The life of... SharkyUK's Trophy

[Rubicon_]

Great work @Phase1sr !

Are the calipers hard to rebuild? The ones on my build are shot wouldn't mind doing this.

 

[Mr R.]

Great work @Phase1sr !

Are the calipers hard to rebuild? The ones on my build are shot wouldn't mind doing this.

Hi mate, thank you very much.
They are not too bad tbh but i used to work on Aston Martins where we used to re-build the 4 pot calipers so these are easy.
The trick is to get everything clean, i wash the calipers in the cleaning tank 1st, then remove the pistons and seals. Once the seals are out then i clean the seal groove with a spike to make sure that there isn't any old bits of rubber seal in there and its 100% mint ready for the new seal.
Then they get cleaned again and a good blow out with an air line, to reassemble i wipe clean brake fluid around the inside where the new piston will fit and on the new seal.
Pop the new seal in, being careful not to damage it. Once that's in then you fit the dust cover. The tricky bit is trying to get the new piston into the dust cover, for this i use a spike to run around the edge of the dust cover until the piston is in.
This can take a while as its a tight fit around the piston, again being careful not to split it with the spike. Once the dust cover is in then you can push the piston in to the caliper.
You must make sure the piston is square or it will catch on the piston wall but once it is square then it pushes in fine.

I always replace the bleed nipples so that the new ones will seal, for the cost its not worth using the old ones that have been done up and un-done god knows how many times. :smile:

 

[Rubicon_]

Wow

Hi mate, thank you very much.
They are not too bad tbh but i used to work on Aston Martins where we used to re-build the 4 pot calipers so these are easy.
The trick is to get everything clean, i wash the calipers in the cleaning tank 1st, then remove the pistons and seals. Once the seals are out then i clean the seal groove with a spike to make sure that there isn't any old bits of rubber seal in there and its 100% mint ready for the new seal.
Then they get cleaned again and a good blow out with an air line, to reassemble i wipe clean brake fluid around the inside where the new piston will fit and on the new seal.
Pop the new seal in, being careful not to damage it. Once that's in then you fit the dust cover. The tricky bit is trying to get the new piston into the dust cover, for this i use a spike to run around the edge of the dust cover until the piston is in.
This can take a while as its a tight fit around the piston, again being careful not to split it with the spike. Once the dust cover is in then you can push the piston in to the caliper.
You must make sure the piston is square or it will catch on the piston wall but once it is square then it pushes in fine.

I always replace the bleed nipples so that the new ones will seal, for the cost its not worth using the old ones that have been done up and un-done god knows how many times. :smile:

Wow that's awesome, thanks a lot for the info! Name your price haha!

Sorry for the thread spam Sharky!

 

[Michaelfoz]

Wow


Wow that's awesome, thanks a lot for the info! Name your price :wink: haha!

Sorry for the thread spam Sharky!

aaran, Speak to me about this.
its genuinely simple to do. I wouldn't mind spening a bit of time showing you how to do it if you want.
Just buy the new seal kits from www.biggred.co.uk

genuinely easy pimps.

 

[RSCaulay]

47 pages later I'm ready for bed!!!:smile:

Unbelievable read, some patience you have throughout the build undoing the wrongs. Real testament to you mate hope it will all work out! Trophy is definitely a keeper!:grinning: Excellent work.

 

[SharkyUK]

Here are a few pictures of the finished calipers that i sent back to Andy.

005 by scottieraven, on Flickr

011 by scottieraven, on Flickr

006 by scottieraven, on Flickr

Thanks for posting up the pics mate (and indeed for such a good job on the calipers). They are currently sat on my computer desk staring me in the face and will remain there until the spring. As soon as the winter is done they will be going on the car. I might then send you the calipers I have on there now and get those refurbed as an additional backup set...

Andy - you and @Tim. Sorted our summer trip yet? Much welsh roadage and Eder hospitality to take advantage of :wink:

Nothing has been sorted yet, but it can very easily happen I'd suggest getting Christmas / New Year out the way and then go from there I'm HOPING the Trophy is soon sorted as there are a few roads I haven't done in a while and a couple more I'd like to explore (roads that you won't have done and are very much worth a drive, even if they are roads you have to drive at 6/10ths rather than 11/10ths... LOL!

Sorry for the thread spam Sharky!

Not a problem buddy

47 pages later I'm ready for bed!!!:smile:

Unbelievable read, some patience you have throughout the build undoing the wrongs. Real testament to you mate hope it will all work out! Trophy is definitely a keeper!:grinning: Excellent work.

Hahaha, thanks for taking the time to read through it mate. I won't lie; it's really trying my patience (again) at the moment. One day I'll just snap and get it crushed and cubed!

 

[Cub.]

