Ti Motorsport

Away Days

With the MG already for an  outing, either this weekend or next, depending on the Patriot Satages reserve situation. On these events Andy Tearle & Jonathan Styles will no doubt be seeing to her every need. James Shallcross's 205 more of an oil free zone than previously is also ready, so it's time for a break.

James is out next weekend on the Edinburgh Trial, based around the Derbyshire Dales, I think, so a little bit misleading & a shadow of it's former self. 

Less Than 100 Days

Event Countdown

ZR Back In Action

Following it's engine failure, 3 years of hard use eventually saying enough, we have now replaced the engine in our 1800 MG ZR ready for Zarene Dallas & her outing at Manby.

Things just hang around & the MG has been a bit like that, it just needed an incentive to put it back together.

As both potential events are single venue & don't require the car to be taxed, they do have to have a current MOT. Unsurprisingly!!!! a trip to the MOT shop proved trouble free.

This years MSA rules require us to have film on the windows. so for the second time in 2 weeks, it's time to try to avoid bubbles.

Rising Temperatures

We have now made an adaptor to take the water temperature sender for Derek Lookers 205 engine back to the engine side of the thermostat housing. This will bring the cold start map back into play. The only problem being that the new sender didn't fit any of the pre loaded profiles, so manual loading of the settings. 

The DTA ECU allows you to input your own setting to accommodate virtually any make of sensor. At the bottom of the grid is the actual mV voltage figure being generated by the sensor.

It's then a case of checking the temperature [laser gauge makes it easy] & adjusting the numbers to suit. Time consuming but not rocket science. When it's done the real time display should match the numbers on the laser gauge. 

We are planning to have one more session on the rollers before Derek's next outing to check some cam timing options.

 

We also plan to finish the installation of the launch control. This has been held up for some time by the need to find a suitable reluctor ring for the rear brake drum.

 

Harold Palin Memorial Stages Rally

Next outing for Zarene Dallas will be at Manby Airfield & although I won't be back from Spain, Andy Tearle & Jonathan Styles will be taking our 1800 MG ZR up north for the event.

This will be the cars second outing since it's engine replacement after last years blow up. It's first, last weekend saw Zarene take the Ladies Award on The Patriot Stages.

The organisers plan to run 10 stages to make up the 55 mile event.

Bushed & Fitted

Having got the old bushes out & given the warmed ends a coat of paint, all that remained was to fit the poly bushes & sleeves. First, the bush, with plenty of Copperslip, followed by the steel sleeve which is made easier with the hydraulic press.

Fitting the spring pans is straightforward, a bit awkward because they weigh a ton & need to be reasonably well lined up to start the bushes into the cross member.

We will fasten up all the nuts & bolts when the suspension is assembled & the car is on it's wheels.

Now for the new springs & dampers. 

 

Acetylene Shortage

The need to get the bushes out of the spring pans for the 504 Saloon was going to be made easier by the use of a little heat. The problem came when I found out that my Acetylene cylinder had run out.

I had been unaware of the problems being experienced by BOC following the explosion at their Bristol plant where the gas was produced. So basically no Acetylene is available, so time to switch to oxy/propane. Naturally BOC have come up with a kit, so new regulators & torch. Luckily the cost of the kit was offset by the refund on cylinder rental.

It seems that the only thing we now use gas for is heating parts to ease freeing seized bits or bending metal, almost all the welding now being either mig or tig.

With a little help from the gas, the bushes were removed ready for new poly bushing.

Kenyan Rally Championship 2012

With plans to contest this years EASR now shelved, we are  working on the budget to contest the 2012 Kenyan Rally Championship. At present the dates for next year are not available but based on this years calendar we will start the 8 round championship in the middle of February.

So straight from Cape Town to Voi in Kenya by the sound of it.

Diff Installed

The rear cross member has now been fitted. It has 2 rubber mounts on each end to isolate it from the body. The torque tube has to be fitted at the same time as there is not enough clearance between the cross member & floor pan to allow the tube to be fitted afterwards.

With the upper cross member, which supports the diff, already fitted, we could bolt in the rebuilt 3.9 unit. This is also supported by 2 rubber mountings.

So far we have been unable to locate a 4.1 or 4.2 final drive hence the 3.9:1 option.

 

Underside Tidy Up

With the organisers frequently reminding us of the need for clear identification on the car, we have managed to get a new identity tag to suit. Although there are some special London Cape Town ones available which we might also get.

The underneath of the car had seen life, so we thought a coat of under-seal would be a good thing.

On an slightly different tack,it's also time to get our visa applications in, so a couple of nights of form filling to look forward to.

With the start only a little over 100 days away there is a lot of paper work to sort, apart from the work to the car.