'87 Sports Libre BMW 2cv & 94 MX5 Hillclimbers - MEGA UPDATE

[alecf]

Jan 20, 2018 13:15:39 GMT greencarfritz said:

Jan 17, 2018 17:32:29 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Still thinking of the SADEV box?

Sorry, missed this one...

Yes.

I have the CAD drawings for it (don't ask) and it all looks quite possible, retaining the inboard discs as well. I think I've got the right ratios calculated (made up a little spreadsheet the other week). They offer this box in a 6 speed option as well which would be quite nice, 1-5 with short ratios in between for hillclimbing, 6 a big step up for fast motorway cruising. You can drop and change these fairly easily as well I believe.

There is a UK firm Geartronics that I've already spoken to about compatibility with an Emerald and SADEV and they can do a controller that will allow proper flat shifting (the emerald way is a bit half arsed and if I messed it up could ruin something mechanically).

Other wise its the time and cash. To be honest, it's mostly the time right now. Minimal time at home (none) and nil time in season to develop. So I feel this will be bought at the end of the summer and setup over next winter.

I run the geartronics flat shift kit with the load cell gearknob on by elite 6 speed sequential, Its a fantastic bit of kit 

[georgeb]

Jan 31, 2018 9:47:49 GMT greencarfritz said:

...and you haven't even seen the boats or roadster yet...

And why not?

Remember, we like stuff!

[greencarfritz]

Jan 31, 2018 12:47:06 GMT georgeb said:

Jan 31, 2018 9:47:49 GMT greencarfritz said:

...and you haven't even seen the boats or roadster yet...

And why not?

Remember, we like stuff!

Well... I was going to upload pictures of the new cylinder heads.. but have one of Sharky II. One of 3 cats in SSSB.

10671288_10203560070656786_6589655291155981773_n by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

[Frankenhealey]

Is this the broken back shot?

[greencarfritz]

Jan 31, 2018 15:24:38 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Is this the broken back shot?

Ahh no, that was heading out to sea at a beach further north, Watergate Bay, on an 8-9ft unbroken steep wave. The nosecone will be vertical when landing the other side, the weight of the crew at the front will (hopefully) pendulum you back level unless you've been particularly savage attacking the wave and there is an onshore breeze. Similar situation though. Do you want to crew some time?

Right.. now back to automobiles... here are a couple of pictures of the heads that will be fitted to green car v3.0. You can't tell from this but both the inlet and exhaust ports have been modified considerably by the best in the business (BMW used him), there are also lighter buckets and some trick cams inside.

DSCN2001 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

The throttle body mount is now port matched and also gives the throttle body a direct shot at exactly where the good stuff needs to be for maximum performance - (may or may not work with 2cv box and new intake manifold design.. tbc)

DSCN2002 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Del West titanium valves and retainers, 2mm larger on the inlet, complete with beryllium valve seats. These heads were run up to 11,000rpm with no float when testing in California.

DSCN2003 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

[Frankenhealey]

Jan 31, 2018 17:00:43 GMT greencarfritz said:

Jan 31, 2018 15:24:38 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Is this the broken back shot?

Do you want to crew some time?

Regretfully I despise being simultaneously cold and wet. Either is OK on it's own so unless you need crew in Maui I shall have to decline

[greencarfritz]

Ready for some more?

Green car is up on his stands at the Super Secret Shore Base (SSSB), previously known as RSPCU (Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to UMMs), I have some time back from sea and there is a metric duck ton of parts boxes stacked around the place..

LETS GO!


IMG_0998 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_0972 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Oooo some shiny parts... please admire...

IMG_0994 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1014 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_0978 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

First thing to sort out is the front engine cradle has to be remade to work around the new exhaust headers and to work around and also mount the supercharger, intercooler and a small oil cooler for the Rotrex itself.  This is made from 20mm box section that has a 2mm wall thickness.

IMG_1033 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1034 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

The easier side completed, lets have a look at the starboard side which has the charger to mount...

IMG_1037 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

I must've been quite tired and happy at this point..

IMG_1038 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

And a brace between the two sides that can also be used to secure the bracket that holds the small oil cooler and acts as the lower intercooler mount.

IMG_1044 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Very handily my friend Dan of Buffalo Builds is just the other side of town so I knocked up some CAD templates (Cardboard Aided Design) and popped over for some dimple die magic... et voila!  Because these are speed holes right?

IMG_1140 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1147 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1146 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

With the charger, and pulleys mounted up...

IMG_1145 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

And how it all fits with the intercooler up there too.

