#iwantoneofthose #001
There can’t be many people who aren’t already familiar with Ken Block’s Gymkhana series of videos. But this is the first time I’ve noticed the funky personalised hand brake (e-brake, America?) in Gymkhana 3. I need to get me one of these for Project B. Custom sequential shifter, perhaps?
Balancer Shafts
It’s been a while since my last update. What have I been up to?
Project Blackbird had to take a back seat whilst I worked to update the Quantum website in September. We introduced a 10% discount for the Lotus Seven Club and I even made my acting and directorial debut on YouTube! Now the weather has turned and the garage is freezing, I’m free to turn my attention back to KT.
Although I prefer to take what I read on the internet with a pinch of salt, the Blackbird does have something of a reputation for being fragile — even with a dry sump. Removing the balancer shafts and blocking their oil ways is said to help but how effective this really is, I don’t know. What I do know is it’s an easy way to reduce rotating mass.
Removing the balancer shafts is relatively simple but removing the eccentric shafts they ride on leaves three gaping holes in the side of the engine. It’s possible to replace the eccentric shafts minus the balancer weights and gears — but if a job’s worth doing …
Both balancer shafts (and the cylinder head and camshafts too) take oil from number four main journal. With the crank case halves split the balancer shaft oil ways are easy to find and easy to block with epoxy putty. For the holes left by the eccentric shafts, I chose to make a set of aluminium inserts.
I think I got lucky with this engine. The hone marks are still visible on the cylinder walls and everything I have checked (so far) is still within factory tolerances. I’ve decided I’ll fit new crankshaft bearing shells while I have the opportunity, but that really is a precaution more than anything else. Only problem is they’re currently out of stock with Mr Honda.
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Every Cloud
Work took me to Brands Hatch on Friday with Merrick Linnett. Merrick had booked a garage for testing and had invited Pat and I along to offer advice on his new Quantum shocks.
Merrick races in the SEMSEC Saloon & Sports Championship and is pretty handy behind the wheel. He’s an ARDS instructor too, and I’ll be calling upon him for tuition when time comes for me to take my test. Unfortunately, clutch problems put an end to his day before the tires even got up to temperature, but that at least gifted me a free afternoon to dismantle KT’s front suspension – in preparation for shot blasting – and reassemble the dry sump I bought off Simon Parker.
A word of warning to anyone else building their own engine. When I first took the scavenge pump apart, I found the filters to be full of silicon sealant. I’ve since learnt of another Blackbird engine suffering from poor scavenge as a result of this, so take heed: go easy on the sealant! Personally, I’ll be laser cutting some paper gaskets.
Roll Cage
An unexpected impulse purchase this week when I found Stuart Wylie of Woodcote Sportscars had a live axle chassis roll cage for sale.
Second hand cages for live axle chassis don’t come up for sale every day. So when I called Stuart on Friday morning I was relieved to hear it was still for sale and after I finished work at 1h00, I drove straight up to Mersham to collect it.
I bought 636 from Stuart in 2003 and he was keen to know how I was getting on and what I was up to. He’s a real enthusiastic chap and if you’re looking for a second hand Seven, I recommend you give him a call.
Fortunately for me, the cage fit perfectly in the back of the Punto – even better than it fits KT! As always seems to be the case with these things, the cage is not a perfect fit for the chassis. There was a fair amount of beating and pulling involved in manoeuvring it into position and still the rear stays are a long way from where they need to be. Given the cage will be repainted – and I won’t want to scratch the new paintwork – I reckon it will be worth having it modified so less violence is required when I come to bolt it in.
“I hope you remember where that went”
There’ll be no turning back now. KT has been reduced to a bare chassis and one very large pile of bits.
As promised, my evenings last week were put to good use removing as much as was practicable with my one pair of hands. The wiring loom, instruments, brake hard lines and anything that didn’t support the weight of the car – all gone; leaving just the rear axle and both front corners for Gruff and I to deal with over the bank holiday. For good measure, we also decided to break out the pressure washer and remove 18 years worth of road dirt and grime that still lined the transmission tunnel and the underside of the car. Much to my relief, we didn’t find anything worse than surface rust. Nothing I can’t tackle with some emery paper and a fizz can.
Engine Out
The Kent is out and I’m looking forward to not ever having to put it back in.
The old iron lump just barely fits with its alternator belt pulleys tucked underneath a chassis tube – my chassis doesn’t have the later cruciform front end – and not an inch to spare either side of the bell housing. I’m quite confident that lowering the ‘bird engine in will involve a lot less swearing.
Gruffalo lent his services for the day and we made some good progress. Now the heavy lifting is done I can use my evenings to carefully label and remove the brake hard lines and the wiring loom. With any luck I’ll have a bare chassis by this time next week!
Peugeot Rear Calipers
The Ital axle is dead. Long live the English axle.
Chris Wheeler at The Seven Workshop refurbished my ‘spare’ English whilst 636 was in for repair after a little mishap near Goodwood in 2007. The intention was to replace the drum brakes with discs but Chris – surely aware of my limited budget – kindly pointed out that it was an unnecessary expense and drums are lighter. The drums got given a reprieve. Finally equipped with the wherewithal to do something about it – and with the axle swap imminent – discs are back on the agenda. I just have to make sure I prove him wrong about the weight!
Sierra calipers are changing hands for increasingly silly money because they’re popular and few people have been adventurous enough to try any of the obvious alternatives. They’re heavy, too. Not wishing to spend big bucks on aftermarket parts – although these Hi Spec calipers do look nice – I decided to purchase a pair of Bendix calipers off a Peugeot 206. You’ll find the same on 205s, 306s, Citroën Saxos, Renault 5s and who knows what else. They’re still not light but they’re lighter than those off the Sierra and they’re cheap: £34.99 delivered for the pair off eBay.
Stripped down and given a good clean, they don’t look too shabby. The aluminium caliper bodies are now out for Xylan coating – like a non-stick frying pan! – and I’ll get the steel carriers re-plated once they’ve been shot blast.
I intend to draw up aluminium brake bells and brackets to suit the axle and use Formula Ford rotors – or possibly the Wilwood rotors seen in the link above which are quite reasonably priced at £53.73 each plus VAT from Rally Design. Watch this space.
