Superformance MKII, Riverside Racer 289 FIA vintage race car

[Blas]

I agree, pulling on them straight along the axis of the two bolts should not be a problem, It is when you exert a load from the left or right when towing. (Not unlike the lifting load from bottom when jacking) which concerned me.
Like a side load when turning while being towed....
But I accept the wisdom of Ross and Rick.....

[1795]

The modified differential bracket arrived today and looked great, so great that I installed it

Here the bracket is hanging in position from the front mounts.



I then raised the bracket and had to use a little pry par and muscle to get it up, as it was a tight fit. Four bolts later and it was installed.



Here is a view of the cutout in the trunk for access to the back panel of the differential for filling fluids and venting, and also to allow for room for the cooling fins.



Lastly, a side view of the stub axels installed that also provides a nice look at the transverse leaf springs.



More to come next week.

[1795]

Spent two long days finishing up the Girlings and installing the Spicer half-shafts on the Salisbury differential. It was a long time coming, but we finally figured out the correct adjustments for mounting the Girlings!

Here they are front and rear.



Being that this is a development car, subsequent racers will be able to convert to Girlings without all of the development hassle. Rick, Ross and Roy will have a package that will make the conversion much easier and quicker than what we went through.

The next step was to put together the Spicer half-shafts and install them. Not an easy endeavor. A lot of scrapes and cuts on my hands and forearms. There is not a lot of room to work with. Thankfully I had the use of Rick's lift, would have ben a real pain with just floor jacks.



The car is now home and I will start preparing it for the engine and transmission install. A lot of work still ahead.

Jim

[moore_rb]

{Sigh}..... so jealous.

Those half shafts are art.

In fact, this whole thread is pure porn for car guys....

[1985 CCX]

Sweet brake set up.
May need a few pointers on that front.

[1795]

Originally Posted by 1985 CCX

Sweet brake set up.
May need a few pointers on that front.

No problem. Can't wait to test them out on the track.

[peterpjb]

jim, is it maybe possible to take a photo of the point were the handbrake cable is attached to the ora caliper ?, thanks a lot!

[1795]

Originally Posted by peterpjb

jim, is it maybe possible to take a photo of the point were the handbrake cable is attached to the ora caliper ?, thanks a lot!

I would certainly take that photo for you if I could, but alas I have not hooked up the handbrake as vintage racing in the US does not require the handbrake as long as the front and rear brakes have their own distinct sources for brake fluid.

I do have the pads and mechanism for the handbrake, but did not install them for weight savings. I figured that I would be able to adapt the SPF system to work with the Girlings. Let me know if I can help in any way.

Dan Case might be able to provide a picture of the handbrake to ora caliper mounting from his 289 street car.

Jim

[Moto One]

Good to see that it's all coming together.

Mark.

[1795]

Was working by myself today, so did not want to move forward with trying to do the engine and transmission install by myself. Although, if I had to I would, but there is some time. Will not be able to make Mid-Ohio, just not enough time to make sure everything is right. Shooting for Watkins Glen on July 8 now.

Moved to the boot and started doing the prep work for the install of the fuel system. Stated by placing the ATL fuel cell in the boot and marking the cut points towards the rear of the boot. You will see in the picture two small yellow markers at the back of the fuel cell, those are the pickup pouts. I want the fuel cell to be somewhere between level and angled slightly towards the rear to ensure that fuel will be at the pickup points. Acceleration will force fuel to the pickup points and hard braking will slosh the fuel away from them. You do not want too much of an angle towards the pickup points, as that will decrease the amount of fuel that the fuel cell can hold. Mine is a 15 gallon fuel cell. It will be interesting to see how this effects handling, as the weight will be behind the differential, as opposed to right over it as in the stock application. The FIA cars with the extended fuel cells had a cell over the differential and one in the boot as well.



Then took my time and looked for any frame members that might be in the way, and sure enough there was a frame member.



So I took my trusty level out and measured the depth from the bottom of the fuel cell at the back to the point where the frame member crossed underneath the fuel cell. Then I placed a piece of lumber of the appropriate thickness where the back of the fuel cell would be and marked the spot towards the outside of the trunk where I would need to cut to drop the fuel cell in.



I then moved on to the fuel pump. The car comes stock with a Facet fuel pump already installed,



I removed the Facet and replaced it with a Carter fuel pump. Luckily I was able to utilize the same mounting plate and wiring. You may notice that there are two ground wires. The Carter came with one and there was already one there for the Facet, so I figured that an extra ground wire wouldn't hurt...



That was todays work, more to come tomorrow.

Jim

[Moto One]

Jim, 0012 has that same fuel pump just sitting back in the trunk, with fuel injection the pump is under the car. (along with a pressure gage that has to be on a lift to be seen?) we have disconnected the trunk pump, thats not doing anything. (don't need the electrical draw). What your doing is just amazing, and we are watching your build closely.

