Sunday 11-2-2018. HSCCQ Come & try motorkhana / khanacross. Willowbank Raceway. Hot, dry. Seems to be starving for fuel, runs on full throttle for only 1 second, then cuts out. Throttle blips perfectly. Fuel pump is working, fuel filter looks like it is not clogged.
Friday 16-2-2018. Replacement Throttle Position Sensor arrives.
Sunday 25-2-2018. Started motor, warmed it up, and then revved it right out. No problems with fuel starvation at all. Did not cut out. Increased revs slowly till nearly red line, and no problem. Do not know what is wrong.
Sunday 4-3-2018. HSCCQ Khanacross, Willowbank Raceway. In both runs the engine ran normally under full load until nearly redline in first, but then I went to second under full throttle it seemed to starve. Did it throughout both runs. I could not take the TPS off because the TORX bolts have a central spigot. So I brought it home, and found that the Chain Link anchorage on lower right rear had broken off. I made a new one, and welded it on. I got the TPS Bolts off with vice grips, they are M5 x 15 long, with captive spring and flat washers. Made two M5 hex head bolts to replace them, but will get some M5 SHC Screws to replace them properly. The HT Leads were touching the engine block which was hot, so I made a ralloy block with slots in it, and an aluminium cover plate to hold them in place.
Monday 5-3-2018. Removed bolts from TPS, and replaced them with SHCS. Made aluminium cover plate for clutch master cylinder reservoir, and fitted it.
Wednesday 7-3-2018. Took aluminium clutch pedal off, and trimmed top of it to fit my shoe, painted it, and refitted it to pedal frame.
Thursday 8-3-2018. Went to Team Moto at Alderley. Marty Kransch is no longer there, he is running his own business outside Ipswich. The Service Manager is now Josh Webster, who I spoke to. He advised that the TPS controls just where the ECU thinks the throttle position is, and that the adjustment can alter the characteristics wildly. He advised to change the position to midway in the adjustment, and trial it. Then keep doing fine adjustments up and down till the wanted rev range is available.
Saturday 7-4-2018. Tested car at Materials Handling. Started on Jump starter, with TPS at centre of range. Did about 6 passes, but then it would not start on the battery. It did on the jump start battery, but then there was a small whiff of smoke from the isolator switch, so I turned it off. At home I replaced the metallic chain securing the isolator switch key with sash cord; and bent the wires terminals on the rear of the terminal strip at the firewall away from anything metallic. It now starts on the battery OK. Tested it out an hour later and it started perfectly OK.
Sunday 15-4-2018. Interclub Motorkhana at Willowbank. In first run it went to about 5000 rpm and kept cutting out. Did one run at first test (Spiro Slalom), and back to pits. Swapped over to Tasmanian ECU, and same result. Adjusted TPS to other end of range, and same result. Difficult to start on battery, needed jump start. Butchy looked at fuel return line with engine idling, and fuel was returning to tank, but when I revved it up, the flow stopped and the engine starved for fuel. Brought it home, took fuel tank off, fuel pump out.
Monday 16-4-2018. Front lower A Arms were fouling on the inside of the front wheels, so I took them off, cut out the existing suspension tubes, and welded new tubes to be close together at the ball joint. Painted both, and assembled left hand one. Next day I fitted RH front lower A Arm, and tested full lock on rack both ways. Wheels clear just.
Wednesday 18-4-2018. Noel advised that my piddly little fuel filter may be the problem so I bought a Ryco Z549 EFI fuel filter and fitted it. Engine now runs right up to redline and stays there with fuel still going back into tank. The fitting on the return line at the tank was cracked and leaking, so I cut it off, and drilled the hole out to 8 mm diameter. I drilled a 3.5 mm hole down through an 8mm bolt, then filed the thread off the end of the bolt to be 6mm diameter, fitted it through the tank, and bolted it up. It still leaks, so needs some neoprene washers. Ordered them from England.
Friday 20-4-2018. Did front wheel alignment, and found steering bracket on RF upright was coming apart. Took it off, ground it smooth, and re-welded it. Did corner weights to be 67 kg on each front wheel.
Wednesday 2-5-2018. Installed neoprene washers, now the tank does not leak. Started car using jump starter.
Monday 14-5-2018. Took R/V mirror off Casper, and fitted it to Geo.
Sunday 20-5-2018. HSCCQ Khanacross at Willowbank. Started car (with difficulty) on jump start battery, but it would not then start on its own battery – nor with the jump start battery. Wire going from firewall power board to starter solenoid very hot. At home I took off the alternator stator cover, checked it over – there was a tiny amount of swarf inside – and put it back together. Car still will not start on battery; very sluggish. Charged battery again, and also charged jumper battery.
