Engine conversion.

[DavidH]

Were the bottom ones Metro in the end? I need to replace a few too, unfortunately the rubber perished before I even got to SVA :-(. Know the feeling of the car fiighting you. Some days its one step forwards two steps back. Finally sorted my clutch and have now found I have bent a gearchange cable already so left right is very sloppy and hard to engage,I am now looking for a better (stronger) solution.

[limpabit]

I thought your car was at talon still David?
Need to be careful from what I've seen with the metro ball joints. From Peter's post and motor factors there are two different types of metro balljoints. Depending on year. Take yours to the motor factors to get the right taper and length of stud inthe baljoint is my advise. Not got that far yet.

Still trying to sort out the clutch!

[DavidH]

OK thanks for the warning I have one replacement off the car I got a spare from Marlin early on just not 2 spares, will take that to my local factors.

Got my car back the other week, they worked really quickly on it, the solution they found for getting the clutch master cylinder at the right pivot point on the pedal is nothing short of ingenious very happy with it. It now drives and steers.

Getting the ride height right is gonna be tricky I gather its now designed for 3 inch's ride height, although I can maybe get 4 inch's. Think I may need to adjust springs all round, definately will on the front, but I always knew that was likely to be the case. Also toying with the thought of changing the wheels, but that will be a decision for after its on the road and I see how I like it.

[bigrich]

3" ground clearance? That's absolutely bonkers for a road car.....

To have any chance of that being useable on UK roads you'll need rock hard suspension...and then the ride isn't compliant enough!

Have Marlin gone mad?

I'd say 4" is the absolute minimum you want.....but better still at 5-6" if you don't want to rip off front splitters, damage chassis rails, sumps...etc...

ATB

Rich

[limpabit]

To be honest, when I asked Marlin what balljoints they were from, lets just say it was like pulling teeth. What ever reason they have.

All I got was they was Peugeot after a fight. Without Peter's post I would not have known they was Metro/MFG BOTTOM joints. Peugeot top joints confirmed.

With the clutch. Battling with that at the moment. As John and I found. MGF bracket is ok for standard. But needs beefing up if you upgrade clutch or engine. OK for standard power. No good with a race Helix clutch for a 220 turbo! i know as that's what I'm battling against at the moment

Slave goes all over the place if you need an up rated clutch.

[DavidH]

I am gonna set it for 3 inch's this weekend then maybe increase to 4 inch's with different springs later on. The front has tonnes of range its the rear thats more limited 4.25 inches and the shock is maxed out.

One idea I have had, is currently I am running it with 15 inch wheels. I may decided to eventually go for larger wheels for the road which is where I am worried about all the speed bumps and pot holes around here. Hence increasing ride height, and keep the 15 inch ones for the track when a lower ride height may be advantageous. As I have a fully programmable dash, changing overall wheel diameter is not a major issue for speedo, just a quick hook up of the laptop to the car.

[limpabit]

Hi David.

Don't worry about 15" wheels. No problem on the road. No problem with clearance.

I only use 15" wheels and there fine. 150mm is about the ride height you want to aim for. 5-6 inches in old money.

4 inches I would say track only.

10" springs and shocks. Measure your spring length. Could have 9" springs or something.

[alackofspeed]

David, if you set the car with a 4" ride height, how much droop do you have front and rear?

If the front has as much travel as mine did originally, watch out of the ball joints necking on full droop. Mine was limited by the ball joints, not the travel of the dampers, which is bad news. I've solved it now, by buying different length front and rear dampers.

You might find fitting some polyurethane bumpstops is helpful - allow some movement using just the spring, then increase the effective spring rate of the suspension by compressing a bumpstop as the suspension continues into the bump stroke. Again this is what I've done on mine to give initial compliance, which firms up with travel.

My car is about 140mm at the front, 150mm at the rear, and even this is marginal on the road. I have 300 lb front springs, 350 lb rear springs, and although my suspension arms are different to yours, I would be surprised if the movement ratio is massively different.

[limpabit]

No pictures but starting to hopefully make progress.

After trying/borrowing another Helix clutch plate, which worked fine, had problems convincing Helix that there was a problem with there product. After a few heated discussions on the other end of the phone, I went in person to collect the cover plate from them as I was in the area. Low and behold, it seems like it is now working.

Doing the method of hand turning the crank, someone pressing clutch pedal, someone observe plate being released from flywheel. Only a slight drag every so often, but hoping it just needs bedding in or the flywheel will be spinning a lot faster than I can turn it!

So engine/box back in. One driveshaft back in (broken balljoint on order for the other side). Battery tray mounted.

Things to do.
Complete fitting of water pipes.
Connect up gearchange cables.

