Checking ECU Voltage

The Webon Alpha ECU needs minimum 9 volts from the ignition switched supply during enging cranking.  Checked this with a voltmeter while cranking and all was fine - just over 10.5 volts.  Thought the starter motor would have to work harder with the spark plugs in so tried again, this time with the starter motor working against the engine compression.  No problem here either - still around 10.5 volts.

Oil Pressure, ...Finally

Finally got an oil pressure reading, but it did cost me an oil filter...

Tonight's mission was to check the oil pressure:

Battery connected - check
Starter motor wiring okay - check.
Drive belt clear of obstructions - check.
Oil filled(!) - check
Spark plugs removed - check
Oil pressure gauge temporarily tee-ed in to oil pressure switch - check

Time to turn the key.  Click, whirrr.  All good.  More whirrring, no oil pressure.  Scratching of head.  Key turned again.  Click, whirrr.  Still no oil pressure.   Hmmmm.

Had a quick search on Locostbuilders.  Seems to be a not uncommon problem.  One solution is to prime the pump and the oil filter.  Tried this by pumping some oil down the oil filter threaded spindle.  Also half filled the oil filter.  Tried cranking again.  Still no joy.

Frustration building.  Then thought, let's just prime the pump via the oil filter inlet and crank over, with no oil filter fitted.  At this point past caring if the garage walls get sprayed with oil.

Tried cranking again.  Success!  Maybe it worked better when there was no back pressure on the pump?  Anyway, refitted the oil filter and cranked for longer.  Oil pressure built up steadily to around 40 to 50 PSI.  Job done.

Next job is to find a replacement oil filter.  In my haste I trashed the casing of the old one with my cheap chain  type oil filter wrench.

Coolant Expansion Tank

The standard Tiger expansion tank bracket has a flat piece of metal, sort of like a foot, which I believe originally would be bolted through the chassis rail at the front of the battery tray.  Like a number of people I wanted to mount the tank further back (uses spare space in front of the scuttle and allows more access room around the back of the engine).  The lower foot was cut off and the horizontal piece of metal was used to bolt the bracket to the battery tray.  However, this has no fore/aft strength, i.e. if somebody leaned on the expansion tank it would bend the battery tray aluminium.  To get around this I cut a couple of 'legs' from 20mm wide steel strip.

When mounting the bracket I bolted down through the bracket, then the battery tray and finally the legs (one on each side).  The end result is pretty sturdy.

Engine coolant plumbing complete.

Throttle Pedal

The throttle linkage assembly is mounted underneath the throttle bodies. This is much easier to attach before mounting the bodies on the engine.   Lucky then that I read ahead in the installation manual to the next chapter to where that is mentioned

The throttle cables are attached to the throttle pedal using the fitting kit provided. Before this could be done the angle grinder and cutting disc had to be used to remove the flat plate that was welded to the top of the throttle pedal.  I assume this is used for a standard installation.  With the Webcon throttle bodies this is not needed, only the round shaft is needed.

The cables had to be shortened significantly.  I tried to solder the ends to prevent fraying of the cut inner cables, but the solder would not take.  Probably some kind of coating on the inner cables. In the end I used some epoxy resin.  As Tiger warned me the throttle pedal is too stiff with both return springs fitted so I have removed one.

Exhaust Trial Fitting

I decided it would a good time to trial fit the exhaust down pipes and 4-to-1 collector.  This would allow me to make sure that none of my wiring would be near to the hot pipes.  Having heard some horror stories about badly aligned down pipes that don't fit the collector I was a bit apprehensive.  In the end it only took five minutes to trial fit the lot and the fit is perfect.  Top marks Tiger.  Maybe my grief will be later on further down towards the silencer...

Throttle Bodies

The throttle bodies are mounted by applying silicone gasket to the inlet manifold and then bolting the manifold to the engine head.  The first attempt went well, then I thought I'd double check behind the butterfly valves only to find some of the gasket had squeezed into the airways - this would not help the engine run its best, so the whole lot had to come off, the silicon clean off, new silicon applied and the assembly remounted.  This also included removing the alternator and refitting.  What a pain.  Fingers crossed it is all okay now.

Alternator

Mounting the alternator with the Tiger provided brackets requires removal of one of the upper cambelt cover bolt mountings.  The plastic part must be sawed off the upper cambelt cover and the matching piece of metal cut off the back plate.

 Here is the upper bracket in the space where the upper cam cover bolt would have been.

The upper alternator mounting bracket can only be mounted by bolting through the inlet manifold flange, i.e. the alternator bracket bolts partly hold the manifold on to the engine head.

The finished article with the drive belt in place and tensioned.  The engine was turned over by hand a couple of times to check the drive belt was running freely and straight, i.e. on the right grooves of each pulley.