Fastback's cars.

[scoobyh123]

I'd not heard of DNETTIGO until a couple of days ago myself Mark so i searched for them as well. YOu've probably seen this but here it is if it's any help :

https://hebertpark.com/dnettigo

Not sure what to suggest on your mobile and boroscope incompatibility, assuming it's a USB animal, could you not plug it into a laptop and get a bigger picture after the laptop downloaded the correct driver for it?

[Fastback]

I'm really not happy with this DNETTIGO thing. I did searches and it looks (based on IP) like it's headquatered in the San Francisco dockland area. What is also odd is there is no interaction with any of the social media sites it claims to be on.

The reason I mention them is because of the car parts they claim to retail/broker. It is not clear where the goods are coming from and whether import duties are payable. What is interesting though, if it is a scam, why would you 'sell' obscure car parts that are in low demand? Tempting, but I'm giving it a miss.

[scoobyh123]

It sounds as if you have been able to do more in-depth searches than i can, i don't know how to search IP addresses.

My view is they say they can get these things and then take your order. Then they start hunting for said item, meanwhile your money is held in a high interest account (or similar) so they cream the interest then refund you when they can't find said item. I've come across that before but i'm not saying they're definitely doing it, just think it's a strong possibility.

Sadly there's nothing illegal about it, it's an easy way to generate funds to put in a high interest account or similar. Their "routine" sales cover the refund but those extra days earn them more than the profit on their everyday sales.

End result you get your money back so you're not out of pocket, just disappointed. Best case scenario they find the item you want/need and they make profit on that as well and you're happy.

Probably best avoided IMHO but some people will benefit from their services.

[Fastback]

Small update on the exhaust. GT Exhausts claimed they could make anything but surprise, surprise, they don't have the pattern anymore and can't make one.

However, what they did have was their last centre section in stock, which I bought. The system on the car currently, from the cat back is not correct as it was all taken from something else, probably a two litre. Measuring the external of the new centre section, it's 2 1/8", suggesting internal is 2". Progress.

I have actually found an original 2·5 litre tail section, it is on a (scrap) car that's been stood for over ten years. I just need to persuade the owner to sell it to me.

[scoobyh123]

Exhaust pipe is almost always 1/16" or 1.6mm wall thickness Mark so your assumption of a 2" bore on a 2 1/8" external pipe would be correct.
That sounds like it should be for the KV6 powered 825, the Honda powered 825 used a smaller bore as did the 827, i believe the 820 n/asp used the same size but the 820 turbo used 2 1/4" i think.

[Manalishi]

Yes I believe Daves 2 1/4 is correct on the t16 turbo. I have a stainless steel Mongoose on my coupe and it is really good quality. It’s been on the car for 14-15years and still going strong. But, it is pretty noisy. Today (if I would swap) I would try to get a standard size bore.

[scoobyh123]

Yes I believe Daves 2 1/4 is correct on the t16 turbo. I have a stainless steel Mongoose on my coupe and it is really good quality. It’s been on the car for 14-15years and still going strong. But, it is pretty noisy. Today (if I would swap) I would try to get a standard size bore.

I had a stainless Mongoose system on my Coupe as well Henrik - it was designed for the 2.0 turbo though so was loud, droned and made the 827 thirsty and gutless. I did a deal with Tom (traineefarmer) and the short version is he provided me with a standard 827 system in exchange for the Mongoose which went on his Vitesse Coupe.

Both of us had quieter cars after and mine was certainly much livelier and economical, Tom previously had another stainless system on his Vitty Coupe but unknown origins, very thin, noisy and rasped/droned a lot and he found the Mongoose was much more civilised. In fact, i seem to recall his original stainless system broke in half during removal to fit the Mongoose system!

[Fastback]

Just been doing some work on the rear brakes as the sweep is poor. Rather than try to refurb the existing caliper...



I bought new, contrary to popular belief that rears are not available. They are and here's the proof.

Hopefully the disc will improve with mileage but sometimes they don't and I don't know why; the pitting seems to persist.

[scoobyh123]

Nice job Mark - shame nowhere here offers disc skimming as a service these days but new discs aren't horrendous in price (compared to some cars at least) if it comes to it.

