Bellhousing....

Well although the closed sign remains up I'm still working on things.

Deciding how to connect the gearbox to the engine was something I had figured out before I purchased the gearbox. BAE's new kit was going to do the job and all would be fine. When I spoke to BAE the first Ford kit was due in March with others to follow, forward wind to March and as yet no Ford kit. They still intend to make the kit but as insurance I started to work out the other way of doing it before committing to the gearbox rebuild.

The other way is the AK adpater plate to go between the Ford bellhousing and Getrag box. You need an original Ford bellhousing with the 4 bolt toploader pattern and associated clutch fork. Small problem, I don't have one and no one sells them in the UK!

Luckily the CRC came to my rescue (again) and through another member I was put in touch with Dave who just happened to have a bellhousing he did not need. A quick call was made and the deal done for a blockplate, bellhousing, clutch fork and clutch fork rubber boot.


The clutch fork and boot are new. (and L bracket to the left)

Im probably going to buy a Mcleod T bracket which is already slotted to take the fork spring, its stronger and saves weakening the L bracket by slotting it.





The block plate is in bare steel, but new and the bell housing looks new!
The bellhousing part number C5DA-6394-A signifies it is for a 289 from 1965 -1967. Source: David Klee Toploader Transmissions inc.

So thats the major stumbling block sorted. Now I need:

AK Adpater kit
Mopar clutch plate (Real Steel)
Mcleod clutch cover (Real Steel)
Mcleod Release bearing (Real Steel)
Hydraulic pull cylinder (TBC)
Mounting bracket (TBC)

I think thats about it, well chuffed thats sorted!

Safety thoughts...

I've always had a mind to occupant safety whilst building this car, in particular fire safety. Sitting just in front of a fuel tank, surround by fibreglass that likes to burn and strapped in by a decent harness I feel that something that can give any extra time to get out is vital. If it manages to stop the car destroying itself then even better!

So I started looking around at various extinguisher systems that ranged from a small hand held mounted in the passenger compartment to a full blown plumbed in system with multiple nozzles and electric triggering.

Well me being me I think the full blown system has to be the way to go!

There are various systems on the market and after looking around I think that the lifeline systems look to be the way I will go. www.lifeline-fire.co.uk

They offer two options in my book.

1. Zero 2000 foam based system.

2. Zero 360 gas based system.

(Click links to see the systems)

Both systems offer boot mounted cylinder with the 360 either stored pressure or remote charge piston option.

Price in my book is irrelevant, yes some may say well what are the chances of you being involved in a fire and why bother with that expense. All I say is that's not something I want to have to justify in future, either to my passengers family or at the pearly gates.

Next big question is which system to go for, the foam or gas? I've seen representation from knowledgeable quarters who say foam, as it has good capability at putting the fire out and keeping it out as it coats the area.

But I've also been advised by Lifeline that the gas system is definitely the best option as it has greater capability at knocking the fire down and putting it out.

I'm told the foam system needs to "see" the fire as the foam is directional so the nozzles need careful positioning, whereas the gas is not directional and floods the area ensuring good coverage.

So further investigation is required I think to make sure the gas system can cope with the open nature of the cob engine bay and how good is it at keeping the fire out.

Whichever system I go for it will be electrically operated and I want to have two dash mounted trigger switches, one easily reachable from each seat position. I'm thinking the flip top covered switch style.


Maybe also a key arm switch to select which switch is live, one for driver only, 2 for passenger and driver. I know the system comes with an off switch but I want to be able to add in a double check to make sure the system does not get accidentally triggered.

I may even add in some additional logic to make sure that the system cannot be armed if either of the two fire switches are in circuit and in the fire position, again more thought needed.

One final though was running the hard line up the chassis now before the body goes on, the gas system uses 8mm coated pipe and the foam 6mm. Either way its not something Id like to try and feed through the body at a later date, looking at Simons build pics (one attached below - hope he wont mind!) I think there will be enough room to feed the tube to a point above the roll bar mount and then couple in the final line from the boot once the body is on.

