fbekholden.com

Got too cocky. Had the injector on, worked out the linkage, and plumbed the fuel lines in stainless. Thought I was about done fuel wise. Figured I should set the barrel valve for leak-down (as a rough starting point for idle). Air did not come out as expected. The Enderle barrel valve internals are slightly more subtle than the diagram I drew on page 2 of the McGee thread. I got over confident, tried to plumb it up funky, and it was not right.

Pull it all apart, re-educate myself on the barrel valve internals, put it back together. Now it flows air correctly... just have to replumb the fuel lines

Worked out I am going to need dual return springs, one either end of the injectors. Its a split shaft, held together by an agricultural clamp. If I have only one return spring, and the clamp slips, I could get uncontrollable full throttle. The dual springs stick out a lot... need to think how to make them a little more subtle.

Cheers,
Harv

I assume your throttle will be activated by force from the pedal on one shaft, and transferred to the other shaft by the agricultural clamp. Two springs will eliminate uncontrolled open throttle no doubt. The problem I envisage is if the clamp slips on application of throttle due to the resistance of the spring on the following shaft. As well as failing to rotate the idle shaft, if the clamp holds in the slipped position on pedal release, you will be faced with a similar problem, ie leading shaft jams open throttle. Possibly I am over thinking, but I experienced this scenario on my X2 carby setup. Solution was that the pedal connected shaft had a return spring and the second shaft relied entirely on the clamp, and idle set screw, of course. Maybe you could use a pretty light spring on the secondary shaft. I certainly relate to the fear of getting stuck on WOT.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

Hmm... more to think about. Hadn't thought about it sticking the other way. That WW clip is looking less and less acceptable. A clamp cross drilled to the two shafts would be good, but there is so much slop in the overall assembly that I cannot hard mount that way.. I need to be able to adjust (synchronise) the two shafts, using a feeler gauge to set butterfly opening.

Every time I think I'll get away with half-arseing something, I get a reminder that there is very little between me and the walls in this thing. John Force's crash last week was a good reminder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se-87igvCrI

Cheers,
Harv

F**k!


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

75 years old and still putting himself through that.

Funny you talk of sticking throttles. My brother sent me this the other day



It’s an instagram thing so not sure if everyone can see it but rather fitting to this discussion


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If it goes pear-shaped, I can use my right hand to toss the laundry, push in the fuel cutoff and switch off the magneto. That should kill it.

If I am passed out (like the dude in BS’s video) then it is harder. There is a battery master isolator on the rear of the FED. Looks like that is what the first responder was switching off in the video. With the magneto though that switch does not stop the engine in my FED.

It’s a good question for the IHRA tech guy - should that master switch cut battery, or instead ground the magneto? Could perhaps do both, but aiming to avoid any solenoid trickery if it can.

Cheers,
Harv

Just thought this would fit here
It’s a 179, always on time……


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

I think I had a conversation with those guys at the last Day of the Drags in Sydney.

Cheers,
Harv

I would much rather look at an engine like this than some show car thing that doesn't look like it has ever been started let alone used in anger .....

Agree Blacky

I do not like roll cage padding.

Everything that the driver’s helmet can touch has to be padded. The padding has to be SFI certified… no pool noodles or hot water lagging.

Bought the certified stuff, which come in 900mm lengths… for $60 a length It’s softer than pine, but harder than polystyrene. Could readily be used for the ancient Lancastrian martial art of Ecky Thump. Cuts easy. Hates bending.

The simple bends are OK - hold it in place with cable ties, then slowly press it into the curve. Tight curves are bad - bend it a little too much and it snaps. Heat does not help much. Best way I have found is to put lots of cable ties on it, then tighten them up one or two clicks a day until it seats into the bend. It seems to relax over a period of hours. Have got impatient more than once only to hear that snapping noise. Probably spent as much in cable ties as the padding.


Cheers,
Harv

Slow and steady Harv wins the race or so I’m told

Another dumb rule we have to follow to play.

SFI rated padding resistant to melting onto a driver held in place with plastic cable ties (which do melt..)

It’s all ticking along nicely Harv!


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Decided it was time to put fluid into the brakes. Filled it and let it sit overnight. Came back to a puddle of fluid on the floor... I had the various flare nuts tight, but not tight enough. Nipped them up, repeated process and no leaks. So far, so good.

Bled first caliper (both inboard and outboard pistons have bleed nipples) but soon realised that the horizontal calipers were not going to bleed. Normally I would unbolt the caliper, turn it so that the bleed nipples were vertical, put a block of wood in between the pads, bleed, then refit. Of course some idiot had put hardline all the way through the brakes... no hoses, so hard to tilt the caliper back.

Did some thinking for a few days. The young bloke suggested tilting the entire chassis up on the rear tyres (no motor in), but that didn't sound like much fun .

Came to the conclusion that brute force and ignorance might work. Unbolted the calipers, tilted them around the rotor until they were vertical, letting the brake lines bend/flex. Success! Bled one side, lots of air out, and brakes getting harder. Started thinking I was on the home stretch. Left it overnight, came back to more fluid on the floor. Looked like the caliper seals were blown

After much wiping and checking, worked out that the brass NPT-to-inverted-flare fittings I had screwed into the calipers were weeping. I had them tight, but again not tight enough. Brake line off, spin brass fitting one more revolution, refit brake lines, unbolt caliper, bend brake lines to vertical again, bleed caliper. Clean up mess, wait overnight... no leaks

Move to second caliper. Realise that to spin that brass fitting I was going to leak a lot of fluid. If I was unlucky, I would put air into the other, bled caliper. Remove master cylinder reservoir cap, put a ziplock bag over the opening, refit cap. Now if it leaks, it will pull a vacuum in the reservoir and only leak a little. Perhaps.

Remove brake line, ignore leaking fluid, spin brass fitting one more revolution. Look up and see brake fluid level in reservoir nearly empty. Need to work faster. Covered in fluid, brass fitting on different angle to previous. Have to flex brake line to line it up. Try to refit brake line. Feels OK, tighten. Faster, faster! Job done, top up resevoir, clean up terrible mess. 'Out of time, kids need feeding, let it sit overnight and bleed in morning.

Came back to another puddle of fluid on the floor. My haste had let me cross-thread the brake line into the brass fitting. . Remove brake line and cap off rest of system, remake new brake line, replace brass fitting, refit brake line, bend caliper up to vertical, bleed. Clean up mess again. In the end I got there, brakes actuate well, brake handle is firm. Definitely did it the hard way though

On an easier note, made up the windshield for the cowl from some 1.5mm polycarbonate sheeting. Still has the protective film on it, but is clear once the film is removed.


Cheers,
Harv

Maybe you could invest in a positive bleeder and pump fluid in via the nipple. If you have a master and pedal box lying around you could improvise one. Might still leave air knobs pockets. Anyway, you got the job done. God I hate the smell of that stuff. It evokes nightmares.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie