The StewRat - a race car reborn

[StewRat]

Latest in the series of [ahem] regular updates ...


Feels like great progress has been made, and up until about a week ago I was getting more and more optimistic about being ready in time for VW action - optimistic enough to buy a trailer and book towbar fitting for the van.

The last week or so however has just been swamped with dayjob work so progress slowed until this weekend.

But over recent weeks in general ...

Have completed the wiring from scratch to the point where it switches "on" via a relay, and has working fuel  pump and line loc on switched relays, power to gauges etc.
And the starter fires on a button.

This isn't the car running at 4000 RPM, but it was a great moment of proof for my wiring.



Pretty basic dash, pictured here before the tach and starter button were mounted - gauges for oil temp and pressure, CHT, switches for fuel and lights (couple in reserve for "next year") and warning lights for brakes, oil and line loc.



I was pretty please with my electrical panel, mainly because I've never done anything like this before and it works, though a) it may be over-complicated with the junction blocks and b) it doesnt look quite so pretty after the first failure, diagnostic and some rewiring !



Assembled the engine first on table in my office ...



A bit like building a boat in the basement, it then had to be partially dismantled to move to the lockup and reassemble.

Typical early weekend view ...



And today, tada ...



With the added benefit of sweating away about 10Kg while doing this singlehandedly, balancing the engine on a trolley jack and some wooden framing that proved much less stable in practice than it was in my head.

I'm at the stage now that I have a sheet of cardboard hanging from the roof with remaining jobs on it, even though I am adding as many things as I am scoring through, but it feels finite now.

[dth]

Looking good mate

[StewRat]

Thanks Donald. Means a lot. Sitting in Edinburgh departures it feels like much to do in 10 days when I get back. But never say never

[Caleb0101]

Looks good. All that work to fix the dash and you cover it up lol

[StewRat]

Looks good. All that work to fix the dash and you cover it up lol

Yeah - but only a few holes drilled in it so it can be restored

Ah - apart from the bit of I think the radio aperture I had to hack out to make way for the "next year NOS" switches.

[StewRat]

SO what has happened since Sep 2016?

Having missed the chance to race at VW Action 2016, I went as spectator (hosted by my 4 sons as birthday gift) and had a great time.



Back home, I got the car running and then not running.

Threads:
http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,26378.0.html
http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,26702.0.html

Is all about bent pushrods, getting it running and timing being the problem.
Never did get to the bottom of why those pushrods got bent first time - though having built and rebuilt the top end several times now, I wonder if I had them properly seated in the rocker cups?

Newbies: If your ground up built car wont start and everything seems to be ok - it is probably the timing. Wont start if it is too far out.

I ended up with a mammoth battery, switched out coil, distributor and 3 sets of Petronic electronic ignition ... and it was probably the timing all along.

Moving on ...

Having a running engine, most other things tied down, going through run in process, I spot an oil leak from the engine/trans interface.
It has to be the flywheel oil seal. Notorious (when you search) for leaks. Everyone has an opinion on this - 1/16 below lip, fully home, use the special tool etc etc.
Turns out it was a loose oil gallery plug. That was May to July gone.
Thread: http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,27084.0.html

Since then, leaps and bounds.

Engine with no leaks.

Got the timing set for idle and 3k RPM. Basic stuff, but first test runs up to 3k RPM were very patchy until timing got fine tuned.

Have created a heath robinson bracketry solution combining the brace that came with the car courtesy of Neil, and some bent aluminium and a bonnet pin. End result: a boot lid that stands off for cooling and is tied into engine, exhaust and rear wings with no valence.

I think now I have done the first 90%, and the remaining 90%, only the last 90% left to do ...

All set for testing at Crail end of August, night before final tidy up, bled the front brakes, about to take the car off the stands and notice pool of fuel on the floor. And a drip. (Another long story short) crack in the fuel tank.

Aluminium fuel cell for my birthday, and now we aim for 10th September ...


[That was a catchup post - more recent news to follow]

[StewRat]

And so to what is perhaps the final chapter of the build thread, but not hopefully of the Stew Rat.

10th September, finally, finally, finally with the help of many ....

We load up.

First time loading car on trailer
First time strapping a load down on trailer

Thank you internet

Towbar and trailer that were bought over a year ago in anticipation on VW Action 2016!

2 hours after picking up trailer from storage  ....



And so to Crail raceway - on their busiest day of the year (German Invasion part 2) and er, not great weather.

Checked out in advance I could use the test area before going down the strip and I have to say they were great - from initial facebook question, to field manager text, to onsite ... directed straight into trailer area (75% VW vans ) right beside coned test area. Got to meet Russ and other Aberdonians down with a DKP ghia and a bug.

And and so to first longer tests.
Bearing in mind the car has never been more than a few feet outside the lockup, this was a BIG deal.

First test runs revealed that the 2-step was set low for max revs - good early safety call, and easy tweak.

First full u-turn ripped the line loc button wires out of the steering wheel switch. prob need better curly wire.

Gears really hard to find, especially at speed/stress - std shifter with a cheapie short shift kit. I changed all the bushings etc on the gear rod but still hard to find gears. First usually means find 3rd, then down, left a leeetle and up. Need to fix that.

Cylinder head temp gauge died (flimsy wiring I think) so I was a bit nervous about temp but oil temp ok by end of tests so I join the queue.

Starting to get worried about temp so I push for a while - good chat with the young guys beside me in their hatch, not going to race you etc haha.

Bizarrely overshoot the prestage by 2 feet - I thought as spectator I knew where it was, turns out I was wrong.  Back up, stage and ....


http://stewrat.stewarthutton.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/First-quarter-mile.mp4

I pretty much missed every gear shift, and totally forgot about not racing. Think I surprised a few spectators, and ended up with:



Under the circumstances, totally chuffed.

Started braking too late, locked brakes, overheated, got towed back, but what they hey - I built a car and it went down the track. HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

Weather and the event queues meant I spent the rest of the time in the practice area working on shifts etc so no more runs - but car ran all day

Several things to fix/tweak, but sure there are much better times to be had from this as it stands.

And I had great support ....



Here comes Grandad!

http://stewrat.stewarthutton.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/SXWX9896.mp4