Another resto...

[mikeeech]

Atfer some more measuring with the light pod on the lift motor is not directly under the actuating rod and will therefore be operating on the hypotenuse. A longer motor arm is required.

Edited May 31, 2016 by mikeeech

[Farmer Bob]

Blimey! 

[Barrykearley]

I'd need three bits of baler twine to figure that out 

[mikeeech]

Idle evenings whilst the wife watches the monday soaps?

Working on a PCB for my new wiring too?

Edited May 31, 2016 by mikeeech

[Barrykearley]

I just wish I had my car back !!! Keep at it mike 

[alan.phillips]

Hi Another way of looking at the Mazda motor conversion is this.The pod can be assumed to be a triangle roughly an isosceles one.On the point where the bar is this has be raised by 19.8 cm.To achieve this the crank arm on the motor has to move 1/2 the diameter of the circumference of a circle namely 3.142xr.This works out to be a crank arm length of 6.3 cm.The standard crank arm of the Mazda motor is 4.5 cm approx.Pic shows my arrangement.You can see welded on extension.The assembly mounts on the bottom of the pod recess where the vacuum unit sat.

[mikeeech]

Your welded extension is exactly what I need to do next. Either that or move the bar that runs through the light pod

[mikeeech]

So one of my headlamp motors is in and I just need some electro motive force to see how it works and to get a final length for the motor arm. my old battery is plugged into my optimate to charge it for the first time in 3 years. How difficult was that?

Not very!

I need to think about a failure in the down position though so things might change a little yet.

[mikeeech]

It official - pop riveting my new favourite game ever! While my battery charges (so I can test the lights) I have assembled my bonnet with its new frame and painted vent. My drill bits had trouble getting through the stainless but it's amazing how much strength the flimsy frame and the flimsy bonnet have when fixed together.

I can't put the bonnet on of course until the lights are done since, if they are not fully up or down, they catch on the bonnet and so may chip the paint and of course the top of the radiator is located on the light pod bolts so the lights have to be done next so I can hook up the cooling system.

Still, it's coming together although progress is slower than I would like.

[mikeeech]

It's official - doing exhausts is the worse job ever. Without a four post lift there is not enough room, not enough leverage, the damn thing is heavy and getting the rubber mountings on is really tough. Then you find after putting a back box on with all of the sealant in the join that you forgot to put a clamp on ( of the type that has to go on when the system is apart)! 

After 4 hours all is good with the exhaust and another pile of bits leave their long term home that was a darkened corner of the garage.

[TAR]

Exhausting work!

 

[mikeeech]

I have a working headlight motor! (Albeit controlled by 4 wires dangling from the drain hole at the bottom of the light pod). Just need to do some fine adjustments to the mounting height of the motor since I got the light pod travel by moving the rod that goes across the light pod backwards by 1.5cm. luckily I had kept the old light pods so I could try this out on these first. This saves me from extending the motor arm.

[TAR]

Glad you are making progress.  

[mikeeech]

Both light pods are done with the mx5 motor conversion. There is a slight difference in the "up" height but the "down" height matches which is the most important and, to be honest, i can't be arsed to fiddled around with it so I will give it some thought as to how I can mod it slightly in the next few weeks.

Bonnet will go on tomorrow and then I will turn my attention to the wiring loom.

[alec]

Great work Sir Ihave MX5 motors on my series 1 but I never got the wiring quitw correct .I turn the control on dash but pods only lift on main beam on the stalk either flash or continous .I have a seperate push switch to lower them .When you have sorted out the correct wiring could you post some pics or a diagram

Regards Alec

[Barrykearley]

wire it up like this @alec

[mikeeech]

 oh it looks sharp with the bonnet on.

Cooling system is now mostly plumbed in I just need to find the pesky pipe that runs from the expansion tank behind the engine to the heater! Under bonnet wiring is in for the starter and charging circuits. My attention now turns to fixing the fuel pump in (will need to grind off the existing mounting bolts to the pump that was on the shell - I need some good weather for this) and fixing the fuel tank in, oh and the ignition wiring inside the car to get it to crank!

[silverfrost]

Stunning looking car Mike glad to see your project is still going full steam ahead 

[mikeeech]

It will be nice to hear it running for the first time in nearly 3 years that's for sure.

Lots of fiddly things to do like fixing the throttle cable to the pedal (I had a go at this but getting it out proved easier than getting it back in), oh and I seem to have lost the cable linkage into the carbs as well as the gas strut bracket that mounts onto the inner wing (I know I have them but grinding them is another matter), putting copper slip on the trunnion bolts, the clutch cable is a bit short too since the fix on the pivot pin may have extended the distance a bit, I'm waiting on hose finisher so I can get the power steering topped up and I have x2 v belts on order.?

[oilmagnet477]

Sounds like you are very nearly there. A sterling effort Sir, well done.

[mikeeech]

It's been a while since I last posted an update and it's not much of an update. My time v's money equation has tipped away from the time direction again and I run the risk of this project stalling now all the money is spent. Since putting the engine in I have a lot of odd bits to finish off which seems a big list but my man who made the bonnet frame is now knocking up a new rear hatch striker plate in stainless since, when I dismantled the rear hatch the old one was pretty rotten. He also knocked up a trough so that I can soak the edge trim in thinners to loosen the mastic.

I seem to have two rear hatches so I will refurb both now I have this natty device and leaving the screen to soak in thinners will get the trim of easily.

So things to do...

Remove the nearside wheel and grind off old fuel pump bolts

Fit fuel pump and petrol tank

Fit the rear wiper motor and wash bottle

Change diff gasket

Copper slip the trunion bolts and fill the trunions

Fit new radiator fans

Fit the power steering pump v belt

Fit the refurbed brake servo

Fit the vacuum gauges to the inlet manifold (the manifold has been modified with additional holes drilled and for a small cost on ebay some vacuum gauge may make balancing the carbs more easy)

Fit the rear seat belt mounting brackets

Fit power and earth cable to sill

Fit the door beams.

Fit the heater.

So I only have today before my great uncles jag xjr turns up for me to sell so I won't be able to get the car out of the garage for a few weeks while I sell this.  Best get crack in the fuel pump then! Still it looks good in the sun

 

[mikeeech]

Ok so my trough with thinners (predominantly n-butyl acetate) soften te mastic that hold the aluminium trim on however it does not dissolve it therefore on the longer bits of trim I still cannot remove it since the mastic is still stuck fast. 

Question: what solvent dissolves mastic?

[CharlieCroker]

There's a product called 'tardis' that might work, couldn't guarantee it though. I had some strong mastic on some trim recently, got it of in minutes using a razor blade in a special hand holder, give that a try? 

[Fueltheburn]

If you have any brake cleaner handy try this as iy can dissolve silicone into crumbly bits.. Alternatively try a product designed specifically for removing bathroom silicone.

I know you say it is butyl but the properties to silicone are not dissimilar.

[mikeeech]

The mastic removers you get for removing mastics from baths tend to be pastes and I need to get all the way along the edge of the glass where the trim is stuck on. After an internet search I have found that soy bean oil may work! I have some mastic from the side trim (which was not stuck on at all from the factory) so I will try that. In the mean time my stainless striker plate should be ready tomorrow!