Danny's K Series Conversion Project

[Danny]

Firstly you're being a wimp by not putting it at the front, always like to start my posts off with a few words of encouragement, but if you have decided to wimp out you have multiple alternatives.

Mount it in a somewhat vertical plane somewhere just behind the roll bar, remember you also need to be able to mount the header tank so that the water level in it is above the height of the radiator. If you mount that on the passenger side then you won't get scolded, as that is likely to be the only place water would gush out, any leaks in the radiator will only be minor initially. It will be well in the airflow, but will still have fans to assist, as you don't have the legally required interior mirror rear vision will not be an issue.

Mount it in the plane of the sloping tubes going to the back of the buggy to hold the subframe directly above the engine, it will still get airflow although restricted but fans will still pull air through, it might not look quite as intrusive, it will still block your vision that you don't have, but you will probably have to remove it each time you want to do anything on the engine & you will lose the option of luggage space.

Mount it at the rear at the same height as the engine, it won't be in the airflow, it will certainly need assistance of the fans even with normal running, it will be on the 'cold' side of the engine away from the manifold, you maybe able to scoop some air down to it.

Mount 1 radiator either side of the of the buggy F1 style & build them into pods, they will be in the airflow & can be fan assisted when required, you could even duct them out the back in a blown diffuser but not sure of the legality of that now with Bernie.

Mount 1 radiator either side of the buggy at either end of the engine, you will have to build scoops if you want them to be in the airflow, but with fans pulling the air in they should be okay

Failing all of that MTFU & work out how to put it at the front.

Alan...

yeah the 2 rads in the rear seems like an idea... Luggage space I would like to keep as I dont want a roof box...

 

[Danny]

My plan is to get the rear subframe built up and back on the chassis so I can start getting the tubes run down and then from there I can get an idea of space and what not

 

[Danny]

well tonight I got a few hours in the garage and started getting my head around the subframe rebuild....

Decided all suspension components that are black are going to stay black for one reason and thats because I cannot be bothered to strip off good paint for the sake of it and because when I go to change parts in the future I don't want to be painting them up... this is a future proof project for trouble free buggying

I have also forgotten how to put it all back together so the next few days will be interesting... oh yeah I move on friday to my new place... FFS...lol

 

[Danny]

been working hard getting hubs stripped and everything is damn rusty so I am de rusting and painting parts and working at getting the subframe built up...

I am at eth final stages of my property renovation just got a bit of decorating left and then I can start moving in

 

[Danny]

Another little update...

Started painting bits today....

One hub has been painted.... hammerite is my friend until I get stoneleigh finished then I will rebuild the hubs probably from new parts but for now and until I an 100% certain its going to work it will be black

The other thing I did not expect was how many bolts I now have to replace because they either broke or had to be grinded off... so a few trips to my bolt supplier I can start getting things back together....

I will post some photos probably tomorrow night

 

[Phaeton]

Stop painting, BUILD

 

[Danny]

Stop painting, BUILD

Lol but the rust was desperate so this is a bit lashy (for me) Dont worry alan I am building

 

[Danny]

More painting today...lol well lashing hammerite on!!!

Should start all going back together tomorrow with a bit of luck!!

Garage needs a good clearout as I am now getting ready to move... and i have a whoe loft of car spares to get out and in to my new place :-\

 

[Danny]

Today I had a bit of clearout and started stripping the other hub down... well I say stripping I swore at it for an hour made no progress and went back home...

But prior to that I had pressed out the old bearing from the other side and put a new one in

I also had to whip out and start buying even more nuts and bolts to to replace the ones I had to grind off... damn these MG's are rust buckets!!!

I think all the parts are painted now which is good so I can start putting the subframe back together and then at last getting the chassis ready for welding...

I could really really do with finding some stud pattern converters so if anybody knows where I can convert a mini stud pattern to the MGF one that would be handy

 

[Danny]

Been buying lots of shiney stuff... here are my front subframe mounts...

 

[Danny]

Although I have not posted much I have been busy....

