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Baldrick's Winter Makeover

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I can't wait to see this car done! When I was considering buying my Spit I saw the pictures of yours and thought that it was one of the best looking ones I had seen. My wife keeps edging me to paint mine black after seeing it. But in FL triple black would mean third degree burns year round! Still, it is a beauty. Keep up the good work.
 
Cyberpyr8 said:
I can't wait to see this car done!
Click to expand...

You and me both! (Well... and I suppose Robyn too... :/)

Work has been continuing over hte past couple of evenings. I wired up the turn signal switch, which got a few wires off of the floor...

I had originally hoped to reuse the existing hazard switch in order to keep it looking decent until we redo the dash panels completely and I can install a new rocker-style hazard switch I bought from British Wiring... but the whole thing is really odd to figure out... so after I started going cross-eyed, I moved to "plan B"... and after I figured out a way to mount the toggle that came with the kit, it doesn't look too bad... So it should be okay for now.

Tonight I hope to maybe finish up the turn signal wiring... and some friends are coming over to give me a hand and double-check what I've done so far...

Just keep chipping away... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hammer.gif

I'd like to have enough done by tomorrow night that I feel comfortable going to watch a MINI friend at a nearby hillclimb race sometime during the weekend. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/angel.gif
 
The rough-in wiring and connections were completed last night. I'm hoping to loosely install the dash panels, connect the gauges and do final testing. Might even start the car, although I still have to finish reinstalling the exhaust system.

After the wiring passes the final tests, I'll be under the dash with a million zip-ties and harness tape cleaning up the rat's nest of wires. I'm still somewhat concerned about it all fitting without interfering with anything.

I took some pictures and hopefully Robyn can post them when she gets home from work this afternoon.
 
Well... the pre-wiring is basically done and I'm trying to put it all back together to test it...

Emphasis on "trying."

Simply put, the crap don't fit. The oversized wires don't allow the speedo and tach to fit into the dash as it all interferes with the support panel that is less than an inch behind the back of the gauges. In other words, everything I had feared in the beginning about this kit is now coming true.

Now I am REALLY considering ripping the whole thing out and reinstalling the old harness... then maybe I can take the POS harness and rebuild it so that it actually does what it was advertised to do... as the more I look at the design of the power block, the less I like it from an electrical engineering stand-point...

To say I am extremely unhappy would be a slight understatement. It really does bother me to post a message like this but when I am told "no one has mentioned anything about the grommets in the past" and "send me a copy of the factory wiring diagram and I'll make corrections" it became painfully obviously that little to no research was done in preparing this kit and all credibility went out the window. I was simply speachless when he told me the latter... so the kit was designed without looking at the factory wiring diagram?
 
I don't know much about Spit wiring; but if it's anything like the TRs or Stags, chances are good that there IS no factory wiring diagram that exactly matches your car. Nor is there any single publication that has more than 2 or 3 of the dozens of factory diagrams. (There is a Stag manual with a dozen diagrams, but still not all of them.)

Dan put a lot of work into researching US-spec TR250/6; perhaps a little less work on TR2-4; so maybe even less on Spitfire. Still, it's a daunting task made worse by lack of factory documentation, variations between cars and so on.

What don't you like about the relay panel ?
 
TR3driver said:
I don't know much about Spit wiring; but if it's anything like the TRs or Stags, chances are good that there IS no factory wiring diagram that exactly matches your car. Nor is there any single publication that has more than 2 or 3 of the dozens of factory diagrams. (There is a Stag manual with a dozen diagrams, but still not all of them.)

Dan put a lot of work into researching US-spec TR250/6; perhaps a little less work on TR2-4; so maybe even less on Spitfire. Still, it's a daunting task made worse by lack of factory documentation, variations between cars and so on.

What don't you like about the relay panel ?
Click to expand...

It's obvious that very little work was done researching the Spitfire. If he has simply purchased a $20 Haynes manual, he would have acquired a copy of every wiring diagram for every US-model from Mk I to the 1500. And those diagrams are pretty accurate to the car: at least to the two harnesses I have.

