My HPE....now a rolling recommission

[Nigel]

Peter/Eric,
Good points made and digested.
I've sent a message to the supplier asking this very question. They appear to be
a proper hose shop so they should know.

I refitted the carb top this evening and powered up the fuel pump. My
repair is not leaking, result.

Nigel

[Nigel]

Gentlemen,

A message back from the seller says he recommends proper
vacuum hose, so that's exactly what I've now ordered.

Thanks for the wisdom!

Nigel

[Nigel]

A somewhat late update to the vacuum hose question.

I received a new silicon hose apparently rated for vacuum. It's pure solid material,
with no reinforcing content. It's very soft and 'floppy'.
This gives me less confidence than what I've used, so rightly or
wrongly, I'm sticking to the current fitment.

Meantime I'm looking forward to the coming weekend at the NEC, and after that,
taxing the car for the summer months. I'm scheduled to 'work duty' on the 29 Apr,
but may be able to wangle a visit to Brooklands if I can juggle with a colleague.

Nigel

[peteracs]

Hi Nigel

You can checkout the vacuum hose on the Spider this week. It is a really solid hose, absolutely nothing soft or floppy about it.

Peter

[SanRemo78]

Measure the length and ID of vacuum hose you need - I'll bet it's available at the NEC - And let us know if/where you find it.... I'll need some for my Coupe restoration eventually!

Guy

[Nigel]

The wiper sweep mod works, effectively parking the blades at the
lowest possible point and without hitting the screen surrounds on full
2nd speed at 14.2 volts. I'm now happy to share the dimensions
of the two modified arms which I've now fully welded.
The motor arm is now 4mm longer.
The pax arm is 5.5mm longer i.e. 65mm.
Once you've reassembled the rack, you'll need to plug it in 'loose' and align
the motor arm so that it's inline with its link in the park position, before re-installation.
The wiper arms need to be heated and bent so that they are almost straight but not quite.
You may find slight differences when doing this mod on your car. I recommend tacking the arms first,
then testing in the car. Adjustments are easy to do, trial and error time!

While the rack assembly was out I took the opportunity to install an extra wiring loom
containing 7 cores, more than enough to re-wire the system. The new loom goes through the existing
wiper wiring grommet into the dash area.

[peteracs]

Hi Nigel

Good to see you managed to get to the end of it. One question why do you need to modify the wiper arms? Not something I would want to mess around with.

Peter

[Nigel]

Good to see you managed to get to the end of it. One question whips do you need to modify the wiper arms? Not something I would want to mess around with.

Yes Peter, as mentioned above, but not in great detail. I've got black stuff so repainting was
easy, but not so with chrome bits. They may well bend without heat though.

Nigel

[peteracs]

Hi Nigel

Still not understanding why you need to bend them though when the originals sit flat against the lower part of the screen?

Peter

[peteracs]

Hi Nigel

I will answer my own question having played with wiper arm positioning. If you try to locate the wiper as low on the screen as possible the angle of the arm means the blade is not parallel to the base of the screen hence why the end of the arm needs to be straightened.

Peter

[Nigel]

Hi Peter, late reply but you're correct!

Meanwhile, I've been busy this weekend relocating the battery. I wanted to create some space
at the front to accommodate a new fuse/relay box as a part of a rewire project.

I decided to go big and install fuses front and rear, a cut off switch at the rear, and jump
start posts at the front. I used 35mm/240amp cable throughout. All parts from Altec Automotive except the jump posts
which came from Mobile Centre.

The original battery tray was very rusty and had been coated in bitumen, so a replacement from
Chrisc was most appreciated. I made 2 support brackets for the tray. It covers the rear washer
tank, but that is inop anyway, no matter. I ran the cable inside the car, running parallel with
the loom, routing over the rear arch and through the existing hole/grommet that previously
had an air-con hose at the firewall.