I have nearly got the subframe back together now.. almost every bolt has been replaced now and I have painted as much of the subframe as possible...

I went to fit the calipers to the hubs today and not having the right bolts caused me an issue... so I was on eblag to find some new caliper carriers and then decided i would buy new calipers disks pads the whole fricken lot :-\

New disks and pads from my local motor factors was £70 but for an extra £100 I could have new calipers, carriers and all sorts http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261758234642? ... EBIDX%3AIT

So I have opted for this instead.. Still negotiating a price but still...

Due to the imminent arrival of another freestyle I need to get the engine in the subframe this weekend and then I can start making the engine mounts

I have a lot of work to do to get this buggy finished in time for stoneleigh but I a hoping that once teh subframe and engine are together it should be plain sailing

 

[Danny]

£162 delivered happy days

I think I have sold the old calipers for £40 as well

The subframe will be all fitted this weekend

 

[Danny]

Progress

 

[Phaeton]

The subframe will be all fitted this weekend

COUGH!

 

[Danny]

The suspension is all built
.. will have tp remove the hubs again to fit drive shafts... but going to weld up a stand to sit the subframe and engine on so it can be moved about the garage...

 

[Danny]

On sunday I decided that it was going to be a buggy day and I was quite excited... I got up early and the plan was to get the engine in the subframe...

Well it was an absolute pig to do and the next time I do this I will be doing it slightly different...

The subframe was dropped on to 4 axle stands and I was dragging the engine from the other end of the garage... I had my lovely wife here helping and it took about an hour of swearing and a bit of abuse to get it in but she dropped in and I was relieved....

Once it was in I just needed to connect up the hubs and drive shafts and what not so I could get the wheels on and make it a little more mobile... I dont have any disks or calipers so the wheels are on but not properly :-\

So sunday was nearly over and I decided to go back in and do some work while supping on a JD... oh god I was slightly pissed to say teh least :-\ but in dfdoing that I stumbled accross Jasosn GT buuild and noticed he was using a rad from a little fiat a cinquecento or something and it looked perfect a quick ebay search and I found that it was only £14 delivered so I bought 1

It arrived today and it looks perfect I have just ordered 2 more

 

[Danny]

Here is what the radiator was from Fiat Cinquecento RADIATOR Fiat Seicento RADIATOR

 

[Danny]

Had bit of a rubbish week, the painter we took on to finish painting our place was not meeting my standard and I encouraged him to leave :-/

So that left me in an awkward place where I had planned to spend all week on the buggy and now I am repainting... the joys...

However I have made progress...

I took the alternator off and realised that because I had air con I now needed a different bracket so that was fun. ... a quick call to the company who supplied the calipers and they found me one and posted it... which was really handy...

I also decided to fit the stainless manifold and as you would expect all the manifold studs were rotten so ordered some new stainless ones and fitted the manifold.

I had an issue with the old manifold in the sense that it had a lampda sensor and the new stainless one doesn't. I soo realised it was in the next section of exhaust... thankfully.

I have ordered a new lampda sensor and that will be here next week.

I have a lot planned for the coming weeks... I need to make the mounts for the front mounted radiator and then start getting the subframe mounts made to go on the chassis and then we are plain sailing....

The electrics are still worrying me somewhat as this really is not my specialty :-/

 

[Danny]

I have done nothing since..... might get the chance at the weekend for an hour or so but I am up and down the country at the moment with TPF stuff and that is not getting any better

 

[Danny]

Rear hoop fabricated

Rear mounts partially made... I tacked on some 34mm tube as a guide for making the hoop this makes it easier for welding up and also for getting g it in the right place... I have also made the mounts with tube welded inside to stop the bolts crushing the tube

Decide to do 2 tf conversions so the purple one got chopped as well ;-) jane is quire keen to own one of these at some point... so we shall see

The engine is out of the purple one

The garage is very full at the moment but there is 2 chassis in there and the rear engine and subframe of the TF so not too bad