Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

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820Vitesse
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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Tue Feb 20, 2018 2:13 pm

It will definitely need doing so took it a bit wider than probably had to just so there is some tolerance. Needed to get something done otherwise it is going to run even later than planned to get back on the road, was hoping to make POL this year for the first time but that is looking less likely every week.
Still waiting for the downpipe but hope to have it back in a couple of weeks.

Ended up angular rather than rounded only because it was difficult to find suitable round steel the right size at a justifiable cost and once fitted it will probably never be noticed.

Removed from the car and viewed from opposite angle
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No turning back now
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Mild steel cut to shape
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Welded
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and lashings of paint, just need to paint and protect inside the subframe after welding then it can go back on the car
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Thats all for now

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Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by scoobyh123 » Tue Feb 20, 2018 2:35 pm

Nice work as always Jim! :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Thu Nov 15, 2018 11:42 am

Long overdue mega update time.

Got the downpipe back with new flange fitted, the correct size and shape this time.

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Needs just little bit of tidying up but much better.

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Looks great

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But its not flat, seems even the professionals can get to much heat into the work, it really is that bad.

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Pretty sure this will not fit a skimming machine and I am not sending it back again. So going to try and skim it flat by hand with a heavy steel bar and emery cloth.
High areas marked

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I spent 3 hours on it this afternoon, it is nearly there but tricky to keep the bar flat, back on it tomorrow hopefully get it finished.
Last edited by 820Vitesse on Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Thu Nov 15, 2018 11:51 am

Few more hours spent on this and a huge improvement, but cannot get it absolutely perfect, when I shine a light from behind I still see the faintest of gaps, probable only a couple of thou, I suspect this is due to working by hand and by nature no matter how careful and slow you go there will always be a kind of arching movement with more pressure front and rear. If I can find or make a gasket I hope that will make a good enough seal.

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Also ground back the oxygen sensor boss, before

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After, boss and blank flatted and some inner edges cleaned up.

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Now to get back to the manifold

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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Thu Nov 15, 2018 11:54 am

Couple of other little jobs on the go are

Improved the tray for the lightweight battery to fit in the standard battery tray, I can still use a heavy fullsize battery when its not on track day duty. In case anyone wondered It is not just the two M4 screws holding the front in place, there is a row of rivets all the way across on the other side out of view, if that makes sense, the red and blue M4's are to mark the terminals

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Fitted to the standard tray. The clamp will be changed.

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Keep finding other jobs while it is in bits. This rusty coolant pipe is currently rubbed down, rust treated and ready for new paint.

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Finding a turbo outlet gasket the right size and shape is not so simple, the official UK Garrett turbos distributor sent the wrong gasket, even with pictures and dimensions to check against.

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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Thu Nov 15, 2018 11:58 am

Steering feels to vague now everything else is tightened up so looking to replace the 20+ year old rubber bushes and fix the rack more firmly. Of course the bushes are no longer available for the 800 or the Legend and none of the poly bush companies list anything for the 800.

Remembered the camera after I started to take it apart

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Well over due for replacement. I contacted all the polybush companies and Superflex are being really helpful checking current products against the Rover dimensions, this is still going on, no luck yet. I am going to name and shame once done because some didnt even bother to reply.

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PAS pipe and cover needs some attention before going back on

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Finally, treated the old Rover to one of these for when it passes its next MOT, flat dish, suede and 30mm smaller than the standard wheel.

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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:00 pm

Steering rack bushes for the 800's and early Honda Legends are NLA. After much measuring and messing about the only bush I could closely match to anything else was one side of a Nissan Skyline, this will require a 1mm sleeve fitted to the Rover rack.
The other side matches nothing else, all I could find worldwide were 2 standard 1986 Acura Legend bushes in America so ordered one of those, see below.

Acura Legend bush bottom left, Skyline bush bottom right.

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Next on the steering is to make a wider bracket to reduce the amount of movement once all bolted up, will sort pictures once done.

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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:02 pm

Using an old bed frame, some scrap metal and exhaust brackets made a jig just rigid enough to mount the manifold for a skim

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Now perfectly true I can carry on

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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:04 pm

Tacked the outlet back on the manifold to test, now in a true horizontal position but the turbo is still to far forward.

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Plan now is to cut the outlet off again and extend the collector area down 50mm and back slightly, below is the 2mm stainless steel for this task.

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Found a multi layer embossed gasket for the turbo outlet to downpipe, I am hoping this will reliably take up the very slight gap left after my manual skim of the very warped downpipe inlet.

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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:07 pm

I need to reroute the radiator top hose as it touches manifold.

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Cutting a spare thermostat elbow slightly shorter and a 135 degree silicone hose gives some clearance but will still need a heat shield.

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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:13 pm

Managed to get a few days in the garage trying to get the turbo and downpipe in position. No matter how the turbo was positioned with the downpipe fitted there was something not right, to far forward, to close to water pump, downpipe to close to sump, angle from the manifold to turbo to sharp.
In the end this was the best position for the turbo with all the compromises so the downpipe was routed with enough clearance. It meant a really sharp angle but maybe I could just about get away with it.
With bits of wood taped all round the sump, engine mount water pump etc more wood propping up the turbo this was where it ended up

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Next was cut the sections to join the manifold to turbo

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Day 2. It was no good could not convince myself this was right, besides the flange was a curse word fit at the turbo. Wasted many hours but was never going to be happy with it like that.

