Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

SVA Test and anwers Peter, Jeremy, Patrick

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • SVA Test and anwers Peter, Jeremy, Patrick

    After the requests from Peter of Uxbridge, Jeremy Belfast and Patrick Hampshire for information on my experiences during the SVA test process here are a few brief notes from that cold day.

    The Sportsters donor car was a late 1998 M3 Evo Coupe 3.2 purchase from FAB Recycling.

    On the day of the test the outside temperature was -2 deg C and without a wind screen it was a bit cool on the drive to the test centre which is about 45mins away. I am glad the heater was working as it kept my lower half just above freezing point.

    The first part of the test was the Speedometer test, which if you have not driven the car over 45 MPH due to the wind chill factor can be a bit of an adrenalin rush when the car is on a rolling road doing an indicated 70+ mph. After being given the print out from the machine that showed a pass we when on to the next section which was the emissions test. The engine was late 1998 so it had to pass the catalytic test, and it did so, on the second run after running the engine at 3000 rpm for 2 minutes to get the Cats hot.

    All the other checks over, in and under including engine bay went without comment. They did let me put some rubber 5mm rubber section on the rear suspension mounts after the vehicle plan sharp edge check showed and edge that I had missed.

    There were four points on my refusal certificate that I will share with you. They are numbers in order of the certificate.

    9.1 Front indicators less than 350mm above floor level.
    Correction - The front indicator storks were short and needed lifting up from the front bumpers by 50mm. I should have spotted that one, a silly mistake to make.

    13 Both front wheels above the horizontal plane project past vehicle body plan.
    In other word the rims of the front wheels were 50mm in front of the front of the cycle wing front edge.
    Correction on the retest day was to extend the front edge of wing with a rubber edge section.

    15.1 No self centring steering action.
    The correction was to increase caster angle to maximum and increase front tyre pressures.
    The results on the retest day were very effective have since dropped the tyre pressure.

    21 Front axel, rear axle and design axel weights less than calculated weights.

    Correction: Changed the weights that I had on an email from Marlin and gave it to the test engineer- VOSA had given me the weight they wanted to see from their calculations so the correction was straightforward. I must admit the logic behind this foxed me on the day. This one has never made any sense, but I think the best reaction is to do what they ask without question, you can climb down off the wall later as you drive home.

    This is what they did. The engineer carried out the breaking tests on the rolling road and the brakes passed with room to spare, but they then compare the weights I put on the SVA1 application with the weight they calculate from measuring the vehicle body plan, height and engine size then putting the figures in to a spread sheet calculation in the office (which I did not see) and then came out and told me ?your weights are too light, from our calculations?, and ask for a letter from the manufacturer confirming the design weights. Easy to resolve, but extremely frustrating when you know you can?t resolve it there and then..

    The weight I put on the SVA 1 were:

    Front: 500kg
    Rear: 600kg
    Gross 1100kg

    The weight VOSA wanted from their calculations were

    Front: 550kg
    Rear: 700kg
    Design gross weight 1250kg

    The rechecks on the four points at the following week appointment was straight forward and I went home with my SVA 20, the drive to the DVLA office at Worcester was great fun as I fitted the windscreen by then.

    Here?s hoping you have a clear run.

  • #2
    Re: SVA Test and anwers Peter, Jeremy, Patrick

    John,
    thanks for your comprehensive feedback, much appreciated.

    With an M3 3.2 engine she must really fly !

    Are you fully registered and on the road yet?
    It must be great driving after all the hard work is done, weel done,

    Peter

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: SVA Test and anwers Peter, Jeremy, Patrick

      John,

      Thank you very much there's lots of useful info there for us to be aware of!

      Have fun with your car! That must be a beast!

      Patrick
      www.msportster.co.uk

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: SVA Test and anwers Peter, Jeremy, Patrick

        Message originally posted by: Liz
        John. Thanks for all the information. I hope you will bring her to Stoneleigh and we can all have a look.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: SVA Test and anwers Peter, Jeremy, Patrick

          Message originally posted by: Sue Roedel (Editor, MOC)
          Hi John

          This is too good not to go into the PITSTOP mag. I'm taking it and putting it in for the Feb issue so all other Sportster builders can be inspired. I hope you don't mind!

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: SVA Test and anwers Peter, Jeremy, Patrick

            John

            I'm building a Sportster with the 3.2 ltr engine from a Z3 M-coupe. I would be very interested to learn how you got on with the BMW anti-theft systems (EWS). Did you use the BMW setup or install a new ECU (MoTec, EFI, ...)?

            Jeremy Ward

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: SVA Test and anwers Peter, Jeremy, Patrick

              Jeremy

              Yes the ECU anti theft must of held up the project for about 3 months and made a whole in the budget. Before I took the engine out of the Coupe the engine was a runner, but in the period it took to build the marlin the key code ESW and ECU were powered down and it had forgotten its identity. I purchase carsoft, but it would do everything except synchronize the key to the ESW to the ECU. In the end I had to put the car on a trailer and take it up to a BMW breaker in Dudley that had purchase the ?15K hand held computer that would re-synchronized the system. I had tried all the BMW dealers but they were very unhelpful. Up to that point all the engine would do was to run up to 2500rpm and cut out. With the right equipment it took about 30 seconds to get the engine running with all the original systems. I have the anti-theft manual in pdf. format but it no use without the right equipment to go with it, if you would like a copy I can email to you.

              Good luck

              John

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: SVA Test and anwers Peter, Jeremy, Patrick

                Message originally posted by: Martin Perman
                Hi John,
                Thanks for all the information and very interesting item. Can you recall your actual kerb weight as measured, and perhaps the front/rear ratio?
                I too am building a 3.2 engined car a look forward to seeing yours.
                Cheers,
                Martin

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: SVA Test and anwers Peter, Jeremy, Patrick

                  Hi Martin

                  I was unaware of this weight debate as I have not been looking at the forum.

                  Some weeks after the test I took it to our local weighbridge, to get the real weight.

                  So the Kerbside weight of a BMW E36 M3 Sportster 3.2 321bhp with the original limited-slip diff. and five speed box is 1040kg.

                  1st axle 470kg
                  2nd Axel 570kg


                  Good luck

                  John

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: SVA Test and anwers Peter, Jeremy, Patrick

                    Hi Jon,
                    was that your car at Stoneliegh last week? S683 ...
                    Great looking car, well done.
                    Can you tell me the secret of your bonnet catches? They seem to be invisible.
                    thanks

                    Peter

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: SVA Test and anwers Peter, Jeremy, Patrick

                      Hi John,

                      have you got any pictures of your exhaust system you could share with us?

                      Did you fit a heat shield between your exhausts and fuel tank?

                      thanks

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X