The everlasting ph1 ITB Build **GREEN-BUILD STARTS AT PAGE 100**

[Tomotek]

Ah ok. Were you not concerned about effecting the integrity of the bolt by cutting it?

Looks like mine didn’t have a shank either...

No, there’s no issues with cutting the bolts down, common practice. Just chop the end off with a splitting disc and re add the chamfer with a flap disc [emoji1360]

Yeah the bolt you have is fully threaded, you can get partially threaded ones too.. like I said you can do either way.. as you’ve already got the bolts I’d just cut them to size

 

[Chambers_RS]

Cheers bud. The whole subframe is on Powerflex throughout ?

Did you change the arb bushes with the subframe off? If so how ?

I tried fitting black series yesterday and now only have 1 bush as the other is about 6 gardens up my street ??

 

[NorthloopCup]

Did you change the arb bushes with the subframe off? If so how ?

I tried fitting black series yesterday and now only have 1 bush as the other is about 6 gardens up my street ??

If you look at how the bush fits, you’ll see they’ve just copied the original rubber design. You need to cut the poly bushes to stop them overclamping the roll bar.

 

[robzracing]

Did you change the arb bushes with the subframe off? If so how ?

I tried fitting black series yesterday and now only have 1 bush as the other is about 6 gardens up my street ??

Black series are really tough. I fitted mine while the subframe was off and still needed numerous clamps and brute force to get the bolts in!

 

[Nafoff]

No, there’s no issues with cutting the bolts down, common practice. Just chop the end off with a splitting disc and re add the chamfer with a flap disc [emoji1360] Yeah the bolt you have is fully threaded, you can get partially threaded ones too.. like I said you can do either way.. as you’ve already got the bolts I’d just cut them to size

New ones (correct length) are on the way. Plenty of spares now though

Did you change the arb bushes with the subframe off? If so how ?
I tried fitting black series yesterday and now only have 1 bush as the other is about 6 gardens up my street ??

Ha, I can't really remember as was probably about 5-6 years ago... the rubber has probably degraded by now.... god there was no such thing as black series back then in was so long ago

 

[Nafoff]

UPDATE:

Again managed to get more time on the car yesterday. I am not meant to be working this month as meant to be focusing on arranging moving house/work etc but the last couple weeks haven't stopped, meaning nothing has really happened on the car. I need to get it to a rollable/weathertight stage asap though just to make sure it can move even if it is not under its own steam... That only means windows/doors and wheels though really so not too bad.

I tried tying up lots of little odds and sods yesterday so that I can focus o bigger things moving forward.
First thing was fitting the splitter to the bumper - the bumper is a little bit in the way and I am fed up of moving the splitter and the bumper, I tried rivets but the ends were not keen and kept popping them straight out. I am a little dubious the others will hold too but I have now bolted the ends and centre to make sure it stays, if the others pop I will just do the same all the way across.

If I don't get the car running there is a good chance it will need towing/pulling so thought I'd best ad the tow straps too... Thos surplus/mis ordered bolts came in handy after all. I may then have got a little bit carried away in eyeing the car up, but I think its good to do that - it builds excitement.

Very happy with how it is coming together. The splitter isn't too vast but fits so well.
Next up was the brake servo pipe. As with most things I ordered 2 lots (1 as spares) I ran the line for this and will work up the other end on the ITB's so it is just plug and play - nice and easy as the ITB end is all push-fit fittings.

The next job was to enable me to start thinking about hanging the doors. I needed to make up some spreader plates for the hinges. When the car got painted I managed to arrange for some old hinges to have some threaded bar welded to them. These will pass through holes in the door and then through spreader plates to bolts (NOT CAPTIVE). This will give me loads of adjustment to work with.

Templates drawn up, then transferred and cut out of some sheet I had.

These looked could but I couldn't help but think they were a lot bigger than what they needed to be, and as the sheet is a decent thickness I decided I could remove a fair bit from them... They were trimmed, edges rounded and painted up.

