November 2001
Thursday 29th November 2001
Modified the 5-speed gear linkage. The H-pattern in the gearbox didn't match with the pattern in the bottom of the gear lever casing, so I cut the end of the gear lever off (temporary fix!) and I can now select all gears. I'll be ordering a quick shift kit in the new year, from TAS.UK.COM, but this'll do for the time being.
Wednesday 28th November 2001
Fitted the foam Pipercross air filters. Bit of a tight squeeze, but they're on now. Finally stuck some of the sponsors stickers on the car. If it stops raining tomorrow, I'll drive the car outside to take some new photo's.
Steel sunroof is now with Mark at www.fiestaracing.com, awaiting dispatch to the UK. Mark sent me a picture over. First time I've ever seen a steel sunroof. When it arrives, hopefully, I just need to respray it Sunburst red, and fit it to the car. Glass sunroofs aren't allowed, so a steel one will get me past scrutineering.
Tuesday 27th November 2001
Fitted door release cables, so I can open the doors from the inside. Pretty important! Also started torqueing various nuts and bolts up. Ordered a Panhard Rod from Trans Auto Sport. Lets hope its not a radius arm like the last time. Fitted the brake bias adjuster cable to the pedal box. Looking out for a venue to test the Fiesta. Theres Binbrook in Lincolnshire, but thats quite a trip. The M69 looks the best bet, with a very long tow rope.
Off work for the next few days, so I'll do all the odd jobs left, like fitting rubber grommets to block holes, applying all the sponsors stickers, wire up the windscreen wiper motor etc.
Also, from November 25th, every merchandise order will include a free white Zetecinside sticker, so what better time to buy some merchandise? Get noticed, get a Zetecinside sticker on your car!
Saturday 24th November 2001
Brakes are now finished! I've bled the front and rears, and the pedal feels real good. The handbrake cable is also completed, using the parts I bought during the week. Time to move on to making the firewall for the fuel cell, and installing an extinguisher system, and torqueing everything up, and she's ready to put some mileage on to ! I'll venture out on to the driveway tomorrow if the rain holds off!
Tuesday 20th November 2001
1/4" brake pipe arrived from Frosts, so I was able to make the final two pipes, to connect the reservoirs to the Girling master cylinders. Note: the reservoir feed pipe on the master cylinder requires a concave flare, not convex as you'd expect. I only noticed this when I had the pedal box off for adjustment.
I had to shorten the linkage I'd made to connect the bias box to the brake transfer bar, just by 10mm, and theres much more pedal travel now which means the brake pedal feels more progressive. I only need to bleed the brakes and then the car can be driven at last. I've a Gunson Easi-Bleed, which uses compressed air from a spare wheel, to pressurise the reservoirs, which in turn pushes brake fluid through the pipes. But they don't sell a lid large enough to fit on the reservoirs I've used, so its going to have to be a helper sat in the drivers seat, pushing the brake pedal up & down for me. Shame, as the Easi-bleed system speeds bleeding a system up no end. Still waiting for a couple more 3mm stainless grips so I can finish the handbrake cable off. Should be getting those tomorrow.
Monday 19th November 2001
Brake linkages now all connected. The brake pedal operates the master cylinders, but theres only approx 2" of pedal movement before the cylinders reach the end stops, so I've altered the position of the linkage that feeds the bias box, to reduce the leverage, which in turn should increase the pedal travel. I'll see tomorrow.
Ordered some 1/4" brake pipe cos I just can't get hold of any in town. It should be with me tomorrow. If so I can bleed th system and see what the brakes are really like!
Handbrake should also be finished tomorrow. Bought some 3mm thimbles (192-985) and 3mm stainless grips (183-5891) from RSWWW.COM to mackle the short section of cable that connects the handbrake lever to the main cable.
Tim and Saladin are entered in the Rally of Gt.Britain, starting on Thursday evening. They've ditched the Ford Focus in favour for a Citroen Saxo, supplied by a Belgium company. Hope it arrives in time for signing on.
Friday 16th November 2001
Nothing much to report this week (apart from it was v.cold in the garage some nights). Swapped the handbrake cable for the Escort RS2000 item, and its a much better fit. Length is the same, but the outers are longer, so the loop of cable is shorter. Fabricated a bracket to hold the handbrake cable in place, which is now fitted to the car floorpan. Just need to connect the RS2000 handbrake cable to the handbrake lever (bits arriving tomorrow to allow me to complete that task). I'm taking Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday off next week to get the brakes finished. I need to source some 1/4" pipe, as the 6mm pipe just pushes out of the pipe flaring tool, and I just need two short lengths of 1/4" to connect the master cylinders to the fluid reservoirs, then I can fill them with the DOT5.1 synthetic fluid and bleed them. I've gone for synthetic, as it doesn't take the paint off if you spill any. It'd be a shame at this stage to damage the paintwork.
Bought a small hall effect sensor from RSWWW.COM, part # 235-5706. It's used by the Launch Control feature in the ECU. The sensor sends pulses to the ECU, as the rear wheel is rotating, so the ECU knows the true track speed of the car. The sensor passes over small holes drilled in the brake disk, which I still need to drill. I'll try to get it wired in next week.
Saturday 10th November 2001
This weekend I'm gonna finish the brakes. Not much left to do. I've a feeling the Sierra handbrake cable may be too long, in which case I'll swap it for the Mk5 Escort cable. The heaters are now on in the garage, to guard against frost, cos the temperatures really dropped over the past few days. -3°C last night! Good job theres plenty of anti-freeze in the radiator water.
Tuesday 6th November 2001
So thats no work since last Wednesday, because of a poxy cold that I caught. I was feeling OK until the weekend, then I've been feeling decidely crock, so I've done nothing to the car. I've spent some time updating the web site though. Should notice a few new sections, particularly in the Photo Gallery. Enjoy!