Three Bolts: Mk 4 Roadster Build

[carbon-12]

In my work as a computer programmer, I often need to think about problems at several different levels of abstraction. At the highest level, I'm writing a complete program to accomplish a certain set of goals. At progressively deeper levels, there are typically:

• Frameworks, where each is a large collection of many classes.
• Classes, where each is a collection of methods which, taken together, implement a specific feature or job.
• Methods, where each contributes to the overall feature or job of the class.
• Lines of code, where each implements a step of a method algorithm.

This certainly isn't the only way programs can be broken down, and this heirarchy describes the kind of code I write (end-user applications) in the language I typically write in (Objective-C). These details don't matter, nor does the terminology or technology.

However, the levels of abstraction do matter. When I'm writing code, I usually am focused on a particular one of these levels, but that doesn't mean I can forget about all the rest. The process of writing a program means repeatedly moving up and down this heirarchy to make sure that all levels are done right, and each relates well to its neighbors.

This works well for me in my job, and I'm trying to apply the same kind of heirarchical thinking to my Roadster build. After I took delivery of my kit and started taking inventory, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of parts and the random order in which they appeared. As I started in on the few steps in the assembly manual, I struggled just to find all the parts I needed to begin work.

It's taken about a month, but I'm getting more comfortable with thinking about my kit in terms of subsystems. Tonight, I began to sketch out a diagram which organizes the project into the major parts which make up the whole car. It's not complete (or even correct) yet, but it's a start.

kit-subsystems-v02.png

[DaleG]

"The pedal travel is about 4.5" (with a stop at the bottom of the pedal throw to prevent overextending the slave) and the clutch fork travel is 1.2"."

Unclear what you mean by a "stop"; how is it installed?

[mike w]

In my work as a computer programmer, I often need to think about problems at several different levels of abstraction. At the highest level, I'm writing a complete program to accomplish a certain set of goals. At progressively deeper levels, there are typically:

• Frameworks, where each is a large collection of many classes.
• Classes, where each is a collection of methods which, taken together, implement a specific feature or job.
• Methods, where each contributes to the overall feature or job of the class.
• Lines of code, where each implements a step of a method algorithm.

This certainly isn't the only way programs can be broken down, and this heirarchy describes the kind of code I write (end-user applications) in the language I typically write in (Objective-C). These details don't matter, nor does the terminology or technology.

However, the levels of abstraction do matter. When I'm writing code, I usually am focused on a particular one of these levels, but that doesn't mean I can forget about all the rest. The process of writing a program means repeatedly moving up and down this heirarchy to make sure that all levels are done right, and each relates well to its neighbors.

This works well for me in my job, and I'm trying to apply the same kind of heirarchical thinking to my Roadster build. After I took delivery of my kit and started taking inventory, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of parts and the random order in which they appeared. As I started in on the few steps in the assembly manual, I struggled just to find all the parts I needed to begin work.

It's taken about a month, but I'm getting more comfortable with thinking about my kit in terms of subsystems. Tonight, I began to sketch out a diagram which organizes the project into the major parts which make up the whole car. It's not complete (or even correct) yet, but it's a start.

kit-subsystems-v02.png

As a project engineer managing multi-million dollar projects with hundreds, if not thousands of tasks, I too use the WBS (work breakdown structure) method to catagorize and link the tacks. It helps the mind breakdown a large project into sub-projects that can be well understood, managed and scheduled. I like the way you think!

[carbon-12]

As a project engineer managing multi-million dollar projects with hundreds, if not thousands of tasks, I too use the WBS (work breakdown structure) method to catagorize and link the tacks. It helps the mind breakdown a large project into sub-projects that can be well understood, managed and scheduled. I like the way you think!

Fortunately, I don't have multiple millions of dollars at risk on my kit build.

[carbon-12]

I make mistakes. Even though I try to work deliberately, and plan ahead carefully, and consult the accumulated wisdom available online, I still make plenty of mistakes. While it's great when a task goes smoothly, and I can move on to the next without trouble, many times I need to patch up some small bit of bungling before a job is done. Maybe more experienced builders don't have so much trouble, but for me, fixing mistakes is a big part of the kit-building process.

Earlier this week when I was assembling the pedal box, I got most everything together, and it came time to tighten down the bolts as it says in the assembly manual. Since I'm upgrading to a hydraulic clutch, I have a third master cylinder on top of my pedal box. As I put on the wrench to tighten down the two bolts holding on the clutch master cylinder, I stripped a bolt.

This was a bit careless of me, but as I thought it over, I decided that I shouldn't feel too bad. The studs coming out from the pedal box don't protrude too far past the mount for the master cylinder, and there isn't much room to get the bolt started before it starts to get tight. Still, I should have been more careful.

Obviously, I needed to fix this up. My first idea was to try a different bolt on the stripped stud. If the threads were not too badly damaged, it's possible that a good bolt could set things right. Unfortunately, this didn't work.

My next idea was to use a tap and die to clean up the threads. In the past, I've had some success with using light pressure with these cutting tools to repair stripped threads. Since I didn't have my own set, I went to Amazon.com and bought this GearWrench 82812 114 Piece Large Combination Tap and Die Set.

tap-and-die-set.jpg

Last night, I gave the new set a try. Since I wasn't intended to cut new threads, but just repair existing ones, I experimented to find the right size tap and die for the bolt and stud to match the threads already there. With the die, I didn't even need to fit the handle—turning the die by hand was enough. The bolt needed a bit more persuasion.

die.jpg tap.jpg

Both repairs worked great. In a half-hour, everything was fixed up.

It felt bad to make the mistake of stripping the bolt in the first place, but it felt better to work through the problem and find a relatively simple fix up.