A couple of other jobs were done including painting a new thermostat housing and a pig of trying to remove the passenger TRE so I can now remove the track rods to replace - they were only put on a couple weeks ago but the thing was seized.... On that note, does anyone know how to use the Renault track rod removal tool?

 

[Nafoff]

NEXT?
Doors/windows
Well I really need to sort the doors. I was struggling with mounting the little link bar between the handle and the mechanism previously (ANY ADVICE WELCOME) so I need to sort this as once done I can hang the doors, then it will be ready for the windows.

Engine
At this stage I am thinking it will be a good idea to fill the engine and box up with fluids. Having read @robzracing thread I am sh*tting it about it leaking so am thinking fill it up whilst there is nothing else in the bay, that way if anything needs to be remove/got to it is easier - watch this space...

Moving the car
Ideally I want to get it running to move it, hopefully that can happen, as for the route it will take I am thinking it will instead go on a bit of a diversion (old house > exhaust manufacturer > mapper > new house), that would be ideal, that way when I get it the other end it only needs little bits doing....

Another thing it needs to move is wheels.....hmmmm something is on the way.

I also picked up some of this for the bolts as advised in another thread.... got to look after it all now...

until next time...

 

[NorthloopCup]

If you put a washer over the end of the rivet, it’ll stop it pulling through mate.

 

[JamesBryan]

If you put a washer over the end of the rivet, it’ll stop it pulling through mate.

That or try peel rivets. Ideal for attaching soft materials together, I use them for the side skirts on Clios.

 

[Nafoff]

If you put a washer over the end of the rivet, it’ll stop it pulling through mate.

Ha, tried that also. Was not keen. Will see how it goes.

 

[Nafoff]

That or try peel rivets. Ideal for attaching soft materials together, I use them for the side skirts on Clios.

View attachment 1401845

These could be a really good option. I think it didn’t workpreviously because the bumper plastic + the splitter is quite thick

 

[robzracing]

I use these to hold the splitter on

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motorcyc...e742eb01e:m:myZ0iPUVBteq9uCRKda0zJw:rk:1:pf:0

They haven't failed me yet and I also use them to hold the lower part of the side skirts on too.

 

[JamesBryan]

These could be a really good option. I think it didn’t workpreviously because the bumper plastic + the splitter is quite thick

Send me your address and I'll post you some.

I've got a bag full here.

 

[Nafoff]

UPDATE:
Putting some pretty hard dates in place to push this build through now. As mentioned above I do not want to keep moving the car around all over the place so I am looking at sending it to a couple places in order.

At the middle/end of February the car will be going off to JC Weldfab for the exhaust, one of the guys there originally built the airbox so knows the car. I just need to decide what I want with regards to boxes etc and what is viable for noise limits on UK circuits (any ADVICE WELCOME)

Straight from the exhaust build the car will be off to Northampton Motorsport for mapping. This isn't to far from JC Weldfab and I know that Troy has worked with a near identical set-up with Tony Hunters car so hopefully it is in safe hands.

The countdown begins

 

[Chambers_RS]

I know JC weld fab do a fab job but couldn’t you save time and buy a PMS exhaust? Well built light and pretty quiet on the DB reader?

Also I’ll be keen to know how you get on at Northampton Motorsport. I’m looking for somewhere close to map mine. Scoff at EFi has always done an amazing job but I can’t guarantee I can always tow it nearly 3 hours there and then back again.

Looking forward to updates as always.

 

[Nafoff]

I know JC weld fab do a fab job but couldn’t you save time and buy a PMS exhaust? Well built light and pretty quiet on the DB reader? Also I’ll be keen to know how you get on at Northampton Motorsport. I’m looking for somewhere close to map mine. Scoff at EFi has always done an amazing job but I can’t guarantee I can always tow it nearly 3 hours there and then back again. Looking forward to updates as always.

I could possibly save time with a PMS, but it won't be routed as I want. I am looking for a centre exit out of the back as I have the fully chopped bumper and flat floor. In future I may or may not look at a diffuser so this application will suit. I will obviously post back how the RR day goes, I am more concerned about getting it there running first.

