Newbie Gremlins

[Nabbott]

Greetings - Today I picked up my 'New Car' (03' build) Can-Am. And now want to throw myself at the mercy of fellow Ultima owners.

Having tentativly driven the car home - the battery wasn't charging. I suspected the alternator, but now having read a bit about the old Red Top 60 batteries, think that's the problem. When I pulled it out of the car it was date stamped 2/10/02. Have ordered a new battery just now…. using one of the links under a battery discussion.

So 2 initial questions.

1) What is the solution to cabin heat (using the perspex 'fly screens'? Man alive. It wasn't hot today but after 12 or so miles I was starting to cook up nicely. Am I right in thinking that the air passes thru' the rad, up the bonnet, over the fly screen to tumble into the cab and bake it's occupants? Or am I being singled out for 'special attention' http://www.pistonheads.com/GASSING/imgs/2.gif Of course the other option would be that I have the heater fully 'on'…. is the knob supposed to be pushed in or out?

2) Once warm I couldn't find 1st of 2 gear - I suspect the gear linkage (R/Hand) needs some adjustment as it was fine again once cold - is there a standard 'tune your gear linkage ' procedure?

Not withstanding the initial 12 miles were pretty exciting!!!!

[Nabbott]

Thanks for the replies. Will post some pictures in due course (it's the orange car that was up for sale (with iffy pictures) in the classified very recently). Simon (the guy I bought it from) did very little mileage in it during his 7 year ownership - 300 or so - so suspect that there's an amount of fettling needed (and one of the reasons I bought one in the first place).

Based on the replies I suspect the perspex between the tool bar will be the solution as my rear clam has been 'modified' to accommodate the worlds largest air filter….. once it's running again i'll jury rig some ply in there to see if it makes it any better.

As for additional heat insulation - I suspect VERY little was done (but the quality of the build is good), so I may be restricted to 'post build' solutions. I haven't ruled our retrofitting AC, but does seem perverse in a (very) open top car!

[Nabbott]

Have any of you guys experimented with a 'wind break' behind the roll bar - and if so did it improve things much? Was going to fashion something out of ply before putting into perspex.

HOWEVER, before I do that I need to tear down the alternator as it's not charging and the starter motor threw it's guts over the drive when I returned home :-(

[Nabbott]

Fans in the engine bay? Nope - other than the two up front that's all we have. Is it hot? Blooming heck YES - sorting out cabin heat to a manageable level is very high on the priority list!

[Nabbott]

Thanks Paul - good advice and i've already put myself on their radar with some gelcoat repair. I actually ordered the spares from a US firm as the spur gear from the starter was found on my drive (so it's only the spacer, lock ring, spring etc..), cross my fingers it works out :-)

[Nabbott]

So OK you lovely Ultima people - which way is this heater valve open or closed? When I found it, the cable wasn't attached, so I suspect that the heater was left fully open, with one of the heater pipes (that should have been attached to the dash vent) hanging under the dash filling the cab with lots and lots of warm air..... My guess is the 2nd picture is the valve fully open - think I can see the word 'ON' partially obscured by the cable....

<a href="http://s1175.photobucket.com/user/nigeljabbott01/media/2014-04-15201828_zpscf4c01c6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r627/nigeljabbott01/2014-04-15201828_zpscf4c01c6.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 2014-04-15201828_zpscf4c01c6.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1175.photobucket.com/user/nigeljabbott01/media/2014-04-15202018_zpsf6d7093a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r627/nigeljabbott01/2014-04-15202018_zpsf6d7093a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 2014-04-15202018_zpsf6d7093a.jpg"/></a>

[Nabbott]

[Nabbott]

Thanks chaps. It's fair to say I have a long list to get through before I have to start to get to replacing mechanical heater controls

[Nabbott]

Any of you SBC powered chaps know the spec of your starter motor? After getting the car home I found the starter motor pinion on the drive (the starter appears to have chucked a strop and 'thrown up' it's pinion assembly). I ordered a new SBC pinion assembly that I fitted last night but still no joy - spins up nicely but doesn't engage the flywheel. I'm currently suspecting the solenoid being stuck..... But will investigate tonight with (another) strip down.

So my question is whether you know the spec of the starter installed in SBC cars? The one I'm wrestling with is a IMI 101 - which appears to be an upgraded part most commonly used in VW applications. Are there other options available or is this another call to the factory on Tuesday morning?

Thanks nabbott

[Nabbott]

Fettling not driving appears to be where I am (and where I'm due to be for a little while).

