Luna: The cause of, and solution to, all of my problems

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Happy Birthday Andy!

 

Glad to see your making progress. Keep the updates coming as you get more and more goodies.

 

Thanks Mate!

 

 

 

With my school departure date of September 1st looming it's ugly head, and while I made sure of my living arrangements in Rhode island, progress on the car has suffered. And I apologize. No one wants me to work on it more than I do.

 

I've only managed to fix a couple miscellaneous wiring quirks on the car, and I may have solved my last remaining electrical issue, in regards to Megasquirt. Fingers crossed. But I won't know until I solve my last two remaining mechanical issues.

 

My third attempt of drilling and tapping the random 40 year old cast aluminum thermostat housings around my garage has proven to be quite the project....And somehow along the way I have managed to destroy my Optima Red top...Balls......

 

So my "make it run" list is as follows:

 

-Fix leaking thermostat housing (by making a new one)

-Find/fix source of dropping fuel pressure, after I turn the key off. (injectors check out, and I've swapped in two different fuel pressure regulators to see if that was the culprit; no change, unless BOTH were bad, which I guess is possible)

-Retime motor

-Reinstall distributor

 

Then......Check for correct RPM signal in Tunerstudio under cranking.

 

If that checks out. Hallelujah, I get to attempt to fire the motor.  If not. Back to troubleshooting.

 

But all of that said, progress will soon slow once again, lets see how much I can get done in the meantime.

 

 

 

oh...Also.....Black couplers baby...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll tell you what... With the new couplers, and the tires just sitting under the car on JACK STANDS, it's definitely starting to look really mean. And is beginning to show a personality. I'm excited. I can't wait til I can actually see the tires tucked into the fender flares.

 

I figure if it looks AT ALL decent like this. Its going to look pretty darn good when it's actually sitting on mounted wheels/tires. It's hard to get a justified picture, but here's a small idea. Love how it is going to look with my exhaust.

 

 

 

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Well..... Still waiting on wheels, and still splitting my time between New York, and Rhode Island.

While I'm in RI, I get to play with composites, so as a spare time project I've been making a new horn button.

I know....nothing spectacular, but it's all I can do from a few states away. Figure I'd share my progress to date, nonetheless.  


The OEM horn button is a serious offender in my opinion. It's comically large, and they only get bigger with the later 260 and 280 horns. I feel it is the weakest link in my interior. Here's an older shot for contrast.

 

 

But, I've always liked the look and feel of the stock wheel, so I made a plan and got to work...



-I started by dissecting the OEM horn pad; I removed the plastic insert, which allowed the button to fit snugly on the wheel.



After fixing a couple of cracks (surprise surprise), I cut a cap out of some 22 gauge sheet metal. Epoxied them together, and began making the surface fair, by sanding..

-Pre sand



Once I had the shape I wanted, the part was ready to have carbon fiber applied.

And since I was worried about fiber orientation on the face of the part, infusion was my technique of choice.

Dry 12k Carbon twill was placed in a vacuum bag, and the part was infused using a low viscosity resin.

Here it is first, under vacuum.





Then after resin has been pulled through the laminate, you can see the dark carbon becomes visible once saturated, even under a couple of layers of other materials.





Once cured, and out of the bag, I trimmed the edges.

Test fit #1



And here is the Datsun emblem just taped in place to see what it will look like. This is really rough, NOT a finished product.





Once I prep and fine tune the surface, I'm going to spray it with automotive clear. When I paint a black PT Cruiser for someone here in Bristol, I'm going to respray my steering wheel as well.

Although it's only about 50% finished, I definitely like the new design a lot more. I'm excited to see what it's going to look like in the car. My seats have a 12k twill style weave on them too. I think it's going to play out nicely. Er...I hope so at least.

I'm just glad to be making things for the 240 again.

Despite the 400 mile difference, I'm still trying to work on the car!

[1 tuff z]

Nice to see an update Andy.  Your fabbed horn button would look great with Jimmy Z's billet center!  When you heading back to NY?

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Nice to see an update Andy.  Your fabbed horn button would look great with Jimmy Z's billet center!  When you heading back to NY?

 

Good point! Thanks David.

 

Yeah, between multiple projects, and multiple living situations the Zs have been neglected these few months. I feel bad about it, too. But I will be back in New York full time come March. Until then, it's every third weekend or so. Which from experience, there isn't enough time to do anything properly.

 

But secretly all I want is to be home, so I can tap my 4th thermostat housing, (hopefully successfully this time) so I can put my motor back together and see if I can make it fire. I think I've solved my noise issues.

Edited December 9, 2013 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[Nelsonian]

I agree on the overly large horn button surround and think you nailed it with the proper proportion/size.

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

I agree on the overly large horn button surround and think you nailed it with the proper proportion/size.

Thanks! Now only if I could decide if I wanted...

 

a gloss black wheel?.... (resprayed with clear)

 

or

 

a sanded/polished metal wheel? (sanded + sprayed with clearcoat)

 

 

 

Decisions....decisions.

Edited December 10, 2013 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[RebekahsZ]

Can you put CF over the wood?

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Can you put CF over the wood?

 

You could wrap it.. But personally I feel that would be a whole lot of extra effort for not a whole lot of gain. It would take a lot of time though. I'd just buy a carbon wheel if I wanted that.

 

 

 

 

Update: Today was a snow day. So I got to play with my steering wheel.

