Argh!! After all that work, i put it all back together and...still rattling! In fact, it's worse!
BUT I think i know what it is now - step forward Mr Starter Motor.
To get the sump off, I had to take the starter motor off (in fact, I just unbolted it and moved it aside). When I came to put it back on, I noticed that the main body was a little loose. It has a base that bolts on to the bellhousing but the main body, I believe has a couple of long , internal bolts that hold it on. I don't know how and why but something has come loose internally and I'm almost certain (again) that is my rattle. Definitely. Maybe.
So, do I blow another £100 or so for a new one? I drove to work today and the rattle is unbearable so it looks like I'm going to have to, and pray that is the problem.
On the plus side, after 2 months of baking heat and clear skies, today was the first bit of rain BUT I have doors and a roof - and they work! The doors are awesome; really solid, no flapping about and the windows work really well. They're just clear plastic with velcro on 3 sides, so you just pull it down and, voila! In fact, the doors are so good, they kept all the engine heat in as well. Horrendous today when it was still around 30 degC but will be great when normal British weather returns.
So, more expense...great, kitcars, aren't they?
Friday, 27 July 2018
Thursday, 19 July 2018
Eureka?
I wasn't getting anywhere trying to find the rattle UNTIL I cleaned up the sump in preparation to taking it to a local welder to fill in the hole. With it cleaned, a magic symbol appeared:
See that ring? That is where the oil pickup sits and no way should it be making that mark. That means that it is touching or maybe occasionally touching and making my rattle?
The pickup felt very solid when i took the sump off so I'm not sure if it is the rattle but it certainly should be at least a few mm off the bottom of the sump. I thought about trying to bend it but it's steel and thick - not easily bent. Then i looked a bit more closely:
Can you see how the end has been welded on the tube? It's offset by a few mm...so I'm going to take it to the same bloke who welded up my sump and see if he can re-weld the end on but better that it was done originally. If that works, it should give me the few mm clearance i need. Basically, i seem to have got a 'friday afternoon' sump kit from Tiger!
I mentioned the sump - the guy has done a good job:
See that ring? That is where the oil pickup sits and no way should it be making that mark. That means that it is touching or maybe occasionally touching and making my rattle?
The pickup felt very solid when i took the sump off so I'm not sure if it is the rattle but it certainly should be at least a few mm off the bottom of the sump. I thought about trying to bend it but it's steel and thick - not easily bent. Then i looked a bit more closely:
Can you see how the end has been welded on the tube? It's offset by a few mm...so I'm going to take it to the same bloke who welded up my sump and see if he can re-weld the end on but better that it was done originally. If that works, it should give me the few mm clearance i need. Basically, i seem to have got a 'friday afternoon' sump kit from Tiger!
I mentioned the sump - the guy has done a good job:
Sunday, 8 July 2018
The Long Haul
Well, it's been a frustrating month since my last post...
Despite my PMA (positive mental attitude), my engine rattle didn't disappear. Admittedly, I only used half a tank of fuel with the cleaning additive but still rattling. I met up with Matt from the SKCC forum who's a great bloke - a mechanic who has been racing and building cars since he was 12. He's the guy who helped me setup my front suspension shortly after IVA.
Despite all this experience, neither he nor his brother (who worked for Ford as a mechanic for years) could explain what my rattle was. Using the long-pole-and-an-ear technique, he believed the noise was coming from the front of the engine and suggested the only way forward was to take the sump off and see if anything showed up.
With the design of the GBS (and most kits), taking the sump off is much simpler than a normal car as it can easily drop out underneath with only the starter motor that needs to come off. So, off came the starter motor and the sump bolts came out with no difficulty at all. Then, it all went to Hell...
The sump just wouldn't drop. I had used sealant round the edge but I cleared most of that out so that shouldn't be the problem. I spent over a week of evenings trying numerous different techniques to lever the damn thing off. Even Matt couldn't work out why it would not come off. Then, a post on the Tiger Owners forum suggested that the problem might be the windage tray. I used the tray that came with the ERA sump from Tiger but it seems it is a VERY snug fit in the sump, not something I noticed when I fitted it. Now, when trying to pull the sump down, the curved edges of the tray were digging into the side of the sump - the harder I hit it, the more it dug in!!