 

[green]

I’m running the pms exhaust with a mid and back box..also running ITB’s and never set off a dB reader. If that helps.

 

[Chambers_RS]

I could possibly save time with a PMS, but it won't be routed as I want. I am looking for a centre exit out of the back as I have the fully chopped bumper and flat floor. In future I may or may not look at a diffuser so this application will suit. I will obviously post back how the RR day goes, I am more concerned about getting it there running first.

Oh make sense. It’ll look good with a centre exhaust ??

 

[Coops Mk1]

Most itb cars have issues with induction noise over exhaust tbh so for me worry about the mapping at static test unloaded rpm. Drive by only issue places are donington and Bedford and Bedford is crap anyway. Live at Cadwell which is the place for an n/a clio you'll have no issues

 

[Nafoff]

Most itb cars have issues with induction noise over exhaust tbh so for me worry about the mapping at static test unloaded rpm. Drive by only issue places are donington and Bedford and Bedford is crap anyway. Live at Cadwell which is the place for an n/a clio you'll have no issues

I thought that was the case. You seen my bloody great airbox that makes it sound f*cking obscene.... lol. That may make things difficult

 

[Chambers_RS]

I thought that was the case. You seen my bloody great airbox that makes it sound f*cking obscene.... lol. That may make things difficult

Airbox? Intriguing, I was looking at getting a carbon Reverie air box ?
What have you got?

 

[Nafoff]

Airbox? Intriguing, I was looking at getting a carbon Reverie air box ?
What have you got?

oh, it is a while back in the thread... see below (from a long time back)

Found some really interesting comments as I quickly scanned back through too.

Re: No Compromise ph1 ITB build (Fastcar, BTM, TDF, RS Fab) - ITB update p77
i've just driven it, quick! torque is down a bit at 160lbs/ft, but i think a combination of "warm" dyno cell and neils "rudeboy" wheels plus the short trumpets amount to a combination of causes. i'd love to see it on a normal british day too, its got 215-220bhp in it, the exhaust is holding it back IMO

Alien green Neil, you know you want to

 

[Nafoff]

UPDATE:
This week was very much about going backwards..... (hopefully to go forwards)
I needed to complete more smaller jobs tying up little bits across the car. First up was the brakes, the callipers were all bolted back up but I set about cleaning the calliper springs and retaining clips and then dropping all the pads in. The rears went in all good...

But then came the issue with the fronts, When I got the pads out the box they looked pretty f*cked. Cracked all over and with a tiny twist the pads just fell off the backing plates. I guess thats what happens when you store them for 10 years...

Straight away a new set were ordered for Kam Racing, they are here now so will drop them in the week.
Talking about things turning up, some spacers for the door handles turned up from 3DSX, these will allow me to use the standard handles on the carbon door cards,

Getting the doors prepped and hung is a priority this week as I shortly want all the windows fitted. Just needed to sort the hinge spreader plates. I had already mocked these up in cardboard but needed to transfer this to metal items, these were done, subsequently trimmed down as much as I thought was adequate, painted and placed on the hinges.

I then moved to the engine and adding a few bits. Not things that were too full on (as I want to check its going to hold fluids before I do much more). The new thermostat housing (with only 1 sensor rather than 2) was painted and added, the coilpack bracket, coilpack and HT leads all then added. The extra mounting plates/brackets for the airbox have also been fitted.

 

[Nafoff]

UPDATE:
With the aforementioned push to get the doors hung I want to tie up the dash area as this will be a bit harder with full doors/windows in. My thought here was to create a bracket attached to a backing plate mounted on the steering column mount bolts. The backing plate in carbon would then hold the Dash2 and buttons used to scroll it.

I had a spare mount from elsewhere that almost worked, but leant back a little too much and also needed a fair bit cutting out so though I was best making my own up. This will be cut down to a better size (what is needed) tidied and painted once finalised.

It was whilst making up this plate I had a very lucky escape. I was drilling the plate (onto a piece of wood) when it caught, this all spun up catching me in the face, a little to close for comfort.

