Things are really starting to take shape and lots of stuff is happening at present, so much so I'm struggling for time to cover the older build tasks in the retrospective posts I've mentioned so many times.
Having sorted the radiator there are now only a few more tasks needed before I can get fluids in the car and a possible start. I've given myself a couple of targets for this weekend, hopefully if I can complete all of these items an engine start might be a realistic goal for the week after. Then maybe we can look at booking the test!
The goals for this weekend are;
Rotate the car through 180 degrees by fitting all 4 wheels and pushing it around on my driveway. I'm looking to have the car nose first in the garage for the startup day. Why? I'd like to the have the exhaust on the other side, it's currently pointed at the Exige which is covered by an indoor car cover which I don't want to wreck with rich exhaust fumes and unburnt fuel vapour.
I then have a chain of interdependent tasks I want to complete. The ultimate goal is to put oil, coolant and I guess fuel in the car. Fuel isn't a problem, oil and coolant have a few remaining steps.
Oil needs a sender plug adding to the bottom of the oil reservoir, this should be a simple 5-minute task. I suspect gaining access will be the greatest challenge here, famous last words!
Adding coolant has a few complexities. In order to add coolant into the cooling system I need the top radiator hose attached. Before attaching the top hose I will need the catch can in place as the can sits under the coolant hose The can will need to be prepared including drilling a hole for the appropriate hose connection between it and the oil reservoir output. Once done it can be positioned on the bracket below the coolant hose. That said, before that happens I must complete the front cycle wings, and side repeaters as they connect to the electrics which will be blocked by the catch can. I think that's got it!
In summary, the tasks look something like this;
Attach IVA trim to the front cycle wings.
Widen the front cycle wing side repeater centre hole used for wiring to ~13mm.
Attach each side repeaters to the front cycle wings.
Drill each wing stay for the side repeater ground.
Key both wing stays and front cycle wings for the bonding adhesive.
Feed each side repeater signal cable through each wing stay and then bond each front cycle wing to each wing stay.
Ensure grommets and heat shrink are used on the cabling.
Secure each side repeater signal wire with cable ties across the wishbones and connect to the loom. Tidy cabling against the chassis.
Prepare the catch can including the hose connection with the oil reservoir, and install the can within the chassis retaining bracket.
Connect the coolant radiator top hose and secure with a jubilee clip.
Written down it seems like a large amount of work, some of it rather complex. I have to say I'm not looking forward to the adhesion of the wings!
Luckily I made a small start yesterday on a couple of the items.
I've added the IVA trim around the front cycle wings, although I haven't glued them yet.
I've also drilled out the 13mm hole for the side repeater cable and then added each side repeater to its respective wing. A couple of comments on this task, drill very slowly from the inside out. I used a small drill bit from the outside in initially and it made a mess of the gel coat and it started to crack. Luckily it was just a small drill bit and the damage was limited, by the time I got to the final 13mm hole drilling from the inside out all cracks had been removed. Phew!
One other tip, the side repeaters were packaged in small cardboard packs and the cable tightly wound inside.
When I removed them the cable had a significant amount of memory, was stiff and all over the place. I figured it would only make the job of threading it through the wing stay more difficult. I left them on a long central heating radiator for the evening, the warmth did its job, and softened the cable allowing it to straighten, I expect it to make a big difference when fitting. I've hung the repeaters up in the garage until I need them.
Check back to see how I get on this weekend.
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