The relay panel?

1. The fuses and relays should have been mounted seperately for installation in a Spitfire. Had he tried to fit his panel into an actual car, this should have been obvious to him. This is alluded to in the manual, but we did not pay $450 for this kit just to have me basically rip it apart and use it for raw materials. I don't want to design the harness myself. That's why we bought his.

2. One of the main selling points for the kit was to take the lighting load off the old switch and power them through relays. For the hi & lo beams, this is done, but the remaining running lights STILL run through the Lucas switch. Does is make a difference? Maybe not, but that's not the point.

3. Why is so much effort spent powering an electric fuel pump most LBC's don't have? And in Baldrick's case, never will? At least it's a spare relay... might power the stero off it... someday... when my blood pressure drops back to normal...

I could go on, but right now it makes me sick (literally) that it was MY idea to buy this thing.
 
IanF said:
I could go on, but right now it makes me sick (literally) that it was MY idea to buy this thing.
Click to expand...

Best thing to do is walk away for a bit, a week or two if necessary.

Dan makes nice stuff, but some of it is overkill in my opinion. No offense to Dan or his fine products. He's probably forgotten more than I know about LBC wiring.

There is obvious benefit to getting the high current loads routed through relays to take the load off the (relatively fragile/expensive) switchgear. That can be done for about $100 or so via BritishWiring parts and alot less labor.

I have 4 Hella relays in my LBC running the headlights, horns, wipers and airhorns /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/blush.gif. Probably the highest current loads not originally operated by relays.

I don't have OD or a megawatt stereo, but these are obvious candidates as well. Maybe the heater fan; not sure what that draws. I never use it anyway.

And I'm a huge fan of modern "thin wall" wiring used in European cars. I retrofitted bi-xenon lights to my BMW and needed to fab an extensive harness. It's great stuff. Thin, pliable, tough insulation and it carries alot of current for the jacket size. Just my opinion.
 
Update time...

Yesterday, Ian put the exhaust back on the car, and replaced the clutch slave cylinder. Turns out, that was a wise move since when he pulled the old one out, it had definitely seen better days. I figured since the master clutch cylinder had just died and the car was already torn apart, it just made sense to replace the slave cylinder too. That done, we filled the car with transmission fluid and coolant (or as much as it would take without running it a bit), and reinstalled the battery. Nothing immediately burst into flames, so that was promising. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif Then we went and found the fire extinguisher so we could have it on hand just in case... Next we ran through and checked all the lights, turn signals, horn cooling fan, wipers, starter, etc. Whatever we could test without having to actually start the car. Again, nothing burst into flames (or even smoked) so that was good.

Just one little problem so far. None of the instrument lights on the dashboard work. If that's the biggest problem out of this whole project, I'll consider us lucky.

Today started out with me finally getting started on carpeting the trunk. I managed to get both of the wheel well pieces glued in place. Not 100% perfect, but it will suffice. I'll hold off on the rest until I know the wiring is done.

Ian got to work on bleeding the clutch system, changing the oil, putting on the last couple hangers on the exhaust, and finding a mounting location for the auxiliary fuse panel that will power my heated seats and stereo amplifier eventually.

With all that done, Ian really couldn't stall any longer. We lowered the car off the jackstands and then it was time for the moment of truth. Turn the key... the starter comest to life... nothing. Then I asked if the carb's oil level needed to be checked since it had been removed from the car in anticipation of installing the SU's. Sure enough, it was REALLY low. Ian topped it off... turned the key... the starter comes to life...

<span style='font-size: 14pt'>BALDRICK LIVES!!!!</span>

He started right up as if he hadn't spent the past 7 months in a coma. And I had forgotten just how sweet he sounds with his new-last-year Bell exhaust. God, I've missed this car!!!

So I think we're in the homestretch now. There are a few issues though...