Pictured above with some tape on it... Not in the best of places as every time I opened/closed my eye it pulled the wound apart. Once taped though I was keen to crack on so I moved onto the backing plate and transferring the stencil to carbon. Cut and then with rounded top corners to sit behind dash I am pretty happy with how it is going.

With the plate in-situ I could then look at how/where the dash was going to sit on it, not only in relation to my eye line but also where the buttons are.

I have since marked up where I am going to cut the bottom part/excess away. This will arc up from the steering column and sit inline with the bottom of the top-dash. I need to make those final bits of trimming and then mount everything up.

 

[green]

Good to see some finalising coming along...obviously a long way to go but decent progress with doors etc...starting to look like a car again ?

 

[Daz...]

Cracking work, but damn you were lucky with that so close to your eye!

 

[Nafoff]

UPDATE:
After the frustration of the brake pads this was far more frustrating. It turned out that the track rods needed replacing. The rack was already on the subframe and the subframe was already on the car, thats not too much of a worry as I had the facility to borrow the right tools for the job...

I initially only borrowed the original Renault tool, but this wasn't working so I picked up the other tools from Beaniesport. The passenger side came off nice and easy, but the drivers side wasn't budging..... I tired getting in there with adjustable spanners etc but there was just no room and working on a completely fresh car it was all a bit awkward. So why backwards to go forwards....

It was just easier to take the whole lot off...
So subframe off, steering rack off, and popped to Beanisport to remove track rod. We went to replace the rods will brand new Renault items, this is when it became more frustrating. Renault only list 1 item for track rods and there is 4.... 2 sizes 320mm or 309mm and 2 manufacturers SMI or TRW, you can see the difference in threads below. I think the difference may be between phase 1 and phase 2

These were returned to Renault and yesterday I ordered hopefully the items from RPD, these will arrive next week.
To keep spirits high though I managed to pick these up ready to move the car around on. OZ Supperleggra's

The car will be moved/mapped on these as they are, once the car is back in storage these will go off for a refurb and have some lovely fresh rubber on them.
Back at it this coming week...

 

[Nafoff]

Good to see some finalising coming along...obviously a long way to go but decent progress with doors etc...starting to look like a car again ?

Yeah there is some concern that there is still a lot to do before mapping, and even if booking mapping is a good idea before I have run the car up to temp. I have basically given myself till 2 weeks before mapping and if nothing is checking, mapping won't happen and will be cancelled.

Cracking work, but damn you were lucky with that so close to your eye!

Thank you chap.
Yep very lucky... a couple of years back I had a wire from a wire wheel go in above my eyebrow....

 

[NorthloopCup]

All rhd Clio’s have the smi rack mate.

 

[Nafoff]

UPDATE:
and more 1 step forward 1 step back....

Today I ordered the heated windscreen from Ricky Evans. I then booked for all the windows to be fitted by Ultimate windscreens. Because I was doing this I wanted to get the doors hung on the vehicle to make it all easier. I had already made up the spreader plates so just needed to bolt up the latches and then hang the doors.

Basically this wasn't happening, the door was so far off and no matter how much I loosened/tightened any combination I could not get them near.

When I moved to the passenger side things got worse... and one of the hinges broke apart...

I was already speaking to Ally Hickling about something else and when I mentioned this and sent him the pic he told me that the piece that I have had the threads welded to is infact a shim and that I needed to remove that and have the threads re-welded back to the hinges. Hopefully this makes a lot more sense and the extra spacing that the shims are making is the difference needed to bring the door back.

Without a car this week I needed to search around for someone to do this job (as I can't weld). Luckily someone local picked them up from me and are dropling them back complete tomorrow night. Hopefully I can then hang the doors.

In what I hope is better fortune, I decided to fill the engine with oils to check everything was holding and there is no leaks. Brand new fluids from Renault was added 24hrs ago now and it is looking good with no sign *touchwood* of leaks....

further update shortly...

