[Spridgets] Sprite jobs update

[Weslake1330]

Hi List,

In the past a lister would occasionally post a project update for the other
listers and since my wife has no interest in what I'm doing to my Sprite I
thought I'd post an update here!

The engine is out of my Sprite at the moment and simply wire wheeling some
rust and flaky paint off for a tidy up and brush painting in the engine bay
has escalated into a series of other small jobs.

My car has the Frontline front top link etc conversion which bolts to the
car using the three original captive nuts + a nut and bolt that you drill a
hole for.  Well, now I have a small welder I've decided to fit a captive
nut to replace the 'loose' nut.  I thought about cleaning the zinc coating
off a nut for welding it but in the end decided to buy some hexagon bar and
drill and tap it to make a nut that I can weld on that will actually
looking similar to the originals.  I bought the bar twice because I failed
to correctly understand how bar was measured and the first section was
smaller than I intended.  The tap and drill for this arrived today and just
as well I already had a UNF tap because what arrived was UNC tap.  I wish
I'd just bought the drill now.  With my newish floor standing pillar drill
and vice that I can, and did, clamp onto the drill table I thought drilling
would be a cinch and and it was but not very accurate.  So, I have one
piece drilled and tapped instead of two.  I guess I need to put the bar in
my vice and get it accurately vertical by using a spirit level on it before
I clamp everything down.  I have already worked out that I need to allow
enough room to change drill bits (working up from something small) without
disturbing anything.

I have had a copper hard fuel line in the car that I fitted possibly 30
years ago, maybe 35 years ago.  There was nothing wrong with it except when
I drilled a hole for a clip to secure the pipe on that original
installation, I chewed the pipe with the drill chuck. To get around a
possible leak (the pipe was deeply cut but not all the way through, I slid
a short length of hose over it and secured it with a couple of jubilee
clips. Well it always bugged me to look at it and I have now replaced the
whole front to back copper pipe with Kunifer pipe.  On my car I have
something I don't think I've ever seen on anyone elses, including hundreds
of racing cars of all types, and that's a hard line connecting with a
threaded fitting to a threaded fitting on braided s/s hose.  It needs a
special nut (forget the proper name) an Olive and then a flare on the pipe
end.  I've done one end and it's ok (but not yet tested under pressure).
Kunifer pipe doesn't bend as easily as copper and while I've managed just
about, I've bought a small pipe bender for the pipe at the rear. I need to
finish the rear of the job but want to leave the car jacked up at the front
for other stuff before working on the rear.

While fitting the new fuel hardline in the trans tunnel and using new clips
I decided to remove the bracket that supports the gearbox - my Sprite has
the Ford based 5-speed conversion.  I removed the bracket because I wanted
to cut the 90-degree ends to become 45 degree ends not so much for the (23
grammes) weight saving but so it looked neater and was less likely for me
to bang my head, hand, or whatever on whenever I am working under the car.
I then replaced bolts (black oxide in UNC) with UNF ARP s/s with the small
wrenching head (that I love!) and Nylock nuts rather than the plain ones
that were on before.  Then I took it back off (!) to move the brake line
that was either moved for the conversion, or when I (not that long ago-
last year?) replaced the copper brake line with Kunifer.  The brake line is
neater now and I also moved a clip to make sure it was clamped adequately
in its new place.

So hours and hours of work for a few simple tidying up jobs while the
engine is out and my only regret is not sharing some of the other stuff
I've also done while the engine it out.

When I weld the new captive nuts on for the Frontline top link I'll also be
wire wheeling and painting everything that needs it and replacing the
wishbones and pans with brand new ones.

Regards


Daniel
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