1. There is a bit of smoke in the engine bay. Can't tell yet if it's some leaked fluids burning off, or if there's a leak at the exhaust manifold. We know the old manifold is not in good shape and it's only going to be on the car until we get around to putting the SU's on with the Bell header.
2. There's a slight coolant leak that we haven't nailed down yet.
3. The dashboard wiring needs to be tidied up. We're still not sure how well the driver's side "glovebox" is going to fit in there with all that [censored] over-sized wiring. 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag...
4. The interior carpeting needs to be installed.
5. We need to test drive the car to see if the "new" transmission and differential are OK.
6. The seats have to go back in.
7. My heated seats and stereo need to be wired.

But the important thing is that the car runs again!!!

I'm just thankful that Ian does electrical design for a living. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't have much electrical experience who buys that "harness" we got, expecting it to be a direct replacement for the stock harness. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shocked.gif

That's it for now. I've got some more pictures to post but that won't happen tonight.
 
Thanks!

Ian is hoping to temporarily bolt in a seat this afternoon and take the car out to test out the new tranny and diff. Crossing my fingers that all is well with them.
 
Unfortunately, everything didn't go well Monday afternoon... The starter turned, and turned, and turned... and the engine just wouldn't fire... checked that I was getting spark... yep... so not an electrical issue (whew!)... then we overheated the starter to the point where it didn't want to engage... frustrated, we put the car away for the night...

So... Tues... I get the car ready again (play "musical MINI's" and rotate Baldrick on the dollies in garage) and try to start it... starter STILL won't engage... crap... pull the starter... discover the gear has dislodged on the shaft... fix it and put it all back together... shot of ether... *sputter* *cough* and he fires up!

Woo hoo!

Go to put him in reverse... "grind..." Pump the clutch a few times and try again... "grind.... CRUNCH!!" Hmm... me thinks I'll need to bleed the clutch again... Back him out of the garage onto the grass to turn around... similar noises going into 1st... but not quite as bad... clutch grabs really low in the travel... takes some getting used to... brakes as well... although Baldrick being the only non-power brake vehicle in the fleet, his brakes always take a bit of getting used to... harder stops require more effort...

Pull out onto the street... shift to 2nd... bit of grinding, but not too bad... try to remember that this tranny probably hasn't been spun under power in years... wind it up... shift to 3rd... then 4th... no interior... no trans tunnel cover... car is loud as heck... and a bit stinky... it feels like I'm going Mach 5 with my head being all of 3 feet above the ground... and seeing said ground pass inches below my right hand under the tranny... look at the speedo (woo hoo! it works!!!)...

I'm screaming along at 40 mph... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

Approaching the end of the street, I pull it out of gear and test the brakes... more effort than I'm used to... but normal... Stop at the light... clutch in... slight crunch into 1st, but not as bad as in the driveway... light turns... let out the clutch...

Stalls. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nopity.gif Let the clutch out too fast without enough throttle... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nonono.gif

I pray ( /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/angel.gif ) that he starts.... hit the key... "VROOM!" /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thankyousign.gif

Pull away from the light properly this time... 2nd... 3rd... 4th... less crunching... or maybe I'm matching revs better... realize I forgot to rig up a temporary switch to test the overdrive... Listen to the differential instead... not bad... tough to hear much of anything with the exhaust system echoing into the bare interior... but I don't hear the thumping I remember from the old diff. That's good... Pull into the local high school parking lot to turn around... not too bad... try to avoid stopping unless I have to... and reverse course back to the house... (whole trip took less time than it took me to write this...).

1. Definitely want to try bleeding the clutch again... something's not right there...
2. Need to check the transmission oil again now that the fluid has circulated a bit and hopefully made it all the way into the overdrive unit.
3. Need to take a look at the carb and see if there's anythign quick/easy I can do to it to make starting more reliable...

In all, not a bad 1st drive... at least the tranny didn't make the horrible first-run-bearings-have-been-dry-for-years grinding noises like the Volvo did last year... Could have been better, but also could have been worse... I spent the rest of the evening doing some cleaning in the garage as I'd finally had enough of a workbench covered in wiring debris... I hope to play with it some more tonight...
 
Life starts slowly, sometimes.......
 
Well, Baldrick's Winter-Spring-Summer and part-of-Fall makeover is finally drawing to a close... Robyn and made a last minute, 2am push last Thursday night to get the interior and top installed.

