Big redo of the old bucket

[PotvinGuy]

Time flies, especially when it's -25F out and one can't work on the bucket. But got a few things done this weekend:

My car has 5 temp sensors (EFI, fans, and 3 shown above). I wanted to see how well the 3 gauges matched, so stuck them in a paper plate and hung them in a pan of heating water. They are good to within a few degrees. The Moon gauges go in the heads and the other gauge in the dash.

Redid the fuel filter plumbing:

...and redid the water plumbing:

Cooled water goes into heads. Hot water exits from block to return to radiator. This is "reverse cooling," supposed to give more boilover headroom since cool water goes to hottest part of engine first. I probably wouldn't bother, but for me it's just a matter of swapping hoses!

 

[PotvinGuy]

Today’s lesson is how to build a Lexan windshield. I’ve been running a CCR 11” windshield with safety glass. But I peek over it, not thru it, so I’m gonna try the CCR 14” version, and take the opportunity to try Lexan. You can see the difference in heights:

…and the glass weighs 10 lbs, the Lexan only 5 lbs, which will make my car 0.01 sec quicker in the quarter! I’ve never run the quarter and never will. The Lexan is ¼”, and has the M10 scratch-resistant coating. I bought it on eBay and the seller cut it to size for me. The CCR frame kit:

The channel in the frame pieces is about 5/16” wide and 3/16” deep at the edges:

CCR includes a length of “setting tape,” which is thick and a little gummy. The idea is you fold it around the edges of the Lexan and squeeze it into the channel. I've saved you the work of experimenting with the width of tape so that it doesn’t show, while still securing the Lexan. Precisely ½” wide is the magic number. I know that doesn’t quite add up with the dimensions of the channel, but the tape compresses and widens as it is installed. Fold the tape around the edges of the Lexan, making sure to center it on the edge.

I've shown test pieces in the pics; the actual pieces run the length of the Lexan and the channel. Some lubricant will help squeeze it in. I did the bottom first, then did the sides as I assembled the frame sides to the frame bottom. Then add the top caps. I decided to brush finish this frame to match the cockpit hardware.

Oh, I chose the smoked Lexan just for kicks. Don’t know what Smokie will say. Get it? Smokie, smoked Lexan...never mind.

 

[bobs66440]

Thanks for the detail on the windshield. I am doing that exact thing (glass) now. I got the material from CCR and fabricated it myself (kind of a pita). I just have to get over to the glass shop to fit the glass...

When fitting the glass into the groove, could you just leave the excess tape and trim it after?

 

[PotvinGuy]

Thanks for the detail on the windshield. I am doing that exact thing (glass) now. I got the material from CCR and fabricated it myself (kind of a pita). I just have to get over to the glass shop to fit the glass...

When fitting the glass into the groove, could you just leave the excess tape and trim it after?

That should work on glass. The Lexan will scratch (I tried it).

 

[bobs66440]

Ahh gotcha

 

[butch27]

Lexan WILL scratch. Ran it on my race cars. That AND Uvex.

 

[TriodeLuvr]

My biggest objection to Lexan is the problem of cleaning, especially bugs. I have a Lexan windshield on my bike, as well as homemade Lexan "lowers." The plastic can't be scrubbed hard like glass, so after a week of commuting, I have to hose it all down and let it soak at least 15-20 minutes before cleaning. That would be much more difficult with the bucket.

Jack

 

[fordsbyjay]

Well there are different qualities of lexan. I bought a windshield for my Factory 5 roadster and have not any bug problems yet. I had similar concerns before purchasing mine but plenty of people had positive reviews. I'll see if I can figure out where I bought it.

 

[fordsbyjay]

http://www.fastfreddiesfabrications.com/shop/product.php?id_product=1

Above is where I gotbmine. It actually shipped from another race shop. If interested give them a shout and see if they could make you one.

 

[butch27]

That is one heck of a price. My GLASS only cost me $60.

 

[PotvinGuy]

Yikes! $375 for Fast Freddie's Lexan. My piece on eBay was only about $70, cut to order.

 

[PotvinGuy]

After 17 months of winter, spring has come to Minnesota, and I have been revived from cryostorage. A few updates:

The Lexan windshield is in place:

There was a snake pit of spark plug wires around the distributor; most wires seemed to go to the opposite side of the motor from the distributor. The big 10.4mm wires I use only made the situation worse. I doodled a bit and decided if the wires were rotated 180 degrees on the dist it would be neater. I marked the rotor position, lifted the dist and turned the rotor. Then moved the wires, crossed my fingers and fired it up. Ran fine and looks good:

One of the rules I set when we built the car was nothing mounted on the firewall and no penetrations of the firewall. To do this all the wires and hoses run from the motor under the trans tunnel and through holes to hug the backside of the firewall to get to the dash:

An interior panel mounts (to the A and B pieces of MDF) ½” from the body’s firewall to hide all the lines. The throttle pedal mounts to this panel:

The throttle cable runs over a pulley to connect to the pedal. Guys stand on their head to figure out how the throttle works.

 

[T-Test]

[The throttle cable runs over a pulley to connect to the pedal. Guys stand on their head to figure out how the throttle works]

Caveman ingenuity at it's best when you can stump others at how things work in the real world of a man solving a problem with a simple solution. Kudos to you.
Most late model vehicles and especially [furin] [sic] cars use a semi circle cam configuration on the throttle linkage because of transverse mounting.

 

[PotvinGuy]

Thanks, T-Test. Necessity is truly the mother. I wasn't going to defile my firewall, so I made this cheesy pulley:

Just a hunk of MDF, a nail and a plastic thing from Ace Hardware. Glued to the firewall with 3M 5200 marine adhesive: http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...0000_nid=BH94GLS0SRgsQH8HT14PGTglSW846R2R9Kbl

...this glue is made for fiberglass and wood, and is super strong.

 

[T-Test]

Just keep an eye on the plastic roller if the steel cable rides on it, it will wear a groove into it and could bind up.

 

[PotvinGuy]

And now for something completely different: While wrangling the throttle cable housing to implement my latest bright idea, this happened:

Oops. I knew the housing had a major flaw, and there's a hilarious story behind that: while cruising one day, the throttle stuck wide open due to a pinching of the cable housing 'tween the engine and the body. The bucket took off like a Top Fuel car, my hat and glasses went flying, we jumped the curb, spun in the grass, jumped back onto the road and died (the engine; the BW kicked me until my heart restarted). Damage was a bent wheel, a flat tire and the tranny pan was ripped open. For the morbidly curious I have pics and will post when I find them.

Much new stuff going on and will post pics as soon as I figure out where the miserable Google+ hides them.

 

[PotvinGuy]

Found them on Picasa, which Google+ is trying to kill.

Left to right: standing on brakes, curb encounter, and tranny fluid.

 

[PotvinGuy]

Here's an upgraded version of my throttle cable pulley:

Bigger roller, and positioned to match the angle of the throttle cable. And the roller is now on the interior firewall instead of the body firewall, so I don't have to disconnect the cable to access behind the panel.

 

[bobs66440]

Found them on Picasa, which Google+ is trying to kill.

Left to right: standing on brakes, curb encounter, and tranny fluid.

Holy crap! Are those burnout marks or brake skid marks??? Either way, wild ride! LOL

Nice work on the pulley!

 

[TriodeLuvr]

I've been in two high power vehicles in my life with locked-up throttles. One was a motorcycle, the other a big-block '60s Vette. I don't ever want to experience anything like that again. Glad no one in your car was hurt.

Jack