UK Lakester build G/GL

[kiwi belly tank]

https://www.speedhut.com/gauges/

[Lemming Motors]

Sid is bang on - wide choice, could be customised every which way and great service (no affiliation etc). Of course they have not been used yet ..... I did get some square aircraft style bezels from SpeedHut too but that would have made the pod wider at the bottom corners right where your legs want to be getting in and out. 

The button on the tacho is to set the shift light trigger point.

The button on the speedo is to set and recall Vmax, 0-60 time, 1/4 mile, and / or set the lcd screen to read compass heading  odometer / trip, clock, elevation. I do not need 260mph but for the classic 'what will it do mister' it looks good. 

In reality the reset button was right on the numbers we would optimistically run so the higher sweep of the clock face is to move the button out of the way. Having said that I am not sure I will be doing any speedo gazing at Vmax.  They do a version with a clean face and a jack button with 18" cable out the rear - that would have been sensible but I did not know that at the time I ordered.

[kiwi belly tank]

I actually went the old way on the liner with a WWII air speed indicator that goes to 450 knots & have it hooked up to a pitot tube from an F-18, just more Ebay stuff.
  Sid.

[Lemming Motors]

Today has been mostly about having fun with wires.

The battery, fuses and relays are all wired and mounted below the seat back rest - it seemed an ideal 'empty' space.

The big relay is energised by a dash switch (instead of a key) and cuts the earth circuit. When the rule book required cable operated battery kill switch is deactivated (positive side) it will also shut down this relay so both pos and neg battery circuits are disconnected in the event of a someone pulling the external kill switch handle.

If you look closely the dry battery has a small switch with a built in lcd that shows the voltage. It can be be mounted in any position, including upside down, which will come in handy in the event of the furry underbelly being exposed.

One advantage of this layout is that if the seat back contacts the battery positive I will also have a heated seat 

[Lemming Motors]

I know I am going to regret installing the switch gear and instruments (and wiring them) but with the chassis bare I can roll it on its side and get to the underside to feed wires etc. and somehow this feels like real progress - the dash lives. 

[Lemming Motors]

The GPS speedo, out of the box, took about two minutes to find satellites. It has a hot wire for quick start (i.e. always on) butt he way I configured the big relay to kill earth means it will only be hot when the Battery switch is on. Otherwise they come on with the dash switch (which also energises a couple of relays for water pumps). I named it dash then thought of the additional use for it - its the last one to be switched, just before you make a dash for the timing beams.

[Lemming Motors]

Rulebook question: BATTERIES

I may be guilty of being too literal (never guilty of over thinking though).

3.K ....main battery disconnect switch ..... mechanical control.....

Typically the red positive lead of a battery runs to the starter post (where you want max ergs) and that is also the terminal for the alternator charge wire and in turn the main feed to the rest of the electrics - in Brit stuff that is usually a reasonably robust brown wire.

The rule, read literally, means putting the cable operated cut out switch between the battery and the starter post, or does it?

It makes much more sense to me to put it next to the starter and 'break' the main feed that comes off the starter post to the electrics; in my case a 30A brown wire to a primary fuse then the other fuses relays etc all switched by the Ignition switch. That way the alternator is not providing juice to the electrics and also, since I have an electronic cut out (big relay in earlier pics) on the earth side of the battery that will also lose power, cut out and so I have literally killed both sides of the circuits.

In short - does the mechanical cut off switch have to break the big red battery cable to be rule compliant?

[Stainless1]

Stopping electricity as close to the battery as possible is the spirit of the rule.  Mine is 20 inches of wire down the cable in the front.  Our old was at the back... see pic...   They prefer the front or back of the car for the shutoff...  well marked.  They may ask for a demo... same for the inertia switch....

[ronnieroadster]

  As Stainless wrote killing the battery feed as close to the source as possible. The correct way to wire the switch is to connect your battery positive to the switch and then connect your main feed wire that being what you have on your starter to the other terminal on the kill switch. The intent is to eliminate the battery voltage feed to every possible location once the switch is turned off. Placing the switch between the battery and all devices is the only way thats accomplished. 
   Ronnieroadster

[wobblywalrus]

Thanks for posting that link to the gps speedometer page.  My old desert race bike is being made road legal and it will be nice to know how fast it goes.

[Lemming Motors]

Thanks guys; as always I defer to experience and why the forum is so invaluable for a newbie.

I will take battery feed to the cut-off switch and attach the alternator output to that side, then a run to the starter and take the primary electrics feed from that.

Once shut off neither the alternator nor the battery can supply the primary electrics so there is no source of e's downstream of the shut off. Doubly secure as the big under seat relay, without input, will switch off and so earth is disconnected from the chassis; nowhere for any stray e's to go in either direction   .

[ronnieroadster]

Thanks guys; as always I defer to experience and why the forum is so invaluable for a newbie.

I will take battery feed to the cut-off switch and attach the alternator output to that side, then a run to the starter and take the primary electrics feed from that.

Once shut off neither the alternator nor the battery can supply the primary electrics so there is no source of e's downstream of the shut off. Doubly secure as the big under seat relay, without input, will switch off and so earth is disconnected from the chassis; nowhere for any stray e's to go in either direction   .

 John  when your alternator output wire is connected to the same terminal on the kill switch where the battery positive cable is also connected you have not met the intent of the rule.  The rule reads main battery disconnect switch. When the alternator output wire is still connected to the battery the way you wrote that wire is not disconnected from the battery. It would be better to connect the alternator output wire to the starter positive battery feed terminal that way you would be within the intent of the rule. Or if you prefer the alternator output wire could be connected to the kill side of the switch. Eliminating as many paths for power to be live in the car is what the rule accomplishes in case of a fuel spill so a short circuit would not cause a fire.

[kiwi belly tank]

Also if you run a one wire alternator there is no way to shut it off if it's still turning & that will feed everything with the battery disconnected. You need an ignition excited alternator.
  Sid.

[Lemming Motors]

The alternator is 4 wire but I have established that it only needs two - one is the ignition warning light that the alternator earths initially to light it up then disconnects that circuit when its charging (my definition) and the other is a positive feed from the ignition i.e. ignition excited alternator = serendipitous.

I have relocated the positive / cable cut out under the seat close to the battery (both earth and positive battery leads will be about 10 inches long to their respective cut outs). Looked at another way; all the sparky things are on the opposite side of the firewall to the flammable liquid things.

The positive cut out will now disconnect everything including the negative cut out relay feed so chassis as an earth will also be isolated in parallel to a jerk and kill action.

[ronnieroadster]

John will you have a removable panel in the seat bottom for Quick and easy access to the cars electrics? When building my car I planed on having access as quick as possible in case we needed to do any troubleshooting. Having spent a carer trouble shooting electrical circuits on  the railroad  helped me appreciate the ease of access to wiring.
 Ronnieroadster