I'm coming to the end of a much needed week off. The garden got some attention but I've managed three fairly full days on the car - if you include half a day running around for the correct tyre valves. Ah, the tyres and wheels...
Having got the wheels powdercoated as previously described, I needed to bolt them back together. I turned to the internet for advice and found lots of conflicting information as one would expect. In the end I settled on some advice from a chap who makes wheels for a living. I therefore had a shopping list which consisted of good quality marine grade nuts and bolts, good quality silicone sealant and a new 3/8" drive torque wrench,
The picture above actually shows the fourth wheel mid-way through construction. You may ask what the highlighter pen is for. This is for numbering the holes on the back of the wheel so that I kept in sequence - opposites as much as is possible, N-S-E-W and torquing-down is two stages. You may also ask what the secateurs are for. They aren't for anything - except acting as a paperweight. Naturally on wheel number one I used too much sealant and made a bit of a mess. By the fourth wheel I was poetry in motion.
Now, before refurbishment a couple of the wheels had a LOT of weight stuck to them - one of them had 250g attached! I was very keen to do better and suspected that the bare mounting faces would help. I also didn't want the things to leak. None of this was certain. Anyway, I ordered the tyres (RGB control Yoko A048Rs) and went to get them fitted. "Errr, we don't have any valves that will fit them Sir." Oh, great. It seems that the wheels were designed for 'special' valves - either Austin Metro valves or costly aluminium racing things. I did find the Metro type items on eBay but the expected delivery date was next week. Merlin Motorsport eventually came to the rescue (@ £23) after I'd wasted £10 on some that didn't fit. Rats.
Anyway, what to do once tyres have met wheels - and they don't leak AND they don't need much weight at all? Introduce wheels and tyres to bodywork of course. The Retrorocket is born, almost.
Okay, so at this stage effort was essentially purely logistical. What else has happened? Well, the biggest news is that Mrs C joined me on Thursday and between us, with the help of an engine crane, we craned-in the engine. No mishaps, no disasters. Kate continued to help by cutting-out the heat-proof mat to protect the battery from exhaust heat and by bolting the oil cooler in place with thread-lock and spring washers. Between us some brake lines were finished too.
I've also fitted and tested the reverse mechanism. The teeth rounding has made a big diffrence but it could do with a stronger spring to push the one gear onto the other so I need to investigate that at some stage. I've also fitted the button to energise the reverse switch itself. This is deliberately well out of harm's way, next to the brake master cylinders in fact.
Today, I added the oil temperature sensor by replacing a plug on the end of the oil galley. I'm not 100% convinced that it won't leak as the M16 to 1.8NPT adaptor was effectively countersunk so I had to hold the end of the sensor in the soft-jaw vice and turn the adaptor rather than the other way around. Not ideal.
I've been back at the panel beating again too. First I made a little triangular panel that sits at the back of the chassis. I've not photographed this but it was a bit of a pig, needing a couple of bends. The tubes that it is riveted-to are on different planes too - not unusual for the Gemini - Tough, but a good result. It may house the lift-pump shortly and is crucial to the flat-floor. I appreciate that this is meaningless without photos so I'll move-on. The next panel that needed to be made was a little stand-off plate to mount the ECU on. The regs say that the ECU has to be in plain view. The ECU will now be visible and capable of being examined from the driver's seat or general cockpit area. It's just held in place by velcro at the moment but it'll get a strap around it too.
And then I had a look at the wiring. It doesn't look too bad in terms of cable lengths, with a couple of exceptions where extensions will be needed - but of course I have no idea if what I have planned will work. We will see.
So, useful progress.
Next major step will be to get it rolling so I can line-up the bodywork in relation to the wheels and fit that. I need to get the axles built-up first though.
Dave....!?
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