RM1Sepex Build Thread

[RM1SepEx]

Wayne you are absolutely correct. The bellows just shows us how far the rod is extended externally. All of our measurements are based on the inner ball joint pivot point. (I don't have photos of yours! But the bellows show how much you cheated to the right.) It is off 1/2 inch from center or 1 inch from one side to the other. I have just a whisker over 3 turns lock to lock. I'd need to cheat the rack's position 1/2 inch of travel to make the position of the inner pivots equal. The rack has almost exactly 5 inches of travel, 2.5 inches in each direction of center. So if you set it so those pivots are in the same place relative to the LCA pivot point you have taken 20% of the travel to one side and given it to wheel rotation of the other.

The rotation to travel ratio is 540 degrees (1.5 turns of the steering wheel) / 2.5 inches of rack travel That means that for each inch of rack travel we rotate the wheel 216 degrees. If you "cheat that .5 inch of rack you now have 2 inches of travel to the right and 3 inches of travel to the left.

Right wheel rotation 216 x 2 = 432 degrees or 1.2 wheel rotations
Left Wheel rotation 216 x 3 = 648 degrees or 1.8 wheel rotations

You are also correct that in real,life few occasions occur to use full lock to lock use. However the design is flawed and the engineer in me wants/needs to make it correct. I'd love to see turning radius in each direction... the problem should be obvious if you need to turn around in tight quarters. It would be like my old dog, she found it very hard to turn in her non preferred direction! :-)

It's easy to fix, lengthen the "rack" or move it to the right 1/2 inch. I think lengthening the rack is easier... Factory 5 should move the rack on its jig.

[Wayne Presley]

Before you lengthen the rack, you need to plug in the numbers into a bump steer calculator to see what the optimum width is for the rack.

[RM1SepEx]

optimum would be for the rack's inside tie rod's ball joint center to align with a line through the pivot points. To do that I would need to extend it both ways as it is short in both directions. I just want the bump steer to be the same both ways. If I move the rack 1/2 inch it is the same but higher than if I extend the rack 1 inch to the right...

http://www.longacreracing.com/articles/art.asp?ARTID=13

And I could do the calculations but I shouldn't have too... don't you think Jim and Jesper already did? And isn't it obvious that the relative position of the inner tie rod joint should be the same on both sides of the car? When designed on a CAD system with the output directly used to make parts... from an engineering point of view.

BTW It's genetic and the only point of view that I have! :-) LOL

[wleehendrick]

You are also correct that in real,life few occasions occur to use full lock to lock use.

Well parallel parking in a tight spot is a situation that usually calls for full lock; it's a pretty regular occurrence for those parking in a city. I, however, I don't plan on parallel parking my 818!

Thanks to the explanation Wayne, it'll be good to refer to when I get to that point.

[RM1SepEx]

Anyone have a good trick to drain one of these beasts without getting coolant all over the place?

My radiator drain shoots out the fluid in a stream and then all over the frame as it get's lower. By the engine all you can do is drop the lower radiator hose... I'm not quick enough with the 5 gallon bucket!

My BMW has a spigot with a tube connector...

[RM1SepEx]

good news, it looks like I can get to the timing belt and water pump with the engine in the car... :-) !!!

two of the water pump bolts were less than correctly torqued, one bolt can't be accessed to check w/o doing the timing belt because it's behind an idler gear. I need to chastise my mechanic (I just scolded myself!)

I'm going to put the cover back on and see if it leaks... I think I have good odds. If it leaks, pull off the timing belt and redo the pump with rtv and re-time it

[mikeb75]

you could try loosing the thermostat housing with your drain pan underneath. Can't remember exactly what I did last time I drained mine out, but I remember wearing a bunch of coolant...

[RM1SepEx]

everything I've tried resulted in coolant all over the place! LOL :-)

Going out to put it back together now... will know soon if I need to tear it down farther and re-do the timing belt... It was a challenge when I did it on the engine stand... not enough hands to hold everything in place and the cams want to rotate on you. To do it in position I'll need a couple extra pair of hands...

