[Project] Starting My Xu5T Build

[tidypug 5 2 Cars]

Tom, I saw you going past my house this morning. Must say she sounds great when on boost

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

I saw someone run out, I did wonder if it was you! That is my shortcut route to miss out the queue up to the worrygoose roundabout in the morning when it is busy, I then go up to brecks and down the back lanes to work.

[Henry 1.9GTi 36]

plastic cover present on tailgate striker?

handbrake cable / brake pipe bracket secured to rear beam?

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

All the beam brackets are tight, I don't think it is the tailgate.

 

HOWEVER, I think I have found it. The culprit? A 1900 alloy centre cap rattling about in the wheel. Dab of silicone applied, will see if that shuts it up!

 

Whilst I am here, time for a brief update on recent mods.

 

Well the first big success has been the TD radiator. These really are a monster of a thing, but I had read on here that some had not found them to be any improvement. Well on my car it is working superbly, stays really nice and cool all the time, the cooling fan now hardly ever comes in.

 

However as usual with one success comes one failure. The bloody clutch despite being brand new is slipping, accelerating through the gears is usually OK, but giving it full beans at speed in higher gears and it slips as it makes full boost. So joy of joys I'll be having to have the gearbox out again. First plan is to machine the flywheel to give some more clamping. Otherwise I'll be on the lookout for some kind of paddle clutch for it.

Edited May 11, 2010 by Tom Fenton

[Galifrey 1]

From MOT Manual

 

 

Vehicles not to be tested on a roller brake tester:

 

Certain vehicles should not be tested on a roller brake tester, eg vehicles with

More than one driving axle permanently engaged

Limited-slip differential

Belt-driven transmission

Brakes for which the servo operates only when the vehicle is moving

These vehicles should be tested using a properly calibrated and maintained decelerometer or a plate brake tester designated as acceptable for the statutory tests, see Sub Section 3.7 B, page 25, and C, page 26.

 

Sounds like the MOT station will be culpable for the costs of the diff repair.

[Jamal 2]

So I had a dig through my selection of crap to see what I could make a beam out of, came up with a pair of Xsara VTS rear trailing arms, one with a decent shaft, a 309 cross tube, a pair of vented front discs, and a knackered pair of 1600 front Bendix calipers.

 

Being the tight git I am I decided to see if I could fit the new discs I had to use them, rather than forking out for a new pair of rear discs.

 

So lo and behold

 

and

 

 

Hi Tom!

 

I have got Xsara trailing arms with ABS hubs. I just swapped the 1600 bendix caliper carriers to the Xsara calipers. But my disc(1.6) hits the mounting bracket of the caliper. I tried with 1.9 GTi disc(it has smaller offset) but it hits too.

 

Which vented disc did You use?

 

Thanks!

[Nickmatthewsrallying 0]

That looks like a brilliant idea might be worth trying that one out.

 

Good thread by the way.

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

I used 1900 front discs, I also had to space the disc off the hub face to get it all to line up, and tickle a bit off the caliper mount bracket as well. The setup has done about 6k miles now with no problems.

[Jamal 2]

I used 1900 front discs, I also had to space the disc off the hub face to get it all to line up, and tickle a bit off the caliper mount bracket as well. The setup has done about 6k miles now with no problems.

 

Hi!

 

Thanks for the reply! How much edge remained on the hub to centralize the rim?

I have got(lets say) the same idea, but trying to use a disc with a lower overall thickness approx 31mm instead of the 1.9's 35mm.

Will try to source a used Renault 21 2.1 TD disc Brembo id: 09.4930.14

Have to enlarge the inner hole to 66mm and modify the four holes for the screws because the Renault uses 4X100

Or upgrade to 266 diameter because it's only 27mm tall...

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

There is enough left on the hub to still centralise the wheel. I think I spaced about 4mm.

 

Anyway, back to the car in question.

