ManiacImp - 1966 Singer Chamois

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ManiacImp - 1966 Singer Chamois

Post by ImpManiac »

Here is the story of my Singer Chamois sprint and hillclimb car in photographs!

There is a long, long story that goes before the first of these pictures - about ten years' worth! Basically, my old car (first Imp :P ) was standard, then (after the original engine broke a valve) I fitted an Imp Sport engine, then that wore out (after 25,000 miles :roll: ) and I took it out to replace it with a 930cc Talbot Sunbeam engine. I thought, "Hmmm, the engine bay could do with a tidy up..." An Imp-fanatic friend said, "Why don't you put an R21 in that 930?" and the rest is history. :wink:

Anyway...

This was the car in July 2006.

Interior shot.
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Nearside view, looking forwards.
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Front view, lower half still not in top coat yet.
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Dashboard and binnacle.
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Nearside rear view. The exhaust hangs from the engine and is tucked well within the rear valence finisher panel. This is an ImpSpeed tubular crossmember.
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Side view. Still no paint on the lower part of the exterior.
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Engine bay. 930cc, Stage 6 (Reg Patten) Sport head, R21 camshaft, lightened and balanced throughout, Weber 40 DCOEs... :wink:
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Leap forward to about November 2006.

Front view, now with paint on lower part of exterior of body.
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Rear nearside view, car on axle stands.
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Nearside shot. Nice paint finish! :D
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Photos taken 14th February 2007.

Interior, almost finished.
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Rear opening window. A stay similar to the front compartment cover stay has been fitted.
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Rear view. Looking just how I want it to! :D :D
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That's the story so far. What do you think?

IM 8)
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Post by ImpManiac »

Found some more photos, also taken on the 14th February.

Inside the front compartment
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Inside the finished engine bay
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Front view, still masked up
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Still looking good for the coming weekend, by all accounts. 72 hours and 15 minutes to go... :D :D

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Post by ImpManiac »

More photos! :D

Close up offside rear 3/4 view
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LH door pocket
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Bonnet, now painted
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Nearside rear, showing engine cover, now painted
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MOT later today, hopefully. :D I shall update when I have any news.

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Post by ImpManiac »

I have brand new silver-lacquered Superlites in the garage witing to go on. I agree, though - white alloys with polished rims would have looked really good! :wink: They have Marangoni tyres - 185/60R13 - fitted. The car is being supplied back to me with steel wheels, as it had when I sent my old car up to Barry. I asked him to blast me some and paint them white for me.

I also have a set of 5" by 12" Elf slot mags - Wolfrace. These need to be tidied up and either polished or re-lacquered but might make a nice alternative. :) I'm not a massive fan of them but might try them and see. I need to find my wheel nut inserts for those too.

Personally, I think I'd prefer my Superlites or steels compared to the Scirocco style wheels Barry fitted temporarily. They are his anyway, so are not being supplied back to me with my car.

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Post by ImpManiac »

The car is not back just yet. Barry managed to break his tow vehicle - a Land Rover Discovery, no less! Must have taken quite a bit to break a front diff on one of those! Anyway, unless any more problems arise, it'll be with me Saturday or Sunday. The Disco is fixed now, though.

I have a new picture of my car on its own steelies (thanks, Tim!). This is how it will look when it is delivered to me at the weekend (all being well). You can see the hand of Barry doing yet more buffing of that paintwork!

Image

More pictures will follow when I get it back, along with driving impressions and, maybe, a video or two... :wink:

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Post by ImpManiac »

So far, delivery is still set for this weekend! 8) In the meantime...

Can you spot the subtle change in my car's appearance?

Image

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Post by boy_racer2f2f »

delivered the car to paul today. ill let him expalin how he feels but from what i know hes very happy.

some pics i grabbed from todays 400mile round trip delivery

on the superlites
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what i think is a happy Imp Maniac :)
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and a car thats stolen the colour scheme
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cheers

Tim
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Post by ImpManiac »

Yep! It's back home now! And it certainly did not disappoint 'in the flesh' either! :D :D :D

I was sitting, eating some brekfast and drinking something on Saturday morning and I just saw my car sweep past on the trailer. It was kind of spooky! :? :shock:

Anyhow, Barry started it up on the trailer and does it ever sound great! :wink: Then he and Tim unloaded it and Barry reversed it onto the drive. I pulled the Superlites out of the garage and Tim insisted on this one last job on the car and kindly changed them for me while I watched, tea in hand! :) It really looks good on the Superlites.

