A quieter exhaust?

Today, with the aid of Pete's lift, I started the first stage of the EFI installation on Amanda's estate HOE. With the 2000 Register National starting next week and us planning on using HOE for that, now would not be the time to start major projects. The CW 6-3-1 does have a welded socket at the collector for a lambda sensor, these don't like being subjected to use without being connected electrically. I managed to cobble together a bung for this via a truck parts retailer.

So after removing the exhaust system and downpipe from the old cast manifold I stripped the carbs and inlet manifold off, plugging the coolant hoses to stop too much leaking out. As I stripped this out I noticed damage to the cast item that I would no longer be using.

Obvious in the photo above is a section of metal missing from around the securing hole above cylinders 4 and 5, more obvious in the photo below is the hairline crack developing in the centre where the front 3 and rear 3 cylinder join. This was longer still at the rear! So the manifold had seen it's best.

Another item that had seen it's best was the gasket between manifold and head, this showed signs of blow by at both exhaust and inlet. When undoing the securing nuts, some were no more than finger tight so the blow by was no surprise. Once removed the gasket had 'manifold' stamped on one side and looked for all the world as if it were the original.

The new (to me) CW manifold looks far sexier than the cast item, so after cleaning up the mating surfaces of the head and manifolds, reassemly began. The photo below was before I remembered that Andy had given me some cut down 9/16 spanners, once I tried bolting up the inlet manifold at no.1 cylinder I worked out what they were for and why I shouldn't have left them at home. The first lower stud under no.1 inlet is shrouded by the exhaust runner from no.1. So it all had to be undone, the spreading washer was shaved a little to reduce height and width and the nut was wound on (1/8th of a turn at a time) whilst slidng the exhaust manifold back to the head. I will be investing in some allen head set screws before the inlets are changed to the EFI ones to try and get over this problem.

Once this minor set back was overcome the rest was just a reversal of the stripdown. I just hope the starter motor doesn't decide to give up now! A rear exhaust support bobbin was replaced along with a coolant hose and clips and it was time for the big startup. The car now sounds really nice, this manifold is said by many to flow no better than a 6-2 TR5/6 manifold, but it does sound good, it may have removed a little of the 'boom' that estates with semi sport exhausts suffer with too, BONUS.



A foot in the door of recovery

My last blog entry finished with me about to take (with Dad driving obviously) FRanK for an MOT. So the photo above of FRanK at Blyton circuit is an indulgence due to him passing the test.

The remaining photos are what was uncovered today when the bandage and dressing was taken off by the nurse. A good rate of healing for seven days.

After a buff over with a wet wipe to remove what was inaccessible for a week it was clear to see (but not so much in the pics) that all the foot is bruised and at least yellow but in some places purple.

 

At least it is on the mend and I can put socks and shoes on both feet for the first time in a week. My apologies for the foot pictures I have had some complaints about the last ones.

Tomorrow and beyond.

With mum and dad here until Wednesday, me unable to drive and FRanK wIthout MOT

a phonecall was made to my favourite test station and an appointment made for 11am  tomorrow.

So after a trip to Morrisons in HOE to fill her and the 20L jerry can up for FRanK, dad then moved the three cars about to enable us to get FRanK out easily for his test.

A little driver's seat swapping was also done, with the Recaro used for and since the trackday, removed and replaced with HOE's original driver's seat. While dad swapped the cars I took this pic of a little piece of Canley in Doncaster.

I also had another quick look at the parts in the garage waiting to go on HOE as part of the EFI install.

First thing to go on will be the CW 6-3-1, should make her sound a little different..........once I can get about properly and start working on the cars that is. So it looks like I am planning how HOE will run, before I can walk!

So this will be the first proper drive Dad has had of FRanK, let's hope they don't find anything untoward at Conisborough tomorrow.

Surgery... nearside inner sill and offside upper ankle.

Mum and Dad came up this weekend for a few reasons. Their mk1 2000 (Cecil) had a bootfull of megasquirt equipment and a CW 6-3-1 for me,  all collected from Andy Borris recently, who is moving on from efi to something a bit more ambitious! Dad also wanted Pete at Yorkshire Triumphs to tidy a small section on the n/s inner sill. So Saturday morning saw us at Rawcliffe and Cecil on the 2 post lift.

Pete needed better access to the area so unbolted the rear subframe mount and ant-vibe strap and while one person hung off the front of the car, another hung off the subframe, whilst Pete slid a large piece of wood into wedge it away from it's mount.

A bit of grinding, cutting, fabricating and welding followed, finished off with some sealant

and a few coats of underbody waxoyl protection left the offending area as below.

The last reason for their visit was my ankle operation on Friday.

I now have a little time to plan the efi install on HOE, I will be off work for a few weeks whilst I heal (no pun intended) as I can barely walk let alone drive and sadly it was my right ankle so even an auto is out of the question, Pete had already offered his auto VDP 2600 SD1 for the duration.