If you imagine the above picture from the other side without the fuel hose in place then I think the pipe should run through there OK, clipped in place over the mount and on to an inline joint level with the rear shock mount. A small protective cover can then be fashioned to keep the joint safe from road debris.

I think that's about it on this for now, more investigation is required into system suitability.

Gearbox cleaning

Pretty much the final thing to do before the gearbox goes off to be reconditioned was to clean it up.

Having borrowed a pressure washer (thanks Malc) I set to with my trusted Marine Clean in the air powered sprayer.

The before pic...


With a fair bit of work the grime was removed and the box came up well.

I then refitted the shift mechanism as I have decided to leave the painting of the bracket until after the box has been rebuilt.

So that's as far as we go for the moment.

Hope to get the box off to gearboxman (see www.gearboxman.co.uk)within the next month.

Update: of course what I didnt realise is that the gearbox will be totally stripped and cleaned inside and out as part of the rebuild! Ah well al least it gave me something to do!

What I do need to do is confirm that POR15 metalready will not effect the sealant used to stick the cases back together. I need to do this as I want to use POR15 to paint the box when it comes back from being rebuilt. So I need to conduct a trial on the box as its stands and on some automotive sealant to see if it is effected by the sealant.

Shift Mechanism removal.

One thing I can do to the box before its rebuilt is rebuild the shift mechanism. Its removal will also help with cleaning the box once the snow has melted outside!

So this is the offending piece.

First step was remove the bolt holding the lever to the actual selector rod.


At this point I made sure to take a picture to remind me where the special washer and insert went!

Next it was a case of undo all the bolts holding the bracket in place and remove the shift mechanism in one go. In the picture below I have replaced the bolts which double up in holding the gearbox together!

With the mechanism removed I figured out how to remove the spring retainer clip, tricky as it had no little lugs to use the normal c clip removal tool.

But it came out in the end, allowing removal of the shift lever assy.

With the assy removed the lower plastic cup could be inspected and later removed, I had hoped to replace these but as cant find part numbers for them I guess Ill just clean these up and reuse.


So thats all the bits laid out.

Assy housing CS lever, lower cup, spring coil, spring retainer, spring ring and Assy change speed lever with upper cup attached. (to quote correct Jag terms (apart from the cups!)

Next step will be to get the Nitro mors out again on the housing and paint it up, red VHT again!

Finally I looked closer at the lever to determine where I can cut it to mount an adapter block to allow me to mimic the Tremec mounting options and give me flexibility once the box is in the car.

I'm not going to be able to tell where the shifter will appear in the driving position until the box is in and the body is on, therefore with a more universal style fitting I can do what I need later on without having to remove the body to adjust the lever. So I've decided to get it modified now, possible even before the box goes fro rebuild. I may need to copy Simons copper pipe lever if that's the case!

Slip yoke.

With the main gearbox rebuild still to be finalised I had some garage time available to me, so one of the jobs that I needed to do was to separate the slip yoke from the prop shaft.

The slip yoke is attached to the prop by a standard hardy spicer universal joint.

This is removed in the same manner as the rear driveshaft joints except this time round I have a press to make things easier, end result 5 minutes work and the slip yoke was free.

Next was to make it look a bit better, so a quick soak in my favourite "Marine Clean" to degrease followed by a healthy coating of nitro mors to remove the paint. A bit of work with some fine paper to remove the surface rust and the part is now ready to take a fresh coat of paint.

I'm not sure but I think its going to be VHT red engine enamel 1) to match the engine and 2) I've still got some left so I don't have to buy anything!!

Reverse update..

Well it turns out the reverse gear selects with no problem at all, if you look in the right gate position!! I was trying to select it in right and back behind 5th when in fact its left and forward next to first!! Hey ho, you live an learn.