Driving impressions. Well, it's very loud! :wink: It starts on the button and makes a really lovely noise. It handles even more like a go-kart than it used to! Monte Carlo springs and Spax shock absorbers help with that, along with Superflex bushes. The ride quality is actually surprisingly good! Better than the Vectra daily car, in fact! :shock: The brakes need bedding in - new front Fiesta discs, pads and calipers - and the pedal is on the long side, so they could probably do with one last quick bleed before the first long journey.

On the road, it feels really excellent! Very, very responsive to control inputs. It really, really gets attention! Naomi and I stopped to put some petrol in and it is just a magnet! Off again and the clutch rattles when the pedal is up - it is a paddle clutch - and the transmission screams in third and top - straight cut gears with close ratios. 8) Perfect!

Overall, it really feels like the race track refugee I always wanted it to be. I am very happy with it and cannot wait to clean it more, give it a good polish and sort out the gremlins, which are minor faults. One of the oil lines needs nipping up a touch because there is a slow drip of oil from it. The brakes I've already mentioned and it needs an expansion bottle in the cooling system at the front end. But it's perfect to me!

I couldn't be happier with it! First planned outing is this Wednesday night. There's a Retro-Rides meet up in Bedfordshire. Anyone up for it...? http://retrorides.proboards86.com/index ... 1152008488

Anyway, some more pics, courtesy of my lovely fiance, Naomi... :) :)

Just arrived!
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This is when I heard the engine for the first time. :D :D Flat back tyre too! Typical! Brand new tyres! Oh well. I'll get it repaired. :roll:

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Barry driving the car off his trailer.

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Superlites! 8)

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Looks good on these too, though...

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Snug fit. Better see if I can move the seat back a bit! :lol: That's my mate Mike and my dad in the background. And a very happt ImpManiac in the driver's seat! :D

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Momo T-Frame seats.

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Interior, showing dashboard.

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Engine bay.

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And finally...

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Imps rule!

IM 8)
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Post by ImpManiac »

Yes, Saturday was quite a day for me! :D My car is finished and back and I have finally driven a seriously tuned Imp, which just happens to be mine too! 8) I took Naomi out in the car and we only drove about three, maybe four miles around the block to a petrol station. I think I'll be getting friendly with those in this Imp! :wink: But yes, it certainly ticks all the right boxes. The coolant temperature hardly moved all the way and the oil pressure is a healthy 55psi at idle when cold, dropping to about 45psi when hot, according to the gauge.

The brakes need another quick bleed, I think, and there are a few other little chores that need doing. There were some drips of coolant in the front compartment and Barry and I think that the car may need an expansion bottle fitted - especially for competition. One of the little plastic brackets that holds the delightfully period radio aerial on is broken and needs some glue to repair it. Also, as Barry told me, it needs a rear hatch seal - the part that fits onto the window frame itself. I think I have one but need to make sure it is the right one. I'd better investigate that engine mounting bush bolt too! :shock:

Otherwise, it is ready for action! I plan to go to a Retro-Rides meet up at the Five Bells, somewhere in Bedfordshire, in it on Wednesday, weather permitting (i.e. if it has not snowed :roll: ). That'll be a much better test. I'll post up any more on the road impressions and photos of the car under this thread. I might start a thread under Events for any pics of other cars, etc.

Thank you all for your kind comments! :D

IM 8)
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Post by ImpManiac »

Bad news. :cry: The transmission seized on the maiden outing in the car. It was driving very well - handling superbly and the engine sounds great and goes brilliantly. But then the noises started, so we turned back for home. We didn't make it back, the transmission finally seizing about 5 or 6 miles out. So we returned home on a recovery wagon. :cry:

I don't know what is wrong with the transmission. I was driving carefully and keeping the engine speed down. I called Barry and discussed it with him and he is offering to come down at the weekend, swap the transmission for a different one and repair the broken unit. Can't say fairer than that, really. The transmission was almost new! :roll:

Ah well. Not much Imp driving for me until the weekend at the earliest. These things happen. Barry and I will get it sorted out. :wink:

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Post by benwick3 »

In view of the missing nut from the engine mounting bolt is the drain plug still in place?

Sorry to here of your further misfortune with the car. Maybe now's the time to retreat from issueing details on the forum and get everything sorted out of the spotlight.