[Erik W. Treves]

Dan, if memory serves....you should be able to remove the tensioner (reset it) .. put the it back on with the grenade pit and the pull that one idler, then do the pump...you don't have to take the whole belt off...

[RM1SepEx]

The problem is that the engine's valve tension wants to move the belt position and when/if it jumps I have to start over. I don't know where to position it to make that risk go away.. It's hard to keep them all in the correct position.

Just took a break to pack and ship my last piece from my donor exhaust. I sold the 5 pieces and heat shields for $7 less than I paid for my ceramic coated header and catless up pipe... That cross pipe took many months to finally sell! I'm up to $1350 for donor parts sold from my $1850 rollover.

Didn't work, still leaks... I'll try to do it without messing up the timing next! Time for lunch and football in the garage

[Samiam1017]

Dan. I made a tool to hold the drivers cam gears in place. Used a strap from a plumbing fixture with multiple holes in it and put bolts thru it backwards to hold the cams. Ill post a pic. In a few min

[Samiam1017]

image.jpgimage.jpg

[Samiam1017]

I don't know what I'm doing with pictures but its a strap from a galvanized 3in pipe. I cut the strap part off and took what appears to be cam cover bolts or valve cover bolts and a nut behind it. Works great for me.

[RM1SepEx]

how did you hold the cams with the straps?

[Samiam1017]

The bolt head goes into the cam gear bolt. I can take my covers off and put it on if it helps visualize it

[Samiam1017]

image.jpg

[RM1SepEx]

The bolt head goes into the cam gear bolt. I can take my covers off and put it on if it helps visualize it

yes please...

[RM1SepEx]

Thank you very much!!!! :-) I'll make one up today!

[Erik W. Treves]

So the trick will be getting those bolts off IN THE CAR.... I can't find that picture of Wayne and the 5 foot bar he used....I would just take the belt and vice-grip it together to keep the cams from turning.

[RM1SepEx]

I don't need to take those bolts off, just hold them in place... When you install the belt the right head's valves are closed so the cams don't try to rotate. The left head does have the valves partially open so you need to rotate both of them (check the online guide by Meaty... very good detail and photos. It was tricky to get them just right when out of the car. Remember I haven't had normal feeling in my hands for about 23 years, so such activities are tough for me. You have to get so many shafts, pulleys, gears in the right place... It's easy to have one just off. When in the car space is at a premium and much more awkward.

Using this fixture should make it a piece of cake. The motor is lined up with the timing makes, paint every notch, mark etc with paint pen, hold left cams in position, remove tensioner and then the gear/idler on the water pump. Move the belt to remove the water pump, figure out why it leaks... reinstall pump and idler, replace pin in tensioner, replace tensioner, pull the pin!

Hard to believe how far we have both came since we met at Factory Five just after SEMA last year, isn't it?

[Erik W. Treves]

Dan, yes it has been a journey for sure. I was hoping to be titled and driving by now, but my wanting for a paint job really put me behind...looks like spring will be really fun though!!

[RM1SepEx]

Many of my delays have been caused by me... Dad's cancer and death, another detached retina and my damn MS related health "issues". Add that to jumping around so much due to back orders and starting with the unknown of a totally destroyed roll over. The journey has been great tho... I'd like to have her done for Carlisle and the open house. Right now I still think white gelcoat with orange vinyl graphics and some matching orange powder coat...

[RM1SepEx]

Great news... I found my water pump problem, my idiot mechanic (me...) damaged the water pump gasket when he installed it... folded a part over so it was doubled up. I'll pickup a new gasket at NAPA tomorrow and should get back on track for go kart this week!

[Mechie3]

You should fire your mechanic. He probably overcharges you too.

[RM1SepEx]

You should fire your mechanic. He probably overcharges you too.

he works cheap, I just had that "lucky we don't charge by the hr" discussion last week when going over the 50 pages of wiring diagrams and your wiring posts to find the clutch switch that I missed. That delayed my first start by about 3 weeks! (He doesn't like the wiring issues and kept finding excuses to not look into it!) not sure if it wasn't plugged in on my donor (donor wouldn't crank either) or my mechanic's use of tape to mark wires caused it to be damaged/removed. He just keeps causing me more work! :-)

He eats far too much pizza as well

[RM1SepEx]

She's alive again and no sweet sticky mess on the garage floor! Thanks Samiom1017... the fixture made it much easier to get the belt/pulleys lined up while the engine was still in the car.

