Australian Belly Tank

[Dr Goggles]

Hey Colonel,

I just checked the tracking on the starter motor that's coming from Ohio, they've sent it UPS....... I'm just worried that they've entered the dimensions which were stated in mm in chains, I suspect that is why the USS Vinson is headed this way, the estimated weight is 3500 short tons.

Which reminds me, have UPS returned the ransom on the gearbox yet?......

I'm 55 emails in
I've got it down from $2174.40 to $1285.99
I haven't sworn (cursed) at anyone yet
I think only a few of them have blocked me

Did you buy it from Summit?
G

Summit like that.

[Dr Goggles]

Keep the primary pipe length close to what they are if you can Gogg's, it's bound to be right for that eng.
  Sid.

Here's my plan, they have to tuck tighter to the block than they currently are, that means taking something out of them before they turn downward. I figure the smartest thing to do would be to work out which has the least we can take and chop that length out of all of them then add a piece in the vertical section of the same length.

Obviously there'll be some license there because the main job is to make 'em fit. We will then lop the end off the collector back to the taper and take them to our tail pipe. Had to get the starter motor first because that's a pinch point... I got a reduction starter with a nice small motor but still rated for up to 18:1 a standard one wouldn't turn that motor.

Hey Colonel, I bought you some mig wire too, well I bought it for me, forgetting my machine only takes 5kg rolls.

If you don't have some collector length it will kill the scavenge effect in the primaries & a too smaller tail pipe will choke it down even more. Collector length can be the non straight transition section to the tail pipe & the tail pipe will need to be bigger than the 3.8 required. This new bullet you have is likely to move twice as much air as the old one. Don't choke the bitch down Mate.
  Sid.
   

Not shortening the collector, just getting rid of the stubs that took it over the frame rail to exit in front of the roadsters cowl. The collector then has a taper which is probably to keep speed up and turbulence down, that'll stay, we had a 3 inch tailpipe before.

[kiwi belly tank]

One 3" pipe seems a bit small to me for all that engine. You might want to put a fitting in the front of that to hook up a locking tire (Tyre  ) gauge so you can see that it's not a restriction after a WOT pass. If you start out with a copper line to bleed the heat off then a hose to the gauge it'll survive. Once you know it's ok toss it.
Did you get HP numbers with this engine?
  Sid.

[Dr Goggles]

Are you tekkin the puss knackers?

We were thinking of an energy polariser but your idea definitely has some merit.

480+ hp Sid,

[kiwi belly tank]

That should put some spirit in your Spirit Mate.
  Sid.

[Dr Goggles]

Despite communication barriers and 40 miles the Colonel and I have managed to make some progress.

I ordered a gear reduction starter, even though UPS were involved in the transaction it arrived promptly and without extra exorbitant fees, it's about half the size of the original which is going to be useful when we have to route the exhaust.

Speaking of exhaust I went to Hi Tech exhausts in Sunshine yesterday and spoke to Duane about modifying the headers( which have two steps in them1$3/4- 1&7/8- 2. As I stood there with a header pipe and one of the collectors he said "we're both thinking the same thing aren't we, it comes down to the old adage about pigshit and strawberry jam, it doesn't matter how much sugar you put in it, it ain't strawberry jam"......and I had to agree. We will make new headers and use the collectors from the current exhaust, the current headers go too far out from the block, to fit in our car they need to turn quite sharply down and back. So we'll try and keep the same primary length and get them down to the collectors. Yesterday as we stared at the car the Col. and I discussed whether we would use the same long tailpipe which is as good as it gets for sending the exhaust into the wake but we've got 50% more power, likely 50% more heat.....we might take two pipes out low down pointing straight back either side of centre behind the axle, that would allow us to put the chute in a tube.

When I get there yesterday the box was bolted up to the scatter shield. Today the Colonel bolted it up to the motor and dropped it in.



It is sitting a little higher than it will when properly installed as the lower frame rails have not been moved yet.Hence the bottom of the scatter shield is sitting on the tubes, we also may be able to square off the bottom of the shield as well. Currently the issue is drive-line alignment in the vertical plane, can anyone tell us what the tolerance of the Greek coupler is, Sid?



There are spacers which move the water pump forward, this not a bellytank friendly situation. If they come out we'll be OK at the front, if we aren't we could go to a Davies Craig electric pump, at least they make them here....



At the other end we're OK, there is enough room to manipulate the coupler but we will need to build a new gearbox crossmember....while we're here dig that neat Andy Welker designed and built shorty conversion for the G101 gearbox



There is also the small issue that the shift tags on the new gearbox are on the other side..now for most of the viewers here that might seem like a nightmare possibility but we grow up shifting with our left hand so changing the gear-shift to the left of the car would be no big deal. Why do we have to change it? well we might not but there are precious few opportunities to get a morse cable across the car, unless we run forward and around the car to the left hand side....

[Milwaukee Midget]

You guys ALWAYS do a great job on dishing the details. 

Personally, I'd move the shifter - the shorter and more directly you can make the linkage, the less monkey motion you'll have.

Simplicity=reliability.

Conversely, is dinkin' around with an unnecessarily long shift cable something you're willing to mess with under a tent on the salt?

[SPARKY]

are you thinking about "forgetting" the radius rods? 

[kiwi belly tank]

Greek couplers don't like to run out of line for long, build a temporary lineup sleeve to get the installation done. If you can't get down that far with the new package you might have to change the pinion angle to make it work.
  Sid. 

[Dr Goggles]

Greek couplers don't like to run out of line for long, build a temporary lineup sleeve to get the installation done. If you can't get down that far with the new package you might have to change the pinion angle to make it work.
  Sid. 

Changing the pinion angle is something that seems a lot easier than it is......

are you thinking about "forgetting" the radius rods? 

Ours are just watts links out of a sedan

[tauruck]

Looks good James in spite off the niggles.
I know you guys will get around any problems as you always do.
 

[SPARKY]

do the techies require you to run the axle braces?  look like more drag to me

[kiwi belly tank]

Looks like loosing the Cheby water pump might be a good decision to get your package further forward & those Davies Craig pumps do a great job.
I see what you mean about your diff being nailed in there Mate! If you end up having to rotate it, do you have enough room to wack the axle housings off beside the head & weld it up at the appropriate angle?
Having the shifter in my left hand is still more natural to me after all these years of driving on the wrong side of the road, both the tank & the liner are on the left side.
  Sid.  

[Rex Schimmer]

I agree with Sparky, the rear radius rods are redundant, the stiffness and strength of just the rearend axle tubes are far more than you will ever need for keeping the wheels pointed forward. If you are not sure just send me the OD, wall thickness and length and I can do deflection and stress calculations to make you feel better.

Rex

[kiwi belly tank]

My opinion, the rear radius rods are at an extreme angle which presents an elliptical shape to the air flow plus they break the air before the 3" dia axle tube that is 90deg to flow. If you remove them without adding an axle fairing drag would likely increase.
  Sid.