Fortunately, I was able to fix the clutch by pulling the slave and gravity bleeding the last few bubbles of air out. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that air in the system was the only thing it could be.

Some pics:

Completed carpeting:
interior10.jpg


(FWIW, she's not real happy with the carpeting and wishes she'd splurged for the molded carpet... oh well... )

Completed with seats and top reinstalled, ready for the road:
interior11.jpg


There are still a few things left to do... plug in the switches for the heated seats... install the stereo head unit, amp and speakers (wires already run). But mechanically, the car was ready for the trip out to PA for the Jim Thorpe Classic Run on Sat.

We drove out Friday night, somehow managing to avoid the rain... and then out to the meeting point the next morning - again, just missing the morning rains.

The car wasn't flawless... it suffered from a low-idle speed issue all w/e (since fixed), nut other than that, it seemed to perform well. I swept the run in the Volvo, so I only got occasional glimpses of her a dozen or so cars ahead of me... Oh, and one of the exhaust clamps worked loose on the drive out there and we had to stop to remove it before it fell off. The car still runs rather rich and it's much louder than the Volvo... I could barely hear the Volvo's engine over the Spit's Bell exhaust when she's was in front of me. I have to say, though, after driving around the Spit a bit during test drives and then hoping in the Volvo, I like hte Volvo better... although it could use some help in the power and throttle response dept... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif

One odd issue we've noticed is the new GM alternator seems to put quite a strain on the engine when the voltage regulator calls for juice. I've noticed the idle will drop when the fan kicks on and then continue to stay low for a few minutes after the fan shuts off... assuming while the battery recharges... then it bumps back up a bit... interesting...

Now, to take a break while I emotionally "re-charge..." Winter/08's projects will hopefully be less stressfull:
1. new dash panels to mount the new switches in (and get the turn signal light out from behind the steering wheel rim).
2. get the SU's rebuilt/checked by a pro and then mounted along with the new Bell header.
 
Ian & Robyn:

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif
Jeff
 
Well... seems our celebration was premature...

After getting home from a late work trip, Robyn decided to take the car to work on Thursday... so Weds night, I got the car off the dollies and gave it a quick once-over, started it up and let it run for a bit just to be sure... So feeling reasonably good (as good as I'll ever feel about this car), I went home.

Thursday morning, she goes out... and the car won't start... she checked the carb oil, which has been leaking out badly lately, filled it up... still no good... frustrated, she takes the MINI to work... Gets home that afternoon and tries again... drains the battery... pulls the battery from the Volvo... still, the car won't start... I get home and she's not happy... so I spend the next 2 hours trying myself...nothing.

Nothing I've tried will fix it... it's got fuel... got spark... there's oil in the dash pot... futile attempts to start the car resulted in a burned out coil (including a nice puddle of coil-oil under the car)... so I bought a new coil... still no love... Cleaned the plugs... nope...

I've yet to find any decent information about adjusting the Z-S... I'm hesitant to pull the carb apart as we're planning to replace it with dual SU's anyway... so I'd rather not waste the time, but I was hoping to wait until the Winter to do it... I'm really tired of working on this car right now and just want it to go away... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif
 
Well, I'm not exactly 100% sure what I did, but the car starts and runs again.

First, I pulled the slide valve assembly out and took the needle apart to replace the needle adjuster o-ring.

Next, I dropped the float bowl to empty out the old gas and clean it up.

Put everything back together and with little confidence, I turned the key... and after turning for a couple of seconds to fill up the carb with gas again, lo-and-behold it started! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banana.gif

The idle speed is definitely all over the place. Warm up the engine... set the idle speed... blip the throttle... speed changes... blip the throttle again... get a different speed... so it looks like I'll be playing with the VTR bypass valve rebuild procedure and maybe rebuild the water choke as well.
 
If you aren't married to the idea of the water choke functioning, Ian, you know there are manual choke conversion kits available. It would eliminate a lot of gear prone to malfunction and leaking, IMO.
 
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