I did however find something which may be more concerning, upon removal of the magnetic drain plug there were a couple of teeth tips or bits of synchro clung on. I'm not sure what exactly they are, if they are left from a previous failure or what implications this could have.


So I have taken the decision to get the box rebuilt, I think its worth the extra cash. I'm hoping they wont find anything terribly amiss inside leading to an expensive bill!

I just need to sort out the logistics of getting the box over to the re builders (once I've sorted out just who is getting the job) and whether to paint all the bits first or wait until it comes back.

Moving forwards....and backwards....

Literally! I took a step closer to getting this thing moving last week.

Following a discussion on the CRC I became aware that there were more options open to me with regards to a gearbox. I had always thought that the only way to go was with a new Tremec TKO 600 box, I always dismissed using a 2nd hand box as too fiddly to get working and too risky for reliability. However I have been enlightened as to the benefits of fitting a used Getrag box.

The first concern was ease of fitting. Well BAE are developing a bespoke bell housing for the 302 to mate with the Getrag box so thats that issue sorted.

My next issue was reliability. Well I am now informed that many people are driving around with more powerful engines than mine and are quite happy with a Getrag fitted. Most with only the front and rear seals having been replaced before fitting so that looks like not being an issue.

With this in mind I set out to find a suitable Getrag box from either a BMW or JAG, the JAG being the preferred box due to the gear ratios.

I had been advised via the CRC website that the ratios are as follows:


More on ratios later.

I was contacted by Pete in Bristol (fellow CRC member) who offered a box for sale and after an interesting morning discussing all things, and checking the gearbox apperaed OK, I drove aware with said box acquired.


All forward gears select OK but it currently wont lock into reverse, now some of that might be down to it having no oil in it and also that I don't fully know where reverse should be!

Before doing anything to the box I decided to re-visit ratios to make sure I was happy. I managed to find a copy of the Jag service manual for the 3.6 XJS from which I was informed the gearbox had originally been taken

I found that the ratios were slightly different to those I had been advised previously, ratios and speeds in red are for the Getrag 270 box which I believe this to be, unfortunately Getrag helpfully do not appear to mark this on the box anywhere!


(double click on image to see readable version!)

So plotting the various box options together I can see very little difference and hopefully little difference to driveability.


The box is in need of some work so my first job was to remove the bell housing. Four nuts undone and off it came.


Next up I will remove the metal work for stripping and painting, clean the box fully and then consider if I need to paint the gearbox casing.

First job though is to get some oil in it to soak things a bit. Then I need to replace the front and rear seals but Ill only do that once its soaked and I've managed to get reverse operational otherwise its a pro rebuild at £250 plus!

Happy New Year

Well that's 2008 out of the way.

I'd be lying if I said that things had gone according to plan and I'd achieved what I wanted to on this build. By this stage I had hoped to have the engine/gearbox set up and mounted and most of the remaining chassis components in. But as usual life dealt another duff hand of cards and we've had to make the best of what we had with no progress on the car since June.

Hopefully, although I am far from confident, 2009 may be a bit better and I can take the closed sign down. In reality I think its staying up for a while longer yet.

Hope you had a good New Year, we had a laugh and my experiment in firework displays went off really well, if I can get a video done Ill post it up.

Thanks for watching..

More gauges

Ah, some news.

have just spoken to Rick at Cubic performance, he says that the bezels screw on and off so are easy to remove and change. Looks like I may have found my answer. They also come without the Kirkham logo!

Still planning!

Well you know I said that I could change my mind on things rather a lot, well I think I might have done it again!

Back to dash layout and gauges.

After Simon very kindly sent me a Turin shroud dash, I was able to transfer the layout onto a bit of MDF.

I then set about making some rather fetching gauges, indicator lights and switches using Autometer pictures and powerpoint drawing tool! End result a life size dash and hardware that I can fiddle around with as I like.

