Build day 22

Body

I had to get the body panels out of the house for the weekend AND measure up for wheels...

Build day 21

Rear Shockies

As commented yesterday I have swapped to jack stands.

 And to finish off the effort yesterday - the rear shockies are in.

 

Next episode - wheels and tires.

Build day 20

Diff

I'll warn you, for the Birkin, fitting the diff with enough of the suspension in to mount the uprights and therefore the brake callipers to check for leaks in the brake lines is...interesting. I found that with the front mounting bracket attached, I had so much difficulty manoeuvring the diff into place that I took it back off and mounted it after getting the diff  in situ.
My method of diff jockeying was to slide the front end in under the cross bracing until I had the rear end in, tip and manoeuvre the rear end across until I could get the front end through the cockpit back wall and then tip back and feed the diff into place; all the time trying not to damage the brake lines. (and not the first time - shoulders are going to be sore in the morning.)
And of course there are spacers between the bolt holes of  front mounting bracket and the car chassis and these spacers sit on top of a welded-in threaded tube that don't sit flush with the chassis. Fiddly-ness/frustration rating: extreme.

Attaching the mounting bracket with the diff in situ (but rotated 90 degrees CW)

Diff mounted with the speed sensor attached

Half Shafts

The half shafts weren't quite so bad; although it took a lot of swearing to get the splines to seat all the way home. I detached the uprights from the top wishbone and the front mounting point of each bottom wishbone to fit the outer splines to the disc but they are in. (Hint: the longer one goes on the right; the Subaru diff is asymmetric.)

Right

Left

Diff in place with half shafts

The extra weight of the diff has finally done it in for my build trestles (all chocked up with bricks at the moment) so tomorrow I will be going into Beenleigh to buy some jack stands.

Build day 19

Scuttle

With the dash wired, I fitted the scuttle and the upholstery panels. I added a largish washer to each of the tonneau snap studs at the ends of the dash padding - without these they were buried in the padding and vinyl...

Rear Brakelines

...which let me mount the reservoirs for the brakes and clutch.

Scuttle and hydraulics reservoirs

Plumbed!

 I think this is a bit of a milestone... completed and working rear brakes.

I had some trouble with the bleed nipple - it was a bit short so although the Nylex 6mm clear tube sealed over the nipple, any movement and it would pop off. Anyway, filled the reservoir and allow the fluid to drain through - once I had fluid out at the calliper I started pumping the brakes to bleed them. At the same time I was checking for leaks in the lines - one at a banjo bolt and one at a connection from the steel tube to rubber brake line. Since the car is still on horses I pumped from on top of the pedal box. I will have to bleed the brakes again once it has wheels and is on the ground but I'm satisfied that the lines don't leak and I can go on to fitting the diff and finishing the rear suspension.

...and filled!

Build day 18

(Actually it's probably more like day 18, 19 and 20 but if I had planned better I think I could have done in the two days I've blogged.)

Dash

It's been a struggle but I'm finally finished with rewiring the dash (for now). The worst of it has been constantly finding something else I've forgotten and therefore another trip to Jaycar's. I also struggled with conduit sizes; I originally thought one smaller flexi-conduit for each "function" (like one for lamp wires, one for switch wires, one for earth wires and one for power wires etc) would make things easier but it made the job look like a black octopus was in a tactical engagement with a unit of insurgent zip-ties. So I have three conduits; the wiring for the Speedhut gauges power and lights, the sense wires for the gauges, and the rest (lamps, switches, and their power and earths).

The whole rear of the dash

Detail of the gauges sense wires connector

Detail of the Speedo, Tacho and Oil pressure rears

The Speedhut gauges came with an electronics module for dimming the gauges' illumination; I mounted it in a jiffy box along with a small distribution block for the ignition power and gauge illumination power and mounted the seat belt timer on its lid (first photo). I also bolted another block direct to the car's frame for earth. You can blame my years at Telecom for all this; it's like instinctive.

Jiffy box with gauges' dimmer electronics module and power/earth distribution

One tip I'd like to pass on - if using flexi-conduit (the sort that's ribbed and split) if you use a longer zip-tie and double it around either side of a wire or wires feeding out it, keeps them in place.

Build day 17

Dash

As mentioned before the Speedhut gauges come with their own power looms so I need to rationalise the Birkin loom. I removed the electrical tape and sorted the wires into switches, lamps and gauges sense wires.

So then I fitted the gauges and started on looming them. The top loom is the combined power and lights looms for the gauges; it's big because it has the 2 pin gauge lights and 3 pin gauge power connectors in it for all the gauges. The lower one is the sense wires for the gauges except the speedo which has already has a connector (looks like the same Molex system Jaycar stock).

Build days 15 & 16

Water rail

I was all ready to permanently fit the water rail to the engine only to work out that it would make fitting the headers difficult once the engine was in the car and it also requires removing the one of the eye bolts I use to sling the engine. I'm not complaining too much though because I now know how it goes on and that it's straight forward. I also worked out that the temperature sensor for the Speedhut water temp gauge fits in place of one of the smaller bungs. Below is what it looks like installed.

Flywheel etc

So while I had the engine on the bench, as a trial I also fitted the flywheel, friction plate, clutch cover plate and bell housing. Again just as well as I don't have all the bolts for the bellhousing.

Gearbox

The bellhousing bolts made me think it would be wise to trial fit the clutch slave cylinder and bellhousing the the gearbox but I appear to have everything there. 

Dash

I've finally got all the holes for the dash finished but I've realised because the Speedhut use a standard wiring for all their gauges and supply harnesses to match, I'm going to have to rationalise the Birkin-supplied harness just to remove a fair whack of un-needed wires. Once I've finalised the harnesses I'll fit the gauges.

Pedal box

I've also bolted in the pedal box. Interesting in that the housing for the accelerator cable is bolted to the side of the pedal box but has to unbolted and moved down for installation.

Build day 14

Sump

I was able to get a sump gasket (apparently for an Escort MKVII) from Bursons; the Ford dealers were useless, I mean I don't expect War and Peace but an email response of "NLA" does not encourage me to approach them ever again!! And not just one but two major Brisbane franchises. I assembled the sump according to the Raceline instructions. Torqueing the windage tray hex head bolts required a quick dash to Autobarn for a 3/8 to 1/4 adapter but otherwise as described.

Con Rod Bolts

As part of the sump changeover I swapped the con rod bolts to the ARPs. The ARP bolts are a 10mm 12 point star head so I picked up a socket with the adapter.

Removing and replacing bolts one at a time

Done

 Sump 2

With the new con rod bolts in, I fitted the new sump. The "crank" plates front and back of the block create a small step so I applied some silcone gasket goo to all four joints. I also bolted on the bell housing to cross-check the alignment. I then torqued it from 10 ft lb through 15 to 18 in a "star" pattern of the 10 bolts. Just like tensioning the head on my banjo.

Sump on!