Berlinetta build and restoration

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

I managed to grab some time in the garage in between the busy harvest work on the farm. I mounted and plumbed in the fuel swirl pot, injection pump and filters. I did fancy stainless braided hoses but after some research I went for standard black fuel hose. It seems that with modern corrosive fuel any leak is more likely to come from the inside out and the steel over braid makes it difficult to spot.

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I also started to sort out the plumbing of the cooling system.

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I got the biggest diameter of fan that would fit in the cowl, with an inline adapter for the fan switch. I thought about an adjustable switch but decided to go for the standard switch but probably with a manual switch on the dash as well.

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How often have you tried to buy a part for a kit car and tried to explain to the parts guy that you don't know the reg No. or the exact model? It often makes no difference if you know the exact part that you need, without the reg or year these days the answer is computer says no! So it was refreshing when I came to buy a shorter alternator drive belt, due to no longer driving the power steering pump, to find a seller on ebay that listed belts by spec instead of which car that they fit. So it was a case of measure the length, number of ribs and width, and hey presto the web site told me that the belt that I required is originally intended for a Toyota Yaris, simples!

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[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Pedals mounted with the clutch and brake pedal working although no brakes on the car yet.

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On the left is the clutch pedal with adjustable stop and return spring. On the right is the brake pedal with the brake light switch and return spring.

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Clutch cable attached to pedal.

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Clutch cable adjustable at the bellhousing.

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[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

A milestone has been reached. So far in the rebuild most of the parts have been trial fitted then removed, I must have sat the engine and gearbox in at least ten times for example, but now it is time for the final assemble, touch wood!

Here the engine and gearbox, lower bulkhead, steering, pedal box and brake servo are in position to stay.

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[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Vauxhall c20xe engine to Ford type 9 gearbox. I sorted out the clutch and I thought a wee post about the parts that I used may be helpful to others. The first thing you need is a bellhousing and there are four types. When the engine is fitted in a front wheel drive Vauxhall it is tilted at seven degrees to give more room for the inlet manifold. Rear wheel drive bellhousings are available to keep the engine at this angle or have it vertical, so these are the two main types. The Ford type 9 gearbox comes with a standard length input shaft, or as fitted to Capris a longer input, which requires a different bellhousing. So between the vertical, tilted, standard and long input you have four variants.

The next thing you need is a clutch plate, this needs to be the diameter of the Vauxhall plate but with splines to suit the Ford gearbox, use the standard Vauxhall clutch cover. The C20XE engine comes with a choice of two flywheels, the earlier flat one and the later so called pot flywheel, which as the name suggests has a recess for the clutch plate. The only time you need to worry about which one you have is if you are buying a new clutch cover, apart from that the set up is the same. The standard Ford spigot bush fits the Vauxhall crankshaft. The release arm recommended is the Ford Escort Mk11 RS2000 as it is slimmer. Use the standard Ford release bearing.

There are three main companies that deal with this conversion.
Yukspeed. Run by a guy called Yuk who is a character that would make a good candidate for the Top Gear vacancy, during a ten minute phone call he told me several tales one of which was getting drunk with Russel Brooks! His prices are the most competitive. The website just gives contact details.

SBD motorsport. A good website with instructional diagrams and information.

QED. Have the parts for this conversion but perhaps more suited to serious motorsport.

Special clutch plate and new Vauxhall cover.

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RS2000 release arm and bearing.

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Bellhousing, this one is the tilted version.

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A rough price guide:

Bellhousing and bolts £200.
Clutch plate, spigot bearing and release bearing £90
RS2000 release arm £40.

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

I made a mount for the fuel pump from off cuts of stainless steel today. I decided on a Facet solid state pump which will supply a swirl pot in the engine bay. The swirl pot has an overflow return back to the tank so this pump will constantly circulate fuel, and I had to take this into account when deciding what size of the three available pumps to buy. I was thinking it would be silly and risky having too much fuel constantly circulating so I was going to get the standard size pump as it is rated at twelve gallons per hour which seems plenty to me. But it is only recommended for up to 1600cc engines so I went for the fast road one rated at eighteen gallons per hour, which is recommended for 2000cc engines up to 150hp.

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The large inlet union is a filter.