 

Well it all isn't going so well this year. First of all the diff saga, and the clutch starting to slip.

 

So with the box off a new clutch was fitted. And guess what it still slips, bloody annoying and also takes the fun out of the car as you can't use full boost.

 

I've been in conversation with SPEC clutch in the USA who can supply a full friction surface clutch that will remain nice to use but will hold up to 280-290 ftlb. So will certainly do what I need, with some in reserve for any future power increase.

 

In addition to that last weekend I took it to put some fuel in it, and like a prat touched a kerb at the petrol station at about 5 mph which nipped the tyre sidewall and holed it, and also took a chunk out of my wheel.

 

So this week the car has been sat outside pissed off as it was not allowed in the garage.

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

I got the knackered tyre off, and TIG welded the chunk in the rim up. Once I had ground it back it was no where near as bad as it seemed.

 

Here is the wheel back in paint for the second time....

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

I've luckily got a pair of new tyres in stock so that will be sorted on Tuesday once I've been to the tyre fitters.

 

I also however came across a bargain on ebay, and it is not often these days that you do.

I've been after a Xsara VTS rack for a while, and have a "saved search" setup on ebay. Anyway a few weeks ago an email popped up with a Xsara VTS rack. £30 buy-it-now! Well it didn't take much thinking about!

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

I have checked it by counting the turns and it is roughly 2.5 turns lock to lock, so I'm happy it is what it was advertised as being. I've also got a 106/Saxo electric PAS setup in a box, so the masterplan is to combine both of these things.

[jackherer 543]

I also however came across a bargain on ebay, and it is not often these days that you do.

I've been after a Xsara VTS rack for a while, and have a "saved search" setup on ebay. Anyway a few weeks ago an email popped up with a Xsara VTS rack. £30 buy-it-now! Well it didn't take much thinking about!

 

That was the going rate before they became popular, I was lucky to get three for £30-£35 each for myself and a couple of friends whose 205s I look after but the prices are crazy now. It is a great rack in the 205 though, I would happily pay more for one if I had to rather than go without. You'll probably have to pay more for a custom PAS hose unless you can make something up yourself. Let me know if you do, I'm about to fit the same setup to my 205 and I've just spent all my money on having my roll cage fitted so I could do with not spending £50 on a hose.

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

So with my front wing painted 3 years ago for some reason looking like crazy paving, I;ve decided to do something about it. Strangely enough the paint under the bodykit was fine, it was just the surfaces exposed to the UV rays that had gone s*itty.

 

The wing had also never fitted brilliantly, so with my lathe (the most useful machine in the world once you have one) I made a spacer to shim the lower part of the wing out. This now lines up with the door much better.

 

I then set about it with the DA, the old paint had also gone soft so was a swine to prep as it kept clogging up the abrasive pads.

 

Anyway tonight I've got it in primer. 2 pack this time no fannying about with celly any more for me.

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Depending on how it goes I'm hoping to have some red paint on it tonight. Then tomorrow nights little project is the bonnet to paint as well....

 

I also fitted the new tyre today. Wheel looks pretty reasonable I thought, I even managed to mount the tyre without damaging the new paint on the rims.

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

[Guest JayTee]

awsome read fella, rear homebuilt machine, love it. Is your bottom end standard then?

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

Apart from the undercrown oil sprays, and being carefully rebuilt, yes it is standard.

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

So, well overdue some writing here, what has the little red turbo been up to since the wing was in primer!

 

Well the wing did get painted, and looks quite good even if I say so myself, however this has made the passengers door look shabby. I have another door so will paint this at some point and swap them over.

 

A bit of a run out a few months ago took us over Holme Moss, here its pictured with Henrys skip, James red 1.9 that has now moved to pastures new, and its white Mi16 brother which is owned by me and my best mate Phil.

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr]

 

One of the main additions has been the new sexy wheels, see picture.