We did learn that a timing belt can be done in the car.

Now to focus on the stuff that needs to be done to go kart her in the next couple days!

[Mechie3]

Vroom Vroom!

[AZPete]

Congrats! You know we need a video to believe you, don't you?

[RM1SepEx]

Congrats! You know we need a video to believe you, don't you?

the first start one above needs to be replicated? I know it sucks and I forgot to remove the Go Pro from the sealed plastic case... but that's how I always use it when I drive my 2 stroke kart!

post 429 on prev page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxjcO...ature=youtu.be

new one from today! http://youtu.be/nGG2yl7MFd0

[AZPete]

Okay, Dan, I went back and played the video. I believe you now.

[Zodiac]

congrats man. i plan to go kart mine a bit myself once i get it going to make sure there's no rattling or anything. and of course just driving around the block with no body does have a little cool factor if i do say so myself lol. Any plans as far as paint or vinyl the car or do you plan to go just plain?

[VD2021]

Dan,

Congrats on the milestone.

Way to come back on" take 2".

[longislandwrx]

sounds beastly. nice work.

[RM1SepEx]

I really don't like white but I'm going to start with buffed gel coat and orange vinyl.

I'm trying to baseline a "stock" donor build. Stock seats, only a header and the supplied exhaust adaptors. I PCed the stock 16 in wheels and lasered the factory 5 logo on the custom aluminum centers.

I'll be buying a Cobb Accessport this week and eventually do a TGV delete and 3 inch exhaust with Cat and muffler.

Right now it only has the adaptor from the kit, the stock downpipe with cat.

I'm very pleased at how "easy" the stock wiring edits were... it looks intimidating but once you strip the covering off, its easy to delete a ton of wires etc...

Just got to keep plugging away at it!

It is hunting season tho so I'll take some time to try to shoot Bambi!

[wleehendrick]

I really don't like white but I'm going to start with buffed gel coat and orange vinyl.

Mmmm... tasty color combination!

orange-creamsicle-pop.jpg

[wallace18]

Congrats on the start up. Sounds good!

[RM1SepEx]

Mmmm... tasty color combination!

orange-creamsicle-pop.jpg

Big time color blind... just love bright colors, orange is my favorite.

I'm working with Powder by the Pound to color match vinyl and powder. It will take some time to figure out how to use orange accents with the white body, carbon fiber mirrors, splitter, side extensions, rear spoiler etc...

I'll try the same on the interior... still waiting for a reply from leather seats.com for black seats and orange accents with either the F5 logo or some other graphic on the seats

[K3LAG]

Big time color blind... just love bright colors, orange is my favorite.

I'm working with Powder by the Pound to color match vinyl and powder. It will take some time to figure out how to use orange accents with the white body, carbon fiber mirrors, splitter, side extensions, rear spoiler etc...

I'll try the same on the interior... still waiting for a reply from leather seats.com for black seats and orange accents with either the F5 logo or some other graphic on the seats

Sounds like our cars might almost be twins when we are finished. Let me know how you turn out on color matching stuff. I do have one extra variable in that I'm using Orange OZ Alleggerita wheels, so I'm going to try to match them as much as I can.

I'm also thinking about doing black and orange leather from leatherseats.com, if you do that, let me know your pattern and I'll make sure mine is a bit different. There is still a chance I may go with aftermarket seats though. Depends on driver comfort as we have two different height drivers to deal with.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Hey Dan,
Great job getting it running. Your getting ahead of me.
Can't wait to see you go karting.
Bob

[longislandwrx]

Dan,

there was a ground strap included in the fuel system component box, I can't find it referenced in any of the instructions. Any idea what its used for?

my guess is to ground the filler cap to the frame, since it's isolated with the rubber tube and the fiberglass body but the ring terminals are very large.

Thanks