So thus far I've replaced the battery & starter motor. I've ordered a new air filter filter assembly (to remove the hideous ITG custom set up installed on the car), MAP plumbing for the throttle bodies (the map sensor for the ECU wasn't connected to ANYTHING), a new alternator and bracket. $1,200 and counting plus £450 for a new battery and starter.....

Charging circuit - the alternator was the wrong size - 50 amps! American speed et al all spec 80-120 amp alternators and there's NO way that a larger alternator would have fitted in it's current bracket - which means the car has NEVER been right - the net drain on the battery would render the car immobile after 15 miles.

Fuel injection - the manifolds are sealing with silicon sealant which is leaking into the throttle bodies, so this will have to be removed and cleaned up - it has to come off for the drilling and taping of the vacuum pipes for the MAP sensor anyway..... but no MAP sensor is yet another indication that no one has been through the car properly to fix a string of minor issues.

HT Leads - does anyone stock a 'standard' set for a SBC engine here in the UK with 90 degree fittings? Am waiting on a quote from Magnecor the only other option appears to be more US e-commerce transactions.

So whilst the injection system will be on the bench I'm sending the exhaust away for coating - then I can reassemble the whole sheebang..... that only leaves a slightly leaky gearbox (dripping from the front of the bell housing so suspect the main oil seal) so could be driving the car by July!

The lesson here? Buy a car with too few miles and expect a string of problems!

[Nabbott]

Thanks Steve - i'd not found them before and they're relatively close for me as well - BONUS!

[Nabbott]

So new alternator is now relocated and installed. The Kinsler Fuel injection throttle bodies sit on the bench awaiting the arrival of the MAP vacuum fittings and I've generally tidied up the car a bit, replaced the dizzy cap, rotor and leads, repainted the silencers and wrapped the exhausts until I get a stainless system made - which is a winter job......

Which brings me onto another job i was HOPING could have waited 'till winter - the Gearbox leak

Ignore the ring around the puddle on the floor (I'd left my old alternator belt on the floor)- but with the car jacked up over night this is how much oil I lost JUST overnight:

http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r627/nigeljabb...

It's running down the front of the clutch actuator fork (difficult to see in this photo):

http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r627/nigeljabb...

So having never had one of these gearboxes out/to pieces my questions are 1) what is the main suspect - the main shaft oil seal 2) if so how difficult is it to replace? 3) or is there something else that is known to make the transaxle leak like a sieve?

i have no idea how much oil is in the gearbox (but it's doing a bl**dy good job of draining itself onto my floor), so will measure the output - but even if it was massively overfilled i'd still appear to have a leaky oil seal somewhere in that gearbox

[Nabbott]

Thanks - and I'm sure that they do.... at a 'COST'. I've found a guy 'up north' who'll make me an entire 304 polished system (that will pass noise scrutiny) for about 1,500.

Doesn't fix my g/box leak though

[Nabbott]

Nabbott said:

Thanks - and I'm sure that they do.... at a 'COST'. I've found a guy 'up north' who'll make me an entire 304 polished system (that will pass noise scrutiny) for about 1,500.

Doesn't fix my g/box leak though

[e-mail] - nottingham area. so looking back through my email it was 1,400 plus the dreaded VAT with perhaps another 150 to make it noise compliant....

[Nabbott]

Yes it does..... Having discussed this with a mate we recon the front seal on the main shaft has gone hard through lack of use (625 miles in 10 yrs). I've just bought some additive from the US (ATP 205 reseal) that is polymer based and is supposed to restore an oil seals flexibility. It can't hurt to try it before commiting to strip the box out!

[Nabbott]

Good solid advice Lee - thanks - and yes it was one of the first things I did!

[Nabbott]

So I can see the end is in sight

I need to fully drain the coolant and replace it. Has anyone used one of those vacuum purge/refill kits as I'd be interested to hear how well they work?

[Nabbott]

Inching perilously close now:



To get me here I've replaced the battery, starter motor, alternator (inc. different mounting position and bracketry), re-furbed and wrapped the exhausts, replaced the dizzy cap, rotor and leads, installed MAP vacuum sensors to the throttle bodies, installed a fuel pressure gauge, binned the custom air-filter box and modified to suit air filters on each pair of stacks, and had the stacks anodized (although the 2 oranges don't match), coolant drain and fill and g/box and engine oil change....



Fingers crossed it starts....

[Nabbott]

Thanks Lee - no they aren't ceramic coated (which is the principle reason I wrapped them). I will replace the exhaust in the winter as it's a fairly crude mild steel system.

[Nabbott]

Yes - was advised to do so to 'even' out the signal. The car has a Motec M48 ECU, which i've yet to start 'playing with' as I'm waiting on the last fitting that will also connect the MAP circuit to the fuel pressure regulator.