Dedicated Track Car Progress Thread

[trublustu]

I will surly read this info, I do believe in understanding why I completing a task a certain way, not just doing as I`m told (I`m not very good at that!)
I blame reading Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintainance...

 

[tuonokid]

Hi Stu
I'm aware of that but never read it but I like to know how things work before I undertake a task. I fully understood this cambelt change before I took it on but was still shocked at how tight the vib damper bolt was and dreaded starting it up in case it went bang. So honestly the worst thing was tightening the vib damper bolt up by pulling on the scaffold pole whilst my mate was watching the degree gauge move. If I was you I would get help in when you re-tighten the vib damper bolt.
Barry

 

[trublustu]

Thats what I intend to do.
I might even get the thing back together and then take the car to my local garage and get some "help" from them in their own workshop to get the torque just right. (power tools again)
I havent found a bolt this tight on a non commercial vehicle before (Even my transit wheel bearings aren`t this tight!)
No wonder its a £300+ job..

 

[trublustu]

On a side note, remember that spares repair I picked up today.
Its a good runner, with no brakes and rust...

So if this goes tits up in a royal fashion, its not the end of the world.
But I`m a blue sky thinker, so I`m aiming to flog this motor coz mine will run like a sewing machine...

 

[tuonokid]

Hi Stu
I appreciate your poitive thinking :grin: but let's keep another 1.7 motor running. At the end of the day dodgy cam belt changes and rust will kill most Pumas in the next 5 years. I'm hoping my son will be driving mine when he's in his early 20s (He's 16 now).
Feel free to ask any problems.
Barry

 

[trublustu]

Hi Barry.
I would love to come across one of these srapman money Pumas that's worth saving.
I've had a quick once over and this one isn't bad. But, its on 120k with very little history and about £3-400 worth of work...
Fir a car not worth £600 done its hard to justify. :-(
still, its parts will keep other motors on the road and take me and my project puma to a track in November...

 

[tuonokid]

Hi Stu
I actually meant I really hope that you manage to fix your engine as well as keep the other one. Yeah some cars are just too far gone to economically repair unless you can do all the work yourself. I hope you managed to track down that Gates Bulletin and give it a good read.
Barry

 

[trublustu]

Well do I have a couple of busy weekends coming up...

I`ve not actually got a broken engine, just a tired looking cambelt, so...

I`m thinking of swapping the worn tensioner and refitting the engine, then get the car running.
My thinking here is that I can get some proper torque into the crank bolt with the motor nice and solid.

Also, I`ve got just 4 days working on the car before Cadwell Park, and its in bits on the drive :!:
I need to get it running. Smiley Transits aren`t that hot around motorsport circuits!
If I dont get the belt changed and the worst does happen, I have a donor car with a nice quiet engine in it (less mileage too) :thumbs:

The belt change (while in car) will only be a few hours, so I could even get the car into tip top condition (mechanically)
In which case I have a decent engine to play with. I have got a spare head to polish up so a engine to re-build at my own pace sounds good. I could start looking for cams etc.

First I gotta get the bloody car running!

 

[tuonokid]

Hi Stu
Not entirely sure what you are planning to do as the first few paragraphs read slightly different to the last few but now you've been heaving on the crank bolt you shouldn't re-start it again untill the can belt change is completed as even though you haven't managed to shift the bolt you could have slackened it's gripping effect on the crank pulley. If you are putting the engine in to change the cambelt I hope the vib damper holding tool's at the right angle for you to put an axle stand underneath it so you can crack the bolt off by yourself.
Good luck :grin:
Barry

 

[trublustu]

Hi Bsrry.
I`m going to get the car back together and running, as is.
With my first track outing since August so close, I`ll take the chance it may go bang.

The belt is top of the to do list!

If I have time before Cadwell i`ll replace the belt in the car.
It`ll be a lot easier now I have seen what I`ll be doing under the car.
I`d probably take the car to a mechanic with a proper impact gun to undo it and have 3 Shredded Wheat to torque it up...

 

[trublustu]

I've had another fine weekend of car-nage..

