Dedicated Track Car Progress Thread

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trublustu

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Jan 18, 2014
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Easter `18 intro...

It`s nearly five years since I bought my little toy.
And this thread I started to chart it`s development, is a couple of years old itself.
It follows my experiments and incidents over the 45+ trackdays & sprints and multiple rebuilds I`ve done since.
Every one in the same car...

I`m a driver, not a mechanic and all the maintenance, repair and mod`s have been done on a driveway with hand tools. (I`ve learnt some lessons here!)
A lot of the mods are stuff I`ve dreamt up, some work, some don`t.

The car is finally getting to the point where it`s `nearly there`
I`m not wanting much more than a rollcage now,
and a fire extinguisher,
Oh yes, and all the other things, lol.

I am passing an awful lot of similar and more powerful tackle, so must be getting something right!

I am the 2017 Javelin Sprint class B4 champion
stomping the whole `track car` class all season (<1700cc)
The 2018 season is about to start And I`ll be defending my title.
With Fordfair and a few trackdays thrown in..

I`ll try to keep up to date with my posts!...
Hope you enjoy reading my dedicated track car build thread,

Stu Morris.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In June 2013 I bought, what I thought would be a breaker with a few goodies to sell.
It is a 2000 moondust 1.7 Puma which had been given the boy racer treatment.
The car had no tax, no mot and no brakes!
I soon found and replaced the offending corroded brake line and took it to Fordfair in the August, did some tracktime sessions and was duly bitten by the trackday bug...

I have since given it a serious going over with the spanners and replaced a few shagged out parts (how I didn't die at Silverstone I don't know!) I did a couple more trackdays in 2013 and really got to work over the winter.
In 2014 I have done roughly one trackday a month since February and now have a quite nippy little car (which handles like a go-cart)
with more to come..

Its a bit difficult to remember every mod ive tried,
but as it stands the car is modified roughly as follows-

APEX 35mm lowering springs, koni rear shocks (*since upgraded)
Milltek 421 & system (no cat)
K&N 57i panel filter and Frp airbox mod
Bluefin superchip remap (*since upgraded)
Stripped out fully incl soundproofing (Ive even been busy with a spot weld drill)
Airbags removed & sports steering wheel
Polybushes all round (except rear beam which will be getting poweflex black asap) (*since upgraded)
Mondeo ST200 280mm front brakes
Polished TB and MAF
Aircon rad and rad fan gone
MS side skirts and spats (never seen these on another puma)
There was a splitter which I shattered doing a spot of inpromtu rallycross at Rockingham (*since upgraded)
Strut brace set
Plus other little bits ill get to...
Heres my little toy as it was in Febuary this year


Now while fiddling about underneath the engine recently I spotted a very slight water leak. so I whipped off by aux belt and found a little play in the water pump, I had a Rusty `Black` breaker at the time so I had a go at removing the water pump with the engine in situ and found it a tad fiddly to say the least (you`d need to be an umpa-lumpa to get your arms in there) so I thought about it and decided to whip the engine out and do a raft of engine bay mods all at once...
Here`s how it looks today...


My list of jobs under the bonnet are-
Replace timing belt (god knows when it was done but it looks ropey)
Replace water pump
Remove PS and AC pumps and pipework (mod rack)
Remove heater and aircon elements
Replace whichever oil seal is weeping
Remove abs pump and replace master cylinder
Strip any soundproofing
Replace rad (took a whack at Rockingham)
Damn good clean

Ill keep this thread updated as I work through these jobs and flag up any downfalls (suggestions always welcome)

P.S...
As I pulled this apart I put all the heater, PS, AC bits (and abs pump) in a Royal Mail sack and weighed it.
so far i`ve lost 22KG!!!!!! (not including fluids)

P.P.S anyone know why I`ve got mini pictures? NOW SORTED. :)
 
Looking good.

As an alternative to replacing the MC you can also T the pipes and get an in-line reducer to adjust the bias.
 
Looking good, you really have got bitten by the bug. Looks like you're pretty handy which helps too!

As for your images use fullalbum instead of album in the code tages

Code:
[GALLERY=media, 5086][/GALLERY] changes to [GALLERY=media, 5086][/GALLERY]
 
Cheers Red, much better pics...

Hi Ian, I thought about using the original brake master and my own plumbing.
But as I already have an early non-abs M/C (4 outlets and includes bias valves) plus the pipework, I'll use Fords.
Plus, I've heard the later M/C struggles with the larger calipers (there was definitely more pedal travel) and the early one is the same bore as the ST200.
I'll be glad to see the back of the abs pump, I've not had a decent pedal since I got the car...
 
Ever since i put this car on track ive been intending to bin the aircon pump and power steering pump.
Mainly because they are redundant on a track car, but also weight (6.5Kg and 6kg respectively)
As I investigated solutions i realised that the quite enormous auxiliary belt on the puma must sap a wee bit of power and that will never do.
so I sourced the aux belt tensioner from an Mk4 fiesta (no ps/ac) and the correct belt
Now this is not properly fitted yet (I gotta do the timing belt yet) but this is the set up I have had in my head for a year.

original setup
new set up
fiesta tensioner
required belt
I`m hoping it will free up a bhp or so...
 
You sorted a rack out? If you're getting a Fiesta one, get the column as well as the joint is different.

