[Perfect Dark]

What was the problem with your thermostat?


The mpg on mine isn't great so I wonder if I have an issue.

[AndyReact]

Just seen you ask for vids, I have some, will try and find something suitable n upload it to YouTube

[StevenRaith]

Perfect Dark, on 18 June 2013 - 12:27 PM, said:

What was the problem with your thermostat?

The mpg on mine isn't great so I wonder if I have an issue.

Thermostat was stuck in 'open to the main rad' so it never fully warmed up. This resulted in it running rich for longer than necessary, and also resulted in me thrashing the seven shades out of the car to keep the heaters warm in winter. Which was fun, but expensive. Averaged about 25mpg, even when being gentle.

With thermo fixed, I can get 35+ on a 50mph cruise, and haven't dropped below 30 in 'normal' driving (for me, this involves redlining it to cruising speed, overtaking, but not full on max attack driving everywhere), and I've had a worst tank of 26mpg when I did a whole tank over the moors on a weekend.

Other parts to check are the MAF (take it off, dowse it in electrical contact cleaner, shake it off gently (it's a very thin wire) and refit once evaporated off), lambda sensor/s (think you can clean them in the same way) and fuel filter. Banging some injector cleaner through won't hurt either.

[StevenRaith]

Update - Ian is having trouble finding clean Ford lower arms, so while EuroCarParts have their big sale on (it's worth registering on that site just to know when the offers are on) I have got a pair of Lemforder lower arms for £60 (presumably with bushes and balljoints - I believe that's standard practise when buying the pattern arms; if not it's only another £20) to do me in the interim as I did a long run last night over to York and back (80 miles all in) and the tracking is all over the place.

I'm sure he'll have the wheels to me soon, too - which is good, as my bro is getting annoyed with the pair of T1-Rs taking up space in the living room he agrees that they smell really nice though. Better than his motorbike boots, that's for sure.

Mind you, I still pulled a verified 44.43mpg over those 82 miles (8.39 litres) which is, frankly, unheard of. That was running at the legal limit for all roads involved, and a few 20-NSL runs on the backroads to entertain my mate who was following windows down in his Rav4, arf.

45mpg from a Puma - who'da thunk it?

[Kizza]

I was getting 40-50 mpg in my old puma when I were doing a 60 miles a day round trip to work. it depended on how I drove though lol I could do it on £7 there and back which it a lot better than the mondeo at £9

[StevenRaith]

Yeah, we won't mention that my previous fillup was a half tank at 25mpg.

My driving styles are varied. And often childish.

[StevenRaith]

SHINY SHINY, KIDDIES!



Cheers to IanG for sorting these out, a quick blast of wheel cleaner and these should come up a treat!

[happy-kat]

that looks in pretty good condition

[StevenRaith]

Yup, liking the look of 'em. Might have to clean the back wheels properly to match at this rate

Got quoted just south of £200 for fitting tyres to wheels, balancing, fitting lower arms (pattern parts, ECP had an offer on) and alignment. Which seemed steep.

Tried a different tyre fitter, got quoted just over £100 for the same.

So that's my Monday sorted then - and plenty of time to make the car presentable internally for the garage folks, it's a tip right now...

[StevenRaith]

Forgot to say, parts fitted, now steering nice and straight.

The T1-Rs are interesting tyres. You lose some initial feedback on turn in, but once they are loaded up, by Christ the grip they generate is amazing. I took a wide (and I hasten to add, empty and well sighted) roundabout quite quick today, put the power on in second, and it started pulling the rear around into a nice clean slide - undo the lock, foot to the floor, pulled out nice and clean. I've only ever seen DC2 Type Rs do anything like that before - although I suspect my part worn rears didn't hurt.

Anyway, got my rear arch pieces from EvilRob, so have tapped up Mr May about getting those in. I may have to split a bill across a couple of months, and if I do - might as well do it properly; rear arches; other pieces of rust; bonnet leading edge; downpipe; straight centre section; pattern rear box (or possibly a SS part if Jonny knows of a subtle one).