 

My paint guy failed me, I asked for non metallic, but I think now it may have been a blessing in disguise. The flake seems to mimic/goes well with the carbon on the horn button.

 

After spraying and seeing it in person, I'm a fan. I think it looks beautiful.

 

Here's the base coat

 

 

Sprayed base on wheel

 

 

 

And some clear. Initial spray pictures (no justice given). I CAN'T WAIT to unwrap it all tomorrow and assemble the wheel.

 

 

 

 

 

More to come. Stay warm all!

Edited January 4, 2014 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

The first thing I did this morning...Haha

Unwrapped, still bad lighting, and roughed together. I'm going to buff the button to a nice finish once the clear has a chance to cure fully.

Hopefully you get the idea. Personally, I think it's gorgeous. I can't wait to see it in the car.

 

When I got the wheel this morning, I forgot the grab a piece required for assembly, so that picture will come tonight probably.

Now I have something to stare at while I'm away from home. Nice!

Edited January 4, 2014 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[LanceVance]

Classic look, with a modern finish. Very good looking! I would have been sceptical of the metallic in the paint as well, but it actually works quite well at tying in the lacquered wood to the glossy carbon fiber.

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Thanks Lance! I love how it turned out.

 

Meanwhile...

 

 

More trouble in paradise...




Long story short: changed compressor belt, flipped 'on' switch, lots of omitted details, no compressor........ So needless to say, I'm getting my electric motor repaired...

But it isn't ALL bad. Thermostat housing #4, as far as I've tested so far, is a success, but I won't know 100% until I bolt it up and fill the car up. I finally gave in and outsourced the work to my machine shop. 15 bucks later, I was in business. Why didn't I do this sooner?!



And these babies came in the mail. About time, I waited 6 months for the color...I'm happy!

 

 

 

 

And now I'm finally getting around to properly cutting my fenders and mounting my flares (correctly)

The flares, until this point, were held on mostly with hopes and dreams. They were also ALL on the wrong side of the car, which some of you probably have noticed haha. So I've taken this time, now that I have my wheels, to remedy this.







Driver's side rivnuts installed.

More are in the mail, so I'll have to wait to finish the rest by the time I mount my tires.








Test fit: The fit is wonderful compared to the backwards previous version! 1 down, three to go.





 But, I can't cut the fender(s) until I once again have compressed air, so again, more waiting...

Edited February 17, 2014 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[palauoriginal]

That horn button is amazing. Nice work!

[LanceVance]

Driver's side rivnuts installed.

More are in the mail, so I'll have to wait to finish the rest by the time I mount my tires.

I wasn't aware of these, but you can consider this idea stolen! Much better than stacking steel and rubber washers (especially if you get the rubber rivnuts). Edited February 18, 2014 by LanceVance

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

I wasn't aware of these, but you can consider this idea stolen! Much better than stacking steel and rubber washers (especially if you get the rubber rivnuts).

 

 

Yeah, I DEFINITELY recommend them. After haphazardly mounting my flares a couple different times in the past, I was ready for an acceptable solution.

 

 

 

Harbor freight sells a 45 piece Rivet nut installer deal for 15 bucks. Unfortunately they don't carry the 1/4 - 20 Rivnuts aside from the 10 you get in the pack.

 

I ordered 25 more on Amazon and they should be here by Friday.

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Got the tires mounted today at lunch. And here's what I did to tease myself when I got home a few minutes ago.  






Fenders still aren't cut....Still no compressor. Oh woe is me. But, I'll figure something out.

Regardless, the car is going to look gooood on the ground.

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Well today was a good day.

Air compressor is once again up and running. SO relieved, I really missed my air tools.




Especially my cut off wheel! I finally chopped the driver's fender tonight.





Installed with fender welting. Finally looking legitimate. No more fender lips peeking out from under there.







Tomorrow I'll follow up with more after work.

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Tonight I managed to get the passenger's fender squared away.



Rivnuts installed. Fender lip cut.



Then the welting and flare go back on...





I'll start the rear flares tomorrow after work. The rears will require a bit more fussing around. More pictures to follow.

Edited February 27, 2014 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[RebekahsZ]

Looks great!  Whose flares are those?  Wide or regular width?  What rivet nut kit is that-aluminum or steel?

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Looks great!  Whose flares are those?  Wide or regular width?  What rivet nut kit is that-aluminum or steel?

 

Thanks!

 

They are regular width ZGs, and they are from a really early run by MSA, I am not sure of their supplier at the time. But I intend on making molds from these once they get tired.

 

The rivnuts are are steel, with zinc coating.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-4-20-UNC-SF-Steel-Rivet-Nut-Rivnut-Insert-Nutsert-/370309717552?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:3160

 

The installer was bought from harbor freight, and it came with 10 of their own 1/4-20 rivnuts as well, but they don't offer them for sale out of the kit.

 

 

I'll note that I PREFER the harbor freight rivnuts to the ones I linked. The collar size is much larger on the HF rivnuts than the others. You'd just have to spend 45 bucks to buy three kits to get the amount of rivnuts you'd need. And you'd have two spare installers too, haha.

Edited February 27, 2014 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[RebekahsZ]

Can you show the installer tool?  I bought one from HF last time I was in Huntsville and it came with an assortment of ALUMINUM rivet nuts.  My tool looks kinda like a pop-riveter (kinda cheap looking).