Berlinetta build and restoration

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

did you use siver solder? more robust than 'plumbers' stuff however needsa slightly higher tempwhich mightcompromise its strength ie it may become brittle!

I just used what I had so just an ancient roll of solder. Seems fine so far.

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

I tidied up the engine electrics.

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I wanted to mount the ECU inside the car rather than the engine bay, to give better protection from damp. However the wires exit the engine originally on the offside of the transverse engine, and that now becomes the front in the longitudinal orientation. The problem is that some of the wires appear to be shielded and more like HT leads and so would be difficult to extend. So I was pleased to be able to reroute the wires and make them reach inside the car. I mounted the ECU under the lower bulkhead above the transmission tunnel.

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I decided to completely rewire the car and after a lot of thought I bought a fuse and relay module from Car Builder. It is a wee bit expensive but it is neat and has most of the fuses and relays that I will need. I have a mate who is really good with auto electrics and I hoped he would do the wiring, but he has just taken on a new business and I don't want to bother him unless I am stuck.

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[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

The fuse and relay module does not have a flat underside, there are bolt heads protruding, in addition the bulkhead where I want to mount it also has bolt heads in the way. So the module needs to be spaced out from the mounting surface. I used a plywood plinth with holes where the various bolts protrude, and by making the plywood wider it provides a flange to mount the cover perhaps by Velcro strips.

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The top bulkhead has so far just been sat in place to allow removal for ease of drilling various holes for cables and bolts, but now with all the holes I can think of drilled ( tempting fate ) it is time to bond it to the fiberglass original bulkhead. First it needs the tedious job of polishing. Here it is half polished and you can see the three vertical holes in the center that I hope will be enough to carry all the wiring to engine bay.

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[CompoSimmonite]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Why didn't you simply use some spacers on each mounting bolt instead of the ply ?
To attach the cover what about Dzuz fasteners ? There is a vast choice of different types that might be better than Velcro.

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

The cover is a neat fit over the base of the module with nothing to attach to. It is also a neat fit for height. If I had used spacers I would also need spacers on the cover.

[djj_engineer]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Just seen your brake end. I built some stainless steel shrouds for our boat and drilled a block of steel the same size as the fitting then sawed the block along the hole.
I could then grip the assembly in a vice with the block and crush the fitting onto the cable. The cables never came loose.

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Just a wee update in case you thought I had got lost! A combination of a busy time of year at work on the farm, and when I have made it to the garage I have been trying to sort out wiring, which means there is not much to show or tell.

A theme that I am trying to follow is to future proof the car, for want of a better phrase. What I mean is some of the components come from the Cortina and will obviously get more difficult to find as time goes by, so I am trying to replace most of them with easier to find parts in the event of failure. One example is the heater which has been replaced by a new unit rather than one from a Cortina. With the electrics the Cortina fuse box has also been replaced by a new unit.

Following this theme I turned my attention to the wiper motor which is again from the Cortina. I discovered that the Sierra motor has the same mountings so I bought one from Ebay. I know that the Sierra is an old car itself but logic would suggest it will be easier to find parts for it than the Cortina. I mounted the motor on the Cortina linkage, so far so good. Both the motors have the same number of wires with some even the same colour, this is too easy! I connected it to a battery and the two speeds worked fine but when I connected the self park disaster stuck with sparks and smoke. Several hours of trying different connections, testing with the multimeter and staring at wiring diagrams got me nowhere. I decided that maybe I was being too clever and went back to plan A with the Cortina motor which works ok, just hope it keeps working!

Got to go, the sun has come out, fire up the combine harvester!

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

I have made a start on the wiring proper, using the correct colour and gauge of wires and fitting them in their final positions. I am using the original wiring loom which is a slightly modified Cortina loom, but the routing of the wires and position of components such as the fuse box means many changes are required. I will stick to the Cortina colour code where possible as this will make future faults so much easier to trace. I have fitted a battery cut out switch mainly for safety, but it also gives additional security as the handle is removable.

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When it comes to joining wires I recently discovered these things (someone will pop up and say they have been around for decades). They are called heat shrink solder butts. There is a ring of solder in the middle of a plastic heat shrink tube. You just bare each wire then butt them together so that they splice in the solder ring, then heat with a hot air gun until the solder melts, so simple and makes a great join. To make an extra tidy and secure job I have been sliding some black heat shrink over the join too.

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Yesterday I had wired up all the components such as alternator, starter etc to get the engine running for the first time with the final wiring in place. I was looking forward to a few runs up the private farm road but the bloody thing would not start! So several hours were spent double checking and testing the new wiring, I mean it was running in the summer so what else could it be? Back to basics, check for a spark at the plugs, ok. Check for fuel, no fuel. Somehow the high pressure injection pump has stopped working. Connecting it directly to the battery does nothing. So tonight I will remove it and see if I can get it to go, I dug out the receipt and was surprised to see it dated June 2015, where has the time gone? So although it has done very little I don't think there is much chance of a replacement.

[peterboat]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Goes it have a fuel filter in front of it? if not fit one as you will be forever replacing fuel pumps

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Yes there is a filter union on the lift pump at the tank. Then a second filter between the swirl pot and the injection pump. Then a third filter between the injection pump and the fuel rail.

[peterboat]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Thats a lot of filters most modern cars manage with just the one and do over a 100k without problems. Just one before the high pressure pump at the tank is enough to protect the whole system

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

The facet pump at the tank has a filter built in to the inlet. It was recommended to have a filter before the injection pump and a high pressure filter after it before the fuel rail.

I took the pump off last night but it is completely dead. It is also sealed and no way of opening it up. Looking into the inlet you can see a gauze filter which looks clean. I ordered a new pump.

[peterboat]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

I take it you have a low pressure lift pump running to the high pressure pump?
I just have a high pressure pump at the tank which failed at 33k due to lack of filter I fitted a new pump with inline filter before it and the old bulkhead filter before the fuel rail is still in place [I had forgotten about it] it seems to work ok so if it isnt broke dont fix it are my thoughts.
The old FSE facet pump I cut in half it was full of crap and totally seized up hence why I fitted a filter

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Yes a low pressure pump continually tops up a swirl pot in the engine bay, with an overflow return to the tank. The injection pump takes fuel from the swirl pot and the fuel rail has a return to the swirl pot. So a low pressure circuit and a separate high pressure circuit. What I did with the fuel system starts on page 13 of this build diary.

[peterboat]

Re: Berlinetta build and restoration

Should have read further! Your electrics are better than my Hunters my fuse box is in mid air very poor