fatbaldbloke Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Hang on for a few days. I've put everything in place today and started to make some brackets, I think it's going to all look pretty neat. I'll post some photos later in the week. If you think about the costs I know the starter I'm using is around £300 direct from Brise, the gear will be about £100, then you have the bl**dy VAT, so you're up close to £500. Add to that some bracketry, it will need some cabling, switchgear, etc. I think if you sourced it yourself it would still be 5-600 quid. Add a bit for profit and the convenience of buying it as a kit, and your in the parish I mentioned. On the other hand, both the Westfield and Quaife reverse gears work out over £1000 I believe right now, and they have the known issues of noise, power absorbtion, leaks, etc (although they are almost certainly easier to fit!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted October 21, 2011 Author Share Posted October 21, 2011 Another update: As I was removing the diff for the fourth time to offer up the new reverse motor I noticed another small crack just near the lower wishbone rear mount. Fortunately, following Windy's help earlier on with the more significant cracks I'd decided to buy a mig welder and along with everything else build up my experience, so I've been practising over the last couple of months. I decided this was the time to sort out my own problems, so I cleaned the crack up and ran in a nicely penetrated weld to repair it. I then wrapped a U-section reinforcement around it, as we did with the other cracks and securely welded that into place. Although there were no signs of cracking on the other side I decided to reinforce the area in the same way. Then, to seriously reduce the chances of any more cracking, I welded in some substantial triangulation across the corners. To further stiffen the diff and suspension mounts I've also copied Barry Slingsby's removable brace, which I can take out if I want to use a full size bootbox. Next I have to fit the new fuel lines which have had to be rerouted to avoid the reverse motor, and then, finally the actual electric reverse can go in. I'm hopeful I'll have it all sorted in the next 3 or 4 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted October 28, 2011 Author Share Posted October 28, 2011 Righty-ho, at last the electric reverse is in, and it worked when I cobbled up some power So, here's some photos. I would add that it's been quite a fiddle to engineer a proper solution as there is so little space, but I'm quite pleased with the finished detail. First, I had to make room by re-routing the brake and fuel pipes. The next one shows the trial fit before refitting the propshaft. More in the next post.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted October 28, 2011 Author Share Posted October 28, 2011 And here it is with the propshaft back in place. And here's a final one showing a slightly wider view with the new fuel pipes in place. Next, I can get on with finishing all the rear end, then move onto the systems, oil, water and fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lippydave Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Nice job.... Rebuilds are harder work than a fresh build aren't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 QUOTE Rebuilds are harder work than a fresh build aren't they? Good point. I think it's harder in terms of access if you're making some fundamental changes, for example the 'busa has a full floor, so there's no access to anything from underneath. On the other hand when it comes, for example, to making what will be some quite drastic changes to the wiring (you'll have to wait to see what I have planned for that) I'm starting from a point where things work, the engine starts for example. I can then make a few changes and check that the engine still runs, so troubleshooting is a bit easier from a known starting point. Finally though there's the constraints of the IVA which you don't have to face with a rebuild. It's not all plain sailing though. The first time I can run the car will be the trip to the MOT station, the brakes won't be bedded, the suspension geometry has only been nominally set up by me, the engine's not run in and the ECU/power commander won't have been set up so the only option I'll have for exhaust emission (as it's not a Q plate) is to wind down the fuel pressure, and so on. I think it probably boils down to swings and roundabouts, i.e. not much in it (although to build a new car to the spec of this one would cost a lot more!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 After what seems to have been an age, what with repairing the chassis, adding gussets and braces, and virtually redesigning the electric reverse, the rear end is pretty much finished. I still have to fit the tank, but I want to sort the wiring first. So, the spec at the back of the car now includes an electric reverse, Quaife ATB diff, polybushes, new M1144 pads, Playskool ARB, new rod ends, AVO alloy dampers, remounted fuel pump, new fuel lines and a new WF injection spec tank. It's been completely stripped down (several times!), cleaned and repainted, and the chassis around the diff has been gussetted and braced. Time now to move onto sorting out the oil and water systems. This photo shows the back end with the wheels removed, note the flat bottom to the fuel pump bracket, as I want to keep the bottom profile clean so I can