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Post by ImpManiac »

Thanks for the comments, guys. All I am saying is that IT WILL BE SORTED VERY SOON! :D I am not too disheartened. I was expecting some problems, albeit I had hoped it would be nothing too serious. Between us, Barry and I will find out the cause of the problem. He has offered to come down, replace the transmission and rectify the fault - this weekend. I really cannot say fairer than that, so I am happy - believe it or not! 8) :shock:

EDIT - I forgot to mention the positives! The engine is magnificent! It is really urgent and just wants to GO. Once you breach 3000rpm, all hell breaks loose and it sounds and goes :D like the racer it is meant to be. Also, the handling is fantastic! The temperature stayed constant at about one-third of the way up the scale, even in traffic and without the fan on. The Monte Carlo springs and adjustable Spax dampers - not the racing type either - seem to give the car a very compliant ride but without much roll (at the speeds I was using). A couple of times, I deliberately chucked the car into corners and it just went where I pointed it - no fuss, no drama. Brilliant! And the brakes are getting better already too. :D :D :D

I shall report back when I know what the problem was.

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Post by ImpManiac »

Barry and Tim were kind enough to come down from Wigan to sunny St. Albans yesterday to investigate the problem with the transmission in my Chamois. I am very grateful to them both for their help! :D On removing the close ratio transmission that was fitted, it turned out that one of the spring clips that hold the clutch release bearing in place had popped out and initially we thought was likely to have been responsible for the squealing noise from the back end the night the box appeared to go bang. :shock: :? Much relief all round...

Then Barry investigated the transmission further. The input shaft was really difficult to rotate. Also, rotating it forward and backward revealed the sound of the internals of the transmission moving about, as though a bearing had failed. Taking the back off the transmission, it had spat out some thrust rollers from one or more of its bearings, explaining the sounds I heard the other day. :( Also, a single ball bearing came out! :?

So Barry has taken the transmission back up north with him for further investigation and repair work.

The car is now fitted with the transmission from my old 1973 Imp Super and appeared to be driving really well. No transmission problems for now! :P

Then I noticed that the temperature had crept up. I pulled over, waited a few minutes and took the radiator cap (in the front compartment) off. The coolant level was well down. Indeed there was no coolant in the header tank/swirl pot at all! :roll: So I topped it up and allowed the engine to run for a while with the cap off. Either the system was pressurising from a blown head gasket or there was an air lock in the system. There is no sign of oil in the coolant, nor any sign of water in the engine oil, so I assume it was an air lock.

Anyway, after three or four cycles of filling the system and it spewing its coolant out on the road (and all over the inside of my front compartment :evil: ), along with some kind help from people refilling my gallon bottle with water, it decided then to behave itself for the last 6 or 7 miles home! :shock:

I think that the difference is that the last time I filled the system up, the car was pointing up hill slightly. That seems to have made the difference and allowed the system to fill correctly, with no air locks.

When I returned to my parents' house, I allowed the engine to idle for a while before I shut it down. The system got nice and hot again but did not spew its coolant out. After shutting it down and letting it cool for about ten minutes, the level was fine.

So it was probably an air lock. Hopefully, the head gasket is still okay. I am minded to replace the thermostat because the engine never used to get hot - even idling after a run. The radiator cap may well not be up to the task with the modified cooling system, so I shall try a 13 lb cap. I only ever used to use a 13 lb cap in the past and never had any problems.

At least there appear not to have been any leaks from the system - apart from the header tank where the overflow vent is located!

Arrrrrgh! One thing after another at the moment! But I shall investigate and get it fixed. Oh yes. :D

When it's running right, I want to take it somewhere nice and get some decent photos... :)

IM 8)
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Post by cov_climax »

My imp can be a pain to bleed too, I've a rear mounted header tank, with an air bleed from the top of the cylinder head to tank. In the front i've a bleed from top of rad to heater circuit, (acts as by-pass when heater turned off).

i have no problems bleeding the engine compartment but at the front the air has no-where to go, i have to run it with the bleed hose disconnected at the heater until i get all the air out. This should be the heater circuit and rad free of air, however when stopping the car on the first few runs after filling i get gargling noises from the front end due to trapped air - eventually after about 5 or so runs it's fine, the level in the tank changes about 1/2 a pint max. The only way round it i think is to run the bleed from the top of the rad back to the header tank.

i guess each system has it's own advantages/disadvantages and each variant on a theme will have it's own Idiosyncrasies, i guess it's just a learning curve to see what your system needs.

