Jump to content

A Radical overhaul (another blog with pics)


Keyser

Recommended Posts

Hi All :wave:

 

Well it's been a while and the last 2 plus years have been a bit of a disaster to be honest but I think we (The Keyser clan) can see a light at the end of the tunnel, so assuming it is not another train coming things may be on the up at last.

 

With that in mind and the fact that I haven't had a build thread up for ages I thought I would start another one to give you something to read in the evenings as the long nights start to draw in or if nothing else it may help some of you fall asleep :lol:

 

So the plan, This is not going to be a quick build and I would like to use the car in the nice weather both for testing and the fun of it so the refurb is going to be in 4 phases over 2 winters - could be a long thread :lol:

 

The aim of the game is to increase power, improve everything - the Radical is No 68 of the production line and was built originally in 2003 with I believe a 2002 engine so she has been around a while and things have worn, been added/removed and fixed so I want to get her all tip top again. - I also want to make her look good again the gel coating is fading and the fiber glass has signs of stress and wear along with a few battle scars. Of course as always allow for some scope creep as if I find things no doubt I will add them to the list as I go.

 

Like all good car restorations/modifications the plan has already bumped into a few problems in the opening stages, more on that as we go, I started the refurb about 6 weeks ago, way ahead of the intended start date but circumstances and a strange noise from the gearbox on the last 2 track days forced me into some exploratory work and it sort of snowballed from there.

 

So pull up a chair grab a glass and enjoy (or not) the over engineered (according to some observers) tinkering of a petrol head in his garage.

 

As soon as the pics upload part1 will be posted......................

 

 

Keyser and the Zed Shed Crew

  • Like 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So the first thing was to discover what the strange noise was, it presented itself as a loud rattle in 3rd gear, only 3rd mind you so my guess was a damaged or sheered tooth on the 3rd gear cog but this did not seem likely as when teeth start sheering it usually gets worse quickly and the bits that come off tend to do more damage especially in a bike engine where the GB and crank all sit in the same housing :scare:

 

anyway we rolled her in and got to work,

 

20160726_155314_zpslx6hgnbq.jpg

 

20160724_135656_zpsycbrmfl2.jpg

 

Note the position of the red battery box that I made last year to take the new bigger battery - that comes back to bite me shortly!

 

20160724_135600_zpsv2g66jge.jpg

 

 

 

Engine out

 

20160910_161537_zpscsyjssp2.jpg

 

 

and on the bench

 

20160910_161542_zpsddpvrpc0.jpg

 

Awesome not that bad to get out when all the panels are removed :thumbs:

 

Moving swiftly on we stripped the engine to look for the problem - sure enough 3rd gear has lost a tooth :(

 

20160910_184448_zpsaq7pqepj.jpg

 

 

on the plus side it broke cleanly landed in the sump and stayed there, so no other damage :thumbs:

 

20160910_184458_zpssvrckfqu.jpg

 

 

This is where my first dilemma set in, I picked up a new cog from eBay from some bike shop selling "old new parts" basically clearing the shelves off they sold anything that was new but had, for whatever reason not been used. It was cheap enough but if I go to all the trouble of fitting it and putting the engine back in I am going to spend a few hundred £££'s in oil and gaskets alone to get the car running for 1 maybe 2 track days then take it all apart again - Hmmmmmmmm, after much pondering and a few days of typical British weather I decided to leave the engine out and start the refurb ahead of schedule.

 

I also found the first unexpected problem :scare:

 

More shortly ........................

 

 

Keyser and the Zed Shed Crew

 

Normal people... believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.

Edited by Keyser
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers GM :)

 

 

So onto the first problem,

 

The engine sits in a cradle -

 

20160911_114924_zps4vlj5a2i.jpg

 

The cradle has a problem :(

 

20160910_163402_zpswzrtqx4k.jpg

 

I'm sure they didn't design it like that - could be wrong though :wacko:

 

2 spot welds to line it up

 

20160911_120533_zps3y2prwn9.jpg

 

weld the inside face (no space restraints)

 

20160911_122544_zpsvyfddeda.jpg

 

Channel and weld the outside face

 

20160911_121538_zpscsyfnrll.jpg

 

sand smooth and repair complete :thumbs:

 

20160911_122536_zpsflwnb2gk.jpg

 

 

Of course I have removed all the protection so it will now rust :( but it just so happens I have some powder coat left over from a previous project, bet you can guess what colour it is (especially Mr G) :lol:

 

20160911_135815_zpsne4rotwi.jpg

 

so that's the first unexpected thing sorted :thumbs:

 

I will apologise now for the pics - they won't get any better and anyone who has read my previous threads will know I am not known for my photographic abilities and I only have my phone now as the last camera (donated by Dave) gave up the ghost.

