My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

[grum]

will be there for some piccies for sure

hope some other 'locals' can make it

http://www.southdownsstages.co.uk/spectators09.html

[Andyc]

looking great jon love the car

[Dave1800BDA]

looks great jon.....very busy in the c o c kpit with all that essential equipement there

[Jon Segger]

A quick update..

The car passed its MOT yesterday and had the wheel alignment set up.

So today we took it up to the farm and did a noise test. From the exhaust it was 96db @ 4,500 rpm. We then had a play with some corner scales that Mark borrowed off a mate...






Without us in the car it weighs 908 kg. That's with all fluids and a jerry can's worth of fuel in the tank. We then had a go at setting the corner weights with us in the car. We managed to get it fairly well balanced left to right and a 49%/51% split between front and rear. We were aiming for 45%/55% to get a little more weight to the rears, but that was the best we could do in the time we had available. This was the first time we'd done this and we were learning as we went, so we'll see how it goes. With us two portly gentlemen in the car it weighs 1117 kg.

So then we gave it a quick try and for the most part things are looking good. We've got a sticky throttle linkage to get to the bottom of, and the exhaust heat is going to cause a problem. It has already burnt through the aluminiumised sleeving that I slid over the exhaust primaries, so I had to cut that off. I think I'm going to have to cut some holes in the fibreglass bonnet to allow some heat to escape before it melts. I also need to protect the brake and clutch reseviours from the exhaust heat. Ceramic coating is the way to go, but I don't think that will be enough on its own.

So less than 2 weeks to the first rally now and still a few things to finish off, but looks like we're getting there!

[grum]

could do with some stickers

[Jon Segger]

could do with some stickers

Haha, yes you're right. Could do with a wash first though. Its now got a good coating of mud up the sides

[paul andrews]

lovely job,looks a nice bit of kit that jon

[Tongy]

Brilliant and hats off to you jon and i hope alls well first time out

[RS_Fiesta]

Well smart Jon,are you doing the North West Stages?

[Jon Segger]

Well smart Jon,are you doing the North West Stages?

We've got Goodwood on the 7th Feb. Then we were planning on doing the NW Stages on the 20th/21st, but there's the 'Middlewick' stages at Woodbridge on the same day. Seeing as that's just down the road from me, and the costs/distances involved in doing Blackpool are so high, we're going to to Woodbridge instead.

As the car is a fresh build, there's bound to be some teething problems and Blackpool is a very long way to go for a DNF.

I really want to do the promenade at night though, so if we have some reliability this year then we should be there next year.

[Hoogi]

Beautiful build - nice one

[RS_Fiesta]

Nice one Jon,will be good to see a vid of the car when its competing.

[Jon Segger]

So, update time

Well tomorrow night I have to load the car up ready to take it to Goodwood in the early hours of Saturday morning and I think everything is just about ready.

I'm not too happy with the brakes though. Under heavy braking the rears will lock before the fronts. I have Wilwood Dynalite calipers with a .625 cylinder on the front and I have Cossie rear calipers. I have tried both a .75 and a .7 cylinder on the rears. I think the .7 is a little better, but the pedal travel is further. Anyway, I'll just have to see how it goes on Saturday and improve on them after then if needed.

I also had a few problems with the engine running too cold. Bearing in mind that it has been very cold lately, when cruising along the engine was loosing too much temperature. In 'normal' operation it wouldn't spend much time being driven gently so wouldn't be such an issue - but Mr Dunnell has modified the settings for the electric water pump (it is controlled by the ECU) and we applied the old fashioned method of a bit of tank tape across the front of the radiator. Seems fine now.

Then, when trying a high speed blast along the A14, we got a really strong vibration. It was drive train related, because even when I dipped the clutch and the engine was idling the vibration was still there until the car slowed a bit. I'm not sure if it was wheels or propshaft. Its a new prop, but it has been balanced (well, there's weights tacked on to it anyway). I was going to try another set of wheels, but the only others I've got all have slicks on them and its been raining here most of the day. I figured it wouldn't have been too clever trying to get a maximum speed run in the wet on slicks.

So.. its now a case of seeing how it goes on Saturday I think - assuming its not snowed off of course....

Anyway, here's a few pics: (They were taken before I washed it, but it was getting dark and I wanted to get the pics while I still could)













A good view of the airbox. Thanks Doug!

[grum]

looks well presented Jon - get the stickers on LARK

hopefully see you saturday if weather permits

[Dave1800BDA]

looks good Jon, look forward to seeing it as ill be with Grump