1500 miles complete!! next job is to change the mineral break-in oil for some 5w40 fully synthetic and enjoy the extra ponies and thrashing possibilities that will bring :)
Engine is running sweet, I'm thinking my first go at rebuilding an engine was a success. Let's hope it stays that way!
One job I was quite looking forward to was making a new upper strut brace. The original steel brace I made wouldn't fit since I moved the PCV system back to the OEM location. The recipe was a similar design, but made from stainless steel this time.
Here's the original brace to remake.
Cut some shapes with the plasma cutter and sent some metal through the rollers. Using 2.5mm 304 ss. Used my digital verniers to get the measurements of the turrets. Laser cutting would have been sweeter but it's just not economical for low volumes like this. Got a die grinder last week, would have been handy to have it for this job.
Got some more TIG practise in
For the tube I used some 1.5mm wall stainless tubing. This makes the whole brace stronger and lighter than the steel one. Plus it'll probably out-live the car!! I bent it using a bottle jack style tube bender I borrowed from my boss. Took absolutely ages to get the tubing shaped to fit the turret mounts!
Note new Beru coil packs.. not had any problems with these at all. Also new is the vacuum reservoir on top of the valve cover.. this gives a vacuum supply to the diverter valve so that the ECU can control it via another valve, called the N249.
Finished! Used some pickling paste, it removes the heat marks and makes it look shiney and all lovely. Yes I know it's not bolted in!!!
Here's a nice shot of Sean's car next to mine at the Phirm... non-body kit rules!!!!!!!
My ABF starter motor failed and euro's sent me this motor... for a 2.3L engined car! I don't think so.. Went to return it and they were out of 02A starter motors so I'm actually running an 02J starter motor now, which fits and works fine in an 02A.
I've been having a mare with the brakes.. if I adjust the bulkhead linkage enough so that I have reasonable pedal travel I end up with brakes that bind. I've been carrying a 13mm spanner with me so that I can adjust the linkage on the go.. I really want to get this sorted as it's unnerving having all this power but not the confidence in the anchors!!
I've had a new master cylinder and brake lines, and the linkage itself isn't sticky, so I deduced it must be the calipers (which I took apart but only cleaned). I got a rebuild set for each side comprising pistons, seals and slide rubbers.
The Astra brakes are looking a bit worse for wear now! Pistons and bores had slight corrosion
New rebuild kit
The brakes are back on now but I'm still getting slight binding on the front right I think.. I wonder if I can get the caliper bores honed, if that'll fix it? Did I clean the bores thoroughly enough? I don't know where to go with this. I'm tempted to say f-it and get a wilwood kit and a rear disc conversion.. ££££££....
Anyhoo here's a soapy pic
And a sunset pic
And a pic of my new toolbox after a tractor drove over my last one and squashed it! It was the brightest toolbox I could find! I made the one on the left ages ago from 2mm steel.. when it's empty it weighs the same as the green one, full up!