 

 

Keyser and the Zed Shed Crew

 

Normal people... believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Next up, remember the battery box from post #2? well thatn as you will have noticed sits very close to the zorst and also sits exactly where I plan to put a turbo (the more power bit) so it needs to move, but where? This is not some road car that you just stick the battery in the boot. I looked at all the possibilities I could see and considered mounting it in a side pod, in-front of the passenger foot rest even moving it back alongside the rear diff but nothing struck me as a "good" option.

 

Then in a rare moment of clarity it came to me -

 

20161009_115254_zpsvytc9lws.jpg

 

yes the crumple zone at the front :scare: well its a big empty box and if they can mount the 3 pedal box master cylinders in the lower left (as you look at it) I can mount the battery in the lower right :thumbs:

 

So I gritted my teeth and cut a hole -

 

20161009_133143_zpsjufdbplo.jpg

 

Excellent, plenty of space but a few problems - I cant really mount it on the floor in case I go over any curbs (not much ground clearance) the back is problematic as the brake and clutch lines are there and it's a thin ally sheet so not really a good solution - Hmmmmmmm - I know lets overengineer our way out of this :thumbs::lol:

 

A sheet of ally a ruler and a sharpie

 

20161009_123727_zpsan4xaf6i.jpg

 

out with the hole punch to reduce weight

 

20161009_130135_zpsaydf5rob.jpg

 

then a fun time bending things

 

20161009_132037_zpskk7i6nyc.jpg

 

quick test fit

 

20161009_142618_zpsxeiiowrm.jpg

 

looking good :thumbs:

 

few more holes

 

20161009_150249_zpssnx59f9s.jpg

 

and onto end panels

 

20161015_103815_zpszvbepxp6.jpg

 

20161015_113842_zpshvbk29kw.jpg

 

Now this is probably a really bad time to realise that you have only ever welded ally about 3 times in your life and are not very good at it :lol:

 

So practice

 

20161015_103931_zps4aipxpdr.jpg

 

Yer that's not really going to cut it is it? So I had a word with my neighbor who as well as being a bike enthusiast happens to have been a welder in a previous job, he popped round a couple of evenings and showed me how to set the welder up properly and gave me some quick lessons -

 

20161015_103938_zpsdqr8hwts.jpg

 

getting better :)

 

 

 

After a week of practice each evening it finally clicked

 

20161015_104020_zps8rb8jxt8.jpg

 

I can weld ally whoop whoop B):p:teeth: .

 

To be continued .........................................

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Right where was I, Ahh yes ally welding - did I tell you I'd been practicing? :lol:

 

So welded the sides on

 

20161015_161610_zpsvhre34gn.jpg

 

all finished :)

 

and I put that fabrication exactly where it needed to go -

 

20161015_161729_zpszjelkys1.jpg

 

Yes the scarp bin! Now I may have low standards and fail to maintain them but it was just not good enough, it is to heavy, slightly out of square and just well crap really.

 

So another sheet of ally another sharpie bu the same ruler :) (please note with flanges this time :thumbs: )

 

20161015_174713_zpspi0z0wac.jpg

 

more bending

 

20161009_132028_zpsy8s4p7tm.jpg

 

end panels left open this time

 

20161016_143356_zpsonvlpub4.jpg

 

test fit

 

20161016_143734_zps4qdmedgq.jpg

 

 

Battery

 

20161016_143751_zpsthxrqagq.jpg

 

Battery strap

 

20161016_153855_zpsvw1u1azz.jpg

 

 

how much lighter is this one

 

first one

 

20161016_143605_zpspyj07eh0.jpg

 

second attempt

 

20161016_143619_zpshd8favj9.jpg

 

that's over 100g I should work in F1 that must be worth 0.0000000000000000000000001 of a millisecond per lap :lol:

 

Anyway now that I'm happy with my creation I powder coated it

 

2_zpsi5y8kjn7.jpg

 

1_zpshkm1al7g.jpg

 

20161016_164047_zpsqnqjeod6.jpg

 

Please note the 2 battery strap bolts, they come from a 350z Plenum and therefore totally justify me posting a build thread on this forum :p

 

More soon.