A cheap endoscope verified this was the problem as I could clearly see the edge of the tray dug into the sump wall. After a few more days of trying to get round this, I admitted defeat and took the last resort - I drilled a hole in the bottom of the sump and used a screwdriver to lever the tray away from the sump wall. The sump dropped off almost immediately. Jesus, what a ball-ache...!!
In the pic above, you can see the hole I had to drill and the groove above it, cut into the wall of the sump by the tray.
Now the sump is off (and I need to find someone to fill that hole now), I can't see any obvious problem; the oil pipe and windage tray are solid, there is slight play in the bottom ends but I'm guessing that is normal as all 4 cylinders are the same. I'll have to get Matt over to have a look...I don't really know what I'm looking at.
Some better news, my doors are done and they look awesome:
Despite my PMA (positive mental attitude), my engine rattle didn't disappear. Admittedly, I only used half a tank of fuel with the cleaning additive but still rattling. I met up with Matt from the SKCC forum who's a great bloke - a mechanic who has been racing and building cars since he was 12. He's the guy who helped me setup my front suspension shortly after IVA.
Despite all this experience, neither he nor his brother (who worked for Ford as a mechanic for years) could explain what my rattle was. Using the long-pole-and-an-ear technique, he believed the noise was coming from the front of the engine and suggested the only way forward was to take the sump off and see if anything showed up.
With the design of the GBS (and most kits), taking the sump off is much simpler than a normal car as it can easily drop out underneath with only the starter motor that needs to come off. So, off came the starter motor and the sump bolts came out with no difficulty at all. Then, it all went to Hell...
The sump just wouldn't drop. I had used sealant round the edge but I cleared most of that out so that shouldn't be the problem. I spent over a week of evenings trying numerous different techniques to lever the damn thing off. Even Matt couldn't work out why it would not come off. Then, a post on the Tiger Owners forum suggested that the problem might be the windage tray. I used the tray that came with the ERA sump from Tiger but it seems it is a VERY snug fit in the sump, not something I noticed when I fitted it. Now, when trying to pull the sump down, the curved edges of the tray were digging into the side of the sump - the harder I hit it, the more it dug in!!
A cheap endoscope verified this was the problem as I could clearly see the edge of the tray dug into the sump wall. After a few more days of trying to get round this, I admitted defeat and took the last resort - I drilled a hole in the bottom of the sump and used a screwdriver to lever the tray away from the sump wall. The sump dropped off almost immediately. Jesus, what a ball-ache...!!
In the pic above, you can see the hole I had to drill and the groove above it, cut into the wall of the sump by the tray.
Now the sump is off (and I need to find someone to fill that hole now), I can't see any obvious problem; the oil pipe and windage tray are solid, there is slight play in the bottom ends but I'm guessing that is normal as all 4 cylinders are the same. I'll have to get Matt over to have a look...I don't really know what I'm looking at.
Some better news, my doors are done and they look awesome:
I just need to bend the frames a little in places to follow the curve of the body but otherwise they look great.
Hopefully back on the road soon - I've got a long holiday for most of August and then a very busy September planned for Zedster; an epic long journey, a trip to Brands Hatch, our first foreign trip and a handling day in early October.
Wednesday, 13 June 2018
Back from the Abyss
What a difference a day makes, as they say...
I took the aux panel off and, after a bit of head-scratching, I realised the incredibly stupid wiring mistake I had made. Seriously, I have an electronics degree - how the heck did I pass that?
With that fixed, my LED strip works fine and, most importantly, the lambda sensor is working properly. It really seems to be a good piece of kit - using the Emerald software, I can see it making continual adjustments and the strong petrol smell is mostly gone. It still needs some tweaking because the engine bogs down a bit when pulling away in first gear - I'm guessing the sensor can't keep up with rapid change in AFR (air/fuel ratio) but I'm sure there will be a setting somewhere to help with this. Bit of research needed...
I'm more and more convinced that my rattle is engine knock and not something mechanical. The rattle is just so random - there is no pattern to it at all. Sometimes it rattles at idle, other times not, sometimes while accelerating but not always etc, etc. If it was mechanical, surely there would be a clearer pattern? Anyway, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.