The photo above shows some of the bruising and swelling, with the photo below showing the swelling compared to my left foot. Hopefully I will be a little more fit for walking/driving by the Register National week in June.



The Prescott alternative

This weekend just gone had an alternative to the marque day at Prescott, the North Yorkshire Triumph Weekend. This is the second year Amanda nad I have been, although last year we didn't take any kids with us. I was lucky enough to be off on Friday so we decided that Amanda would come up in the Peugeot with Kirsten and Callum after she finished work, I would load HOE up during the day (saving us from taking the trailer) and go on ahead, hopefully getting the tent up before they arrived.

HOE was fairley loaded up with even the front passenger seat and footwell loaded up.

An hour or so after arriving the tent was up. It was pretty windy and without the help of Adie, Tony and Martin(Raider on these blogs) I wouldn't have managed it.

Amanda and the kids arrived just after six with the rest of our group coming in just after that.

By eight or so we were all fed, the tents were up and we settled around wood burners and enjoyed the beer and darkness.

Saturday morning is taken up with a drive out across the N Yorks moors. Very steep hills, breath taking scenery and Triumphs, well illustrated in the photos below, with my son Callum having his first ride in a spitfire with Richard. He loved it.

Midpoint of the run is a pub called the Lion (highest pub in N Yorks), it's very popular.





Saturday evening is a party in the large marque on site with a live band. Everyone enjoys this, young and old.

Sunday morning is the car show and packing up the tent, driving home with a late dinner break on the way at Yeddingham where we like to camp occassional weekends.

So we had a fantastic weekend and the kids really want to go again next year, well you can't let them down can you?

Back to Devon to pick up a car

The pi (FRanK) was bought unseen off ebay and picked up by Amanda and I with the aid of Mr.Chatterton who drove us down to Crediton to pick him up.

That was two and a half years ago, he drove home fine and we all lived happily ever after.

So what was I doing at 5am this morning in Doncaster?

I was (with another mate Ian) getting into Pete Johnson's Vectra estate and setting the satnav for an address just outside Axminster. With car trailer behind we drove through the rain showers and arrived just after 10am.

What we were picking up was a mk1 2000 estate that Pete had bought (unseen off ebay)

The car was pulled out of the cattle shed with a 4x4, luckily the brakes were free, so after a rear wheel was swapped for a spare TR6 one that would hold air the car was loaded on the trailer ready for the 250+ mile trip home.

Also at the yard were a few imps, a 2500TC estate, Lotus Elan, Citroen DS, SAAB 96 jubilee and a couple of Davrian kitcars. Nearly six hours later we were in Pete's house drinking tea, 500 miles of very variable weather during the day, including very heavy rain while we loaded and secured the car on the trailer (obviously) had netted Pete a 'big saloon' from Devon......Everyone should have one.



So far in April.......

1st of April saw Amanda and I with Amanda's parents, in HOE, meeting up with a few other YTCC members at Horbury working man's club ready for the April fools day run.

The weather was superb and we did an interesting run through West Yorkshire ending up in a pub for lunch.

A diverse set of cars took part, from a 1928 Ford model A tourer originally from Canada (central throttle pedal too!) to a 2003 Merc C class coupe (Malcolm's 2500s estate was receiving some MOT work)

The pub seemed a mecca for classic cars with a bright orange e-type and touring car replica RS500 Cosworth Sierra to mention a couple, already in the car park before our lot turned up.

The PI hasn't been left out this month either, with a quite extreme Recaro seat from an '80s Fiat Strada Abarth being added to the driver's side for a (Practical Classics) classic car trackday at Blyton Park, Lincolnshire. A combination of very hard old tyres, no ARB and a complete lack of talent in that Recaro (bucket loads of enthusiasm though) resulted in dramatic understeer/oversteer, lots of tyre and exhaust smoke and a realistic tribute to The Sweeney. So much fun and 70 hard track miles resulted  in FRanK needing a half litre of oil and quite a few litres of petrol!

Drive it day today saw us at a small car show at Morley, near Leeds. Another YTCC event we went with friends in their Bond Equipe and MGB and met up with malcolm in his newly MOT'd 2500S estate.

Lots to do and see at this event, but sadly overshadowed by appalling wearher which gradually made the field resemble the Somme. Six guys now know how heavy a PI is to push out of a waterlogged field.

Three pre war Packards, all at one small show must be a rare sight indeed, at least two of them are owned by the same lucky guy, the green straight six from '38 was on the April fool's day run. The cream straight eight is just huge, with the engine block being a good 4ft long.

I bet the guys who pushed the PI off the field were glad that the 62 Cadillac Sedan DeVille and 65 Zodiac had left before the field got really wet.

Not many cars sit a good 3ft longer than a mk3 Zodiac and make it look almost squat.

Not to be left out and because it was drive it day, I took my son Callum back to his Mum's in HOE this evening, so thats's Two mk2s used today.