More brakes and pedals

Over the last few weeks I've spent a few hours, on and off cleaning the VW rear calipers. My conclusion from this is that I might as well have brought the brand new version from GSF or Rally Designs - twice the cost and would have needed new pads but for the effort in cleaning the old ones, plus the cost of paint, worth the effort!! Today I finally finished the clutch pedal, with just the bracket to mount the master cylinder to make now. I also did a check of the mini master cylinder with the Fiat remote reservoir and was very pleased with the results. Regrettably I have to take a few weeks off now because of work commitments - hope to be back in the workshop in August!!!

Rear brakes

Bought some rear calipers from a crashed Passat this weekend. Spent fathers day in the garage cleaning one of them up - quite satisfying but time consuming. Used a little wire brush attachment for my cheap dremel copy which seemed to do the business, unlike the Halfords brake cleaner which certainly didn't do what it says on the tin! Photos to follow....

Clutch pedal progress

Today I made further progress with the clutch pedal. I began by welding some washers to the rough pedals that I made a few weeks ago - this was to make them fit the TR7 stub better - I have run out of 16g off cuts and awaiting more so I had to make do! I then drilled the holes in the sides before attaching them to the TR7 stub. The welds needed a little fettling to ensure that the return spring - the sole reason for using the TR7 stub - fitted properly. The last time I was in the workshop, a passer by offered some welding advice and suggested that I turned down the gas flow. The difference that this has made has been amazing! Anyway, I welded both sides to the stub, which needed further trimming. I also trimmed the bracket so that the pedal could be set at a reasonable angle. Once it was all assembled, I checked the action - I am slightly concerned that the travel might be a bit short, but I guess time will tell on that one!!!

I have also made a few decisions on the braking. A fellow Locostbuilder is sending me a Mini master cylinder. It is a 'type 3' which has a stepped bore, designed to limit rear braking on the Mini. I am going to reverse the plumbing in order to account for the lack of weight at the front of my car. I have also decided VW/Audi rear calipers are the best bet - they are readily available secondhand at reasonable prices and in good condition. This will avoid having to fork out for reconditioned Sierra calipers, including postage!!! We'll see if it works!

More pedals and brake woes

This week I made some progress with the clutch pedal. I had to revise my original plan - on closer inspection of the Ford clutch master cylinder, it became clear that a return spring would be necessary. A look at the Sylva Riot build manual confirmed this. In order to do this, I modified the TR7 throttle that I had lying about by cutting it and then incorporating the remaining stub into the pedal. I also began to look at the brake master cylinder carefully. I found that the reservoir fouled on the steering column. I have a Fiat remote reservoir lying around so looked to see if this could be used. I also found the 'brakemath' excel spreadsheet on the internet and used it to ascertain if I would need the pressure reducers used by the Fiesta. Finally, as a result of the results from this spreadsheet, I got round to seeing if the Rover Calipers would fit at the back of the car - unfortunately they don't. This leaves me with a few unanswered questions. Whether to persevere with the Fiesta master cylinder and modify it for a remote reservoir - bearing in mind that it has a bore of .87" and might result in a high pedal force, or whether to search for one from a suitable donor (any suggestions - remote reservoir, .7"ish bore). The final option is to go for a balance bar set up which would probably mean remaking the pedal. Finally I need rear calipers - Sierra are the obvious choice but something from the VW/SEAT/Audi range should fit!!!

Gearchange finally sorted...ish

Today I finally managed to get all the components of the gear change tacked into position. The action is generally fine although I was finding it difficult to get 2nd, 4th and reverse. Investigation revealed that the end of the shift rod was fouling on the joint at the bottom of the gear lever - a few seconds with a file soon sorted that. Once I had fettled that piece, the change was much better although going across the gat is a little sloppy -caused by a little twisting where the rod bolts into the old steering UJ and also by the joint that holds the gear lever rotating - that will be solved with a lock nut or some thread lock. I then resumed work on the pedals. I decided to try cutting down one of the original Rover pedals and using the stub from that to operate the master cylinders. All went well although I should perhaps have drilled a new hole for the clevis before tacking it together!! incidentally, the lightening holes drilled in the pedals are largely for visual effect - about 22p in change in your pocket would counteract any benefit!!!

Stoneleigh shopping

Went on the annual pilgrimage to the National Kit Car show at Stoneleigh over the bank holiday weekend (we REALLY will have something to take next year......). There wasn't a whole lot new there although a MR2 based car caught our eye. However, shopped well - bought some Robin Hood 'economy' cycle wings - not the greatest quality but at £40 for 4 I can cope with a bit of trimming and sanding. Also got some SVC headlamps and some mirrors from Tifosi. Really hope to have time to fit these all soon....

A little more...

Went and gave the springs a little more paint today. Also fitted the suspension spacers, shown here. Didn't take long!!! Been busy buying small things again - finally bought the threaded bushes to mount the upper seat belt mounts. I bought them from shorttrack motorsport - I can thoroughly recommend them. www.shorttrack.co.uk/