Resolder/install connector for a few wires (found I had been eager and solder a fair few wires. Which when coming to remove the engine, had to snip! Good run through though.

Wire in resistor so Rover temp gauge is correct for VW temp sender.

Fit chargecooler rad and plumb in. Re route boost hoses as driveshaft in the way of original route now the manifold has been done.

Fit N75 (easier said than done as I'm not using original air system where it is usually mounted.) Plumb in boost hoses.

Hoping to get car moving under it's own steam next weekend without boost.

Full diags test (£40 locally) check all system go very soon. Full mapping/full boost (21 PSI) early in the new year fitted with bigger injectors.

For the people that don't know how much boost 21 PSI is. Standard 180 BHP Audi/SEAT runs at 7-9 PSI. Rover turbo is 11-12 PSI.

Should see in the region of 300 BHP/same torque safely.

[limpabit]

Mystery solved re lower balljoint.

The pattern part from Fastline does not fit the Marlin lower wishbone. Starts to "tighen" after a couple of turns screwing in the balljoint.

What is needed is a genuine QH balljoint part number QSJ1060. A leter Metro/MGF balljoint.

Thanks Marlin for telling me it was a Peugeot item.

[DavidH]

umm wonder which the ones I just bought from Rimmer Bro's are. they looked identical and made sure taper was the same, but havent tried fitting one yet to a suspension arm.

D.

[limpabit]

Hi David.

I think you arms are the same as mine. Rimmer bros should be genuine Rover parts. Do you have a part number on the box?

[alackofspeed]

Pictures required...

[limpabit]

I will get a video of it moving eventually.

Did some pipe securing today and stacking/torquing the driveshaft nuts. Small things that needed doing.

And took for a quick spin round the block. Could not go far though as it's running bad at the minute and does not want to idle very well.

Completley forgot the last time I used the car was on the track. Shocks turned up to the full! Nearly rocked my teeth out over the speed humps!

[limpabit]

A quick update...

I need to pull my finger out now.

I spoke to qpeng (the VW guys who I bought the ECU from.) They are going to put a more accurate map on the car so it runs a bit better and driveable.

So first step on the way. Sent ECU to have a diagnostic check to see what's going on. And a better map loaded.

In the mean time, I need to install bigger injectors, finish cloolant pipes for charge cooler and vaccum pipes. Before ECU comes back.

Install ECU and retest car. Call qpeng who will then come and visit me at my house (what a service!) to do a more accurate road map. Then rolling road for final part that day.

Looking at starting the tax for the car beginning of Feb.

Maybe first airfield day March.

[alackofspeed]

John, are you sure the over-fuelling wasn't a result of an incorrect pressure being sensed by the MAP sensor, or an inverted signal? The level of over-fuelling your car had looked off the chart, and reminded me of two recent car issues:

1) the tps failed on my sister's car, and the ecu thought the throttle was 100% open, so fuelled accordingly.
2) my friend's emerald ecu had a corrupted voltage being fed to it from the map sensor, and the fuelling went off the wideband scale - a manifold pressure correction was being applied by the fuel charts.

Whilst your ECU is away, it's probably worth double checking the wiring, as I'd be really surprised if your ecu was meant to be fuelling like it was, rich map or not.

[limpabit]

You have some good points there John.

Checking the wiring while the ECU is sent away is one of the things I was going to do. Meter out all the connections etc.

[alackofspeed]

Are you also sure the manifold feed to the map sensor, was a true manifold pressure?

You did have a mainfold direct pressure feed to the map sensor? Your mentioning of vacuum pipes made me wonder.

[limpabit]

Hi John.

Not sure what you mean. I just connected the map sensor outlet to the bottom of the inlet (4mm nipple next to fuel pressure regulator nipple another 4mm nipple). Attached using some vacuum pipe that I used for the old rover ECU map sensor to manifold.

Is that ok/mean't?

[limpabit]

A small update.

Chargecooler all finished. Just needs pipes securing (today).
Fit N75 (Today)
Fit vacuum pipes (still waiting for delivery).
Fitted bigger injectors.

Still need to sort out temp gauge. Have a few ideas for this but proving a bit more fidderly than expected. If I put a resistor in line to compensate between the VW coolant sensor and Rover gauge, I will be able to get it to sit right at half way. But will be inaccurate for the rest of the scale on the gauge. Not good.

So idea at the minute is getting the Rover temp sender unit in the cooling system. But has a very fine unusual thread. And I wanted it welded or something in one of the hose joiners. I'm going to call the silicon hose place where I got the hoses and joiners to see if they can do anything.

ECU has been sent away for a more accurate map to my setup. Then QP ENG will come down and map while car is on the road. Only final session will be on rolling road.

So taxing car for the beginning of Feb.