Berlinetta build and restoration

[dcunn]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Microsoft Office Picture Manager is my choice, quite an old programme but does all (and more) than I want for my pics, and a simple single click resize to 15% for this site

Keep it going Scott !

Rgds DC

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Thanks DC. I'm very much a novice with computers. When I had the problem of the picture files being too large I just googled resize pics and eventually found a way which seems to work.

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

What to do about the engine has been rising up the to do list. To recap, when I first decided to try to fit the Vauxhall unit I just wanted something cheap to see if it was possible and I got hold of one that had broken the timing belt. I have been looking on ebay etc for a good engine for a while but to no avail. So last week I knocked up an engine stand with a view to taking the head off my engine to see what damage had been done when the belt broke. But guess what? An engine appeared last week and was just what I have been looking for! So to cut a long story short I now have a fully recon vauxhall engine, rebored, new pistons and con rods, crank reground, new cams, new valves, new oil pump and water pump. The engine was supplied with the head off to show the work that had been done.

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[cameronfurnival]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

looks lovely! You ought to show how you made the engine stand too

[h_m_cumming]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Recognise the stand-hospital bed lift, lol. I use one, modified, as an engine hoist.

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Ha ha! give that man a prize, it is indeed a hospital bed lift. Years ago when I did oval racing engine removal was a frequent occurrence, at first I used a block and tackle slung from the rafters then one day someone offered me the hospital hoist very cheap. It was just up to the job of lifting the Ford Pinto. When I retired from racing the hoist sat in the garage for a few years until someone asked to borrow it, this was when I discovered the ram was not working, so with me being a hoarder it was put back in the garage.

Fast forward to a few months ago when I had the bare chassis and thought the bottom half of the hoist with the wheels on would be ideal to sit the chassis on. Here you can see it supporting the front of the chassis with help from a couple of planks and spare wheels.

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Then last week I thought it could easily be converted to an engine stand. The most difficult bit was finding two sturdy tubes that would fit one inside the other, after an hour searching around the farm I found two tubes that were a slack fit but good enough. It does the job although it's a bit rough but sometimes it's better to get on than spend time making a masterpiece.

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[cameronfurnival]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

brilliant! has anyone else got some fantastic piece of home made toolery?

[Mike]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

brilliant! has anyone else got some fantastic piece of home made toolery?

Hi Cameron

I was not going to post a picture of this, but it is a classic example of what you're looking for!

The BMW M50 Vanos engine has variable valve timing, and is well documented as needing its hydraulic seals replacing - they are not expensive at £30 for the set- except:
To remove the vanos unit requires 3 specialist tools - and cost around £100:




............so I made my own for nothing:

A cam locking plate, and crank shaft locking pin, to hold the cam and crankshaft in exactly the right position whilst the timing chain connection is removed.


[/url]Special Vanos Repair Tools by Mikes Marlin BMW Cabrio, on Flickr[/IMG]

..........and the crude Sprocket Rotating tool that is used for all of 10 seconds!
It was not easy to find the right bits to make this work as the main ring was 66mm diameter. In the end I found a thick washer the right size and welded it to a piece of 60mm tube, then welded a handle, and a plate with a 5mm bolt to act as cog locator. Worked perfectly!

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[greyV8pete]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

brilliant! has anyone else got some fantastic piece of home made toolery?

Hey this is brilliant! How about a seperate section on the forum? Perhaps called "Special Tools nah!" ???

Could save people a fortune and a potential mine of ingenuity, which is what owning a kit car entails. Peter.

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Time to make a new bulkhead. I asked at the local blacksmith/ engineer for some aluminium and there was bad news then good news, he was out of ally but had an off cut of stainless steel sheet which he folded to the same shape as the original bulkhead, leaving me to cut the sides to the same shape.

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With the engine in position I was able to measure up and cut the hole for the transmission tunnel.

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With the gearbox and bellhousing being smaller than the original Rover I was able to make the tunnel smaller and so gain some width in the footwell. Here the black foot plate shows the original width.

