I bought a Birkin

I'll just leave this here....

Has anyone noticed that its the little things?  I have been trying to shove the figurative 5# of stuff in a 10# bag it seems.   This means that my earlier procurement of a oil filter relocation kit would not work.  I needed to have a 90* move of the lines to get them fit.  No biggie, Ill just order a sandwich filter with the blanking plug.

First attempt resulted in just getting the sandwich adapter.  Contact the seller, "we will send it out right away.".  Another week, and I get the package.  I rip it open like a kid on Christmas AND!!!!!!!                  It's the same sandwich adapter.  Contact them again and they just say, "we sent the parts...."  I setup a return and refund.

Second/Third? attempt.  I order from another vendor that has a SPECIFIC picture of the block off end.

I get the package in, I tear into it........Just the sandwich adapter.

I contact the seller, send pics of the package and include the same pic as above that this is missing.   They say, "We are shipping and will send info within 72 hours."  After the 72 hours, I hadn't heard anything, so send a note to them asking for info.  Apparently, it was delivered to the mailbox just then.  Though, I had to wait for the wife to get home with the mail key as she likes to Bogart it.

As luck would have it, IT WAS CORRECT!

There is always bad news though, The adapter piece ended up being a different thread than what I had.  So, I figured I would stop into Autozone just 1/2 mile from the house.  ll there stuff is in the back corner as told by the associate.  They have none of the oil filter "nipples" or whatever you call them.  I figure, screw it, lets go to look.  Ace Hardware, Oreilly's, a local Hydraulic place, no dice anywhere.  I did some calculated thought, and figured JB weld could help.

So, I employed the glue of champions to put this together and all seems right in the world.  Except that the dry sump pump sits low enough to interfere.  Some cutting, grinding, sanding.  I finally get it down.

The blue fitting on the block is for an accusump.  Do I need that?   Maybe not, but my thought is that this may help oil the engine as its now a dry sump setup and may not need to have a full prime done if it sets a bit.

From the bottom, I just capped the outlet, and have the inlet opened.

Its off the engine stand finally too.... with the flywheel on it.....

I havent updated this......  Let's correct that.

I got all the extra stuff shoved on the engine, and have been slowly getting it pieced together.  As I took this apart at another shop, and then brought it home....well, I lost a lot of bolts.  Or they are there and I dont remember how this goes back together.   

So, after measuring up the bell and engine length I bought a new set of bolts for that.

I went ahead and got the engine under the car and placed.  I measured everything to make sure it fit.  I was REALLY pretty sure it probably would fit.  

With my EXCELLENT picture taking ability, you can tell that every addition to the engine would not fit.  So, I need to pull off the Dry Sump Pump, Alternator, intake adapter, front pulley, maybe more.  I don't remember.  But I got the engine plugged in.  

I then went and got more bolts....cause, yea.... and set the trans under the car too.  So, that means I have all the parts there.  

Above I mention the whole "measuring", and "probably fit".  I must say, I didnt do too bad.  I have the alternator installed and using the belt that I got for it.  It fit, and when tentioned, it would just contact the top "frame rail".  So, when I got the bolts for the trans mount, I took in the new belt to AutoZone.  They had a belt that was just slightly smaller.  1" I think is the measurement.  Now I have 1/2" clearance.  

Now, I just need to hook everything else back up.  Build the lines for the oil.  Setup the filter up.  Redo the coolant pump.  Reinstall the dash.

Yup, slowly....

I dont track hours, not normally.  I went out and did some work in some in between call times this week and over lunch.  

This picture represents about 4 hours of work.  

That included; undoing the old harness on the other side of the car, measuring out the additional wiring needed, soldering in the new pieces, running it through the heat insulation already there, reinsulating that, hanging the exhaust, reinstalling the water outlet area, and the forward facing water outlet.

I wasn't rushing, but, it is what it is.

Now to move over to the drivers side to finish up all of that.

I have been trying to button up the engine.  I finalized the oil system and I have 60psi when running on a drill *it was a 3k rpm one that bogged down when the oil hit it.  should be enough oil*.  Also, I finalized the water system, kinda.

The main issue was getting the water pumped mounted.  If you remember, I didn't have room for the full water pump pulley with the relocation of the alternator.  So I needed to get the electric pump mounted.  I figured out that it would just about line up for the intake side if I mounted it sideways behind the steering rack.  I had some leftover aluminum square.  Instead of welding this, I went ahead and rivetted it.  Its cross rivetted and shuold be plenty strong.  If it works in a plane, it'll work in water pump support bracket!  Or something.

That extra hole at the bottom of the pic, yea, I measured once apparently.  Dont do that.  BUT LIGHTNESS ADDED!!!

This was mounted and it ended up being approximately 2" too far to the left of the vehicle.  This means, I needed to have another section of hose to adapt.  Since I needed this, I raided the Autozone hose aisle.  The first I picked up was $35.  That seems steep.  The next was $17.  I held on and asked about a nice double bend 24" oal hose.  I figured, it was to be too expensive, cause length and bends.  $9, yup, it was way cheaper than the  short little piece.  So I picked that up.

Funny enough, I cut the end I needed for the intake side.  Then worked on the other side of the pump.  The old hose piece was short and didnt quite fit.  So, I line it up and the leftover piece from the hose I bought was perfect.  I ended up fitting almost exactly where it was needed.  I did have to extend the distance between the two hoses.  So, I used the old crossover to make an extender.  This worked pretty great.  I also "bead rolled" it with my modified Gardner Bender Pliers.  

