go faster sierra

[Steve Kerswell]

Been playing in the shed for a while, following on from Ade's Sierra I'm going the Pinto route. Finally got all the parts and ready to start. Just tried it loosely all together and it appears to fit, phew, its a big old lump, I can hardly lift it back onto blocks. Anyway measurements all taken and need to make up a gearbox crossmember and move a few bits around. Dave Adams has pre warned me about the starter motor. So I'll leave that until all is settled in the car. Ah, the car, I am tempted to remove the whole front body work and make it into a flip front. Still out on that decision. Need new doors or a lot of fabricating, Its gonna be a long winter. Oh, and it may get a different set up in the back axle, minimum 5 link or the old jag back axle wot sit.

[Steve Kerswell]

So, if I went 5 link, in theory it wouldn't move back or forward. Tomorrow I will test your theory James, my son and four of his Marine mates are here for lunch, they are all in the 18stone range. I'll load them into the Sierra and measure the deflection :-)

[James Doulton]

With the leaf springs then the spring is fixed at the front and the rear hangers allow movement as the spring deflects. That must mean that the axle location moves backwards as the suspension is depressed and forwards as the wheels descend. If your propshaft was level at the outset then I'd have thought that there would be noticeable movement. I think it is likely to be significant over 3 or 4 inches of suspension travel.

Looking at the geometry of the Sierra, the axle is about 450mm behind the front spring fixing and pretty much level with it, it looks like it has about a 900mm propshaft that drops 100mm over its length. If the axle moves up and down 50mm from this position then the propshaft will need to move 12mm in total (getting 4mm longer as the bodywork rises and 8mm shorter as the body drops and the spring is compressed). I think that is probably too much for bushes to flex.

[Steve Kerswell]

I've looked at doing may own, but just had two quotes, both below a ton. Save time and hassle having one built, probably correctly balanced as well. Only trouble being they need an accurate reading, which I can't do until the motor and box is in place.

[Steve Kerswell]

I wonder if the centre support bearing has any influence on this movement.

[Adrian Southgate]

If the flange on the diff is at right angles to the prop then there won't be much, if any, movement. Its only when there is a there is an angle it moves when the axle rises. I had the same problem with my Sierra as it shifted when I started loading it up.

[Steve Kerswell]

I've tried to work out how far it slips in and out, the prop ! but I cant get any visible movement, jacked up the axle got big boys jumping in and out, doesn't seem to alter ?

[Steve Kerswell]

Yep, still looking at that. Have found a company in Yorkshire that makes props. and they do an adapter from the doughnut to male, so the original prop end slips over it, comes complete with a boot. Plus there is a Transit prop with a slider joint, I thought it was a Granada but its a Transit middle joint. OR, I could go Sierra diff and half shafts route with a bolt in crossmember, I have drawn up what is required, IVA states "you can add a crossmember but not remove" jury's still out on that end of the car :-))

[Steve Kerswell]

Shock!! We got a piece of 4+2 and with a few g clamps had the engine secure. Two batteries, a few bits of wire and a piece of cooker cable for a temporary loom. Petrol in the can gravity feed for the supply. Second turn she spluttered, third she smoked, forth, with the aid of easy start, it started and kept running. At tickover it never moved across the floor, but you know how it is, we had to blip the throttle, and surprisingly it didn't try to escape to far. Result. Now to get the crossflow out and the pinto in. Still lots to do, to manage it, plus an engine lift to sort.

[Steve Kerswell]

Got side tracked on the dog today, bloody brakes went wonky. Had enough of things fighting back so stripped the calipers out and split them. They were rebuilt barely 3 years back but we're full of rusty fluid. And the outer area of the bores were manky. Been cleaning and honing all day, tomorrow do the rears. Master cylinder looks OK but thinking about a duo master cylinder, just because I have one in the box. Any real advantage of fitting it over the simple single ?? The manky stuff is the red grease they sent with the seals, gone all hard, like a lacquer. Stupid car.

[Paul Sheridan]

Graham with that comment about Jag rear axles, you've just reminded me of a saying my Grandfather used ........  ' you haven't done the maintenance correctly ...... if the components don't slip apart like a pair of French knickers sliding down silk stocking clad legs '   Proper engineering ;-))))