Once that's done, I'll be looking at adjusting the bucket shims as they haven't been done and that should relieve some of the tapping from cold, finally sort out that rear boot lock solenoid....and...I can't think what else needs done other than regular maintenance and proper paranoid preventative maintenance (IE cam tensioner etc).

Looking pretty good!

[StevenRaith]

Bit of an update.

Got this:

Hoffman race tube

And these:

Pattern part rear box, flex downpipe post-cat (cut it to fit it)

And it does this:
http://youtu.be/Jp60V5eUPr0

Pretty damned pleased with that.

Sounds better in the flesh, blame poor positioning and smartphone mic for the tinny audio, there's real meat there.

Basically, totally standard bar the centre pipe, and cheaper than an OEM replacement.

Fitted by Mays Garage, who did a good job of getting it turned around quickly. After he had gone for a surf this morning, of course />

[AndyReact]

Bit late now, but here is a vid of mine! https://www.youtube....be_gdata_player

[StevenRaith]

Sound on mine is changing and mellowing a bit now I've put a some miles/soot on it - less tinny, more rounded.

Will do another vid next week....

Also, how did you get the GoPro mounted under there? Obvs the spare wheel is removed, but was it magnetic or screwed on?

[AndyReact]

It's not a go pro, it's a muvi hd10, but yeah it's a magnetic mount I made myself, I stuck it on the boot lid but all you got was wind noise!

[StevenRaith]

I think you'd need an external mic with a wind sock on it to get decent sound - I know the likes of Drive and Evo Magazines videos are pretty good at having the camera hanging off the boot and getting audio, and I think that's done with a socked mic, and gaffers tape.

See here for mic, as sported my by Mystery Snapper chum (this is for the 'other video' I'm referring too - he's taking his SWEET TIME editing it while he rebuilds his Fabias calipers) :


I'm hoping to experiment with that sometime soon.

[StevenRaith]

Coming soon - 280mm calipers and carriers, if the ebay seller can confirm a few details.

Then Mystery Snapper above will hopefully lend me his drive. Add breaded hoses (mmm, golden crumbs - that's what they are, right? So it smells like toast when you get fade?) and DOT5 and I suspect the North York Moors won't cause me fade any more...

Bought

This post has been edited by StevenRaith: 06 September 2013 - 09:36 PM

[StevenRaith]

Well, I have my 280s, but they aren't on yet. Tried to remove the 238s and the unions are all rusted to buggery - they aren't coming off. I didn't want to risk hitting the body-end pipes/fixings in anger as if I break 'em, I don't have the skills to reflare them and renew them.

However, i did buy some proper flare spanners.

Waiting for good weather, a driveway to become free, and will try it again.

Otherwise, nothing else happening - been far too busy at work to get my hands dirty. At this rate, my bodyshop guy will be fitting the brakes, once I pull my finger out and book it in with him. I need the car available for a couple of weeks though, so need to wait till after that - at which point it'll be bear christmas, so it'll probably lag through till next year at this rate />

It's still fun and rorty and poppy and snarly though, so can't complain too much

[happy-kat]

Have you left any penetrating oil on that union in the mean time, or is it to close to the brakes to do that safely

[StevenRaith]

But close, but I've got the 280mm gear so I'll just swap it.

I've also now got Ford lower arms, so I can get those bushed up.

I've also got some 'uprated bulbs' for the car, which I'll hopefully get in this afternoon.

I'll likely have the car in the bodyshop soon after the new year, so will just get him to throw the brakes and lower arms on once they are bushed.

Everything seems to be taking forever at the moment

[StevenRaith]

One uprated bulb test fitted, it seems to completely overpower the Osram Nightbreaker in the other side. Dead sharp cutoff with exremely low scatter, too.

Heading over to a mate who has more tools in about an hour to properly fit them tonight...