 

 

Keyser and the Zed Shed Crew

 

Normal people... believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

If you need a competent driver to test drive it once you've finished engineering it let me know! :thumbs:;)

 

Why .... do you know one?????

 

:p:lol: :lol:

 

She will be off the track until late spring next year and that's only if everything goes back together OK!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awesome work Chris B) Looking forward to the next round of updates.

 

. . . although I am a little disappointed that your not replacing the engine with something bigger with 8 cylinders :lol:

 

The problem with that is the weight, Chris would be pulling wheelies all the time.

 

Nice work Chris, remember, do everything twice!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awesome work Chris B) Looking forward to the next round of updates.

 

. . . although I am a little disappointed that your not replacing the engine with something bigger with 8 cylinders :lol:

 

The problem with that is the weight, Chris would be pulling wheelies all the time.

 

Nice work Chris, remember, do everything twice!

 

Reminds me of a build I did recently with you, although I think we got to third time lucky with the clutch slave cylinder the master cylinder we only did twice :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awesome work Chris B) Looking forward to the next round of updates.

 

. . . although I am a little disappointed that your not replacing the engine with something bigger with 8 cylinders :lol:

 

The problem with that is the weight, Chris would be pulling wheelies all the time.

 

Nice work Chris, remember, do everything twice!

 

Reminds me of a build I did recently with you, although I think we got to third time lucky with the clutch slave cylinder the master cylinder we only did twice :lol:

 

Please don't say that word clutch! That was a very expensive few months. There is never any harm with more than once, Jayne agrees with me :lol:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

:wave:

 

 

I have an hour before my next appointment so I thought I would get the next update posted up :)

 

My next job was to move the "throttle blipper" when I picked up the Radical it came with a Pro-shift paddle shift system that as well as selecting the gears from the paddle also cuts the ignition on up shift to allow flat shifting and "blips" the throttle on down shift to assist rev matching. This is not a nice computer controlled system like the Rev match on a 370, it is just a mechanical device that physically moves the throttle cable a set amount on each downshift. It does seem to work though. When I got the system it was not attached to the car although the wiring was all there for it. The part that connects the solenoid to the throttle cable was missing though :( I did make one up last year that attached to the throttle bodies but I was never that happy with it and it will be in the way when the new engine goes in as the turbo will change the air inlet system completely.

 

So onto the new one - designed to fit next to the throttle pedal and connect directly to the throttle cable (first attempt I tried to just push the throttle pedal but that failed :lol: )

 

Got some assorted bolts/bars/screws together

 

20161023_125514_zpsufgct7fn.jpg

 

Bit of time on the lathe and I had version 1

 

20161023_161540_zpstz83snpu.jpg

 

 

20161023_161628_zpsx1tpj3rv.jpg

 

 

20161023_161552_zpspkxz8ht1.jpg

 

made up a mount and put it together

 

20161030_112410_zpsgkgka93p.jpg

 

ignore the spring it was the closest thing I had, i have ordered one of the correct size now.

 

Although it worked it was under to much pressure with the added resistance of the throttle pedal return spring and would be awkward to mount where it was not interfering with something else.

 

So attempt 2 and I had a nice array of parts

 

20161031_171511_zpsdouzbabt.jpg

 

20161031_171459_zpsskyxyqvl.jpg

 

All assembled it looks like this

 

 

20161031_171330_zps0snwmiaj.jpg

 

 

Just need to get the new spring and mount it, I will get a photo up when it is all mounted - seems to work when I tested it, may need to modify the throttle cable connection to the pedal to make sure it does not strain the cable when in use.

 

 

More Soon

 

 

Keyser :thumbs:

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Genuinely i get the warm fuzzy feeling that I used to when i watched wheeler dealers when I see your build threads.

 

For such a modest person you are extremely talented

 

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

Edited by Ricey@revolveautomotive
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • glrnet locked this topic
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...