I reckon the 8 months or so of running rich has coked up the cylinders (and the spark plugs were pretty black when I checked them) and that is a known cause of engine knock. I'm going to buy some engine/injector cleaner and hope that helps clean the cylinders out; otherwise, I'm hoping they will eventually clear out now that I'm running with the correct mixture.
HINDSIGHT: get a wideband lambda sensor or a rolling road session asap after IVA.
Richy (the guy doing my doors) sent me a few pics of progress and they're looking awesome - can't wait to get them. Hopefully, end of this month (he is also busy building his own caravan from scratch!).
So, all in all, much happier today...let's pray my head-in-the-sand attitude bears fruit, hey?
I took the aux panel off and, after a bit of head-scratching, I realised the incredibly stupid wiring mistake I had made. Seriously, I have an electronics degree - how the heck did I pass that?
With that fixed, my LED strip works fine and, most importantly, the lambda sensor is working properly. It really seems to be a good piece of kit - using the Emerald software, I can see it making continual adjustments and the strong petrol smell is mostly gone. It still needs some tweaking because the engine bogs down a bit when pulling away in first gear - I'm guessing the sensor can't keep up with rapid change in AFR (air/fuel ratio) but I'm sure there will be a setting somewhere to help with this. Bit of research needed...
I'm more and more convinced that my rattle is engine knock and not something mechanical. The rattle is just so random - there is no pattern to it at all. Sometimes it rattles at idle, other times not, sometimes while accelerating but not always etc, etc. If it was mechanical, surely there would be a clearer pattern? Anyway, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.
I reckon the 8 months or so of running rich has coked up the cylinders (and the spark plugs were pretty black when I checked them) and that is a known cause of engine knock. I'm going to buy some engine/injector cleaner and hope that helps clean the cylinders out; otherwise, I'm hoping they will eventually clear out now that I'm running with the correct mixture.
HINDSIGHT: get a wideband lambda sensor or a rolling road session asap after IVA.
Richy (the guy doing my doors) sent me a few pics of progress and they're looking awesome - can't wait to get them. Hopefully, end of this month (he is also busy building his own caravan from scratch!).
So, all in all, much happier today...let's pray my head-in-the-sand attitude bears fruit, hey?
Monday, 11 June 2018
The lows and the lows
Not having a good time...
Alternative theories for the rattle were propounded and then i noticed that it also sometimes happened when i pressed the clutch, even gently, which suggested a possible problem with the thrust bearing or even the clutch itself.
Another suggestion was the water pump bearing and that seemed to be a possibility; when i took off the fan belt and ran the engine briefly, no rattle. So, for £25, i bought a new one:
Sadly, that didn't help - argh!
Then, after some time on YouTube, i heard a typical engine knock and it sounded exactly like my rattle. Its also a bit more random which fitted better with my symptoms.
Engine knock is basically a result of bad engine tuning. A clutch problem needs the engine taking out, something I'm desperate to avoid doing - just the thought of trying to do that in my single garage; draining water, oil, unbolting exhaust, engine mounts, wiring - arrgghhhhh!!!
So, I'm praying that the wideband lambda sensor will fix everything - but its not looking good.
I've changed the coolant and oil. There were a few tiny metal particles in the old oil but it doesnt seem to be enough to suggest engine wear, more like normal wear from a relatively new engine.
The sensor took 2 weeks to arrive (i had to order it from Holland) and i finally fitted it a few days ago. I decided it would be easier to go through the passenger footwell, so drilled a hole through the side:
Wired up and, initially, everything seemed ok - followed the calibration process after some discussions with Richard and i could see the sensor doing its thing; after reaching 60 degC, system went closed loop and i could see the AFR figures hovering round the 14.5 mark, as it should. Best of all, i could tell that there was no strong petrol smell from the exhaust.
Now, unfortunately, at this point, i decided to wire in an LED strip under the dash to give me some light at night on the aux panel and my clock. What i didn't realise was that my superb wiring abilities (not) meant the labda sensor and LED strip are on the same circuit and as soon as i connected up the LED, it blew the fuse. So off i went on a test drive with a non-functioning sensor! Not surprisingly, i had running problems; stalling at low speeds and RPM.