Another bracket mounts to the old rear batt tray fixings and holds the jump posts. Another supports
the inline fuse [150amp]

At the rear, an extension bracket behind the tray supports the rear fuse[175amp] and isolator switch.
Various new batt cables made up, fuse to starter motor, earth to jump post, and a couple at the rear.
All soldered and crimped except the lugs on the front to rear cable, maybe a job for another day if I have
the correct tool. [I used my hydraulic press for the loose cables]

Overall, very satisfying and it's tested and working.
I did consider the weight/balance change and felt that it would probably make little difference or...
possibly a slight benefit, time and driving will tell.

[Nigel]

I've had a new screen sitting waiting since last year.
As luck goes, an AutoGlass fitter
called in on Friday to fix a chip on my works van.

After some reassuring chat, he said he'd fit it for me, so yesterday I
got the old screen out. Happily the trim came off with no distortion.
The screen was more challenging but it came out in one piece
albeit with one self-induced crack.

The surround is completely rust-free, a nice bonus. Now all cleaned, painted
and ready for, hopefully, Friday when he'll return to install.

[Sandro]

Nice work Nigel!

 


Andrew.

[peteracs]

Hi Nigel

Nice work, make sure he fills in the two lower corners with the bonding agent. This is the main reason I think they often go there as it is a water trap. I get it on mine, but as it is garaged I blow the water out if the car gets wet.

Peter

[squiglyzigly]

Hi Nigel,
Nice mod on the wipers. I’ve often thought the swept area isn’t quite complete and you fixed that whilst lowering the parked position. Win win! Might copy that later.

As Peter has mentioned with the windscreen refit, stopping the water from sitting in the gap and rotting the panel out is something that worried me when I restored my Berlina. I decided to fill the gap all the way around before bonding the trim back on so it’s water tight all the way around. I might regret this if the screen ever has to come out but it helps me sleep knowing water isn’t percolating in that gap.

Cheers
Ian

[Nigel]

Ian,
One relevant observation while removing the 2 parts was
that they appeared to have been fitted simultaneously. There were two
wires embedded in the quite hard mastic, one next to the screen and one
inside the trim. And the mastic was fully filling all the areas, which
probably saved the area from rust.

I'm now thinking that i've just removed the factory screen, but who knows.

I'm assuming the 'gap' to be thoroughly filled is the +- 6mm space between
the glass and the steel all around?
Another question: the plastic U shaped trim immediately under the screen....can that
typically be replaced with the 'standard' flexible U trim commonly supplied?

I'm hoping that he'll fit the glass and trim using copious gunk, just for me to do
a final clean up when its cured.

I'm now devising a method of applying moderate pressure to the corners
of the trim just to make sure they are seated correctly while curing.

Nigel

[peteracs]

Hi Nigel

Sounds like the original screen with the embedded heating wire.

My experience was to use ordinary U shaped trim, but make sure it is small enough to allow plenty of bonding agent to attach to the metal. I made the mistake initially, my glass guy refused to do it until I replaced it with smaller sized one. I bought this trim for mine.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224003384020

6.9mm wide x 9.4mm depth

The gap is if there is not enough bonding agent put into the bottom corners before the screen is installed. From memory the surround has bonding agent installed, then the screen placed in and then more bonding agent to fix the trim. Make sure the trim fits well before trying to finally bond in place. It can be flexed to shape very easily if you are careful and do not lose the connecting pieces…..

Peter

[Nigel]

Thanks for the tips guys.
Rain stopped play yesterday but he was happy to come today, and it
all went to plan. I'd already rubbed down and painted the trim and the scuttle
where necessary. There's some excess inside which can be cut out when it's
cured. He left me some blades for this.
I ended up retaining the U plastic trim as it looked ok and there wasn't time to get
new stuff.

[peteracs]

Hi Nigel

The excess inside is inevitable I think due to the small width they have to work with. Mine was not too bad so I have left well alone.

Peter

[Lanciadude2308]

Good Afternoon, car looks good. I have started a 'get it on the road' project on my 1985 2.0 Beta HPE Volumex and was looking to see if you might be able to advise as to where to find a wiring diagram?