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Once it was mounted it looked a bit exposed to flying debris so I made a guard. I left it open at the top and bottom as I was not sure if the pump may heat up if it was in a closed box.

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[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

I fitted the fuel sender to the tank today. In my Berli's first life the sender leaked, and there were two reasons that made it difficult to cure. One was that the sender was mounted on the side of the tank and so was submerged in fuel a lot of the time. The second reason was that it was mounted using self tapping screws, as supplied with the sender, which did not hold it tight enough. So with the new tank I had the hole for the sender put on top of the tank, and I thought that I would mount it using stainless set screws which would bolt to captive nuts on a ring inside the tank. I tested the sender by wiring it to the gauge using a battery and it worked fine, both the gauge and the sender are still available to buy new which is piece of mind for the future.

The sender with the previously bent float arm now straight showing how it will sit in the tank.

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Stainless steel ring with captive nuts.

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Finally mounted.

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I did plan to trial fit it then remove it and paint it, but it was like a puzzle getting the ring, the gasket and the sender all to line up. So it's staying on and I will paint it where it is!

[danny_nelson]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Hi Mike, I think the exhaust fumes coming back was only ever with the Cabrio. I have never had the problem with a Berly, and I have never heard of any one else. Strange!
Danny.

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Hi Mike, I remember reading how you had to change your exhaust once your car was road tested. It was of particular interest because of the similarity to my original exhaust. I never had any such problems with my Berli but probably the big difference is that I always had the hardtop fitted. I plan still to be hardtop only, although perhaps in the distant future a soft top could be a project.

Scott.

[Mike]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Looks very good Scott.

You say this mimics your old V8 twin tail outlet - did you ever get exhaust fumes rolling back into the cabin with it?

I made a very similar twin tail arrangement on my Cabrio as it looks good like this, but had to change the delivery at the rear as I had quite bad exhaust fumes rolling back into the car.......maybe the Berli's different shape means the airflow behaves differently?

Mike

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

very agreeable!

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

I took the Marlin to a company called R.J.M. in Glenrothes, who are agents for Powerflow stainless exhausts. I had previously been to speak with them but it is very much how long is a piece of string without seeing the car. We arranged a day to get it done and the plan was rather than me leave the car, I would take a day off work and wait while they made the exhaust. This I thought would be easier taking into account that I had to trailer the car there and I would have to borrow said trailer.

We put the car on the ramp and we discussed what I wanted. When I had the V8 in the Marlin I made the exhaust from universal mild steel parts with essentially a twin system, one on each side of the v8, and ending in twin tail pipes and I liked the look of the twin tail pipes so I wanted the same. I also wanted it on the quieter side so splitting the exhaust would mean a third silencer could be fitted. They set to work and after about an hour there was a huge bang and the electricity went off! It transpires that there was an electrician testing the power supply for insurance purposes and something went wrong, very wrong. The place was at a standstill and eventually after a long wait I went home, not amused but what can you do? Anyway, I left instructions for what I wanted with an emphasis that nothing should be welded to the chassis as it was galvanized, instead they should bolt to the lugs that I had welded in several positions previous to the galvanizing. A couple of days later I returned to collect the Marlin and I was pleased with the result. As the exhaust would be getting removed again I asked for no sealer to be used.

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[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Ha ha. The truth is that I expected it to look like something that had been dragged through a hedge! But I had nothing to loose by having a go.

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

you made that look so easy!

[dcunn]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Good job Scott

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

It will be easier to sort out the exhaust system sooner rather than later, before the floors and bodywork restrict access. The first thing to tackle is the manifold. The standard manifold is designed for the original transverse orientation of the engine in the front wheel drive Vauxhall. Manifolds to suit rear wheel drive fitments such as Mk11 Escorts are available but obviously cost several hundred pounds, also it would probably need some tweeking to make it fit the Marlin. Among my growing collection of Vauxhall parts are two standard manifolds, so I decided to see if I could make a reasonable job of turning one to fit the new inline fitment of the engine, if not then I would buy one.

The standard manifold.

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Cut in several places.

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The finished article.

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Standard and modified.

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I would like to fit a stainless system this time. There are two places within 15 miles from me that specialize in hand built stainless exhausts so I hope to take the Marlin to one of them soon.