Fuel Pressure Gauge

The Duratec engine has a returnless fuel rail. Because I am not using a Focus fuel pump which has a built in regulator, I had to add the SARD Fuel Pressure Regulator. In order to set the pressure correctly on the system to around 40-42psi, I had to add a temporary fuel pressure gauge on the line to the rail. I have obtained a Speco Meter 100psi mechanical gauge on ebay and an 8mm line adapter. This will be removed once I have the fuel pump running correctly and the engine starts OK.

Exhaust System - Part 1

This is Part 1 because in order to pass rego here, you need to meet stringent emissions levels and various noise tests. So to get past rego I have had the first exhaust fitted which is functional only (not pretty!). It consists of a Commodore VZ catalytic converter, and a very large, heavily baffled muffler, which then continues under the car to a rear exit. It is shielded for rego as well. 

Faking it......

The car needs to head off to a custom exhaust shop this week to get its cat and mufflers fitted for rego. Before it leaves the house I need to sort out insurance. The chosen insurer needs to see a photo biography and description for the car. So I have fitted the nose cone, scuttle, bonnet, boot, roll bar and mudguards in order to show the finished product. They will all come off tomorrow to allow me to finish under the bonnet, but I did sit in it for about 30 minutes today and on the floor next to it just looking at it;)

Its the first time I have been able to see the overall colour scheme and the wheels combined, and I am very happy with the result. One thing I will probably change as time goes by is that as the guards get stone chipped I will carbon wrap them......and maybe the nose cone!

Electrical System

One thing I had been putting off since January was cutting the wiring harness from the Focus and making up the extension harness to pull all the wiring together. Whilst I thought I could do it, the reality is my skills would have got me 80% of the way, and the last 20% would have been expensive and time consuming to fix. I bit the bullet and did what all clever Clubbie builders do in Australia, gave the wiring to Jeff Mills from Precision Auto Electrical in Nowra. Jeff is a fellow Clubman driver (very quick by all accounts!), and in less than 2 weeks he had converted my two donor looms into a thing of beauty. I am still laying the new harness out and will post photos when its done, but here is a photo of the bulkhead and fuse box after connecting Jeff's loom into the body loom and ECU. Very tidy! 

Cooling System - Part 3

I know in previous Cooling system posts I said I was finished....but it had not been filled with water/coolant. Yesterday I filled it with water only, to see if it was water tight. It is!!!! I have to pressurize it, but this is the first time something hasn't leaked. What I found was I needed to reposition the P clips holding the rail a little lower, and I added the the overflow hose from the neck to the expansion tank. Since it hasn't leaked, I have put the radiator cap on. Once it is started and running I will drain the water and replace with coolant, and I have also decided to relocate the expansion tank to the scuttle, which will shorten all the hoses, but it will look better and be a lot easier to access. I will post a photo of the new expansion tank position once moved.

Taking the Birkin outside

With the brakes bled, I felt it was time to try a few things out, so I bolted the wheels  back on and wheeled it out of the garage for the first time into the sunlight! I wanted to try and test a few things out:

• Handbrake - just holds but needs tightening
• Clutch - actuates beautifully allowing the gearbox to be shifted ok
• Steering - pretty straight on initial alignment
• Suspension - moves OK, no leaks, but ride height needs some work
• Brakes - dragging a little but probably just need to knock the caliper pistons back a little. Still needs another bleed.

We did a few runs and turned the car around so the engine is now directly under the lights. I have posted all of the pics from this afternoons outing. One thing today proved, the colour of the car is awesome and the wheels are perfect!

 Wheels on ..... down off the chassis stand

First roll out into daylight...Junior Build Assistant at the wheel...really!

After testing the handbrake, obligatory chunk of wood behind wheel

 Engine sees daylight!

Testing the steering

Top of the driveway...getting looks from everybody who drives buy!

Turned around and waiting to go down the driveway....had its first trip out on the road too

From the garage....wheels look awesome from here... last Birkin photographed here was Little Red

 In the setting sun.......

 Getting ready to run down the driveway into the garage

 Sump clearance on top of the driveway...glad I went Raceline :) Lots of work to do on ride height

 The cockpit .......

 Low down on right side flank

Best side for the wheels!

Back in the garage, head first this time...all tucked up and ready for bed

Brake Bleeding 101

I have been trying to get some feel in the brake pedal for nearly 3 weeks, trying a whole bunch of different techniques. Nothing changed the way the pedal felt. A side conversation with Greg from Redback Motorsport, and he mentioned that sometimes in new cylinders a piston can get stuck at the top of the stroke, especially if they are actuated before they have fluid in them. Solution, drain the reservoir to about half, put the compressed air hose into the reservoir over the cylinder line, and put a tiny squirt of air down each line to reseat the piston.


Of course I used more air than needed and blew fluid everywhere, but net result after a doing this step and a 5 minute bleed around the car was a pretty clean fluid flow and about 85% of the pedal feel I was after. Said it before, Greg is a legend!!!

Boot Cover

A "simple" job that I started in January when I was waiting for parts, got finished today. Riveting 16 press studs to the body for the boot cover. Why so long? Setting out and drilling the holes was relatively easy. When I fitted the first press stud (back in January), it was loose?!?! Second one, also loose?!?! Then I realised my rivet gun die did not fit inside the press stud, so I was not making full contact with the rivet head (2 mm of float). Amazingly simple solution from a fellow builder Andrew, put a small nut over the rivet that fits inside the press stud. Easy when you know how!