Monday 21-5-2018. Bought bigger cables from Bursons, with 8 mm lugs. Made new cable from battery to isolator in parallel with original, with new terminals on isolator. Made new cable and installed it in parallel with ones from isolator to power point at firewall. Hit starter, and it fired on first turn. HURRAH !!!
Sunday 27-5-2018. Started car, on first turn.
Sunday 17-6-2018. QMC at Willowbank. New Avons front / rear at 9 & 18 psi. Started perfectly all day, but the foot brake line to the LR calliper pulled out three times, so I trailered the car and brought it home after the last run.
Saturday 23-6-2018. Wrapped Avon tyres in black poly.
Sunday 24-6-2018. Started first pop.
Monday 25-6-2018. Made new mounting plate for rear cigarette lighter socket, fitted it, and wired it up to the fuel pump so the dash camera only records when engine is running. Glued mounting plate to dash camera.
Friday 29-6-2018. Replaced all 6 fittings on brake callipers with olive type fittings. Bled all brakes.
Sunday 1-7-2018. Cut black tyre wrap into two rolls with hackenseiger.
Sunday 8-7-2018. At the HSCCQ Khanacross at Willowbank Raceway it went perfectly on the first run, but then overheated during the convoy run of the second test. An air valve in the return line fractured, and sprayed coolant all over the motor. The radiator was not hot, so it is probably clogged up again. At home I took it all apart, and cleaned out the thermostat and housing, putting it back together with gasket goo. New bolt in bleeder.
Tuesday 10-7-2018. Drained all coolant, removed and flushed out radiator, replaced everything. Added 2.4 litres of coolant, bleeding it all the time, cleaned alloy corrosion off, re-installed hose etc.
Sunday 12-8-2018. HSCCQ Khanacross, Willowbank. Test 1, Run 2. Throttle felt funny in second last chicane, felt like it was sticking wide open. At the end in the finish garage the throttle would not work. The throttle cables had come apart. Came home and built a new one, this time with nylok nut so it will not come apart again. Tested long M17 headed wheel bolts in all wheels, and they seem to be OK. Painted them claret.
Thursday 16-8-2018. Made rubber seals for inside the lids of the master cylinders, and fitted them.
Sunday 9-9-2018. QMS 3 at Willowbank. Throttle was a bit “sticky” at times till I took the return spring off beside the seat, and repositioned the anchor point lower by using zipties. Heavy wear on outside of left rear tyre from constant right hand turns, so possibly need more camber on the wheels. Brakes still not perfect, and fluid still coming from reservoirs.
Tuesday 11-9-2018. Made steel wire connector for throttle return spring. Made alloy return stop on throttle pedal, attached to brake frame.
Sunday 16-9-2018. Took plastic relief valves out of master cylinder caps.
Saturday 29-9-2018. Tried new master cylinder cap, but the thread was wrong, and wants to cross thread. Redesigned whole cap. Designed new top A Arms end plates to get 3 degrees of camber.
Sunday 30-9-2018. Rebuilt both rear upper A Arms with 12 mm less height, painted and installed them.
Monday 1-10-2018. Made new front upper A Arms, painted and installed them.
Thursday 4-10-2018. Test fitted new master cylinder cap, and it fits perfectly.
Monday 22-10-2018. Lowered car to do wheel alignment. Found RF wheel has 7 degrees camber, and not enough thread on rod end to adjust it. Took A Arm off, cut 10 mm out of mounting plates, and re-welded it together.
Sunday 28-10-2018. Interclub Khanacross. In first run of second test, I hit a big hole with the left front wheel, and by the time I got to the finish garage there were big gouge marks in the inside of the ATS rim. Swapped to trailer rim, and loaded it onto trailer. At home I took it apart and found that the 20 mm axle had snapped at the root of where it goes into the 10 thick flange, and the disc had chewed into the ball joint.
Monday 29-10-2018. Bought new Ball Joint at Bursons for $40.
Wednesday 14-11-2018. Made neoprene gaskets for 3D printed master cylinder caps, and fitted them.
Monday 19-11-2018. Picked up machined parts from Alltype. Took right hand side upright off and rebuilt it with bigger bearings etc. Re-installed it on the car. Everything seems OK.
Tuesday 20-11-2018. Took left hand side upright off and rebuilt it with bigger bearings etc.