Or you mentioned altering the Puma one? Probably the better approach as the ratios are better. I went back to a Puma one in mine as the Fiesta one was so very long, not good on a track.
 
cool project mate looks like you have done quite a bit already, will be keeping an eye on this one. in additional to weight reduction will you be adding any more power at all?
 
I'll be keeping the puma steering rack and rigging up an oil link between the two sides.
I checked the ratios and you are quite right Ian, original is 2.5 turns lock to lock wheras the fiesta one is 4. Way too slow for the track.
As for making it faster. You'll probably notice all most of my mods are "home brewed" as this is all being done on a very tight budget (single parent to two teenagers!!!)
I figure not having to slow down for those pesky bends will see me speed up.
In time I will probably fit a ported head and cams.
The one thing in on the lookout for is a TAPE ecu so I can get myself an FRP map with the higher rev limiter.
 
I`ve had a weekend under the bonnet which has seen great progress on the car.
Firstly came a good scrub all round, then I started pulling engine parts off one at a time.
Firstly, and quite worryingly, I found the timing belt had been running like this..

It looks like the tensioner was about to let go! the belt looks seriouly old so it`s getting a brand spanker while its in front of me on the bench.
There are rust stains around a couple of the metal gaskets and on the water pump internals. A previous owner ran on water without antifreeze as coolant. All new lined up. (and proper coolant)

Another shocker was finding the inlet manifold spacer/gasket thing in this state!..

Quite how the car even ran, I`ll never know. The parts list grows yet further...

My glamorous assistant set to work in the engine bay with a tub of "cleaning product" a paintbrush and goggles.
The results are stunning,
On friday the engine bay by the o/s wheel was covered in oily sludge,
this is sunday morning...

It is so much nicer working on a clean car,
so I took the chance to sort out an oil link between the two sides of the steering rack using the original pipework and fittings.

Ive also replaced the nessesary brake lines to fit the new master cylinder and fitted that too..

I can`t use my pressur bleeder till the clutch is connected, but gut with a quick 2 man bleed i have a pedal as good as I`ve known on this car. I`ve got some ATE racing fluid on the way so it will get a proper bleed in time.

All good.
I now need to work out how to get the flywheel pulley off without the correct puller. Anyone...
 
Strike that request...
I found the tool. Delivered Tuesday for less than a tenner.
I'll try to get the timing belt done one evening this wweek.
So by next weekend, I'll be ready to drop the motor back in...
 
Cheers Nick.
With taking this much weight out of the front end, turn in should be like lightening...

Ive remembered about the cruddy sludge my lovely girl has had to clean off the bottom of the engine.
A quick check with euro car parts has identified the seal I need and I'll call in a branch this week to grab one.
The crank pulley puller has arrived, the bar and centre bolt are great, but it comes with 1/4" & 3/8" bolts! I guess it must be a yank tool. I'm sure I'll have a couple of 5mm (or are they 6mm?) lying around...
I do need to make myself a pulley holder to undo the nut too.

Still its gonna be another week (which is on schedule :))
 
Hi Stu
If you're on about the crank pulley/vib damper the threads are M8s and bolts should be apprx 40mm long. I hope you've read all the stuff about doing the cambelt change as there's room for it to go horribly wrong. Not doubting your talent but just checking you've read up on it.
Barry
 
Hi Barry, thanks for that. I'll have some bolts somewhere in sure.
Jive done timing belts before, but only on old school engines (timing marks)
I had a little play setting tdc on Sunday and have read several guides including the Haynes.
On the bench it all makes sense to me,
Though I can see this being a real struggle under the car if you've never done it before..
 
Hi Stu
The main problem is loosening and also re-tightening the vib damper/crank pulley bolt as it's soooo tight whilst at the same time stopping the crank from turning. Some people take the engine out and use a flywheel locking tool whilst others (inc me) use the special tools included in the Ford TIS guide but it's still a pig to do. There is also the matter of tensioning the tensioner pulley but if you get yourself a copy of Gates technical bulletin # 036 you should be able to tension it properley. Also do not use the new crank bolt to pull on the vib damper pulley as it's a stretch bolt and you will pre-stretch it, the same goes for the VCT pulley bolt as well. If you get the timing wrong and have to undo either the crank or VCT pulley bolts you will have to re-new them.
If it helps there are some pictures and notes on my project link regarding this.
Good luck
Barry
 
I figured that would be a pig of a job.
As the motor is out I've had chance to have a good look at it, I'll be using a pulley holding tool an breaker.
I know about the stretch bolt thing, but here's a question...
How come you need to undo the cam pulleys? Surely if they're not disturbed you should keep the timing.
 
Hi Stu
The reason for all the pulleys not being keyed is so you can get the timing exact AND also the cam belt tensioned properley. When I did mine I tensioned the cam belt without the vib damper in place and with both cam bolts as toght as I could get them by hand whilst still allowing the pulleys to turn independant of the cams. This means that when you release the cam belt tensioner it pulls all the pulleys around and ensures that belt tension is the same ALL the way around the cambelt.
I hope that clears it up.
Barry
PS If you have the engine out you will be much better using a flywheel locking tool as the crank bolt is so tight to slacken and tighten that you'll end up movinhg the engine rather than loosening/tightening the crank bolt.
 
Ah, must check the kit before I go spending (even) more pennies...
Cheers Barry, you've been a great help in getting my head around this. :)
 

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