 

[Nafoff]

UPDATE:

Something that I guess did go well today was pretty much finishing off the dash. You saw me start it in one of the previous updates but today I managed to tie it up (barring painting the mount). First up I wanted to fit the column mount spacers as this could effect the line of vision to the dash. I did initially mount all 4 but this felt flimsy as hell and by having the rear ones on it actually made the angle of the joint worse and obviously didn't change the angle of the wheel - just made it slightly lower...

I ended up going back to spacing just the front down, I am still unsure on this height, but for now it is fine.
Next up was to trim the corners (excess) of the panel away as this wouldn't be needed, this was marked up, cut back and sanded with rounded edges and then I put the dash back in the car again along with the dash template so I could check the line of sight.

Once I was happy I needed to transfer the template information onto the masking tape. Can you remember doing tree-rubbing at school, I used a similar technique. First I copied the information from the front of the template to the back, in pencil. Then turning the template back over I rubbed the areas needed again in pencil (therefore transferring the lines on the rear to the masking tape).

Next up was to make all the holes/cuts needed in not only the carbon panel but the mounting plate. These were all marked up, drilled, sanded and cleaned. Double checking and test fitting along the way to make sure all was to plan...

The hardest one to get right was for the steering wheel control connector (some may have noticed the holes at the bottom of the mounting plate). I have a lot of controls on my steering wheel and the flexi cable mounts on a connector so I thought I would tie it in with the dash plate, keeps it nice and tidy that way. This needed 5 holes, 1 large with 4 little mount holes, then little notches cutting out where the connector slots through and makes the connection with the other end.

All looking good the final part of the puzzle was to add the dash menu buttons (holes ready for these on the left of the screen. I already had these from when I had purchased the whole loom, but they were still mounted to the trim area the old owner used. I removed the trim and then set about removing the buttons.

A lot of patience removing heat shrink with a scalpel, then un-soldering the wires to the buttons left a little bit of a mess. But I re-visited this again this morning and managed to tidy up the wires and the button connections. It was a fiddle getting the wires back through the connectors and soldering them but I am happy with how it turned out - I bloody hope they work....

Hopefully more updates and some fixed hinges tomorrow.

 

[vroomtshh]

Any reason you didn't fit the 4th button for the Dash 2?
I'm about to fit mine when it comes back from paint, and I'm just wondering

 

[Nafoff]

Any reason you didn't fit the 4th button for the Dash 2?
I'm about to fit mine when it comes back from paint, and I'm just wondering

I wasn’t aware the dash had a 4th button. The loom was purchased from someone running an identical set-up (so they only used the 3). What does the 4th do?

 

[vroomtshh]

I wasn’t aware the dash had a 4th button. The loom was purchased from someone running an identical set-up (so they only used the 3). What does the 4th do?

It's the 'up' button. I've never had the buttons attached to mine, maybe you can just continue down until you are back around to the start

 

[Nafoff]

It's the 'up' button. I've never had the buttons attached to mine, maybe you can just continue down until you are back around to the start

The guys who built/used the item that I bought isn't stupid so I hope that is the case... ha
Lets say weight saving then... ha

 

[Nafoff]

It's the 'up' button. I've never had the buttons attached to mine, maybe you can just continue down until you are back around to the start

So it turns out the other button is on the steering wheel. I did not know this, I thought they didn't do anything as they had no labels. I spoke to the original builder today and it turns out the labels were on his steering wheel hence no sign of what the buttons did when I mounted them up.... they are as follows:

LEFT TO RIGHT
Left indicator - pit lane limiter - page change - pit to car radio - headlight flash - right indicator

 

[Nafoff]

UPDATE:
I started the day with prepping the subframe, steering rack and track rods to go back together - the track rods have now turned up but I am going to wait to pick up the tool before I refit.

I then moved on to refitting the top of the airbox. I thought this may be the best time to do it (without the subframe on). Although the subframe doesn't really effect it at all it just gives me more room to move around. First up I had to decide how I was running my brake servo to the ITB manifold. I decided to zip tie it with the throttle cable, p-clip it on the engine mount turret and then let it curve in and under the manifold, nice and neat.

