Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

scoobyh123 · Post by **scoobyh123** » Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:47 pm

Very nice!

Lodein · Post by **Lodein** » Sun Nov 21, 2021 8:19 am

Congratulations, very good job

Lodein

820Vitesse · Post by **820Vitesse** » Sun Nov 21, 2021 5:24 pm

Thanks chaps.

One job always leads into another with older cars. The ABS sensor lead brackets needed to be altered slightly, I needed to cut one section off and replace it with a little bracket for the new pipes to clear a raised edge. They were pretty rough so were blasted and plated.

Painted dark metallic grey (Rover charcoal) and refitted. That should be the brakes done, I expect they will need one more bleed through as everything was drained or replaced and there is bound to be a bubble or two lodged in the ABS unit, pedal feels good while up on stands.

scoobyh123 · Post by **scoobyh123** » Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:24 am

Have you got your own plating and blasting kit Jim?

Also with the brakes, worth having a look at my recent thread about bleeding the brakes, some useful stuff in there even if i say it myself!

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=14923

Made a huge difference on mine using the tricks listed!

820Vitesse · Post by **820Vitesse** » Wed Nov 24, 2021 9:51 pm

If I had the space I would have a blasting set up, plating I have done locally, that should be it for a while the car is pretty much back together till I get another bright idea and pull it apart again.

I have seen your post but at the moment the pedal feels perfect, I bled it 3 times to be sure but I am just preparing myself mentally for the disappointment of a potential spongy pedal after a short drive.

Marc-827-Vitesse · Post by **Marc-827-Vitesse** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 8:44 pm

Wow!

Manalishi · Post by **Manalishi** » Wed Dec 01, 2021 8:13 am

Impressive! Those brackets look really top notch!

I have a sandblasting kit or rather many different types but never got around building a box or cupboard for it. It really is needed when sandblasting smaller items. I’ve mostly used my equipment back in the days when I worked on old A-frames, chassis parts etc, parts too large for a sandblasting box anyway. The sand gets everywhere and is a real nuisance to get rid off.
For smaller parts I tend to use citrus acid, the type the little lady use for making jam and marmelade. Leave it in there for a day or two and brush up a nice clean surface. Excellent DIY at home possibility. A good tip is to wash the parts in soap when done and flip into a medium hot oven, followed by an immediate coat of paint.

820Vitesse · Post by **820Vitesse** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 10:37 pm

An update, although not much has been completed in the last few months I have still been working on the car.
Years ago I started re building an engine based on a full race Rover M16 short block, trouble is my car was built with T16 engine and they are not interchangeable, some parts are similar but there are some major differences, the water pump, cooling system, power steering, breathers, belts, pulleys, are completely different and more so for the turbo engines.
I have to find a way to fit the T16 ancillaries to the M16 block, the race M16 also has a dry sump pump to accommodate and a one off crank different to M16 and T16 pulleys to add to the challenge.
The cooling system is the biggest problem because of the block differences, after many attempts to find the best combination of cooling, PAS and charging for reliability against cost and work involved I have to adapt all the T16 parts.

I was going to add pictures of the different parts and combinations attempted so far with explanations but it is pointless other than trying to express how many hours I spent getting nowhere, so just some pictures.
Bare M16 block

with original M16 water pump

plus M16 alternator, engine oil pump blank, dry sump pump but no place for PAS pump

pointless pic with no water pump or PAS

T16 front water jacket cover.

and finally T16 water pump and PAS pump, engine oil pump blank, dry sump pump in position of AC compressor

So to where I am at the moment

M16 block with T16 Air-Con water pump housing (without the compressor) the housing will require machining and a block adapter and bracket fabricated.
Where the AC compressor would have been I can mount the oil pump.
The alternator would have bolted to the AC compressor but I can make a bracket to replace that.
I fitted a Mercedes idler pulley to route the ancillaries belt where the AC would have been.
Current ancillaries Polly V belt is 1263mm Mazda. (blue tape in picture)

After many hours getting to this point I am now cleaning the block to paint and making the alternator bracket.