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Only way is to start again. Get the turbo in the best position then work back, means chopping up the new downpipe which I wanted to avoid but got no choice the shape is to far off.

So to start again, had a new 12mm stainless turbo flange made to match the turbo intake, near perfect match and with threaded bolt holes and a tab so I can add a support bracket.

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Turbo in optimum position, new sections were made to join the manifold to flange for best gas flow and clearance. I was on a roll at this point and forgot to get pictures so it jumps to tacked into position and partially welded

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It will need some tidying up inside to blend the downpipe tubing into the smaller rectangular turbo intake but should get away with it

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Front section fitted. Not the best welding but I might attempt to flatten it all afterwards if it stands out to much, great thing about stainless steel it polishes up like chrome quite easily.

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Lastly for now made a start at grinding the sharp edges inside and blending the tubing to the flange

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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:17 pm

Manifold is finished at last, although I might still weld a small plate to the front of the outlet flange and collector to beef it up a bit.

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and the little bracket that will have 3 stainless rods attached going in 3 different directions bolted to the head and block to add support

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Next back to the downpipe and system

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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:21 pm

I had to cut and bend the downpipe to clear the sump, it still passes a little close to the sump but should be ok. After patching up the hole I came to two conclusions, I really need to improve my welding skills and this downpipe will probably be cut and joined again in the future.
When it comes to building the system I plan to set up a temporary welding station with a bench I can sit at with the pipework properly supported at the right height and practice first.

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anyway it fits so I can get on with the system now.

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I went a simpler route with the top hose, the first attempt was to many parts to long and looked wrong, this still has some flex so engine movement does not pull on the radiator and is much neater.

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It still passes close to the exhaust manifold.

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So made a little aluminium heat shield to sit between the hose and manifold, it needs finishing but should do the job.

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Because the turbo is now in a different position the intake hose, oil feed pipe and coolant pipes need extending or adjusting one way or another I have some new parts coming this week to sort those out.
I want to build a strut brace but keep changing the design, what ever way it goes I need to start at the spring turrets so had these made to get things under way.

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Other news, the steering rack is back in with the new bushes, not very interesting so no pictures.

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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:26 pm

The exhaust system parts arrived this week. My original plan was to have a single centre box with a side exit oval tailpipe just in front of the O/S rear wheel. But once I offered the pipes up under the car it was going to be to low and close to the tyre or need part of the sill cut away.
New plan is a straight through system with single silencer at the rear and original tailpipe position, I think this will sound nicer and be more suited to this car. I can still put a flange or v-band joint at the point where a side exit section can be temporarily fitted (with no silencer).

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Got as far as I can with the manifold support rods till the turbo comes off again, made from 10 x 1.5mm stainless, crushed the ends and drilled bolt holes.

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The gear linkage needs a bit of work so removed this while exhaust is off and car in the air. One of the bushes is worn and an old quick shift mod needs some tweaking.
Had to grind off the ends of the M8 rivet to get it apart.

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I did a quick shift modification to the gear lever years ago with a section of steel pipe welded to the underside of the gear lever but it was to much, hardly any movement at gear knob so immediately took it apart and cut a piece out. It was better but still to much, that is how it stayed for years. this is a long over due 3rd attempt.

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Another piece removed from the previously added steel sleeve.

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You can buy a harder silicone bush to replace the rubber mount at the back of the gear linkage but thought I would try tightening the bracket down on the standard rubber mount to get the same effect, the bracket tightens down on to steel sleeves in the mount

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One done, I will shorten both 2mm

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The rest of it is in really good condition, stripped and cleaned it will be reassembled with new grease.

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Lastly there were a few rust spots on the support tube so rubbed these down and got it ready for rust converter and a coat of paint

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Re: Re: 1994 BRG Vitesse Fastback

Post by 820Vitesse » Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:32 pm

Found some perfect size brass bushes to replace the old worn plastic gear linkage bushes, so perfect it has no freeplay and operates like its fitted with ball bearings. With the extra bit of gear lever throw from the reduced short shift mod it feels much better.

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Cleaned, painted and back together

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The cooling fan deserved a clean and paint while it was out.
This is a spare but it shows the fibreglass heat shield and how the surface deteriorates after 20 odd years.

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Cleaned and painted, with a few extra holes in the cowling

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and with the cover tidied up and painted, fitted with chrome nuts

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The new downpipe runs close to the water pump and a slightly re-routed bottom hose so I fitted another little aluminium heat shield

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Few other jobs done, the steering column UJ was a bit notchy so I replaced it with another good used one. The boost has been controlled by a manual valve, it was a temp fix at the time but worked perfectly and has been completely reliable so no reason to change it really but it was only meant to be temporary so have fitted the original electronic boost control solenoid and wired it to the DTA ECU, cannot set this up fully till it is running again and waiting for some pipe to finish it. thats it for now, thanks

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