Not mine, but a stolen pic.  I did the same thing.

So I ended up here....

You can see the extender hose towards the bottom of the picture.  Also, if you have a keen eye, you can see an idler pulley.

So, I went to finalize the needed "things".  One of those was the crankshaft sensor.  I put this on and it fit great, just like before.  BUT! the belt was contacting that.  Dang!

So I looked through what was there and what I had.  I found an idler pulley that was smaller and would fit in there.  If I hadnt said, this is a bracket from a 74 Ford.  I found it on ebay, and needed something as a holder for the alternator.  I had an extra hole where  it was mounted originally on the car it was first designed for.  I lined up where it was and then needed a spacer between this and the pulley to line it up right.  

Before I go too far, the bracket you would think would be able to be clearanced.  Technically yes, but to allow for the belt to clear, I would need to grind through one of the threaded holes that was holding the sensors on.  So that was a no-go.

Back to the task at hand.  I looked at the size of the hole in the idler.  It was about 12.25mm *I get closer doing MM and it makes more sense*.   So I looked at some scrap, which I had some aluminum which was right about the right size on the one end.  The other was closer to 15.   In thinking of how to make this, I thought "man, a lathe would help."   Seeing as I have a lathe which predates me by 50 years, why not go look at it.  The motor had a cord on it, so, why not.  

I plug it in, flip the switch,  BAM!  She runs.  I look at the tool, and it has a cutting edge on it.  So I look at moving that to a better direction.  It seems to cut!  To give you an idea as I was dealing with.  Here is the belt on the machine.  It was probably at least as old as me. 

I got this cut and put for the spacer.   I also cut the washer for the other side.  I then trimmed the bolts head and welded it onto the bracket. 

I think it came out pretty good.  

At this point, other than the radiator and the upper inlet hose, all plumbing is "done".  So I have to finish the exhaust *2 bolts*, and the electrics.  Once I finish this, I have to pull apart the oil system.  Put covers to protect the hoses in spots.  Regasket the oil pan, and put it all together.  Then redo the dash and reinstall that.  The  party?  

Slowly but surely........ 

I have done work on the car!!!!

No pics though.  

However, I have the wiring up to the dash done.  The AFR guage wiring is all in and setup to the interior.  I am lacking attaching it to the power and such.  Hense the to the dash.

The water pump is wired in too.   Theoretically, since the ECU has a spot to throw in the waterpump to, it should work once programmed.  I am probably going to slap a switch on it to make sure.  Just need to read some more on that though.

SO, hopefully the next time in the garage I can get the dash in.  That will leave dropping the pan to reseal it.  Wrapping 2 more of the oil lines, and putting the "filters" inline on the pan.

Not sure how this eill post since it's from the phone, but some progress.  

With the new guages I didn't like the way the dash was coming together.  So, I did something....

A little trimming and some small epoxy patches from sanding and I thing we should be good.

Wow tell me more about the dash!

So, I did this the short way.  I found a 3d print for an is300 gage cluster.  I then used 3d build to split, move, align, and resize the pieces to a form I liked.  I then 3d printed it with ABS material.

I finally out the 4x8 glass desk tabl to use for what I originally bought it for.  I hot glued the 3d print to the table.  Put on clay to contour is better.  Then layed up about 6 layers of carbon fiber over the top.  Vacuum formed the top on it and let it sit for 24 hours.

Since I used ABS, I utilized acetone to eat out and make this softer to help remove it from the back.  Then took it out and sanded down the epoxy ridges *remember, cheap and quick version so I didn't make a real mold*.  I cut open the gage pods and fit the gages.  Then I brought it in, filled the holes with extra carbon fiber and brushed the whole face.  It should sparkle a bit better in the morning.

Feel free to ask questions and I can try to answer.  I just did the work, and got pics after it was in process.  So the perfect thing to have for a build thread.

I have been working on this, but over the past 4 months, I was only home during the week for 1 *which was all holidays). 

I was home at one point in that time frame to try to fit the dash into the car.  Bear in mind, I made it and set it all up to drop in.  Well, that didnt work well. 

I fought spacing to make it all sit in the dash in the top to bottom area.  I thought that I had depth covered, well I did not.  The gauges fell in right at the upper cross bar.  Why I didn't take that into consideration or missed it, well ionknow.  I thought I was good.

Given all of that, I have been pulling designs and redoing layout to do a different print for different layout.  I have a 3 gauge pod 3d printed and set on the dash.  I got the gauge set in there and ended up adding an additional 15mm for clearance.  So I should be good now.  I converted this to a mold to do a "forged carbon" piece and then attach to the remaining dash.  I think design wise it looks better, just gotta get it done.

The 3d printer kept giving me problems, and I wanted to redo the drive gear for extruder.  So I got a new hot end and extruder for a direct drive.  Hopefully the prints come out and look better. 

I did add something else to do in the garage.  Cause why have 32 projects when you can have 43? 

I have been keeping an eye out for another trailer.  This boat trailer popped up cheap and I grabbed it.  Frame is 4x3, same as the table I am pulling apart, so I can extend the rear and do some work on this one to get it to the size I want.  Then the wife said something about "sitting on top".  Great, no problem, Ill add that to the list......