BTW Paul (IM) your car is looking good :wink:

Cheers

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Post by StuartC »

I expect you've already done so but just in case - if you've put loads of water in the coolant will not have enough antifreeze in it (thinking from the corrosion point of view) so I would check the strength with one of those measuring thingmys that I cant remeber the name of to avoid draining and refilling with 50:50. I get paranoid about not having enough inhibitor in mine.

Nice car by the way :)
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Post by ImpManiac »

A hygrometer? For checking specific gravity. :D And yes, I ws the class swot...

I plan to check and replace the thermostat any, Stuart, so the coolant will have to come out. At the moment, it's almost pure tap water - just to get the car home. But I shall refill it with deionised water/antifreeze 50:50 when I'm done.

I just hope the head gasket is okay... :roll: So far no sign of problems but I only went about 7 or 8 miles after the initial problems. I did not let it run for more than about 2-3 minutes between refills. But...

Thank you all for your kind comments!

IM 8)
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Post by ImpManiac »

James,

It'll be sorted soon... :wink:

Good old Hellfrauds. I bought a new 82 degC thermostat, a new radiator cap, antifreeze and deionised water! Yay! :P The 'stat that's in there now has been in a while - I put it there myself! And the radiator cap may well be missing a rubber diaphragm. Roll on tomorrow...

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Post by ImpManiac »

Latest update.

I went over to my parents' house to work on the car. The last time I went out in it, it continually spat its coolant over the road. Puzzlingly, though, it did not do that the very last time I refilled it with the car pointing uphill. :idea: Maybe it was an airlock. Hopefully the head hasket would be okay...

I pointed the car up the drive instead of down and topped up the cooling system. Then my friend Mike showed up. We bled the cooling system via the special valve that Barry fitted at the rear, at the top of the engine compartment. No bubbles. Hopefully no air lock! :wink:

So I started the car, warmed it up and kept a careful eye on things. So far, so good. I put the pressure cap on. Mike then pointed out that it was not seating properly and appeared loose. Aha! :idea: :idea: Perhaps I had not made certain it had gone all the way down on some previous occasions! It is incredibly difficult to tighten down fully, I think because the 'thread' on the filler neck is somewhat worn. Anyway, it was on properly this time. So off I tootled arond the block. All was well.

One last check of the coolant level. I am still testing using tap water for now. A longer test drive was needed both to check the system and because I could wait no more! :P So an 18 mile test drive ensued... No problems! :P :P Upon our return (Mike in the support vehicle), I checked the coolant level - still fine! And no sign of any loss via the expansion tank! Yay! :D Not a bad return for so little effort.

So my Chamois now has over 70 miles on the clock - a reconditioned Stiletto unit. I had a chance to really extend the engine more than before, although still not the full rev range. It REALLY moves! :twisted: But just as the engine really starts to get on cam (6-7000rpm), the clutch slips! Grrrrrr! :x

Anyway, at least it's driveable. I shall put some miles on it, all being well. When Barry comes back down with my close ratio transmission, we'll put a proper diaphragm clutch in there and a new pressure plate. Currently, it is running an 'uprated' non-diaphragm type. Speaking to Barry today, we think that the pressure plate is not up to the job.

Anyway, I am EXTREMELY happy with how things went today! We didn't even need to change the thermostat or radiator cap either! Useful to keep as spares, though.

Here is a video of my car running. The ignition has gone off a little since I got it back. Maybe the points have closed up. I shall check it all over when I can.

:D :D :D

Image

IM 8)
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Post by skamanfrank »

PHWOOOOOOOAR! Said it before I think, but I'll say it again... I can't wait to see this beast!

That exhaust sounds great, is it a bike can on there? What's it from?

Glad to hear you're getting there with it! Bet it's been worth the wait isn't hasn't it?
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Post by ImpManiac »

The exhaust was made for me. Barry supplied it. It is a repackable silencer. Barry made the link pipe and it has a boss welded in for a wideband O2 sensor for later EFI antics.

Glad you like it, mate! I'm really pleased with how it went yesterday. :D :D It is exactly what I want it to be! And boy does it move! :twisted:

IM 8)
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Post by ImpManiac »

Another journey, another breakdown! :evil: It is getting frustrating. But at least the symptoms of the problem were familiar to me. The car spluttered, ran on three, then two cylinders, then stopped running. It looked and felt as though the points had closed up, so I changed them for good measure, fitted a new condensor too and... still the same! So I returned to base on a tow rope.

