LocostUSA.com

Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
It is currently March 29, 2024, 12:59 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 273 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ... 19  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 5, 2019, 2:01 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: August 2, 2009, 3:34 pm
Posts: 896
Location: Alberta
Is the header in contact with your frame? Looks awfully close if it's not, is it going to be an issue when the engine is running?

_________________
Trochu Motor League


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 5, 2019, 10:33 am 
Offline

Joined: February 23, 2017, 12:45 pm
Posts: 163
Location: Austin, TX
Good eye. In one spot it's ~3/8" away. The whole thing shifted after I tacked it together and did the final weld. Pretty sure it's going to hit since the engine torque will move it closer. I haven't convinced myself of the proper way to fix it yet. Only idea I have had beyond A LOT of welding was ratchet straps to try and bend it. One to hold the motor in place an another to try and tug the header forward.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 5, 2019, 7:43 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: July 17, 2008, 9:11 am
Posts: 6414
Location: West Chicago,IL
FYI, The OEM S4/S5 oil cooler has an internal oil bypass to help the engine warm up faster. What you think is the drain is the valve assembly for that bypass. Oil flow should flow into the port opposite that valve ( BTW, you have the oil cooler upside down from the OEM installation IIRC) and flow out the end of the cooler. The cooler may not drain if it is cool and becomes air locked.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 6, 2019, 11:32 am 
Offline

Joined: February 23, 2017, 12:45 pm
Posts: 163
Location: Austin, TX
This is an ebay knock off so no bypass.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 6, 2019, 11:54 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: July 17, 2008, 9:11 am
Posts: 6414
Location: West Chicago,IL
Knockoffs vary. I just thought you might want to know what to look for. Sounds like you have it covered. :cheers:

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 6, 2019, 12:57 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: March 30, 2011, 7:18 am
Posts: 1615
Location: central Arkansas
The early 12A RX7s with the separate cooler also included an internal thermostatic bypass.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 6, 2019, 1:26 pm 
Offline

Joined: February 23, 2017, 12:45 pm
Posts: 163
Location: Austin, TX
It would be nice if it had the bypass. I'm thinking I can get away with out since this won't be a cold weather car. 50 degrees would be on the extreme low end that I'd drive it. My southern blood isn't cut out for much more than that :D


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 6, 2019, 4:55 pm 
Offline

Joined: February 23, 2017, 12:45 pm
Posts: 163
Location: Austin, TX
On a completely unrelated note to getting the car running I installed the rear tail lights this morning. A friend of mine machined the mounts for me a few months ago. Every time he came by and they were still sitting on the shelf I felt guilty for not having used them yet. I went a little bit off the playlist with these. Since this will be mostly a street car I wanted the lights as visible as possible. For that reason a ending up putting them high up on the roll bar and also put a third brake light in the mix. The lights themselves are meant for emergency vehicles and are VERY bright.

The 3rd brake light mount.The turns are similar.
Image

Lights installed
Image

Brakes
Image

Turn signal
Image

Also on the light front I bought a Moto Gadget M-Unit to simplify my light wiring. They are meant for motorcycles but for a car as simple as this they fit the bill too.

Image

It has electronic fuses, relays, flashers, alarm built in. You only need to run a small wire to your switches to provide a ground when the switch is activated. Then it's just one wire out to each of your lights, blinkers, horn. I've used them on a few bikes and it makes wiring so much easier and reliable. Everything is solid state so almost no electrical loss.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 6, 2019, 6:03 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: August 2, 2009, 3:34 pm
Posts: 896
Location: Alberta
banzairx7 wrote:
Also on the light front I bought a Moto Gadget M-Unit to simplify my light wiring.


Sounds like a slick unit.

_________________
Trochu Motor League


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 8, 2019, 9:54 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 24, 2008, 2:13 pm
Posts: 5326
Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
I'm with you on the strong and visible brake light on the roll bar. These cars are so low that it probably puts the light at a good viewing height for SUVs, which are a large percentage of vehicles now days.

Cheers,

_________________
Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 8, 2019, 8:36 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: January 31, 2012, 12:49 pm
Posts: 1713
Location: Louisville KY
Lonnie-S wrote:
I'm with you on the strong and visible brake light on the roll bar. These cars are so low that it probably puts the light at a good viewing height for SUVs, which are a large percentage of vehicles now days.


What happened to those orange flags on the dune buggies?

If the light was effective would you need the roll bar? I'm putting in a rear roll bar more for rear-end crashes than for roll-over crashes. Cause otherwise my head would be the first thing the jacked-up SUV would hit...

Attachment:
fixed_resized_DSC_6554.JPG


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
***************
Geek49203 aka
Tim Wohlford
Louisville, KY
Hayes front, S10 +2 rear, Lalo body.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 15, 2019, 11:18 pm 
Offline

Joined: February 23, 2017, 12:45 pm
Posts: 163
Location: Austin, TX
Was able to test out the oil drain back and there doesn't seem to be a problem. Was kind of exciting to put oil in the car for the first time and listen to it turn over(even if there was zero chance of it starting). That cooler holds a lot of oil. About 1.5 quarts. Kept cranking and adding oil. Then let it sit for a few hours after the cooler was full and the oil level in the sump didn't change.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 16, 2019, 9:43 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: September 22, 2005, 8:12 am
Posts: 1879
Location: 4AGE in S.E. Michigan
Before I installed a thermos by-pass in the oil cooler line I just made a block off plate to slip in front of the oil cooler. I added a hinge that allow about 40% of the cooler to be exposed, when temps where in the 50 to 60 range, or fully close below 50. Other wise it would some times take 45minutes to get every thing up to temp. The "R" clip could be rotated with a screw driver thru the grill to full close off the cooler. DaveW


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: January 16, 2019, 11:14 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: March 30, 2011, 7:18 am
Posts: 1615
Location: central Arkansas
> 45minutes

Some data points:

1990 Corvette, Mobil 1 10w30, 90-ishF ambient, took >20min to bring the oil temp up to 150, watching the Diacom output.

Ford 302, aftermarket sensor in pan, about the same

The Jaguar XJ12 had an oil *warmer* inside the pan, to bring the oil up to operating temp more quickly. Early XJ12s had horrendously bad gas mileage and British gas was expensive, so it was one of several things Jaguar did to make the official test numbers look better.

Lots of 80s/90s GM SUVs had oil "coolers" that I suspect were for the same thing; those were the ones that had tiny heat exchangers inside an oil filter spacer and spliced into a heater hose, not the ones with the heat exchanger up by the radiator.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: RX-8 based build
PostPosted: February 16, 2019, 6:59 pm 
Offline

Joined: February 23, 2017, 12:45 pm
Posts: 163
Location: Austin, TX
It's alive!!!!!!!!!!!

https://youtu.be/j4wBQS1wvlg

edit:Was super excited to post that up yesterday. I even drove it the ten feet back into the garage with no brakes or throttle but I drove it! I got it started about two weeks ago but just got it running properly yesterday. The biggest issue I ran into was it would not rev over 2k rpm. Posted on the megasquirt forum and they had the fix for it right away. The crank trigger signal was too strong so I had to add a 10k resistor inline on one of the wires from it and it cleared right up. Still lots of stuff left to do but this a huge step.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 273 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ... 19  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 53 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
POWERED_BY