IMG_1002 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

So.  You saw one of the three Setrab oil cooler boxes earlier... because the intercooler is in the position that I originally had the main oil cooler there had to be some shuffling around, and the wings seemed the only likely place to be able to position more.  More is also much better as he's going to generate considerably more heat the more power he makes!

I'm slightly worried about clipping things when hillclimbing and I don't want to smash oil coolers off that easily and wreck the track so these mounts will have to be pretty bombproof.  Mounted to the main chassis rails there should be enough room at the front of each wheel well to fit a cooler with a small SPAL fan on the rear in suck through configuration so that even when sat in traffic there is a little cooling airflow.  They have to mount far enough out into the wings to clear the cylinder heads and also be tall enough so that the mounts for them don't contact the top of the head, in addition they also have to lean back slightly to fit inside the wing profile.  There could probably be a more elegant lighter way to make it but that steel profile was what I had lying around in quite considerable lengths so chopped some up and welded it all together making sure to box the ends and bases in.

IMG_1106 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1054 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1070 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1121 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

You wouldn't believe how long it actually took for me to think these out and make them... silly!  Finally mocked up with an oil cooler and SPAL fan, plenty of room in the wheel well.  Then etch primed and painted in some Simoniz Chassis Black.

IMG_1088 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1089 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1122 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

More power needs more grip, I was running 175/55r15 Yokohama Blu Earths beforehand which were good and i have no complaints, but they weren't anything particularly special and I did have the back step out on a couple of occasions (remember there is also jack all weight back there apart from fuel).  Toyo make the R888R in a 195/55r15 which I thought may just fit with some bodywork adjustments to the rear wings.  Well.  I was quite wrong.  Fire up the mill!

IMG_1020 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1001 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Hmm.. these are clearing the inner wing now but poking out considerably.. spacers needed for the rear wings I feel!  What are your thoughts on how far a tyre sidewall will expand outwards when hot?

[greencarfritz]

STANDBY FOR A BRIEF AD. BREAK

Woah! So… our good friends (rather great actually) have thrown up over SSSB with several pallets of usefulness and swag.

IMG_1057 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

That smartens the place up a bit.

IMG_1061 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1069 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

No joke, even a table and chairs!

IMG_1068 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1071 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

And a whole heap of usefulness, AWESOME!

IMG_1063 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

On a serious note, I highly rate their race oil that we use and even if they didn’t sponsor us I wouldn’t use anyone else now.

[adi]

Can’t wait to see this on the move. I can’t help but be concerned about those tyres though... will you not have excessive flex in the sidewall? No harm in more wheel girth 👀

[gtviva]

Love the tyres, this is going to be a great motor when its done and I'm sure it will surprise a few people on track!

[greencarfritz]

Now all of that degreaser has turned up it seems about the right time to whip the motor out and check the gearbox ehh…

IMG_1142 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Amazingly no weeping around the input shaft and the clutch still looked hardly used, which considering it was designed for 29bhp and had 110bhp regularly being dumped straight in at 4000rpm I am very surprised, great work Valeo! But I am almost certain that it won’t cope with anything over 120bhp so we have a flywheel that has had the clutch plate side machined open a little more for a larger clutch… which was quite boring so this is the only picture you get of it:

IMG_1143 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

All back together again and now I feel like a monster. Poor derpy green car.

IMG_1049 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

What have I done!?!

IMG_1047 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

[greencarfritz]

The light bar in its current configuration fouls the intercooler with the cross bar and also the port side upright catches on the new exhaust header. So time for some death wheel and Mig action. My favourite type of fun.

IMG_1154 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1155 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

This stuff is deathly thin and the original portions rather rusty, so welding wasn’t so much fun. Most of it I sleeved for the joins drilling holes before hand to plug weld the inner section of the sleeve. Much care and much grinding later….

IMG_1159 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Clears the intercooler pipework just nicely.

IMG_1160 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

In some etch primer you can see how the port side leg has been modified to clear the exhaust and head on that side.

IMG_1172 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Now the boring stuff is done its time to swap the heads for those Californian acquired Del West titanium valved/retainer, BB power cammed and fully ported set of heads.

IMG_1184 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1251 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1253 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1254 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Mmm enjoy that last one of the Ti retainers? Well.. more of those later.

Firstly.. why is the head back off.. and why have I painted typex on the valves… and why is some of that typex missing?

IMG_1257 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

BALLACHE.

[Frankenhealey]

Just running the Rotrex on 3 ribs?

[greencarfritz]

Mar 22, 2018 22:37:49 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Just running the Rotrex on 3 ribs?

