AP2289 Build log 'stage 2'

[xb-60]

New Year’s greetings!

It’s been a while since updating my 289 FIA’s build progress. Other things have assumed priority, but I’m back in the saddle now

I was missing the two brackets that support the front diff. mounting ‘ears’. Craig at AP happily supplied them, so I have been able to finish the diff. install.
Found a minor hitch in my assumed install procedure for the diff. mounts though, resulting in the roll-over bar and strut needing to be removed first. I needed access to be able to fit the diff. mounting bolt behind the roll bar’s mounting socket….





Brackets and diff. bolts are now all fully secured….





I’m going my own way with handbrake/emergency brake style and location. I wanted something as original looking as I could 'sensibly' obtain, so started with an Austin Healey handle, but the amount of time that it would have taken to adapt it changed my mind, so I decided to use a Lokar unit (anybody need an AH handle?).
The Lokar button isn’t correct, but overall appearance is sufficiently acceptable to the builder
Mounting took a bit of care to have it snug enough to the tunnel to clear the seat adequately, but it did work out well…..





It’s 36degC out there now, so work has stopped for the day. Time for some cold refreshment


Cheers,
Glen

[1795]

Glad to see that you are back at it Glen. Looking nice. With that aluminum frame and differential, your car should be quite light. What is the estimated finished weight of the car?

Wish that I was dealing with 36C, I have been having -6F temps that have kept me inside and out of the workshop.

Take care,

Jim

[Ron61]

Glen,

What is the length of that Locar handle and did it work with the stock cables OK? I am thinking of trying to change out my short stock handle for a longer one that would give me an easier pull.

Ron

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by 1795

....With that aluminum frame and differential, your car should be quite light. What is the estimated finished weight.....

Hi Jim
Best guesstimate is around 1060kg, based on an existing AP 427 with similar engine and similar weight gearbox to mine.
Cheers
Glen

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by Ron61

Glen,

What is the length of that Locar handle and did it work with the stock cables OK? I am thinking of trying to change out my short stock handle for a longer one that would give me an easier pull.

Ron

Ron

It's a 16" handle, so certainly gives significant mechanical advantage. I am using a clevis yoke which makes for an easy interface to the cable end fitting.
I'll update when I have the extra bits I need.

Cheers
Glen

[xb-60]

Finally nailing this one.

As my handbrake/e-brake handle is mounted quite a bit further aft than AP's standard handle, I had to make up a bracket to connect the new handle to the hand brake cables (instead of using a primary cable).


Here's what it's looking like....



I painted the brackets yesterday and left them out overnight hanging in my paint booth (ie the olive tree).
The local pigeons apparently thought it amusing to leave their opinion of my welding on the bracket , so had to do some bracket cleanup first.


Cheers,
Glen

[LMH]

That's pretty cool! I switched the brake handle on my Hurricane to the same model you did. It had the short handle with the kit originally.
I had to make a bracket as well but mine protruded below the floor enough to have the cables below.
Larry

[1795]

I painted the brackets yesterday and left them out overnight hanging in my paint booth (ie the olive tree).
The local pigeons apparently thought it amusing to leave their opinion of my welding on the bracket , so had to do some bracket cleanup first.


Cheers,
Glen[/quote]

Glen,

Looks great. Nice workmanship.

Everyone has to be a critic. What do pigeons know about welding?

Jim

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by 1795

....What do pigeons know about welding?....

Don't know if the same term "pigeon sh!t welding" is used over your way, but it's a common term here for arc welding with a lot of slag inclusions

[tkb289]

Glen,

Pigeons or not, nice job. The overall design of the bracket looks good, I like the holes and beveling of the edges, nice touches. Will the rod scrape along the inside of the hole in the bracket, or will that be greased up enough to not be an issue? If you get really ambitious, a bushing of some type might be and idea, delrin would be a good choice. That being said, you have more than enough to keep you busy, so move along the the next task. Keep up the good work!

[xb-60]

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the comments.

Some technical stuff....the actuating force (from the handbrake handle) and the resultant force transmitted to the cables are almost parallel in the longitudinal direction (the slight difference being that the handbrake handle is mounted to the tunnel, which of course isn't parallel). This results in the transverse component of the force being very low and the load on the bracket being minimal. It all operates as smoothly and as positively as I thought it would.

Yes, enough to keep me busy, so maybe when everything else is ticked off, I can come back and add that Delrin bush

What’s your mileage count on that lovely ERA 289FIA of yours?

Cheers,
Glen

[tkb289]

Hi Glen … the handbrake setup is very well engineered indeed, right along with the rest of the build, well done.

Was not able to get the Cobra out as much as I had hoped last year, so just under 8K miles to date on 2136. Will see what I can do about that this year. I bet you can hardly wait to get 2289 on the road ... that day just keeps getting closer and closer

- Tim

[xb-60]

Handbrake installation progress has been a bit intermittent, but is now ticked off....

Here's the finished look for the handle:




...and here's the action end, with calipers installed and cables fitted and secured:




A bit of development work was required, but it turned out OK.


Cheers,
Glen

[1795]

Looks very professional and well done Glen! Looks like it may actually work!

[xb-60]

If it doesn't work.....I'm not telling anybody

[ssv ute]

Your build is coming along nicely Glen, good work on the hand brake.
It is very rewarding when you have an idea of what you want and then design and build it, and if it doesn't work out, you go to mark 2 design...

Cheers
Richard

[xb-60]

Slow progress over the last few months for the usual reasons, so time for an update.
Have been working at getting the rear suspension and associated ‘drive’ bits ticked of the list. Have completely worked through the rear suspension, checking torques on all bolted connections and documenting results so that I’m not second guessing myself in the future.
Finally got around to start assembling the half shafts. Fitted the CV boots, CV boot flanges and SS securing ties. Luckily realised at this point that the flanges that will be mating to the inner stubs would need to take M10 screws, so carefully drilled those holes out to 10mm (from 3/8”) without disassembling what I’d just done.





Cheers,
Glen

[1795]

They look nice Glen. Good thing that you realized that they need to be 10mm before you tried to install them and spent time swearing and trying to figure out why the @@### bolts did not fit!

Jim

[xb-60]

Happy to report that my half shafts are now finally fitted.

Fitting the caps and spiral coil springs on the longer half shaft went as per the manual, but on the shorter shaft, I had to improvise. The caps need to be an interference fit over the ends of the splines to secure them in place but on the shorter shaft, the chamfers on both ends were way too big (so no interference) ….so I drilled and tapped M4 holes in each end of the shorter shaft to secure the caps and springs. Didn’t want to break a tap in what is - at a guess - probably chrome moly steel, so had to proceed very cautiously.





Anyway, all worked out well. Here’s what it looks like….




Cheers,
Glen

[tkb289]

Hi Glen,

Nice work!

That's a tidy setup with a lot of adjustability and it looks very stout as well. What's next on the list?

- Tim