Modena's progress update

[Gav]

Ready for the Nationals Ben?

[Modena]

Originally Posted by Gav

Ready for the Nationals Ben?

that is certainly the plan

[Modena]

I had 24 hours of set back. Got my tailshaft, made to order of course by GJ Drivelines, a good solid bit of kit. Unfortunately I could not get it to fit in, no matter what I tried. I could actually get it far enough back in length but then was on such an angle that it wouldn't go into the gearbox. Tried dropping the gearbox, raising the gearbox, dropping the diff et al, no go.

So I bit the bullet, and the whole rear-end came out. Both rear knuckles and driveshafts, and then pulled the diff out. Tailshaft in, and put it all back together. Pulling the diff out/in on your own, with the car on stands is no easy feat, it needs to go in at about 45 degrees to clear various bits of chassis. My neck hurts. I NEVER want to do that again!

So the rear is now buttoned up AGAIN.

Also put the brake/clutch reservoirs on, finished the roll bars and dress rings, and tightened down the last of the front brake hard lines. In doing so I think I need to spin my shocks around or the nitrogen valve may hit on the lower arm at compression. Sheesh. Now the front has to come partly apart again.

Coated exhaust will be back early next week. No firing this weekend.

[gjkrv8]

Well done Ben, great work, lots of mucking around, but all worth it in the end.

This will be all behind you in 5 weeks time when you are hurtling down the main straight at Wakefield Park at full noise :-)

cheers

Gregg

[stiffy]

Ben,

I have a hoist, 2 or 4 post, trailer, tranny lift and beer.



Stiffy

[Modena]

thanks stiffy. not worth the trouble of transporting. much easier to stuff my back. I was done in three hours.

[stiffy]

Benny,

But how many beers ?


Stiffy

[PeterAllen]

Ben. I gave a 'like' to your post about the tailshaft install and then the need to reverse front shocks.

I don't really like that you had to do these but it was an expression of empathy. As I get to the end I find so many items I thought I had 90% finished, with just a few fitting or bling details to do, require yet another 90% time and effort.

[Modena]

Today I have mixed feelings.

reversed the front shocks, feeling much happier about that now
bled the brakes, got the pedal rock hard, all seems good
bled the clutch, pedal feels good, can turn / non-turn the tailshaft as expected so it seems ok
filled the power steering
filled the cooling system.....and that's where we hit a speed bump.

The radiator has a 45 degree angle welded on to the bottom outlet, and the weld has a pinhole in it. Very small, it wasn't until some time after I had put in 5 litres of coolant and 8 litres of water that I noticed a very small puddle floor. It's giving about 1 drop per hour.

I reckon it could be tigged up in place, I would be able to get my tig torch in there but I only have scratch-start DC and I need an AC machine to do aluminium.

Otherwise does anyone have any experience or recomendations with the metal paste type stuff that is for stopping leaks? I'm not interested in putting a 'stop leak' type of thing into the coolant, but is there something that can be put on the outside to seal the pinhole? The welding option is preferred.

Don't even say take the radiator out, that is not happening.

[Modena]

like this
Selleys Knead It Steel - Epoxy Putty | Selleys Australia

[Aussie Mike]

Its a pity you don't live closer Ben.

You could try dot punching around the pin hole to see if you can move enough metal to close up the pinhole.

I'm not so keen on using a putty to repair as when it comes to welding it up properly you will need to grind all of it out.

I've had some success with Devcon. Its a metalized 2 part putty and it sets rpck hard. You can machine it once its gone off.

If you do pull the rad bring it over and I'll weld it for you.

Cheers

[Wazza]

Fixed the bottom of the race Cobra's radiator (after a nasty off at the track)with "knead it".....never leaked a drop ....was still perfect after 6 years,when I sold the car.
Great stuff.
Cheers,
Warren

[albanycobra]

Dot punching works well, my custom fab 8 stack intake had a pin hole.I got a centre punch gave it a light tap then finished with a flat punch. Never leaked again, however this was into reasonably thick alloy plate.

[Gav]

I would try the pin punch method first, forget welding it up with coolant in it, it will spit and fart all over the place when the water vapour expands as its heated.

[stephen low]

Ah the old cobra three step - one forward....two back

Just put it down to life experience Ben and move on.

However I don't like the sound of your tailshaft now being a permanent fixture.

I assume the chassis layout has limited your ability to remove the shaft moving out backwards from the gearbox and then out. A very odd quirk for the kit really.

As to help. I'd forgotten I was doing a 24 hour charity ride this weekend and couldn't hold your beer for any start attempt and next weekend is skiing but after that happy to drop in on your big day to help if needed.

Cheers

[Modena]

Originally Posted by stephen low

Ah the old cobra three step - one forward....two back

Just put it down to life experience Ben and move on.

However I don't like the sound of your tailshaft now being a permanent fixture.

I assume the chassis layout has limited your ability to remove the shaft moving out backwards from the gearbox and then out. A very odd quirk for the kit really.

As to help. I'd forgotten I was doing a 24 hour charity ride this weekend and couldn't hold your beer for any start attempt and next weekend is skiing but after that happy to drop in on your big day to help if needed.

Cheers

Thanks slowly and others for your input.

On the tailshaft front, others with the same chassis/diff/gearbox have got their tailshaft in (just), but I think mine is more bulky as I had them make it for big power (future planning you see). Really it would only ever need to come out for one of three reasons;

1) the gearbox comes out for repair/clutch/whatever, in which case the tailshaft can be removed
2) the diff comes out for some reason, in which case it can stay in
3) the tailshaft fails, in which case a new one the same would need diff removal.


The radiator problem is now worked-around. The pinhole was on the outside corner of a 45 degree angle, the weld ran around the angle. I used silicon hose for my radiator hoses, and I had a couple of spare 45 degree hoses. Drained the coolant then cut a 45 hose the right length and with the help of a little rubber grease (magic stuff) I managed to get the 45 degree bend in the hose right over the 45 degree welded part, with the hose clamp further down the pipe. So the pinhole is still there, but now it is inside the hose. Coolant went back in and moved on......

[Modena]

Apart from fixing the radiator problem, today was a good day for other reasons. My cobra moved out of its position on stands in the back of the garage for the first time since arriving 4 years ago. Not under its own power just yet, but at least its sitting on its boots.

Wheel alignment with highly-technical string line was done, easily within 2mm which is good enough to get down the road for an electronic alignment.

Still need to adjust ride-height about 10-20mmmm or so here and there.

Next weekend will be a big one.

















Haven't seen this bit of floor in 4 years. Remarkably only one washer left behind when the car was moved!





The wife seems to think that she might actually be getting this space back for the daily driver. Silly wife.

[Tenrocca]

Great work Ben - been very exciting watching this run to the finish line. Whats the gadget in the boot?

[Modena]

Originally Posted by Tenrocca

Great work Ben - been very exciting watching this run to the finish line. Whats the gadget in the boot?

if you mean the black box behind the passenger roll bar, its the amplifier.

[Tenrocca]

Originally Posted by Modena

if you mean the black box behind the passenger roll bar, its the amplifier.

Ahhh - extra weight will cost you a second a lap......Cant wait to see it out next month. Nice to have another runner in class 7.

Dont worry about string line alignment. You might be surprised how close it is. Its all Ive ever done on mine after seeing the V8 supercars using it.