So, i need to revisit the wiring...but I'm still worried that the rattle might be mechanical.
Couple of extra pics - first, a pretty clam shell to hide the hole:
This is the lambda controller under the scuttle:
...and this is the new switch for the LED strip:
Alternative theories for the rattle were propounded and then i noticed that it also sometimes happened when i pressed the clutch, even gently, which suggested a possible problem with the thrust bearing or even the clutch itself.
Another suggestion was the water pump bearing and that seemed to be a possibility; when i took off the fan belt and ran the engine briefly, no rattle. So, for £25, i bought a new one:
Sadly, that didn't help - argh!
Then, after some time on YouTube, i heard a typical engine knock and it sounded exactly like my rattle. Its also a bit more random which fitted better with my symptoms.
Engine knock is basically a result of bad engine tuning. A clutch problem needs the engine taking out, something I'm desperate to avoid doing - just the thought of trying to do that in my single garage; draining water, oil, unbolting exhaust, engine mounts, wiring - arrgghhhhh!!!
So, I'm praying that the wideband lambda sensor will fix everything - but its not looking good.
I've changed the coolant and oil. There were a few tiny metal particles in the old oil but it doesnt seem to be enough to suggest engine wear, more like normal wear from a relatively new engine.
The sensor took 2 weeks to arrive (i had to order it from Holland) and i finally fitted it a few days ago. I decided it would be easier to go through the passenger footwell, so drilled a hole through the side:
Wired up and, initially, everything seemed ok - followed the calibration process after some discussions with Richard and i could see the sensor doing its thing; after reaching 60 degC, system went closed loop and i could see the AFR figures hovering round the 14.5 mark, as it should. Best of all, i could tell that there was no strong petrol smell from the exhaust.
Now, unfortunately, at this point, i decided to wire in an LED strip under the dash to give me some light at night on the aux panel and my clock. What i didn't realise was that my superb wiring abilities (not) meant the labda sensor and LED strip are on the same circuit and as soon as i connected up the LED, it blew the fuse. So off i went on a test drive with a non-functioning sensor! Not surprisingly, i had running problems; stalling at low speeds and RPM.
So, i need to revisit the wiring...but I'm still worried that the rattle might be mechanical.
Couple of extra pics - first, a pretty clam shell to hide the hole:
This is the lambda controller under the scuttle:
...and this is the new switch for the LED strip:
Sunday, 20 May 2018
Death rattle?
I really shouldn't have rattled the cage of the Gods of Reliability in an earlier post...
Out for a drive and after pulling out from a junction and nailing it, an ominous rattle suddenly started up. I pulled over, assuming something had just come loose in the engine bay but nothing obvious. I slowly drove home - the rattle sounds like the same noise you get on cold starting, before oil gets round the engine. Only seems to happen over 2000 rpm and on gentle acceleration - hard acceleration doesn't seem to be a problem, weirdly.
A post on a forum brought forward ominous warnings of terminal bearing failure caused by petrol in my oil because I'm running too rich. OK, yes, I am running rich but not excessively, I don't think, and even if it was, could it cause that much damage in just 3k miles?
While looking for the problem, I also noticed that I was leaking coolant from the temp sensor in the top of the thermostat. I took it out and found that the plastic adaptor the sensor plugs into has cracked! Wonderful...ordered a couple from Emerald (1 for a spare).
I've been thinking about getting a wideband lambda sensor for a while now; ordered one and will see how that goes (specifically, will I be able to get the bung out of the exhaust). I've specifically ordered a Spartan2 because Richard L has one and he posts lots of very useful detail about it and I may need all the help I can get.
Next step is an oil change to look for metal particles, which will help tell me if there is any physical engine damage. I would like to also change the coolant - it's a horrible rusty colour - but I've got enough to do.
While I'm wiring in the lamdba sensor, I've also got a couple of other jobs I could do at the same time:
1. Get the water washer working.
2. Move the main beam switch away from the headlight beam switch, so I don't mistakenly turn off ALL my lights when trying to get main beam on.
3. Fix my USB charger port on the aux panel - seems to have stopped working (I've checked the fuses).
Not happy times....
