4722 replies to this topic

[hairy]

It's to stop kayakers going down the spillway!

[Nev]

That dam is AWESOME !!!

 

Could you post a google maps pin so I can take anpther look?

 

 

 

Here you go: https://goo.gl/maps/vNzfLaeNQ692

 

It's a relatively small dam, there must be about a dozen others within 40 miles.

Edited by Nev, 09 October 2018 - 05:53 PM.

[Jocke_D]

 

That dam is AWESOME !!!

 

Could you post a google maps pin so I can take anpther look?

 

 

 

Here you go: https://goo.gl/maps/vNzfLaeNQ692

 

It's a relatively small dam, there must be about a dozen others within 40 miles.

 

 

 

Thanks. Looks really cool!

 

When zooming in and out I found a great 360 view from when there was still some water in it. Hope this works...

 

https://www.google.c...14!8i5107?hl=en

 

The presure on that wall must be imense. Really impressed with what they could do.

I'd say it looks like it was made in the 1500's. Am I even close?

[CocoPops]

Long term drained...
https://www.landscap...brecon-beacons/

[Nev]

From inspecting it myself, I quickly summised why they drained it.

 

There are leaks in/around the limestone blocks where the acid water (drains off ORS) has worked channels through to the earth bank on the other side, to the extent that the earth bank has large areas of erosion (now filled with aggregate).

 

So, they've simply opened the bottom up to stop the whole thing getting worse and then eventually bursting.

 

If you like dams, get yourself over to the Elan valley, 4 of them in a row and much more impressive and scenic. Lots of pics on my FarceBook page: https://www.facebook...le.contractor.7

 

Also Lynn Brianne and Lyn Vernwy is wonderful too. In fact much of the country is, so long as you stay away from the big towns.

Edited by Nev, 10 October 2018 - 04:38 PM.

[Nev]

Oops, ORS = Old Red Sandstone

[Nev]

Hmmm, don't think I'll be driving through Crickhowell this morning for a little jaunt:

 

 

Might go in the garage instead and find myself some niggle to fix.

[Nev]

Nipper now has traction control, thanks to the group buy, and it seems to work.

 

On the negative side, todays drive highlighted that my 12v Hella brake vacuum pump has died. I have a feeling it overheated due to being too close to the rads. Have ordered another one and will locate it somewhere cooler.

[mbes2]

Nipper now has traction control, thanks to the group buy, and it seems to work.

On the negative side, todays drive highlighted that my 12v Hella brake vacuum pump has died. I have a feeling it overheated due to being too close to the rads. Have ordered another one and will locate it somewhere cooler.

Good work nev! Full review of the TC needed

[Nev]

I also picked up a second hand gearbox for £80 from a Zafira GSI (from a dodgy looking guy stripping the Zaf on his front drive!). Assuming it actually works, This one has a 3.95:1 final drive ratio, so approx 7% lower gear ratios than my current box. However, for some unknown reason my current gearbox has stopped making whining noises in 1st gear (though the diff/conical bearings are really getting very noisy). It might be that the gear cables moving around have somehow caused this, as I can't think why else this would be an intermittent problem.

 

Waiting for a rainy day now (with plenty of space) to test the TC fully. It was a bargain for £340 fitted. I've installed the slip tolerance potentiometer on my mini dashboard, and fitted the ECU unit next to the passenger seat where I can easily access it to change the settings with my laptop.

 

When I was testing it at RLM on a warm afternoon, even with the big torque map (430 ft/lb and 520 HP) I could only barely get the rear wheels to slip in 1st gear. Gos to show just how much raw mechanical grip Nipper has with the 285 rear tyres and the benefit of the extra weight of the iron Z20LET + heavy turbo setup. Jacek (who installed the TC) was rather surprised that the TC only needed to intercede for a fraction of a second at 7200 RPM and 430 ft/lb.

Edited by Nev, 22 October 2018 - 06:37 AM.

[Nev]

Was hoping to get out in Nipper today as it's lovely weather, but my back is buggered from a kayaking strike to the back/kidneys and a bit of mild concussion. Was lucky to swim away TBH as I blacked out of a split second.

 

 

Edited by Nev, 28 October 2018 - 09:28 AM.

[flybikeslee]

photo i took back in 2013 of your car at efi 

 

 

popped up on my timehop today and just so happen to be reading through your build! 

[Nev]

Thanks Lee, seems ages ago now.

 

My back is a fair bit better today, so I've installed my new brake vacuum servo pump (in an air cooled spot this time). Somewhat back breaking bending over the bonnet area, took over 1.5 hours to do as I had forgotten so much of the wiring + how to calibrate the vacuum switch. Have mounted it on rubber grommets to try make it quieter as it's quite a noisy thing when it switches itself on.

 

For those who don't know, the lumpy cams (allowing reversion at idle) mean the engine can't be expected to create enough vacuum to operate the brakes, so in traffic it's very easy to run out of vac and find the brakes only operating at 30% efficiency! It's not a problem when revving > 3000 RPM usually, as the high revs means the engine can create good vacuum (on coast down). My system has 3 one-way valves, just in case 2 fail - belt and braces, as the last thing you want to discover is your servo full of boost (instead of vacuum) when you stomp on the brakes!!!

 

Anyway, Nipper is safer to drive again. Looking fwd to testing the TC ASAP.

Edited by Nev, 30 October 2018 - 06:06 PM.

[Nev]

Jeeze, the non stop rainy season has started I think...

Edited by Nev, 04 November 2018 - 11:36 AM.

[chris_uk]

Jeeze, the non stop rainy season has started I think...

 

what you worried about? you have traction control now.. impossible to crash.

[ditonics]

Jeeze, the non stop rainy season has started I think...

what you worried about? you have traction control now.. impossible to crash.

Let's not get traction control and driverless cars muddled up 😂

[Nev]

I need to fit an extra 9mm nipple to my aluminium coolant tank, but as it's so covered in gunk (inside where it's hard to clean) I dare not weld a nipple on.

 

So I'm thinking of drilling a hole in the side wall of the tank and want a 2 part fitting, a nipple (with threaded end) and a bolt to clamp it firmly on the other side of the aluminum. I'm intending to use a bit of silicone to make a hermetic seal.

 

Is this a good idea, if so what's the name of this sort of fitting (hard to search for it), or is there a better solution perhaps?

 

Edited by Nev, 04 November 2018 - 05:49 PM.

[hairy]

It's called a hosetail - something like this maybe: https://www.thehosem...6hoCx7EQAvD_BwE

 

No idea if you can get aluminium ones though.

[Nev]

Yep, one end is a hose tail for sure, it's the fact that it needs to be secured across a sheet of metal that makes it tricky to specifically search for.

Edited by Nev, 04 November 2018 - 06:26 PM.

[mbes2]

Jeeze, the non stop rainy season has started I think...

what you worried about? you have traction control now.. impossible to crash.

Let's not get traction control and driverless cars muddled up 😂

You obviously have never driven a F-type on track in the wet lol

Vx owners didn't stand a chance