Now Autometer sell two sizes of speedo and tach, one at 127mm and one at 85ish. Anyway one is smaller than normal UK sourced gauges and one bigger.

Heres the small ones.


And the large ones.


Upshot, don't think I like either! And I need to paint the floor again!!

So the hunt continues for full sweep electrical gauges that I like with decent through the dial lighting.

Enter Kirkham http://www.thomaskirkham.com/gauges.html

Now these I like, classic design, full electric transducers and good through dial lighting, oh and °C temperature measurements. Just need to find out if its possible to change the bezel to something a little more IVA (note the change there from SVA) friendly.

Back to Electrics...

Some time ago I posted up regarding the Isquared 1+1 system designed to make wiring easier by replacing masses of cabling. Well at the time I mentioned that the system was due to be upgraded to the ISIS system. Finally the first units have been shipped out and the ISIS website www.isispower.com is up and running.

Here is a pic of the 2 Powercell system from the user manual followed by a close up of the first units delivered to a Factory Five Cobra builder in the US. The close up system also has the optional RF link module (remote) and LCD diag display fitted.


This really is the next step up, all that is required is to run a CAN cable and main power cable from front to back of the car. All functions are controlled via CAN messages and as such the system can be programmed to respond how you want.

All trigger switching is at low voltage, 5v, signal level to ground. So each dash switch will have ground connected to one side and its output into the Mastercell. Given that GD switch full system current through the ignition switch this is something I am much happier with. Im sure the Vauxhall ignition switch can cope but not having high current floating around my dash is something I like much more.

More details to follow after Ive been to the post office. Nothing to do with this, just need to get there before they close!

Right, parcel posted.

Each input can relate to one or more outputs and conversely many inputs can control one output. So for instance if the fog light must only come on when the side lights are on you just set a relationship such that both input must be on for the output to be active.

This is set up using characteristic's called relationships and personalities;
Relationship describes how the input put relates to the output for example One to One for one input to one output or on to many for 2 inputs required to trigger one output.

Personalities describe how the output functions. Track for instance follows the input state whilst toggle changes state for each change of input state (momentary input switch gives latching output)

Slowly I've gone through and mapped out all the circuits I can think of and decided how to connect them up, how they should function and assigned personalities and relationships. Boy do I know how to have fun!

I figure on 3 Powercells to sort the GD, I know its going to be more expensive than buying the GD looms but on the upside its more fun, a bit more modern and hopefully easier. Also I figured the GD is a modern interpretation of a classic brought up to date, why leave the wiring in the 1960's?

This will give some other advantages as well;

1) The ability to turn on any circuit I want from the remote key fob. (lights for example to help find the car in a row of others)
2) Timed functions such as rad fans that can remain powered for a period after ignition off.
3) Ignition and starter circuit will be disabled until the key fob is pressed or similar security feature enabled.

Another thing as well, if I decide that I dont ike the programming, it can be change in situ so a switch function can be re assigned without taking anything apart.

Im liking this the more I look at it, at least Ive figured it out now before buying any looms.

Tranmission selection.

Don't get too excited, there's still limited possibility of actually being able to get things moving again, however I thought I would document the choice of transmission.

Like most I've opted for the Tremec TKO box.

With this I have a choice of torque capabilities and 5th gear ratio.

To help decide which one to go for I put each option into excel and a little motormath program I found on the internet.

With the wheel and tyres sizes from GD and the 3.07 diff I have I was able to figure out the following results.

So I settled on the TKO 600 with the 0.82 5th, a chat with Andy at GD confirmed my choice as a good one. I should be able to cruise nicely but be in a good position on the torque curve should I wish to get things moving without constantly having to mash the gears.

I will be sourcing the complete kit, minus flywheel and bolts, from Repower, spoke to them and found out that the only draw back is that prices on Tremec missions is increasing due to raw material price rises. Looks like I've got to budget a bit more now, never mind.