I got all my ancillaries bolted on yesterday.
Today I lifted the motor in and soon had it running

I decided in not keen on fords metal gaskets, the aftermarket waterpump I removed had a paper one so I set about making a load of newies out of proper gasket paper.
I have also decided its almost vital to have a donor car for those little bits you can't find (god know how many clutch pipe clips I've lost...
Its also been handy in re plumbing/wiring the

No piccies today (in saving them for the big 'reveal')
I have found one other problem...
My exhaust has no flexible bit and has cracked a weld on the manifold!
This will be handed to a very competent welder this week, so hopefully it'll be ready to roll come weekend

 

[Ian G]

I have also decided its almost vital to have a donor car for those little bits you can't find

Makes you lazy though, sure I spend half the time outside in the yard hunting for stuff when I should be working on a car inside. :lol:

 

[trublustu]

Here's a heads up.
If you want to fit a 4-2-1 manifold to your Puma,
let someone else do it!!
Unless you have a pit or car lift, its a pig of a job.

I had to jack the car REALLY high at the front, remove the o/s driveshaft and bracket. Undo the torque link and push the engine as far forward as it would go. Then it only just squeezed in (easier with the engine out I can assure you!)
Still its done now, so after sticking a litre of fresh gearbox oil in, I decided to give the car a shakedown run.

As I was manoevering the car out, the clutch pedal hit the floor and the car lurched backwards towards my van!
The clutch pipe wasn't seated properly and I looked on in horror to see my lovely new ATE blue fluid exiting the pipe!
Fortunately I had just enough left, so a quick pressure bleed got me going.

I am very happy to report the car starts, steers and stops :grin:
At low speeds the steering is heavy, but not as heavy as when the p/s pump is still in the system, once its rolling steering is fine. Better than it was actually, tons of feedback.
It stops on a sixpence too (handy)

I cannot wait to give it some rice at Cadwell on Friday :thumbs:

 

[trublustu]

Heres a few pics of the motor, back where it belongs (minus some dead weight!)

Ready to rumble 1

• trublustu
• Oct 12, 2014

Ready to rumble 2

• trublustu
• Oct 12, 2014

Ready to rumble 3

• trublustu
• Oct 12, 2014

Ready to rumble 4

• trublustu
• Oct 12, 2014

Cleanest i`ve ever seen it

 

[Glenn_]

Looking good. Do these 4 branch manis melt the plastic part where the steering column goes through.

 

[Noobrider]

Nice Stu, should go better now, that heat wrap is worth a few Bhp. Super slippy Samco hose and some quality HT leads

 

[trublustu]

Hi Glenn,
The 4 branch has scorched, but not melted, the plastic steering column surround. I`ve seen this on a few Pumas/Fieastas with 4-2-1`s.
The manifold was fitted when I got the car and it wasn`t wrapped.
while I was giving the engine bay it`s once over I decided this needed rectifying.
Here`s a thing, If anyone intends fitting a freeflow (It really releases the power) wrap it before fitting, you`ll never manage it in situ.
Also, you will need 2 x 10 meter rolls of wrap.

 

[trublustu]

Hi Nick,
It might just, The leads are more show than go,
but the inlet pipe (and smoothed inlet manifold) may well help..

Unfortunately I cant refit my upper front strut brace as the new master cylinder reservoir is in the way. I`ll see how it goes friday and might just leave it like that.
Otherwise I`m on the lookout for a Sparco brace (which goes over the servo wheras my OMP one goes around the front of the MC reservoir)

Either way I have an anthracite Upper stut brace going spare...

 

[grayfox]

Looking great mate! Love the shiny silver/metal rocker cover.

Pretty certain the upper front brace is fo sho anyways too so good to not add the weight

 

[trublustu]

Hello fox.
I`ve looked into steering geometry and bracing and you are quite right.
On a front wheel drive car you actually WANT a little flex in the top of your front suspension. It`s the back you want as stiff as it can be.
As I said, I can see it staying as it is.

As for the rocker cover, my glamorous assistant can take all the credit there. Plus some cleaning paste and elbow grease...