My 11 build

[zei220]

If your advice is interfering, please keep doing it, you’ve all been very helpful, you’re saving me lots of grief.

[zei220]

Sundays results.

I've turned the bolts which can be turned.

Trial fitted the brake lines on the axle, need to buy black zip ties

[attachment=2]brake line.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=1]brake line 2.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=0]brake line 3.jpg[/attachment]

[zei220]

Well I ran into my first real problem.... the fittings on the rear brake pipes have the wrong thread, so I need to make up a pair of new ones.

[jonclancy]

The unions in the kit are metric... in some cases! Certainly for the brake pressure switch etc...

You might want to have a look at the thread about ftting a solenoid to this, btw. Easy to do, and cheap, but avoids later grief and suprising following drivers!

LED light upgrades have proven to be effective, too.

[Westfield 129]

All of the brake fittings matched on my RHD kit, provided the unions were matched to the various lines and fittings. Check the fitting, thread and fit prior to installing any of the unions. Some fittings are tapered, while others are flat, and require a sealing washer. The washers are included in your kit.

I ran into the same problem as I was matching up the parts prior to installation. It took a little time, but I was able to find the matching sets of lines, unions and washers.

[Westfield 129]

While I love to take credit... The long damper setup came from my early car. I was rebuilding the US distributor's car and had a problem in getting a good chassis setup and found that the dampers were much shorter than the dampers on the early cars.

I began to use this long damper setup on the later cars as it greatly improved ride and handling while simplifying chassis setup. The only down side was that the rear chassis floor had to be opened up for the differential and the swing tree. My early car didn't have a rear floor beneath the differential. Something that I have to address one of these days.

Other suggested build improvements. Among these:

Drilling and tapping the steering column mounting in the cockpit to eliminate the nuts, washers and protruding threads in the cockpit, simplifying the installation of the column. If you worry about the loosening of the bolts, safety wire them.

Using braided teflon lines to connect the master cylinder(s) to the brake lines to simplify and speed the removal and replacement to the master cylinders without stressing the brake lines or difficulties in getting the fittings to thread into the master cylinder castings. I build RHD cars here with the Westfield bias bar and twin master cylinders. When I first did this setup, I was aware that I might have to make a change to the master cylinders to correct for pedal pressure and travel. I did... and having the flexible brake lines made this a job taking less than half an hour for both systems, and bleeding the brakes.

Making sure that all of the chassis fasteners are "fractional" so that only one set of wrenches is necessary to service any of the chassis or engine components.
This is the way it is on my early car. I have nothing against Metric fasteners. I just want everything uniform when it comes to servicing the car, especially if there is a problem on the road. As it is, the car is sort of a mix, and that is easily addressed on the chassis for simplified service.

[zei220]

Can I ask what members think of fitting a distributorless ignition system? Pros/ Cons please

Thanks

[Westfield 129]

Been there, done that. Is not worth the trouble. I ended up with a conventional performance distributor. I found no performance gain, despite more coils, reluctor wheel, sensor and the attending wiring and extra lap top programming.

A breakerless Aldon or Pertronix does a better job. Get the matching coil and you will have plenty of spark.

For me, the biggest advantage to a distributor less system is that there is no distributor on the cold side of the engine, making the installation appear cleaner. Other than that... I guess that I don't mind the distributor so long as an oil cooler its fitted and the external oil line from the block to the oil filter is eliminated, making it far easier to set the timing. But, that is another thing entirely.

There is also an electronic distributor that has an electronically controlled advance that looks pretty good, but it is expensive. This has possibilities, as it is fully self contained and easily integrated without having to program or fit additional parts. Sorry that I can't remember the manufacturer. They make Lucas type distributor replacements with their electronics package. I am sure that someone here can remember the name.

I use a straight Pertronix version of the Lucas with the magnetic pickup and the performance advance curve, without a vacuum advance (my 45DCOE doesn't make enough vacuum to make the vacuum advance worth while, and i have a lot more room on that side of the engine). This works beautifully, is relatively inexpensive and doesn't require programming.

If you are going to use carburetors, just go to a breaker less performance distributor. You will be on the road with a sharp performing engine in much less time.

The problem is that such a programmable system to be of much value requires information from the throttle, air flow, Lambda... To have any advantage in producing additional power. In other words, a full digital engine control, and not just programmed ignition.

No reason to bother with a bunch of programmed electronics and external pickups when the whole thing can be done with a couple of flyweights and springs. KISS-- Keep It Simple and Stupid.

Anyone who has been in my car knows how sharp the throttle response is, how tractable it is in traffic, and how much power it makes with just simple, analog components.

I am not against electronics, and have built a few fully controlled engines with success. But for my little A series (and the dumb V8 in my Morgan), old school works just fine, and allows me a lot more driving time, and time to develop the rest of the car. Trust me when I tell you that you want to be working on the chassis setup, and not making the engine run reliably.

[zei220]

Thank you again for your advice, I've ordered a 123Ingition distributor and saved about £300 over getting the EDIS system..... it's like getting the tyres for free.

[Westfield 129]

Ah yes! 123. That' s the one I could not remember.
'Should work well, especially if you use a 45DCOE Weber or the 1.5'" SUs.