New coil needed now. :roll:

Ho hum! :wink:

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Post by impmann »

You aren't having much luck there, mate.

Keep smiling - debugging an Imp can be character building....
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Post by ImpManiac »

You are not wrong! :lol: Still, I've debugged an Imp before - my original car. Mind you, that only ever stranded me once - ignition coil failure! Since then, I always carried a spare, brand new Lucas Sports coil with me in the car. But the spare was unused for many years and then got fitted to the "new" car - hence no spare any more!

Anyway, I am deciding between fitting a new coil or fitting the MegaSquirt mapped ignition system now rather than later. Seems a waste to fit a new coil only to remove it again later! :? So I might start work on that now-ish instead.

The annoying thing is that on Saturday, after changing the coolant to correct antifreeze, doing a myriad chores on the car and taking it for an extended test drive, it was running fantastically! It sounds like a mini-Lotus or other highly-tuned four cylinder car - wonderful! But the next day, it packed up at the start of a long journey with my fiancee in the car... Bummer! Hey ho! Work continues... :wink:

IM 8)
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Post by ImpManiac »

I forgot to mention that I have all the bits for the MegaSquirt conversion already. It's actually be cheaper than fitting a new coil! But I actually wanted to get an idea of "baseline" performance using points ignition before going to MS mapped ignition and eventually EFI. So a new coil is most likely on the cards.

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Post by ImpManiac »

We decided to brave it in the Chamois up to the Stevenage AC meet. I was confident after the ignition system surgery at the weekend. I collected the car after work, picking up a new, spare coil en route. :wink:

The car ran a bit roughly again on the way back home to Welwyn Garden City but it cleared, so I pressed on. Once or twice, I thought I'd have to stop and sort the ignition system out again, or at least check that nothing had gone wrong.

We set off from WGC up to Stevenage and the engine died on the A1(M). I got out and checked the dizzy - all fine. Coil not too hot either. So we pressed on, having got it restarted.

It was running badly so I pulled it off the motorway onto some smaller roads, stopped and investigated. I noticed that the fuel pressure regulator adjustment screw was not in far, so screwed it in further... About four turns! I tried it again and the car was transformed! I mean dramatically different. It now pulls much more strongly and is much more like a tuned engine should be.

So now I think that the fuel pressure was to blame for our previous breakdown. Driving on the motorway emptied the float bowls of the Webers too quickly, so increasing the pressure helped a lot. The fact that it was okay after stopping for a few minutes is also explainable for the same reason.

I am much happier with the car now. It completed the return journey from Stevenage to WGC - about 25 minutes - without a hitch. (As in... tow... hitch... oh never mind. :roll: ) I might well even trust the car as far as Old Warden for this weekend's Greenwood Exhibitions show.

Roll on the weekend! :D

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Post by benwick3 »

What fuel pump are you using. Weberes require 4 - 4.5psi pressure.

Facet solid state electronic pump is inadequate as it only delivers 2.5 - 3.5psi. The fast road version is 4 - 5.5psi and may require regulator.

My preference is the Facet Electric pumps either electronic or historic electrical. The Silver top of both these models is ideal delivering 4 - 4.5psi and therefore requires no pressure regulator (One less part to go wrong)

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Post by ImpManiac »

Pete,

The car is running a Webcon petrol pump, as supplied by Weber Concessionaires, I believe. I cannot tell you how much of a difference upping the fuel pressure has made. It is like night and day. I think you are probably right; I could almost certainly ditch the regulator. However, it is running very well and, for now, I intend to leave well alone.

It starts first press of the button, even from cold. It now picks up much more smoothly, even from below 2000 rpm. And it pulls cleanly up hills and even on the motorway, which I am still avoiding, apart from short stretches. Once it is past 3000 rpm, it just wants to GOOOO! :twisted:

The car and the engine still need work but it is really getting there. Now that it is proving more reliable, I think it will progress much more rapidly.

I am delighted with it. :D :D

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Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

I ran OK at 2 psi with Dellorto 40's and ran into starvation probs when I lowered the float level. The high float level compensated a bit for the lower fuel pressure but the hgh float level was causing problems elsewhere.

I'm now running at 3 psi and all is OK. If I up the pressure too much above this the carbs tend to flood during prolonged idle as the needle valves (new) are breached.

Of course if, as in Petes case, you are racing most of the time then you will not worry about flooding during prolonged periods of idle!

So I think for problem solving fuel starvation you have to think about float levels, fuel pressure and intended usage.

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Post by benwick3 »

Peter,

I agree that float levels are important as well as pressure and for that reason I ensure that the fuel levels are set according to the manufacturer's specification, if not problems can occur, particularly starvation. If set to manufucter's settings and a problem persists it's time to look elswhere in my experience.

Yes my Clan is raced but that doesn't mean that flooding is not a problem. If the carbs are set correctly then it doesn't matter how the car is used, flooding should not occur. By the way I also use my car on the road as it's taxed. mot'd and insured - its cheaper than test sessions.

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Post by ImpManiac »

Latest pics from Old Warden Classic Car Show last Sunday. A crack detatchment of the special Stevenage unit of the Imp Club was in attendance. Thank you to my lovely fiancee Naomi for the great pics and video.

Waiting in line...
Image

In the ring and about to be interviewed...
Image

And a video...

(I have more videos of the cars...)

Still running great on the way to and from the show, apart from a slipping clutch. But it WILL be fixed, oh yes, it WILL be fixed. :wink:

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Post by ImpManiac »

Handsome brute. Car okay too.
Image

Image

Another video.

That's all the best pics...

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Post by ImpManiac »

Planning to put a different clutch in the racer tomorrow - rain or shine! :roll: I have a diaphragm unit sitting on the garage floor. Let's see if it works better. If not, then it's time for a full blown organic clutch and flywheel from Dennis Allt... :twisted:

Roll on tomorrow! :)

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Post by ImpManiac »

To answer your question, Si, I'm not sure. The flywheel was lightened and machined for an ordinary type clutch but was supplied - by Reg Patten - with an 'uprated' pressure plate. :? It ain't up to the task! :shock: For a start, it is a Borg and Beck type unit. :roll: The Helix plate, I have an inkling, might need a special cover, flywheel machining, etc.

I took the engine out of the Chamois today. Took longer than I hoped but it is a fairly big job, I guess. Anyway, the paddle clutch driven plate is worn badly and the 'uprated' pressure plate has a deep groove in its edge - outside of where the driven plate would sit. I have photos and shall post them later. They're only from my phone because I forgot my camera. :oops:

Anyway, I had a diaphragm pressure plate lying around so thought I might bung that on. But the state of the paddle driven plate and the fact that I couldn't lay my hands on a normal driven plate (I thought I had one kicking about :? ) have conspired to leave me to abandon the job there, push the engine back under cover and leave it for another day.

I'll weigh up my options and decide what to go for. Maybe by the weekend, I could be rocking and rolling with a new clutch... :wink: Who knows?

Dennis Allt suggested that the best solution would be an organic driven plate and suitable diaphragm pressure plate, which might need a different flywheel, depending on hom mine was machined when it was lightened. Expensive, though.

Suggestions gratefully received. :D

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Post by ImpManiac »

What I've been up to today... :)

Took the engine out.
Image

Rear main oil seal still looking as new.
Image

Can you see where it's worn? Bear in mind that it's only done 250 miles. :shock:
Image

Can you see the ridge?
Image

And the other side. Note the heat discolouration.
Image

The offending item...
Image

Laycock cover laying around in my garage. Thought I might give it a whirl but the driven plate is too knackered, I fear.
Image

While it was out, I thought I'd grab a few piccies. Lovely Webers. 8)
Image
Image

Cooling system bleed arrangement in engine bay.
Image

:?: And to finish, a question. What is the best way to remove one of these blanking plugs? They are really stubborn and I know what would happen if I just got an adjustable spanner on it. :roll:
Image

I want to remove it for my MegaSquirt water temperature sensor.

Not a bad morning's work. Took longer than I thought, though. But I didn't break anything... Hopefully... :wink:

I'll keep you posted on developments.

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Post by impmann »

Blinking heck - talk about mismatched components. Throw that Morris Minor cover plate in a bin.

As for that racey clutch plate - for road and occasional sprint use... er, forget it.

You'd do better with an organic plate with that laycock cover - it will be progressive, have a good feel and will not give you this amount of grief, even if the wear rate is as bad as folks on here have said it may be.