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

I have also lowered the rear a bit more, it is a bit of a compromise as with the 309 beam plus the arms I am using and the extra spacing for the vented rear discs, the wheels sit really far out, and very close to the plastic arches. To complicate matters the 23mm torsion bars also mean that a dummy damper distance that would normally give a reasonable ride height gives an offroader stance. Anyhow after 3 attempts its getting towards a reasonable height now.

 

More recently it started to run rough on starting up from cold, it coincided with a spate of me messing with the startup fuelling, so I put it down to this. However a trip to a rolling road day saw it run 204bhp on the rollers (bloody result) but also start throwing serious steam clouds out and running on 2/3 cyl.

 

Mysteriously the misfire would clear above about 2500rpm, and it actually got me home a distance about 60 miles. Even more unbelieveable when I took the head off to find this inside...

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

So that more or less brings us back up to date, as I type the head has been off, skimmed, back on with new stem seals etc, and a Spesso competition head gasket. Tomorrow I'll finish off the last bits and get it fired up.

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

How did it go Tom, did you get it finished?

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

After a hectic week I've had a dose of CBA tonight and done nothing. I'll sort it tomorrow and be back hoofing about soon enough I hope.

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

Well its back in 1 piece, compression is 10.5 bar on all 4 pots, and it has fired up.

 

But what a horrendous job refitting the exhaust manifold in situ!

 

Tomorrow just the last few bits to finish off.

[pug_ham 240 3 Cars]

More recently it started to run rough on starting up from cold, it coincided with a spate of me messing with the startup fuelling, so I put it down to this. However a trip to a rolling road day saw it run 204bhp on the rollers (bloody result) but also start throwing serious steam clouds out and running on 2/3 cyl.

 

Mysteriously the misfire would clear above about 2500rpm, and it actually got me home a distance about 60 miles. Even more unbelieveable when I took the head off to find this inside...

That sounds remarkabley similar to how my 1.9 8v was behaving after the return from Germany in May & prior to my temporary engine rebuild.

 

I should know if its the same in the next few weeks when the old lump comes out to be replaced by its (temporary) replacement.

 

I mentioned this in another of your topics on you latest power figure before this strip down about the head modification for lower the c/r, would fitting some 1.9 pistons in place of the 1.6 ones drop it enough or would further head work still be needed?

 

Maybe something to consider for the future if you ever had reason to skim the head again.

 

Graham.

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

Pass on the 1900 pistons, it would be a case of working it out, I don't know what the compression height or dish size is with them. Remember I started with the already low compression 9.25:1 B6E 1600 engine, so it didn't need much to get it down to 9:1.

The head only needed 10thou off it to clean, so I may now be at something like 9.1:1, still perfectly acceptable.

 

Next on the agenda is to find my missing boost, went for the maiden voyage yesterday and initally all was well with the usual 1.2bar or so of boost, however after about 5 miles this tailed off and I'm now getting a measly 0.5bar, no good to man nor beast.

I've had a good look round and can't seem to find any boost leaks, however there was a bit of mayo gunge in the breathers, and I'm now wondering if this has found its way to the boost control valve and is upsetting things there.

[pug_ham 240 3 Cars]

Yeah, I remember you started with a B6E engine but was more throwing the idea out there for anyone thinking of a similar build without machine access or a mate like Phil.

 

Apparently the use of 1.6 pistons in a 1.9 raise the compression to 11:1 from 9.6:1 but calculation would be needed to see what difference using them in a 1.6T engine build & if they gave a drop of the same amount.

 

Sorry to hear about the missing boost, hope its something simple.

 

Graham.

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

So a small update here, I've been trying to sort out the handling which is leaving a bit to be desired at the moment, that is a subject of another thread.

 

However also on the cards was the missing boost, and the oil drain (version 4).

 

The missing boost turned out to be nothing more sinister than gunge in the boost control valve, presumably that got there when the head gasket finally gave up and filled all the breathers with mayo and rubbish. A quick blast out with some brake cleaner and the air line and hey presto normal service was resumed.