Currently, yes (it was to hand).  Though that will probably change.

It's basically got to make it through mapping and then I'll re-assess the whole lot when we are doing final power runs on the rollers and see what needs improving - got the place booked for the day.

[greencarfritz]

Mar 22, 2018 19:00:18 GMT adi said:

Can’t wait to see this on the move. I can’t help but be concerned about those tyres though... will you not have excessive flex in the sidewall? No harm in more wheel girth 👀

I have had this thought recently also.  The wheels are banded to 5.5 inches which is the minimum width recommended for a 195mm tyre that I've seen on various tyre sites.  I have sent an email to Toyo UKs motorsport department to ask their opinion.  

Ideally having them rebanded to 6.5 inches would be the best but there is not enough room with the current width of the front arches that this wouldn't look silly with wheel and tyre poking out.  The rears less of a problem as I can make the wing spacer larger, but I'd like a matched set.

I'll let you know what Toyo say.

[greencarfritz]

The amount of extra lift in the BB power cams means the exhaust valve contacts the piston. I fancied trying these cams but I’m not swapping pistons as the only ones available with a deeper dish are higher compression and I’m not going to want that with the supercharger. I have now swapped back to a standard set, which at the end of the day is more recommended for a forced induction setup.

IMG_1258 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Oooooooh! Look! An inlet plenum taking shape, and a fresh white light bar!

IMG_1262 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Want to see what else is bright white in the workshop? THE DUCKING SNOW COMING THROUGH THE DOOR.

IMG_1263 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

I actually got snowed into the workshop ten miles from home. The Transporter was going nowhere and stuck in a foot of snow with slopes and ice to get across to make it to the main road. Fortunately I had the keys to the UMM in the van and he was fully fuelled up and operational. I drove home all the way in low range with 4wd on, even the dual carriageway had no one else on it with thick driving snow and quite a lot that had settled. i was fortunate to have a capable truck at my disposal.

[greencarfritz]

Seeing as we’re on a bit of a roll with pipework check out this stainless Tig welded exhaust, a thing of beauty up close as well. Knocked up by a prototyping engineer in Bristol.

IMG_1175 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Additional bung Tig'd in for EGT probe in the port side header.

IMG_1176 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Also a bung for the Lambda sensor just after the Y join underneath the gearbox.

IMG_1177 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

So now the cam debacle has been sorted why haven’t I buttoned the heads up? Well, can you see what is missing in this picture? Just zoom in on that right hand side lower inlet valve….

IMG_1286 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Yes. NO DUCKING LASH CAP.

IMG_1259 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

DUCKBALLS.

[Frankenhealey]

Mar 22, 2018 22:43:45 GMT greencarfritz said:

Mar 22, 2018 22:37:49 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Just running the Rotrex on 3 ribs?

Currently, yes (it was to hand).  Though that will probably change.

It's basically got to make it through mapping and then I'll re-assess the whole lot when we are doing final power runs on the rollers and see what needs improving - got the place booked for the day.

Watch you're not getting spurious dyno readings due to belt slip

[greencarfritz]

This is not an off the shelf item. Lash caps are used on titanium valves so that the valve stem is not mushroomed by the rocker arm. They are made from a tool steel and have a specific hardening process. We use H11 tool steel and 56HRC. Also handily both valves have just slightly different diameters, and of course nothing that is off the shelf… we are looking at 4.9735mm. Doh. Christ knows where this has gone missing in transit.

To cheer me up here is more white stuff. Fresh from plasma coating at zircotec is the stainless Tig welded exhaust headers and Y section.

IMG_1297 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1298 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1342 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Anyhow, back to inlet plenum works….

IMG_1264 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1279 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1281 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Getting there eh.

IMG_1351 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Only one end cap is fully Tig’d on as everything else is just tacked to check for fitment. There are quite a few bungs to weld in for Air Temp, Boost Pressure and another take off point that will be blanked as I’ll use vacuum at the throttle bodies for the MAP sensor and BOV control. The monster TIAL BOV will have its flange welded on the currently missing end cap.

IMG_1357 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1356 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1354 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

[greencarfritz]

Lets have a think back to those Toyo R888R tyres, they are at least 20mm wider than can be fitted in the wings so some spacers are needed. We have some spare carbon and foam core, so why not…

IMG_1336 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

IMG_1348 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr

Combined Exhaust Gas Temperature and Boost Gauge from SPA, and a Lambda gauge from Stack are in gauge pods now.

IMG_1344 by Alex de Vries, on Flickr