DO IT!
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Post by ImpManiac »

I'm already on the hook for an organic plate from Dennis Allt. I'll take my set up over to his place some time in the coming days and see what he reckons. Hopefully, I'll be able to use the flywheel and maybe the cover too. That would help the finances somewhat! :lol:

Thanks for the comments and advice. It really is appreciated! Anyone else? :D

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Post by cov_climax »

Chances of you getting that plug out without a fight are slim to zero! - i tried the same on my sport head about a month ago and sheared it straight off, ended up having to drill it out then pick the threads out. - finally ended up re-tapping it and making an adaptor to fit my temp sender :x

I would say that the safest way is to mill it out! - but not an easy option! yopu could try heating it up with a blow torch until you've got some serious heat into it (the alu will soak the heat very fast so little chance of damaging the head from heat) then pray it comes undone! - it's probably been in there for 30+ Years afterall :roll:

If you're putting a sender in then i'd hacksaw the square off it then file it flat, buy the right sized tapping drill and a HSS Tap then drill and tap to suit your sensor in situ, you can remove the swarf from the thermostat cover, it will be the easiest and safest option IMHO.

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Post by ImpManiac »

Can one get such a beast? My socket set is 1/2" drive but you'd need a female to female adaptor, wouldn't you? Female where the adaptor fits over the male 1/2" socket drive (i.e. ratchet) and then female again and (presumably?) 3/8" where the adaptor would have to fit over the fitting on the engine.

Or am I mistaken...? :? It would certainly make the task easier.

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Post by ImpManiac »

My plan is to go and see Dennis Allt and take my flywheel and clutch cover with me. If I am lucky, I can use my existing Laycock cover and flywheel and only shell out just over £40 for a new organic driven plate. If not, then it's rather more dosh for a new flywheel, ring gear, cover and plate. That might have to wait, if it turns out I need all that. :roll:

Aside from that, I shall try to remove the cooling jacket blanking plug I showed in one of my photos to fit the MegaSquirt coolant temperature sensor. If that goes well, I hope to refit the engine with the new clutch into the car.

Hopefully, it will be running again this Sunday night. Fingers (and toes :wink: ) crossed! :)

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Post by ImpManiac »

What a nice chap Dennis is! :D

Well, I could have bought an organic driven plate from Mr. Allt. However, on inspection, my Laycock diaphragm pressure plate has seen better days. The annular part that picks up the release bearing rattles on the diaphragm spring fingers, so it would probably not last that long in service. It might have bought me some time but I decided to opt for a more permanent solution and get Dennis to make me one of his very light flywheels with a nice, competition-spec Helix organic clutch package bolted to it. It will cost £240 :shock: but, actually, that seems reasonable and it should last for years. Dennis has customers that have been on the same clutch for several seasons and they are still like new.

So it won't be done tomorrow and I need to find £240 somewhere... :roll: Ho hum. Watch this space.

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Post by Richard Claydon »

Hi IM

£240 clutch AND a lightend flywheel is very good. I'm running a Quarter Master clutch and I'd expect tp pay that sort of money just for the clutch!!

Best of luck with your progress

Cheers

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Post by impmann »

I have to agree. A lose centre on a Laycock can, when very bad, cause a rattling noise - but it will sill work.

I've run higher-spec 998s using standard Laycock clutches and they have been absolutely perfect - for example although my old Hartwell Stiletto ran twin strombergs, it had a similar spec head/cam set up and that did umpteen miles (not always gentle ones) using a secondhand Laycock clutch swiped off a scrap engine. It failed (slipping) a year after I sold the car and has been replaced with another Laycock...

I would seriously advise, like I'm sure Pete would, to just fit an OE-spec clutch and enjoy the car. If you start using it for competition use, and in the unlikely event that the clutch cannot cope then THAT is the time to spend the money.

I would also advise against a fly-weight flywheel - this, in conjunction with your cam, will make the car a chore to drive on the road. You have said that your ultimate aim is to use the car for occasional sprints etc - then the best advice I can give you is to keep the car as tractable as possible, and super-light flywheels do not help.
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Post by ImpManiac »

Forgot to say. I am inclined to use what I've got and buy one of Dennis' lovely (have you seen one? :shock: ) Helix organic driven plates. At around £40, I think I'd be mad not to.

:D :D

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Post by ImpManiac »

Peter,

I'll have to find the build sheet. I can't remember what I specified now! I know that Reg cut my inlet valves down from larger ones - maybe 1.4" ones. Anyhoo... :)

Si,

Yep, my mind is made up. For now, I'll stick with the standard Laycock pressure plate. But, rather than bung in a secondhand driven plate - I have one kicking about on my old Sport engine - I'm going to invest in a shiny new organic driven plate. Dennis has 'em in stock and they're about £40something.