Out for a drive and after pulling out from a junction and nailing it, an ominous rattle suddenly started up. I pulled over, assuming something had just come loose in the engine bay but nothing obvious. I slowly drove home - the rattle sounds like the same noise you get on cold starting, before oil gets round the engine. Only seems to happen over 2000 rpm and on gentle acceleration - hard acceleration doesn't seem to be a problem, weirdly.
A post on a forum brought forward ominous warnings of terminal bearing failure caused by petrol in my oil because I'm running too rich. OK, yes, I am running rich but not excessively, I don't think, and even if it was, could it cause that much damage in just 3k miles?
While looking for the problem, I also noticed that I was leaking coolant from the temp sensor in the top of the thermostat. I took it out and found that the plastic adaptor the sensor plugs into has cracked! Wonderful...ordered a couple from Emerald (1 for a spare).
I've been thinking about getting a wideband lambda sensor for a while now; ordered one and will see how that goes (specifically, will I be able to get the bung out of the exhaust). I've specifically ordered a Spartan2 because Richard L has one and he posts lots of very useful detail about it and I may need all the help I can get.
Next step is an oil change to look for metal particles, which will help tell me if there is any physical engine damage. I would like to also change the coolant - it's a horrible rusty colour - but I've got enough to do.
While I'm wiring in the lamdba sensor, I've also got a couple of other jobs I could do at the same time:
1. Get the water washer working.
2. Move the main beam switch away from the headlight beam switch, so I don't mistakenly turn off ALL my lights when trying to get main beam on.
3. Fix my USB charger port on the aux panel - seems to have stopped working (I've checked the fuses).
Not happy times....
Monday, 7 May 2018
Stoneleigh me
This weekend was the kit car show at Stoneleigh. I went as a member of RHOCAR as I was nominated for magazine editor. As I was the only nominee, I was duly elected. Only afterwards did the outgoing editor tell me he had been trying to find a replacement for 3 years! Sounds promising...
The drive up was fun - I drove past the scene of my off-road incident (see last post) and the bollards are still missing. The weather all weekend has been amazing, almost too hot and I almost put my roof up just to keep me cooler.
The RHOCAR stand was pretty full:
Worryingly, the show halls were quieter than last year, less people and exhibitors which is not promising for the future. Hopefully a one-off..
Still lots of fantastic vehicles:
I camped overnight and had my usual solid 2 hours of sleep - i don't know why i persist with camping, I never sleep well.
On the way home, it was even hotter and, while stuck in a slow queue, I decided to switch off the engine. The temp gauge was fine but I thought it was a good idea. Nope, wrong. After a few minutes, the queue started moving and Zedster wouldn't start! Everything seemed to work; lights, hazards, fuel pumps but no starter motor. After a bit more panicking, i remembered reading that some people had issues with hot starter motors, so i sprayed water over mine and left it for 5 minutes (with cars crawling past me). Amazingly, it worked but a useful issue to remember for future.
Also, hopefully, another RHOCAR member has offered to do my doors. I left all the stuff with him at the show so hopefully I might have some doors in the near future.
The drive up was fun - I drove past the scene of my off-road incident (see last post) and the bollards are still missing. The weather all weekend has been amazing, almost too hot and I almost put my roof up just to keep me cooler.
The RHOCAR stand was pretty full:
Worryingly, the show halls were quieter than last year, less people and exhibitors which is not promising for the future. Hopefully a one-off..
Still lots of fantastic vehicles:
I camped overnight and had my usual solid 2 hours of sleep - i don't know why i persist with camping, I never sleep well.
On the way home, it was even hotter and, while stuck in a slow queue, I decided to switch off the engine. The temp gauge was fine but I thought it was a good idea. Nope, wrong. After a few minutes, the queue started moving and Zedster wouldn't start! Everything seemed to work; lights, hazards, fuel pumps but no starter motor. After a bit more panicking, i remembered reading that some people had issues with hot starter motors, so i sprayed water over mine and left it for 5 minutes (with cars crawling past me). Amazingly, it worked but a useful issue to remember for future.
Also, hopefully, another RHOCAR member has offered to do my doors. I left all the stuff with him at the show so hopefully I might have some doors in the near future.
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