I also made some exhaust heat shields, I will add pictures soon, thanks.

scoobyh123 · Post by **scoobyh123** » Sun Mar 13, 2022 9:12 am

Amazing work there Jim! Very little apparent progress but knowing how much goes in to making sure each bit functions as it should and will function with the other stuff, that's a hell of a lot of work there!

Fastback · Post by **Fastback** » Sun Mar 13, 2022 8:06 pm

Well I'm completely agog with this thread. For some reason, I've not been getting the notifications and am completely blown away by the amount and quality of work since I last looked in. Makes me feel pathetic and inadequate

.

True, it's harder to do when your cars are 'on the road daily drivers'. No finances doesn't help either. Well, those are my excuses and I'm sticking to 'em.

Excellent stuff.

820Vitesse · Post by **820Vitesse** » Sun Mar 13, 2022 9:14 pm

Thanks Dave, thanks Mark. It is no fun working on cars outside and does limit what can be done, I did it for years and still like to remind myself how lucky I am now to have a garage to work on the car.

I did get some new heat shields done. Where the catalyst would be on the standard car there used to be a sort of fibreglass/aspestos and aluminium foil heat shield, I lost it or it got broken a long time ago. Using the car in 2019 I found the floor and gear lever would get very hot so made a new aluminium panel for the tunnel.

The exhaust manifold glows when being worked and generates so much heat under the bonnet I am sure it will affect reliability of some parts. I think wrapping it will cause it to crack as it is not the finest piece of work.

To protect the cam housing, ignition coils, upper fuel rail and injectors from direct heat I made another aluminium shield to bolt on the cam cover

There is one more I will add pictures tomorrow

Thanks again

Jim

scoobyh123 · Post by **scoobyh123** » Mon Mar 14, 2022 12:20 am

Reading what you've put about wrapping the manifold Jim made me think. Firstly the main reason for cracking would be rapid heating and cooling, for example giving it some beans then coming off the throttle for some bends etc. rather than the temperature itself.

Wrapping it would not only speed up the exhaust gases but keep the manifold at a more even temperature reducing the risk of cracking from constant up/down on the temperature scale. It would also reduce underbonnet temperatures and if you extend the wrapping on the downpipe under the sump, prolong the life of the oil as well. As an added bonus, as i'm sure you already know, hot gases are faster so you will maybe gain a little power from it as well.

Only downside is hiding that lovely stainless manifold!

Lodein · Post by **Lodein** » Mon Mar 14, 2022 7:52 am

Congratulations for this very good job

Lodein

mercedade · Post by **mercedade** » Mon Mar 14, 2022 9:32 am

I'm sure I say this every time there's an update, but I bloody love this thread.

Are you updating anywhere on other forums? This would have been pure Rovertech fodder, back in the day.

820Vitesse · Post by **820Vitesse** » Tue Mar 15, 2022 4:25 pm

I dont trust this manifold not to crack under the extra temperatures it will reach while wrapped, then there is the risk of fire. If I ever get the other engine finished then I will have a custom manifold made for it, that will more likely be wrapped.

Thanks Lodein

Thanks Mark, the only other forum I post in is Retro Rides, I do browse a few other Rover forums just to see what people are building and driving these days. I miss Rovertech, that is where it started for me, there is talk that someone has got hold of all the old info and is looking to start it up again but I have seen this proposed before and it comes to nothing but would love to read through some of those old threads.

I added a basic wafer thin aluminium panel to the underside of the bonnet for a heat shield when I fitted the tubular exhaust manifold.

It is still there but I reshaped it and added a front air scoop section to catch cool air that passes over the radiator and direct it to cool the coils, fuel rail and inlet plenum.

While the front wings were removed over the winter I was able to unblock and open up a two tennis ball size wiring loom apertures at the top rear of the engine bay, these now allow hot air to exit behind the front wings and out the wing to door gaps

Rover800.Info