I've done nearly six hundred miles now. This has included a mix of driving styles. The overall fuel consumption to date is 36 mpg. I'm very pleaesed with this as I had expected something around the mid-twenties.
Thursday 12 April 2012
Sunday 8 April 2012
Re-cap of IVA Test Preparations
I never got around to it earlier, but I'd always intended to write a post about the modifications that I did for my IVA test. I'll share them here in case any are useful inspiration for other builders about to take their IVA tests.
Exhaust clamp bolt rotated around towards the sill of the car.
5mm rubber cord super-glued to the scuttle, around the dashboard. The dashboard had been cut a few mm undersize to accommodate the cord.
3mm rubber cord super-glued around the lens of the reverse and fog lights.
Rubber u-trim attached around the upper harness buckles.
Self-amalgamating tape wrapped around the nuts on the side mirrors.
Exhaust heat wrap fitted around the lambda sensor with stainless steel ties.
U-trim fixed around the silencer bracket with Sikaflex. Nut covers added to ends of bolts/nuts.
U-trim fitted around the headlight bracket. Self-amalgamating tape wrapped around the upper ball joint adjuster nut.
Rubber pipe split and wrapped around the track rod, to make it the same diameter as the rod end. Then self-amalgamating tape wrapped around both. More nut covers added to the bolt heads and nuts, where not in an exempt area.
Front indicator extensions - made from plumbing tube and copper pipe end caps.
A combination of bicycle inner tube and self-amalgamating tape on the bonnet spring catches.
Loops of bicycle inner tube to secure the plastic covers for the rear bonnet catches.
U-trim on front cycle wings.
Nut coves on suspension nuts/bolts. U-trim added to all edges of the fibreglass.
Ford Sierra steering wheel fitted. Before the test I discovered that the inside had delaminated in places from the metal ring. The padding had also gone a bit powdery. Both due to old age. I used a sharp knife to cut a long slit around parts of the wheel rim. Inside I added some black Sikaflex and wrapped it all up tight with tape. The repair is almost invisible and the wheel now feels as strong as new.
Exhaust clamp bolt rotated around towards the sill of the car.
5mm rubber cord super-glued to the scuttle, around the dashboard. The dashboard had been cut a few mm undersize to accommodate the cord.
3mm rubber cord super-glued around the lens of the reverse and fog lights.
Rubber u-trim attached around the upper harness buckles.
Self-amalgamating tape wrapped around the nuts on the side mirrors.
Exhaust heat wrap fitted around the lambda sensor with stainless steel ties.
U-trim fixed around the silencer bracket with Sikaflex. Nut covers added to ends of bolts/nuts.
U-trim fitted around the headlight bracket. Self-amalgamating tape wrapped around the upper ball joint adjuster nut.
Rubber pipe split and wrapped around the track rod, to make it the same diameter as the rod end. Then self-amalgamating tape wrapped around both. More nut covers added to the bolt heads and nuts, where not in an exempt area.
Front indicator extensions - made from plumbing tube and copper pipe end caps.
A combination of bicycle inner tube and self-amalgamating tape on the bonnet spring catches.
Loops of bicycle inner tube to secure the plastic covers for the rear bonnet catches.
U-trim on front cycle wings.
Nut coves on suspension nuts/bolts. U-trim added to all edges of the fibreglass.
Ford Sierra steering wheel fitted. Before the test I discovered that the inside had delaminated in places from the metal ring. The padding had also gone a bit powdery. Both due to old age. I used a sharp knife to cut a long slit around parts of the wheel rim. Inside I added some black Sikaflex and wrapped it all up tight with tape. The repair is almost invisible and the wheel now feels as strong as new.
Friday 6 April 2012
Minor Thermostat Leak Fixed
When fitting the 1.8 diesel thermostat I installed it with the rubber gasket that came with it. Unfortunately this is slighly thinner than the Zetec petrol thetmostat gasket, and as such I had a small coolant leak from the thermostat housing.
I've taken it all apart again and fitted the original petrol thermostat gasket to the diesel thermostat. Just been for a test run and no more leak. Coolant temperature still fixed steady at 88 degrees. Finally happy.