One thing I have decided is I must have a smooth aluminium shift knob, my Type R has one and it feels really nice in the palm of you hand, strange but true!

For the foreseeable future.

Slow going..

Apologies for lack of updates, this is directly proportional to the progress made in the garage.

Since my last post I have now sealed the sump on hopefully for the last time and set the engine down in its cradle. Not a great deal of point adding a picture of that!

So next step is to prep it for storage as its going to be a quite a while before I can stretch to a gearbox and bell housing. (thats another story which I may tell one day).

To lay it up Ive purchased many litres of oil (35!) and a bottle of Engine Guard vapour inhibitor. The plan is to fill the engine pretty much up with oil and then add the Engine Guard to protect the bits not submersed in oil.

So that's going to be it for a while I'm afraid, at least Im not having to sell it, yet.

Leak Repair 2.

OK, so on to leak repair No.2, the rear main seal.

With oil confirmed as leaking out of the rear main seal there was nothing for it other than taking it apart again. The sump came off with a little more resistances this time telling me that Id made a good seal last time.

The main cap was removed and seal inspected, nothing immediately showed up and the crank looked in good nick. I did notice some black crud on the crank, but wasn't sure what it was at that stage.

Reviewing the photo I took showed that the flag on the seal was stressed and had started to break up, I also perceived I saw something on the actual sealing lip.


Removing the block side seal gave further clues, the flag was missing.


Using a feeler gauge I cleared out whatever was between the crank and block, basically bits of melted seal flag. Some of the bits had been engine side so had obviously travelled over the seal lip.

The crank was cleaned and a new seal fitted, this time with the flags removed! Seal clocked to separate block/cap join and seal join and a small dab of silicone on the block before the cap went down.


Job done, now to scrap off all the old sealant ready for sump install No. 3!!

2nd Dyno Day.

Tim very kindly offered to put the motor back on the dyno to run out the water from the engine. So this time father in law accompanied me on the trip to Market Drayton.

All went well this time, fired up straight away again and started to steam as it ran, but this time no more water entered the oil and it gradually cleaned out. Each check of the stick showed less water and clean oil, great news.

Also picked up a few more horses and torques on the way making 336bhp and 330 ft/lbs. Wahey!

However as always the good bad balance was restored when an oil leak started at the rear main seal area.

With the engine off it looked initially like the flywheel bolts might be to blame but after getting the motor home and filling it with oil to store it the leak was clearly evident. So this is why the next post will be called Leak repair 2. See I told I knew why the first one was called 1!!

Any how I did get some video of the engine on a run with me in the dyno cell, its in this short video I put together to show the family what I've been up to.

Enjoy..

Leak Repair 1.

It says Leak Repair 1 because I'm writing this retrospectively and know what's coming next!

Well I put the engine stand back up and set about finding out where the water leak came from, first off it was evident that the final run really mixed things up.

Obvious candidate was the intake to head seals so off came the top end. All looked OK with no obvious path for water to have made it to my oil. Looking on www.Ford uscle.com I found others talking of oil leaks caused by poor head gaskets, and in particular the Mr Gasket's that I had used. The oil leak in question matched the slight leak which had developed on both heads during the dyno runs. So I travelled further down and removed the first head. What I found was not pretty, the entire deck surface was wet and there was obvious signs of combustion gasses leaking over the cylinder seals.

It looks like the water had found its way under the gaskets and into the oil drain back holes, a slow leak at first which just got worse.

So I purchased some nice new Fel Pro gaskets which just looked better, clear sealing material on both sides in all the right places.

With those in place I set about cleaning the heads and intake of old silicone, what a job! Any way eventually it was all clean and I could re-assemble.

As well as the water leak my sump was leaking oil as well so that came off and what do you know, Mr Gasket had let me down again. This time the Ultraseal one piece gaskets just didn't do the job.

So again new Fel Pro gaskets were used (thanks Tim) with plenty of sealant.

So it was all fixed and ready to be tested again.