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Hole cut for pedals and steering.

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Incedentaly the bulkhead bearing for the steering column was an idea I first saw in Mikes Cabrio build, an improvement on the standard Ford rubber donut.

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[Mike]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Hi Scott

Great move to widen the footwell - 50mm in mine makes all the difference, and you look like you have even more.

Have you spaced your brake/clutch pedals further apart, to make use of the additional footwell width?

PS - I borrowed the steering column bearing idea from Cameron, who had borrowed it from .........!

Mike

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

the rhocar site

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Every cloud has a silver lining, quite literally. The torrential rain yesterday and today has brought the harvest work on the farm to a halt which meant I could have an unexpected evening in the garage.

I have been connecting the brake and clutch pedals to the servo and clutch cable. The pedal box came with the original kit but there were no pedals, I'm not sure if this was a mistake but to cut a long story short I modified the pedals from the Rover SD1 that I had bought for the V8 engine. I spent a lot of time positioning them during the original build, and the only niggle was limited room for my left foot, this should be cured by the wider footwell. The other day I compared the spacing of the brake and clutch pedals to that of my Mondeo and was surprised to find the measurement was the same. So when I found that the brake servo rod and the pedal were out of line I was keen not to move the pedal. I made a bush for the end of the servo rod and attached it to the pedal as in the pics.

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A better view with the pedal box upside down.

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Next the clutch pedal. The Rover clutch is hydraulic but the bellhousing that I am now using is designed for a cable. I happen to have a spare cable left over from my oval racing days so I plan to use this, it has an eye on one end and an adjuster on the other. It is a Ford part from an early Cortina and is still available, so if it works I will get a spare while I still can.

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It's a bit trial and error. I'm not sure how high the cable should be attached above the pedal, the balance is between having enough movement in the cable and the force required to push the pedal. So I have several holes to choose from and the cable guide is on slots to get it to line up. I'm also not sure how long the cable guide tube should be so I will cut it to length when I have the clutch in the car.

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[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Back in the garage after a busy time on the farm. We are not quite finished all of the field work yet but as the year marches on the weather deteriorates, so one way or another I should get more free time.

Tonight after a few minutes to remind myself what I was doing before, I fitted the accelerator pedal.

The pedal came from the same Rover as the brake and clutch pedals. I welded piece of flat bar across the top to provide an additional two mounting bolts to prevent flex. Now that the bulkhead is made of stiffer stainless steel there is maybe not the same need, but it won't hurt so I left it on.

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Again there was no cover supplied with the original kit, so I made one up. I did think about making a new one from offcuts of stainless but I decided if it aint broke don't fix it.

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[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

The transmission tunnel and floor were next. With the steering, pedals and bulkhead just temporarily fitted they were easily removed. In an attempt to defy Sod's Law the bulkhead and associated parts will be just trial fitted. This law says that a part can be temporarily fitted and sit there for ages with no problems, until it is given a nice coat of paint and bolted down, often with nyloc nuts and sealer. Then it will suddenly prevent access for the next part and have to be removed again! So final painting and assembly will be delayed for as long as practical.

I decided to gain some extra foot room due to the Ford gearbox being smaller than the original Rover box. Rather than weld to the now galvanized footplate I decided to bolt a couple of offcuts of stainless on. At this point I also decided to invest in some stainless fasteners.

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I was also able to reduce the height of the tunnel. The original sides had the top fold straightened then was refolded lower down. Once again I just used the equipment that was available.

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Here the original floor board shows the extra room that was gained.

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New floors were cut from Marine plywood and fitted. From early on I suspected that the gearlever may end up too far forward, so a bit of searching came up with a bolt on linkage made by Rally Design which moves the gearlever back. I wanted to be sure that I needed it so I fitted the seats and controls again to try it out.

Here you can see the original hole for the lever is just in front of the join in the tunnel.

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With the gearbox sitting in position you can see here that the gearlever is well in front of the join in the tunnel. So I think I will need the part to move the lever back.

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