Attempting to build the fastest road legal Elan in the world

Attempting to build the fastest road legal Elan in the world

Author
Discussion

stevebroad

Original Poster:

442 posts

235 months

Monday 20th November 2017
quotequote all
I have now fitted and secured the exhaust silencer and am now working on the heat shield. The ends will be finished with carbon fibre covers.I will make these as soon as the cover shape and location is finalised and secured.







Whilst Julia (wife) is gallivanting around warm, sunny, Southern California, I needed something to entertain me during the cold, dark UK evenings. A good book or two to read seemed to fit the bill so I popped on to Amazon and bought these two.

The Engine Management book is pretty heavy going but the Nitrous one is a far easier read. It has already confirmed my independent research into purging, ie, it is only needed for either emptying lines when bottle is turned off in order to prevent any leakage into engine, initial purge after installation of bottle, poorly designed/installed systems or for posing. It isn't needed on the start line.


stevebroad

Original Poster:

442 posts

235 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
quotequote all
Just had a long and very informative chat with Lewis at Highpower Systems. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more Squire

stevebroad

Original Poster:

442 posts

235 months

Thursday 30th November 2017
quotequote all
In order to eliminate turbo lag I am designing a nitrous system, combining Wizards of NOS (WON) and Nitrous Oxide Systems' (NOS) philosophies, methods and components to suit my needs.

I have a NOS kit, bought way back in 2004 but never used. However, the kit is a wet system and I am going dry so the nozzles are not usable. NOS do a suitable nozzle for direct port injection but they would cost around $100 for 4 delivered. So I decided to make my own. The kit has the jets I need along with pipe, olives, nozzle caps etc. However, the solenoids are 14 years old technology and WON have a much better progressive unit called a Pulsoid, so I will get one of these.

Fuel will be provided by my existing 8 injectors so no need for another solenoid or extra nozzles for fuel.

NOS unit:



My attempt. The cap and jet are from the NOS kit:





Took me around 30 minutes to make. The other three should take less than an hour now that I have worked out how to make them. The gas exit slot will be cut once the nozzles are installed and I can cut them so they face the valves.

marsattacks

17 posts

132 months

Thursday 30th November 2017
quotequote all
I love the detail in your build, it's a great thread. How's self building the carbon pieces for the car going with the new curing oven?

stevebroad

Original Poster:

442 posts

235 months

Tuesday 16th January 2018
quotequote all
Hi. Apologies for long delay in replying.

As for the new oven, it has been tested making a carbon hockey stick for my son's girlfriend. Came out pretty well.



Design change of nitrous injectors. Decided to place them in plenum spraying directly down the inlet ports.

The bent one shows what happens when you fail to tighten the lathe chuck properly.

|https://thumbsnap.com/VhPeaDUq[/url]





The exhaust shield is coming along. End cap pucks are almost finished. Next task is to make the moulds over the pucks for the carbon.





Car goes back to DC Electronics in early February to have wiring installed.[url]

Burwood

18,709 posts

245 months

Tuesday 16th January 2018
quotequote all
You're a talented man, Steve. I feel very inadequate reading this thread biggrin


e28525e

462 posts

140 months

Tuesday 16th January 2018
quotequote all
Just read the whole thread, top work!


S.H.A.D.O.

120 posts

101 months

Tuesday 16th January 2018
quotequote all
Great thread and the best of luck with it.

I spent a lot of my time at the Pod in the late 70's early 80's, I think I have some pics of your car and another much modified yellow Elan.

stevebroad

Original Poster:

442 posts

235 months

Tuesday 16th January 2018
quotequote all
S.H.A.D.O. said:
Great thread and the best of luck with it.

I spent a lot of my time at the Pod in the late 70's early 80's, I think I have some pics of your car and another much modified yellow Elan.
Thanks

If you have I would love to see them. The yellow Elan was probably gold and called Hay Jude:



However, I did run at the Pod when mine was yellow.

stevebroad

Original Poster:

442 posts

235 months

Tuesday 16th January 2018
quotequote all
Burwood said:
You're a talented man, Steve. I feel very inadequate reading this thread biggrin
Thanks but don't be. Nothing clever is going on here IMO. All basic stuff, just need the space, tools, time and the belief that you can do it. Also, it may take a few attempts :-)

stevebroad

Original Poster:

442 posts

235 months

Tuesday 16th January 2018
quotequote all
e28525e said:
Just read the whole thread, top work!
Thanks.

Eddieslofart

1,328 posts

82 months

Tuesday 16th January 2018
quotequote all
How will you do the fuel/nitrous mix ? Double solenoids feeding ?

stevebroad

Original Poster:

442 posts

235 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
Eddieslofart said:
How will you do the fuel/nitrous mix ? Double solenoids feeding ?
Nitrous will be controlled by a Wizard of Nos pulsoid. Fuel will be supplied by the engine's existing injectors.

PS, There will be no 'Oohh, look at me, I've got nitrous' purge system, not required on a properly set up and sized system using nylon pipes.


Edited by stevebroad on Wednesday 17th January 18:38

stevebroad

Original Poster:

442 posts

235 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
End section now gel coated and covered in mould mixture. Let cure for 24 hours before removal.




stevebroad

Original Poster:

442 posts

235 months

Thursday 18th January 2018
quotequote all
Well, that was almost an unmitigated disaster.

Easy bit - Mould came off the car fairly easily and fitting 2 layers of prepreg was a breeze. Wrapped up, vacuumed and cured at 120 deg C for an hour.

Hard bit - Getting carbon out of the mould was a nightmare, should have taken a few minutes but took me over an hour. No idea why, mould was prepared properly and had 8 coats of release agent. Had to get heavy handed and it is just as well that I hadn't planned to make multiple parts with the mould as the gel coat is destroyed. Also fortunate that I paint my carbon as the surface is f**k*d.

But at least it seems to fit pretty well. Once it is trimmed it will be fine, honest! :-)

Hopefully the smaller front cap will be easier.








Vaud

50,289 posts

154 months

Thursday 18th January 2018
quotequote all
Awesome thread.. what's your target date for firing her up and starting to "fettle"?

stevebroad

Original Poster:

442 posts

235 months

Thursday 18th January 2018
quotequote all
Vaud said:
Awesome thread.. what's your target date for firing her up and starting to "fettle"?
Thanks. Car goes in for wiring early February. Fettling then starts so, hopefully, first start will be before end of April.

stevebroad

Original Poster:

442 posts

235 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
Steering wheel finally finished. All wires in connecting cable used up and no room for any more switches anyway :-)

Screen contains all road legal warning lights plus speedo and tacho along with outputs from the numerous engine sensors. Switches are for the linelock, launch and traction control, nitrous activation (illuminated), ECU map strategy options, parachute (with keyed activation and warning lamp), fire extinguisher, gearbox neutral and indicators. The four black buttons control the various screen pages.



Edited by stevebroad on Friday 19th January 18:20

Vaud

50,289 posts

154 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
I just love the idea of any road legal car with a parachute button.

stevebroad

Original Poster:

442 posts

235 months

Sunday 21st January 2018
quotequote all
Although messing around with my lathe and CNC mill is fun, they don't beat the satisfaction of making things by hand using old tools. Most car modders will know what this is for :-)








Edited by stevebroad on Sunday 21st January 18:22