Doodle This guy has the skills to turn my doodle into real working parts Inlet manifold fabrication - Step by step build - 4age Hilux  Intercooler end tank & piping fabrication - 4age Hilux - Hypertune  

This is the amount of space I have  I have tried to examine some options for replacing the TFI distributor, which does not fit in the space below the frame rail. Later model Fords adopted a Distributorless Ignition System (DIS) which used a crankshaft angle sensor to run the ignition and batch injection systems through the computer (ECU). This system replaced the distributor with a "stub" which still engaged the aux shaft and drove the oil pump in replacement for the distributor but it didn't provide any ignition signaling trigger, that was provided from the front of the engine. Later, Ford developed EDIS with a Cam Synchronizer which mounted on the stub from the aux shaft. Then the engine design was changed in 1994 and any system beyond that was incompatable with my turbo engine. I like the idea of replacing the distributor with something that will work or even upgrade the operation of my engine. I'm thinking mostly of using a PiMPxs ECU that functions without the TF...

I arranged the chassis back onto the furniture dollies and positioned it into the work area so that I had room to maneuver the engine hoist. I assembled the engine with the bell housing after having trimmed a little more off the starter hump opening. I tried to lower the engine into place with the front pulley in place but could not find just the right angle to get it into the bay. As a result, I am looking into a two groove pulley so that it will be a little shorter. Esslinger makes just such an underdrive v-belt pulley with the added advantage of being a little smaller in diameter at 4 inches instead of the stock 6 inches.  The good news is that the SVO intake manifold fits into the space like it was engineered for it. I had to remove the oil cooler spigot from the boss on the botton side of the manifold cooling passage but I think I can plug the upper opening and use the lower opening for the spigot. I will have to determine whether I need to use the temperature sensor that was ...

 It's taken over a week of rainy days and other diversions before making the next move. But it's a fateful one. I knew that I had to cut the transmission mount on the tail housing to no more that 5 1/2" width so that it would fit past the frame tubes in the transmission tunnel. I also knew that I had to cut the front half of the chassis mounting plate so that the tail housing could fit into that space. So today my plan was to do the cutting and then get the transmission and bellhousing into the chassis for a fit check. I did the cutting with my pneumatic cut-off wheel. To get into the transmission tunnel with the cutting tool and get it into the right angle I needed to route the air fitting at a 90 degree angle. Fortunately I had a brass fitting that would do that and I had just enough angle to make the cuts, following the piece of tape that I had laid down before. It takes a little fortitude to cut-up parts that are irreplacable. But once it's done each cut serves a p...

I'm pretty sure the aft location for the turbo won't work This represents a 90mm crankshaft axis  I thought I would add a few more photos of my experience fitting my SVO engine into the GBS Zero chassis.  I sure wish I could get Google Blogger to play nice with image position, margins, and  text wrapping. Makes me nuts! I'm also pretty sure the lower intak manifold will interfere

Next morning I got everything back out because it looked like I would have at least half a day without rain. I put the TR6 back on the lift because I knew I had enough clearance to get the chassis back on the cradle. I propped the engine on my ammo box so that I could release the tension on the lifting hooks; I removed the intake manifold and put the lifting hook back on. Now I was able to lower the engine fully into its approximate position with the crank centerline at 90mm above the frame rail. The parting line to the bell housing was about 1-2 inches forward of the firewall. At the point where I took this photo I could have raised the back of the engine a bit. My goal is to give the bottom of the bell housing as much ground clearance as possible and then see how the manifold clearance worked out. The turbo package has a nice arrangement, thanks to the modification of the RH diagonal brace that Richard Hall incorporated into my chassis.  But the turbo package still needs to come ...

 After the last two days I am tired and ready to take a break. I did my first test fit of my 2.3l SVO engine into the chassis. I figured out a rig where I put the chassis below my lift and using ratchet straps front and rear I suspend the chassis from the lift. I have to get the roll bar almost touching to have enough room but with the ratchet straps tight I can run the lift up another notch and bring the chassis off the cradle. Then I can lower the chassis down onto a couple of furnature dollies.  Then I can roll the chassis out to the front of the garage where I can get the engine hoist in position. I have to lift up the nose of the chassis and put it on my old ammo case so that the engine hoist has enough room to slide under. This also helps with giving the chassis a little favorable angle to slip the engine in.  So I had the engine fully mocked-up with the intake manifold, and exhaust manifold and turbocharger package. I also had the bell housing and crank pulley in p...

Position of steering wheel in cockpit  I finished fitting up the pedal box and the steering column and added a 3/4" setscrew collar to the steering shaft to easily retain the steering bushing. I tried to make sure there was clearance between the brake pedal and the steering collar and there is, just barely. Without the quick-release added the steering wheel is just in line with the shifter. I won't know more until I get the whole seat/pedal/steering wheel relationship refined later. It looks like I can shift the steering column mount to the backside of the support bracket for about an extra 1 1/2" room for the quick release. Anyway, I love that steering wheel! Now the wheel and control stalks come back off and get stored out of harm's way until they are needed.  I also trimmed the pedal shaft and bolt to their final size. I used my lathe to make nice square cuts on both the pedal shaft and the bolt. It feels good to use my Dad's old lathe; makes me glad that I res...