do to it.

While that was hanging around sunning itself, I decided to take a look at the wheel alignment. Glad I did.

I hadn't thought about the fact that the way harder springs would make the car sit way higher and that only became obvious when I set axle stands under the outer ends of the lower suspension arms so it would sit as if on wheels. Wow. About 3cm too high. Anyway that lead to another round of adjustments and re-testing until finally the rear ride height seems like it will give me about 20 to 25mm clearance from the tyre to the guard. Which will look low with those 18" rims, but will in fact be the same ride height as a standard SW.

Haven't looked at the front yet but it'll need the same attention.

So once those bleeders are glued into place in the caliper I'll take a look at how to set up the camber and the toe-in on the rear suspension, and after that I'll be looking at the front. And maybe Sunday, after the Loctite has had about 24 hours to cure, I might see about fitting the caliper and bleed the brakes and see if it works and doesn't leak.

So yeah Manfield is creeping up on me and I've got a wee bit to do yet... Hey it's all good fun. Blowed if I know what I'll do though if the SW can't make the trip. Could drive the 86 but I won't track it. Can't insure that thing for a track day.

Anyway very much hoping that by the end of this long weekend the SW is mundafentally back on its feet. Needs a WOF too. So yeah, the pressure's on. Motel booked. Track time paid for. Run to Fielding organised and seeing as I'm leading I suppose I better go even if the SW can't... Ah yes the flip side of being an AC. Which I no longer am ha ha.

Nah she'll be right. We'll get there.

[mickeyduck]

Well today I've basically just tried to sort out the ride height, camber and toe-in on the SW. Not easy when the shed's floor isn't perfectly flat and level. I guess I'll find out when I take it for a test drive...

Just so as I remember how I went about it, for next time...

Rear end first.
Axle stands under the outer ends of the suspension arms.
Set the ride height of them to 340mm measured from lip of guard to centre of hub.
That should leave about 25mm clearance which oughtta be ample with those springs.
Did the right side first, then the left side.
The right side's camber is basically set by pulling the hub up and out as far as it will go.
I made sure the car was level then took the angle with my adjustable spirit level on the rotor.
Took that to the left rear rotor and set it up the same.

Then I attacked the front end. With the front jacked up it turned out the drivers side needed a nylon chopping board under the axle stand to get both suspension arms to land on their stands at the same time as the jack came down.
Once that was sorted I was able to adjust both sides at the front to give me 330mm from guard to hub centre. Should leave about 20mm clearance.
I stuck a wee bottle brush in the threaded cavity in the centre of the hub so I had a good visual pointer for the measurement.

Shot the wheel alignment with the lasers, started by determining that the right rear rotor is 3mm more inboard than the left rear rotor. Measured the bottom seam under the chassis at the jack points, side to side. Skinnier at the front. Shot the lasers forwards and adding that 3mm offset into the equation, turned out both rear wheels were exactly correct for being true in line. There was only 2mm toe-in though. As the Geddes bro's 2k cup car runs 6.2mm toe-in (total) on the rear (spec is 5mm) and my car has very similar camber (and eats the inside edges of the tyres when boosting) I've aimed to set the rear toe-in at about 7 or 8mm.

I've left the front toe-in at 2mm (factory is 1 to 2mm).

My main concern is the ride height because as I discovered at one point today, with all 4 corners suspension sitting on jack stands you can find yourself trying to reduce the ride height at one corner but after removing 15mm from the strut, the guard to hub measurement hasn't altered at all, but now the spring can spin readily by hand even though it has 4mm preload as per spec. Why? Cross-weighting. Yeah that was on the right front and made me go back to the left rear and increase the height there until it cam back to 340mm. It had reduced while messing with the front end... And yes this was before I realised I needed a chopping board under the right front stand to get things right.

Set up the back end.
Then check the front end lands on jack stands both sides at the same time.
Then set up the front end.

Like I said it'll be interesting to see if I have it set up ok now or if it feels like utter crap.

I'd love to borrow a dead flat level floor some place, and the Geddes' bro's scales. Needs to happen one day if I'm going to get the little beast just right.

Also popped the pots out of that Brembo caliper. Made up a gizmo for the garden hose to hydraulic them out but that only got them so far and then things got a bit tricky. One pot had a ripped dust boot so it popped right out and at that point the others were a little stuck. Got there in the end, and cleaned the residual blaster grit out of things. I've even bunged two of those Wilwood bleeders into it and it's now in the hot water cupboard to cure over-night.

As I don't have a refurb kit handy I'd have to dismember the upside down caliper to get this one working, so I'm tempted to leave that until after Manfield in case it all turns to custard. Might go have a glass of wine and mull on that one for a bit eh...

[GDII]

Race cars run calipers without dust covers. I'm sure it won't hurt to run it for the weekend and get them in once they come available.

[*84vvt]

I'd love to borrow a dead flat level floor some place, and the Geddes' bro's scales. Needs to happen one day if I'm going to get the little beast just right.

There are 'Flat concrete pads at Manfeild ,Iv see cars on them for alignments on race days .

[mickeyduck]

Well I chickened out and fitted the old upside-down caliper again for now. I'll take a good look at the best way to resurrect the "new" RF one later.

Interesting way to bleed a caliper, unbolting it and flipping it upside down to bleed it.