I then had to add the push-fit fittings to the manifold. All wrapped in PTFE tape, pipe measured and cut to length.

I then had to mount up the manifold to the block. The original problem with this airbox that basically started this whole rebuild about 8-9 years ago was that it cracked, that was because too much weight was going only through the manifold mounts. Further mounts have now been added but in an attempt to give the airbox a little bit of cushioning I ordered a powergasket, hopefully this should help too.

Mounting the box in theory is easy, however there are 4-5 bolts underneath and that is a pain.... ha. Various amounts of semi harsh swear words, tightening and un-tightening later and it was all mounted up. Really coming together now.

I will wait until the subframe is back on before I fit the radiator and the lower airbox.
I then moved on to finally fitting the dash (or so I thought). Everything was going together well - well I had been double checking everywhere....

Well obviously not enough, turns out the steering wheel connector was not going to fit by mm's, it is only slightly off being able to push on. This is because the other side mounts at the back of the carbon/metal mount. Between the carbon and metal its just too thick - I think the only way around this is to have a cutout in the carbon and have the connector only mounted to the metal behind it, so I have mocked that up ready to cut tomorrow - I am going to add another rivet for strength too.

Last but not least I had my hinges returned tonight. The lad how did the work has done a great job. The shim has now gone and the threaded bar welded back to the hing. They were a bit of a state after all that metal work so they needed a paint.... not the best picture as they were super wet but they should be all good for tomorrow.

Windscreen should be turning up tomorrow hopefully.
I plan to get the dash sorted and hopefully the doors hung (again) too.... we will see

 

[Nafoff]

@robzracing @pule333 how did you mount your doors?

After a stud breaking off the weld there is growing concern that welding studs to the hinge won’t be good enough.

 

[Nafoff]

UPDATE:
I have not enjoyed this week... It has pretty much been a battle on most parts, its really frustrating and it seems like you are either redoing jobs you think you have already sorted or you are going backwards.

Lets start with the
TRACK RODS.
The new items came from RPD, great.... I borrowed the genuine Renault tool to fit them, nope. I ended up chucking the whole subframe in the car and driving to Beaniesport, there I tried his other 2 track rod tools and neither of those fitted (I thought it was just user error.... it was not), a normal sized spanner will not fit because of the collar so it ended up being a fan hub spanner that did the job... at last. That now means the subframe can go back on.

HINGES
You may be able to tell how this goes from the post above...
Yesterday I set about hanging the doors, all seemed to be going alright and the fact they were even close to closing confirmed previously they had the shims on. The passenger door needed a little bit of fettling and spacing whilst tightening but it went.

Happy days....
I moved to the drivers side and started tightening them down, the drivers side was a little more fussy and as I went around each bolt tightening one of the welds let go....

This confirmed a previous concern which was the lack of penetration in the welds.... The concern was that all the weight (although not much) would be hanging on these welds... I removed the door and the hinges from the drivers side and deliberated, that brings me to today.

I have ended up removing the passenger door and removed all the hinges. As I am now very tight on time before the windows are being fitted I have dropped the hinges at Beaniesport. They are going to remove the studs, drill the hinges and countersink bolts through them (that should be a fair bit stronger). Just a bit cheesed I am wasting money with different attempts.

THE DASH
Well this had been going ok, or so I thought. In a previous post I showed I needed to cut a square out of the carbon panel. This was all done successfully. Great all should go now... NOPE. Every single bolt/torx/allen head I used still prevented the locking collar from tightening right down when the plug was in... This went backwards and forward so many times trying to get it to work and today I ended up countersinking the tiny holes.... Once this was done the bolts went in and after checking the lockring - success... thank f*ck for that....

Oh yeah, turns out that JCWeldfab are no longer either, so I have booked the car in with another fabricator, turns out they are a lot lot closer too (1 mile away)
Glad to see the back of this week......

The heated windscreen has literally just turned up and next week the window man is coming so I need to get the hinges back and doors hung asap... Here's to next week...

 

[mace¬]

Have you got a hair colour shot of pre build, current state and expected colour post build?