You could try leaving the handbrake on 2-3 notches for the first 1/4 mile of each journey until the surface cleans up a bit and the pads bed in, the rear brakes don't get much use even from the service brakes as the primary function of the rear wheels on an 800 is to stop the back end dragging on the ground and not much more.

[Fastback]

Another project I did a while ago but not written about is the refurbishment of driver door packs. With prices going stupid on (unproven?) second hand ones, even if you can find one now, I decide to refurbish and improve some of the ones I have. The process I followed is slightly destructive but of course, I had a fix.

The first thing I did was cut off two of the switches . This is to allow access to parts of the inner board.



Every joint was desoldered and replaced with lead based solder instead. The copper tracks were tested and surprisingly most were fine. One that wasn't was fixed with a following wire. I inserted LEDs into the four other locations with associated resistors and you get the picture above.

Next job, re-attach switches. Rather than weld with plastic, I took a 'mechanical fixing' approach, aka screws. Pilot holes were drilled into the base of the switch blocks,






Depth worked out so they don't go all the way through and screwed into place.



More holes drilled and more screws inserted.



And from the top,



The LEDs look a different colour but in use, they're not. Having done one, I did the rest,



All mine and my family's cars have been done and I have some left over. It would be selfish just to stockpile these so, is anybody interested in aquiring one? I was thinking putting them on eBay but I'll offer them here first.

PM me if interested.

[scoobyh123]

I've done a few similar Mark and also upgraded/updated the "baby biscuit tin" contacts to proper microswitches, the rockers need a minor mod to use them (can't remember what just now) and they're easy to solder onto the contact pads that the original contact would normally short together.
I'll see if i can find the microswitches, got them from RS originally so should be able to find them on there i suppose but i have a bag somewhere with some left in.

[Fastback]

Update on the rear box for the KV6 Sterling, there is progress.

Having been totally unable to find an off the shelf part and nobody able to give the pattern of the internals of the rear box, I have finally persuaded the owner of the scrap car to let me have the one that. I don't expect to to be able to use it but I can cut it open and with the fabricator I have lined up, make something similar. It will be interesting to see if it is chambered or not.

I've been looking for gaskets for said exhaust and I came across something surprising (to me at least!). I was expecting to find the thin pressed gaskets (left) but I also found the one on the right. Both types are available for both ends of the new middle section (non stainless) that I'm fitting at the same time.



The right one I'm more used to seeing on manifolds but have never seen one used on the pipe flanges before. I'm sure this is just me, so it's a bit embarrasssing, but what's the difference and the relavtive merits of each?

I feel like such a newb at times.

[scoobyh123]

The right one I'm more used to seeing on manifolds but have never seen one used on the pipe flanges before. I'm sure this is just me, so it's a bit embarrasssing, but what's the difference and the relavtive merits of each?

I feel like such a newb at times.

They both obviously do the same job, the one on the left is more of a budget version being a simple pressed gasket, the ridge in it performing seal duties.

The one on the right is a bit more expensive and is more or less the "MLS" version - multi-layer gasket so all of it performs sealing duties. Given the choice, i'd spend the extra on the one on the right and they tend to be more than single use, unlike the pressed one which is almost always single use.

[Fastback]

I have taken an angle grinder to the scrap exhaust and cut open the rear box.



I am really surprised to discover that it has four chambers. Another view or two.





What is also interesting is the pinch point in the large perforated pipe.



This has been applied to four 'sides' to form a box type section.

I've taken various (rough) measurements and I will post a notated image with those on in due course should anybody else be as fussy as me in the future.

Does anybody have an opinion on what wadding there may have been inside and where?

[scoobyh123]

Interesting stuff Mark! Surprised it's a baffled silencer, i would guess the wadding would be some sort of fibreglass silencer wadding in the chambers where the perforations are. Something along the lines of :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283361392968

I would be very tempted to fit a straight through silencer in place of that, however i'm not wildly familiar with the characteristics of the KV6 engine so can't be 100% certain that would be a good move. Certainly on the Honda V6 it worked well, as long as the final area was kept to that of a 2" OD system.

For a while i had twin rear silencers on my Sterling, each with a 2" OD inlet. Because this was effectively doubling the outlet area, i had to make a restrictor for the inlet of each silencer, roughly a 1 3/8" hole through a 2" disc to equate to a single 2" OD pipe.