I'm going to post this hard to find DC5R Brembo caliper schematic here for future reference. It came in handy for torque settings.

Brembo_schematic.png (130.71 KiB) Viewed 3213 times

Anyway we got the brakes back together and bled. Then I took one last look at the suspension ride height in a slightly different way. I'd been thinking about what I had noticed while trying to adjust the ride height on that front corner. Without scales it seems to be rather difficult to adjust the coil-overs correctly if the weight is on the suspension at all four corners. Would be all too easy to end up with a car that handles horribly when turing one way if you inadvertently got the cross-weighting aspect muffed up. So I decided the first thing I would do is get the ride height as even as I could at the rear. I jacked up the front of the car under the jack point below the spare tyre well, and with the fear suspension arms on axle stands, set the ride height to 340mm measured from hub centre to guard.

Then I did the same thing the other way around, jacking the rear up at the rear cross-member, with the front suspension arms sitting on jack stands. Again I got both sides within a mm of each other.

I figured that using this 3-point method would also pretty-much eliminate the influence of a wonky garage floor.

Finally I put the wheels back on and dropped it gently to the floor. Damn is that a hard ride. Almost no movement at all when leaning or sitting on the car. Much like the old Kei Office were. Actually 85% as firm, but with much more adjustment available in the shocks. The car sits higher than I expected but it might settle a little after some driving (or not?) Good to have it back on its feet anyway. Even if the spider poo means it needs a damn good wash.

Taking a quick look at it I can't help thinking the steering wheel is going to be way out of true. A test drive will be the next thing but that can wait until Saturday morning. This is not the sort of car to drive in Auckland traffic on a week-day after work. And if I need to jack it up and tweak the wheel alignment and road test until it's ok, it can wait until Saturday.

WOF expires in about a week so that'll be the next hurdle. Not as easy with a certed car as one that's just bog standard.
Anyway, progress I guess.

Rear tyres get eaten by this thing when you plant your foot. The leading edge of the tread blocks gets ripped off them especially on the inside of the wheel (due to the camber). Don't think they will be up to much by the time I get back from Manfield...

[spyderballer]

I will see if i can take scaling gear to Manfield, they're not actually mine but belong to a tr86 team.

most track "flat pads" are fine for wheel alignments, but you'd be suprised how far out they actually are from being flat. - the scales have leveling pads.

You need adjustable swaybar links though if you want to corner weight, otherwise the sway bars will be under tension.

[mickeyduck]

I will see if i can take scaling gear to Manfield, they're not actually mine but belong to a tr86 team.

Thank you. But it sounds like a bit of an ask Hayden. And a big dose of extra stuff to drag all the way to Fielding... Can I use them here at home? It would certainly be interesting to see how well I can get the car set up.

[85AW20v]

.......

Rear tyres get eaten by this thing when you plant your foot. The leading edge of the tread blocks gets ripped off them especially on the inside of the wheel (due to the camber). Don't think they will be up to much by the time I get back from Manfield...

DSCF8694.JPG

I was thinking about your tyre eating monster the other day Charlie and I'm not entirely sure that you would need to run as much camber as the Geddes brothers do on their 2KCup car - if that is how you're set up. I way I see it, as they're running standard everything, they have to compensate for relatively soft suspension and tyre sidewalls by using as much camber as they can. With your coilovers and very low profile tyres, there isn't that requirement as there would be bugger all - if any! - sidewall movement. The car probably doesn't squat much under acceleration either so again, the tyre contact patch won't be changing much. On your run tomorrow check the temp across the whole tyre. If the inside edge is hotter than the outside edge, then you've got too much negative camber so can take some out.

[mickeyduck]

On your run tomorrow check the temp across the whole tyre. If the inside edge is hotter than the outside edge, then you've got too much negative camber so can take some out.

Good idea Simon. I don't have one of those laser temp gizmos but I'll check it with my hand.

My little 45km test blat this morning went well. Suspension back to its hard old self, very precise steering, somewhat twitchy under full throttle on a bumpy road, feels pretty good in the corners though. Brakes work. Engine lid doesn't seem to rattle or hum. New air cleaner didn't fall off. Tomorrow will be a more intense and protracted test run. If it gets through that it should be fine for the trip to Manfield.

Need to get home in time tomorrow to wash and vacuum the thing, get it up on ramps and clean it underneath, check things are all present and correct. WOF on Tuesday, taking a half day off for the event.

So yeah, here's to tomorrow's little test run. viewtopic.php?f=4&t=15537&p=148959#p148959

Moovin'...

B00STN-Mangakino.jpg (1015.24 KiB) Viewed 3117 times

[mickeyduck]

OK a bit of a double-post but just so I don't forget...

If I hear a clunk coming from the front end and it gets more frequent with distance, stop and get a 17mm spanner and check the nut that secures the shock to the top-hat is tight.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=15537

Damn shame the nuts are M12 x 1.0 as it's a rare thread pitch at that size. (EDIT a week or so later: now that I have a thread pitch gauge I can safely say they are actually M12 x 1.25) Would be great to find a 3mm thick nut to use as a lock-nut on top of the 17mm nut that secures the shock to the top-hat and below the 14mm one that holds the damper adjuster on. Maybe there's a nut for attaching a variable resistor to a face-plate that'd fit, or something like that?

Unlike the rear ones, it's not a nylock nut. Loctited now.

WOF tomorrow...