fit a diffuser later. This one shows the wheels fitted and the car back on terra firma. This one's obviously from the back, a neat feature is the "chopper" discs on each wheel so the datalogger can record the individual wheel speeds. It also shows the additional bracing between the diff cage and the shock absorber mounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikpro Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 For the last 6 weeks I seem to have been doing nothing apart from staring and thinking, and making brackets. I've been working on the fuel, oil and water systems trying to get them light, robust, effective and looking good! Not much of a challenge there then.... So, first off I've replaced the fuel lines with cupro-nickel hard lines as far as I can. I've used as little rubber hose as I can due to the nature of modern bio-ethanol rich fuels, and where I have had to use hose it's been "R9" spec, which is about the most resistant. Here's a shot of part of the front bulkhead showing the feed and return lines. The water system uses an electric pump as the dry sump pump replaces the standard water pump. The manufacturer, Davies-Craig, recommend hanging the pump from the bottom hose so that it's free to expand and contract. Well, I'm sorry but I think that's a naff bit of engineering, hoses are to direct water, not to provide structural support for pumps.... So, I've mounted the pumplow down on the floor on two soft rubber mounts so there's still loads of compliance but the weight isn't dangling on a hose. I've also created a sender "manifold" for the oil system which has the pressure sensor and pressure switch, and that's mounted down low as well. Here's a photo: Having done a bit of research I've formed the conclusion that the standard low oil rad mountings aren't optimised in terms of cooling. It appears that the 'busa tends to overcool the water and undercool the oil. So, I've put the oil rad in front of the water rad, with an electric fan to the rear of both. I'm also planning on some ducting inside the nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 I've unashamedly gone for performance and a bit of bling in the hosing department, using Goodridge and Samco. I've tried to lay it out as neatly as I can, as well as being effective. So here are a few pictures: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 Finally, I've started on the rewiring, and the first step is to make the carbon forward tunnel top which contains the loom grommet. I thought a bit more detail on making your own carbon bits in the traditional wet layup way might be of interest, so I've started another post here: diy carbon The next 5-6 weeks is to be spent on the wiring. I've then just some brackets for the exhaust to make, and it's onto the bodywork and carbon heaven..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted December 31, 2011 Author Share Posted December 31, 2011 A quick update for the end of 2011. I'm in the middle of rewiring, and the photo below does spread a certain amount of panic. Underneath the Raychem spaghetti though I've fitted two aluminium panels, one fixed on the driver's side, the passenger one hinged, and on these all the major electronics, relays, fuses, etc will be installed. In total there will be 6 microprocessors at work, the Suzuki ECU, the powercommander, the water pump controller, the geartronics shift indicator, the AIM dash and datalogger, and a custom built fuel gauge processor to damp the sensor signal so I can put it through the AIM dash. The plan is to have the bulkhead and surface in front of the scuttle completely clear of anything, and to have very little wiring visible in the engine compartment as a whole, but this does mean loads of lengthening and shortening of the various looms to get neat cable runs. Anyway, onward and upward. The next step is to trim the carbon dash, and I've then made some dummy brackets to hold it in place so I can wire it without the pain of the scuttle in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikpro Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Looking very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westford Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 The plan is to have the bulkhead and surface in front of the scuttle completely clear of anything, and to have very little wiring visible in the engine compartment as a whole, but this does mean loads of lengthening and shortening of the various looms to get neat cable runs. I did a complete custom loom on mine to achieve what you are after - an old post of mine here shows what I achieved with a bit of careful planning! http://boardroom.wscc.co.uk/cgi-bin....estford Westford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnson Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I will be interested to see how you get on with the Davies Craig controller,I have one on my Busa and I cannot get it to work. Its fine at idle rpm but as soon as you increase the revs the unit defaults into test mode as the charge voltage is too high for the unit. My pump just runs at full whack now - its a EWP115. The other thing is you don't really need a power commander as the Busa ECU is remappable assuming you have the later (post 2001 from memory) engine although thats easily sorted by changing the generator rotor and sourcing a 32 bit (2002) ECU. Love the build thread especially the carbon stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.