 

Next on the cards was the oil drain from the turbo, this has been a bit of a labour of hate to say the least, the drain is now the 4th version I have made. 1st one leaked, 2nd one didn't leak but made the turbo smoke all the time, the 3rd one didn't leak but made the turbo smoke when the oil was cold, and finally version 4, which I hope will not leak, and will not make the turbo smoke.

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

From what I read up on this / speaking to Turbo Technics, the oil feed to the turbo needs to be relatively small and the drain as big as possible so the turbo doesn't run pressurised.

 

The TT engine runs a small oil feed pipe

 

and a much larger drain in the sump

 

Gerben van der Lei (had www.205turbo.nl) had a pressure gauge and an adjustable valve on his oil feed.

 

He drained the oil back into the block this way

 

My sump returns in a similar way to the TT one

 

Have you any pics of the drains 1 to 4 and why they were unsuccessful?

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

Time for a quick and duff update here I guess?

 

The new turbo oil drain went on and touch wood seems to have cured the smoking, however beiny lazy I welded the new pipe into the sump without removing it from the car so it is now back to leaking ever so slightly. New sump has been procured so at some point I will re-make v4 of the oil drain and hopefully put it to bed once and for all....!

 

After this it was off to Curborough to pimp my new wheels and also give it some grief round the circuit. I filled up at my local garage with super and then set off. Well on the way down it felt a touch down on grunt, but this was its first run out for some time so I dismissed this as me. However on the first run round Curborough it was detting like a goodun, not good at all, Mike Yorke could even hear it as a spectator. So I went off in search of octane booster, leaving Curborough there is a go-kart circuit so I decided to call there and see if any of the lads working there had a bit of local knowledge and could point me in the right direction. Sure enough they directed me to a local motor factor about 3 miles away. Arrived there, they had two bottles of booster left, so I bought both!!

With this in normal service was resumed, it felt loads faster.

Spent the rest of the afternoon having a damn good time swapping and changing cars with a few of the PSOOC South Yorks lads, certainly interesting to try some different cars, a few had a go in mine too, I think Calvin was the best reaction, just laughing his head off!

 

So following Curborough I removed the front dampers as I wasn't convinced by the damping, and sent them back to Gaz, who checked and found they were OK. However at the same time they supplied some 275lb springs (up from 225lb) and also modified the rods to make my eccentric top mounts fit.

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

I fitted these set to maximum castor, and I'm really quite pleased with the results, turn in is a lot keener. However very annoyingly there is still a slight weave from the suspension on and off the throttle, annoying as I've been over everything and cannot find the culprit. I think the next thing may be some different wishbones.

 

I want to put on record here how good the service from Gaz was. I have had the dampers nearly 3 years so they were out of the 2 year warranty period, however I got a fast reply to my initial email, a call as promised when the dampers arrived, and they had them back to me in double quick time. So all in all a double thumbs up from me to Gaz.

 

Next on the list is solid rear beam mounts, I should have really done these at the time, but when I came to build the beam I was running low on cash due to all the stuff needed to complete the turbo conversion, so I left std ones on there.

So a length of acetal and a hour or so happily buggering about on the lathe and hey presto

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

On the cards next is the long awaited Xsara VTS steering rack, that is, if I can get the UJ to clear the turbo compressor housing. Otherwise I may have to resort to a manual quickrack from Quaife instead.

 

I moved it out of the garage tonight to get the white car in for some prep ahead of a trackday at Oulton on Saturday, it was a bit grumpy so I took it for a run up the road for a few miles to get it up to temp, bugger me with -2 ambient temps and the air temp sensor adding more fuel to compensate, it was going like a bloody rocket!

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

Pic from Curborough courtesy of Paul Higgs

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Compared to the pics at the top of page 50 and the ride height difference is very obvious.