Mark

[1795]

So, have kept up the pace a little, although was slowed down slightly for a couple of days. Realized that the slave cylinder and fork setup was not going to work due to space considerations, so had to order a hydraulic throwout bearing. When it arrived I was test fitting it on the Toploader, and these things are a tight fit. Well, the transmission was sitting on top of a couple of 2x4's on top of concrete blocks and as I was trying to slide the throwout bearing onto the shaft the transmission slipped and fell on my left-hand middle finger. Split it open like a hot dog/sausage on a grill. Let loose a few choice words and then finished placing the bearing on the shaft. It was after that that I realized i was bleeding quite well and that a bandied would not be sufficient, so it was off to urgent care for a little surgical glue. The NP did mention what big hands I have! Seriously though, I really do have big hands for my size, I can palm a basketball with either hand ad am only 5'10".



I also worked on the front tower access holes for the radiator cooler lines and oil cooler lines. There are two holes in the front tower and it is recommended in the manual to use some rubber tabs to prevent the aluminum line from chafing. It has been reported to me that these rubber tabs have a tendency to fall out. I recalled using rubber compression fittings on hoses from my maple syrup production days, so I bought a couple of rubber compression fittings, cut them to size and they will work when the time comes.



I also enlarged the slots on the engine mounts to accept a larger bolt due to concerns over the torque of a race engine as opposed to a street engine. The slots on the engine mounts are slightly smaller than the mounting points on the frame, which will accept the next larger sized bolts.



I then move to the trunk and worked on the mounting of the fuel cell and fabricated a steel bracket to hold the fuel cell in place. Had to drill and tap holes in the bracket and the frame to secure the bracket.



Well, that is all for now. Will update you as the build progresses. Happy Father's day to all the fathers out there.

Jim

[Mark IV]

Jim,

Remember, no project is "official" until you bleed! You and your FIA are now "blood brothers"!!

You are making steady progress. Has the Harrison tank arrived yet?

[1795]

Rick,

No Harrison tank yet, probably will not show up until the beginning of next week. Found some empty 1 quart paint cans at Lowes for $2.50 that I will use for catch cans. The ones that they sell in the racing catalogs and sites can go from $25-$150 per can. Nice savings. You need to have a one quart catch can for all vents, i.e., radiator over flow, crankcase vents and differential vent.

[Moto One]

Keep up the good work Jim.

Mark

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by 1795

.... Realized that the slave cylinder and fork setup was not going to work due to space considerations, so had to order a hydraulic throwout bearing....

Sorry to hear about the finger....but back to the important things , the clutch. I am thinking of using an external slave, but I'm concerned about clearance to the tunnel as well. Jim, are you easily able to tell me how much the fork/lever protruded from the opening in the bell housing, so that I can check my clearances? Also, what bellhousing / scattershield are you using, and another also, which McLead HTOB are you using and what spec. clutch?

Thanks. A great thread

Cheers,
Glen

[1795]

Glen,

The clutch for protruded about 5" from the back of the bell housing, it was about 10" from the centerline of the bell housing. I am using a Quicktime bell housing. The clutch is a McLeod 75213, which is sufficient for the horsepower that I am running. Was considering going with a dual disc, but having never used one previously, wanted to first learn the car, and then when it comes tie for a refreshing, to move up to a different clutch. The McLeod HTOB for a top loader is the 1400-30.

Thanks for all of the support, and looking forward to your build coming to completion. Been working on the fuel system, battery install and the fire system. Will post pictures when I get the chance.

Jim

[Moto One]

Jim, I'v been using the McLeon twin disks in both my Z06 that sees a lot of track time, the Cobra has the same one and is smoother (may have a heaver fly wheel the the 8 pounder in the Z).

Keep up the good work.

Mark.

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by 1795

....The clutch for protruded about 5" from the back of the bell housing, it was about 10" from the centerline of the bell housing. I am using a Quicktime bell housing. The clutch is a McLeod 75213, which is sufficient for the horsepower that I am running. Was considering going with a dual disc, but having never used one previously, wanted to first learn the car, and then when it comes tie for a refreshing, to move up to a different clutch. The McLeod HTOB for a top loader is the 1400-30....

Thanks Jim. I'm using a QT scattershield too, so good information there for me.

Cheers,
Glen

[1795]

The car is in to the welder getting the roll cage installed. while the originals did not race with side protection, I would prefer some and my wife is much happier with additional protection. Should have the car back next Wednesday and on Thursday will start the engine and transmission install.

My Harrison tank arrived yesterday



Looks nice! Thanks Rick.

I also have decided to sell the original seats that came with the car, as I doubt that I will ever try to convert the car back from race. Will be posting them in the for sale section if anyone is interested. Never used.



Should have a lot to post about next week.

Jim