It goes without saying that I'll let you guys know how I get on! :wink:

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Post by pimpdriver »

Paul
I've just been looking at the pictures you posted of you paddle plate.
It looks as tho' there is a problem with your flywheel. The sintered pads seem worn correctly on the side with the larger spline offset (clutch cover side) being worn flat out to the outer edge. The unworn bit on the inner edge is normal as the pads are bigger than the internal diameter of the clutch cover face.
The other side (flywheel) side seems to have a groove in it, the wear pattern doesn't seem right. Check that the outer face of the flywheel is flat. The face the clutch cover bolts to should be flat and level, i.e. the wear face is level with the bolt holes being the same face.
Hope this makes sense.

I also agree that a laycock cover with an organic plate should be fine, they grip really well, its just the life i have a problem with, but with your intended use i don't see a problem.

Cheers

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Post by ImpManiac »

Hi Eric.

Dennis checked over my flywheel for me to make sure it would be compatible with one of his Helix organic plates and he says it ought to work fine. He gave me the option of adapting my flywheel for use with the Helix cover as well, involving some additional machining and drilling to my flywheel. Helix covers use three dowels instead of the Imp standard of two, apparently. No particular reason.

Anyway, my flywheel has enough metal in it to act as an effective heat sink for the organic plate. Dennis spent some considerable time checking this for me. It is heavier than one of his flywheels but, as has been said, that is not a bad thing with an R21 camshaft in a road-legal car! :)

It is possible to see where my flywheel is a little bit worn by the action of the sintered plate (I think) but it is not too bad at all. If I can, I'll get some pictures of it. I shall check it for flatness using a steel rule and feeler gauges, though, on your advice.

Cheers. :D

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Post by ImpManiac »

Tim,

It has only actually slipped as I described on about three, maybe four occasions in all the miles I have done in the car. It's just that, when it did let go, the engine really whizzed up the tacho scale. Mostly on the uphill sections of the A1(M) when I tried to maintain speed. I actually had to allow the car to slow down on most of the hills because the clutch was not allowing me to maintain or increase speed. :roll:

I think that the sintered plate might be salvageable. It would probably need re-covering.

It may have worked better with the Laycock cover but I intend to follow advice and stick with a solution that is known to work.

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Post by Useless Eustace »

While it's probably slightly off topic I really have to agree with ImpManiac. If he's not happy with the car & it aint running right then competition is definitely OUT until he is happy & the car is 100%. That's not perhaps how everyone thinks but we're all different.
E.g. I'm perhaps more in the IM vain as I definitely won't use my car until I'm 100% sure that everything is as good as I can get it & all the components are working as they should :D
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Post by cov_climax »

IM,
does it rattle when on the bench? - i've found that when fitted to the flywheel with a plate installed the fingers move inwards and the rattle gets worse, just check it after you've bolted it all on the engine and before you re-unite it with the transaxle.

might save you having to strip again in a weeks time :wink:

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Post by ImpManiac »

Today, I was mostly fitting my Imp engine...

The engine as it was this morning, on the ground, behind the car.

Image

The flywheel, showing the slight wear from the sintered plate. You can only just feel it, though.

Image

The blanking plug in the cylinder head thermostat housing sheared when we (Mike and I) tried to remove it! :roll: :lol: Knew it would! :wink: Left it for another day or time to rethink the position of the sensor...

Image

The bellhousing cleaned up a bit inside.

Image

The secondhand Laycock pressure plate mounted to the torqued down (and studlocked) flywheel.

Image

The engine back at home.

Image

And finally, with the cover fitted over the ImpSpeed lightweight crossmember.

Image

I got the engine started but it's down an HT lead. It was stretched anyway but I managed to overstretch it and it broke, so I'll grab a replacement one some time very soon. But I ran it for a few seconds to check for untoward noises and rattles, etc., from the cover. Nothing! :D :D So I'm made up...

BUT the clutch will not disengage completely. :x I am not sure what the problem is because it must be difficult to install a clutch incorrectly on the engine. Maybe the cover is the wrong type and does not project forward far enough, so will not permit the release mechanism to travel far enough...? Anyway, I guess I need to try to bleed the system again and try one more time.

So, it's back in and running... but the clutch isn't working as it should. Hmph. :?

Any ideas?

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