I can't wait already! Muchos excited for the road trip

Cubing the trophy - not so much excite.

 

[SharkyUK]

November 2014 - Update #2
Another quickie..

Not that much to report at the moment, apart from the fact that I threw my toys out the pram again after a few more issues with the Trophy. Sure, they are only small issues (and, as
suggested by a friend or two, I should "man up") but after almost two years now of not being able to enjoy this car it has worn me right down to the point where I'm close to snapping! Hahaha!

Thankfully a good mate calmed me down (the dulcet tones of a certain Mr Clark, without an 'e') and the love affair is on again. Possibly. She's a cruel mistress though.

So - this week I have a couple of things planned. Firstly I will be getting the map looked at on Wednesday night to see if / what the issues may be in the lower realms of the rev range. The Trophy is producing a LOT of black crap (all over it's immaculately detailed ass), is averaging around 18-19mpg regardless of how steady I drive, is struggling with flat spots and a misfire below 3k and is struggling to start in a morning. I'm currently having to sit with the gas pedal in and the needle at around 3k rpm for a few minutes each morning to stop it spluttering and cutting out. My neighbours aren't impressed. And it's not even got to the coldest of nights yet (although last night was a chiller).

Secondly, I received the news earlier today that the core for my new rad setup has finally arrived. Everything is being welded and fabricated tomorrow and then I am off to Hereford to get it fitted on Saturday morning. Finally! I can't wait to be honest.

Talking of last night being a chiller, I had another issue this morning whereby the inside of my car windscreen and side windows were frozen solid. I couldn't get the heaters on because the car wouldn't start and I couldn't easily clear the inside due to no engine running and no heat... catch-22! I checked the seals later in the day and all appears waterproof and airtight. I think the issue maybe due to the fact I had the whole interior washed and shampoo'd last week when it was detailed. With the weather turning so poor, it's not fully dried out and I think that's where the moisture is coming from (seats, carpets, headliner).

:tongueout::rage:

 

[Christopher.]

Iv had to put a jumper on after reading that update ! Hope it gets sorted mate.

 

[SharkyUK]

Iv had to put a jumper on after reading that update ! Hope it gets sorted mate.

With the weather as cold as it is now (and getting colder) I think we will see another heavy frost here. That means another frozen interior tomorrow... *sigh* Lend me a jumper?

 

[Christopher.]

Been terrible the past 2 days down here on the coast. Door was frozen solid this morning.

What MPG would/should be expected ?

 

[Mr R.]

Whenever you are ready Andy, ill do the other calipers for you.

Hope you get the problems sorted mate and that 2015 is a trouble free year. :smile:

 

[SharkyUK]

Been terrible the past 2 days down here on the coast. Door was frozen solid this morning.

What MPG would/should be expected ?

Ooft, that lovely sound of seals squealing as you tear them apart from their frozen hold... :tongueout: I can imagine it's quite, er, 'fresh' down by the coast this time of year!
As for MPG... I was hoping for around mid-20's at least on steady / grandad drives. I got significantly better MPG out of the Vee! Maybe the figure I'm seeing is the going rate given the level of mod's, but I do think it's a little on the low side (especially given the mapping issues and excessive deposits dumped out the exhaust).

Whenever you are ready Andy, ill do the other calipers for you.

Hope you get the problems sorted mate and that 2015 is a trouble free year. :smile:

Cheers Scott - I hope so too mate. :up:

 

[TimR26]

Hope you get the mapping issues sorted.

 

[JON13S]

Dulcet tones?

Son of a b............. You must be on about another friend?
(or two that I can think of!).

I long for this car to be sorted, normal life can then resume. The amount of hours that have gone into this car stretch far beyond those spent in just a workshop. It's been a true conversation piece (it's also put me off of modifying the cup - so the mrs is happy; I can spend that money on shoes and bags).

 

[neil a]

Car away for a year and get it back with poor mapping /cold start issues and a gearbox that doesnt select all gears, that sounds all to familiar I hope you stick at it longer than I did 😞

 

[Adey.]

such a shame, tbh on my old itb and cammed clio i used to easily run round in the high 20's. never failed to start or anything. sounds strange but if you can leave your windows cracked open on a frozen night it will pull the moisture out of the car. Will be freezing the next morning but the cold night air will pull it out

 

[Ph1 Tom]

On a run I can get mid 30s from mine. I get about 16mpg on a track day and I don't hang about. Something isn't right, it could be sensor or mapping related.

With my cold start I have to blip the throttle but once that's done it idles fine all the time.

Can't believe the issues your having with the car...should have been part of the 'lemons' in Cars 2.

What ECU are you running and have you got the software for it?

 

[NorthloopCup]

On a run I can get mid 30s from mine. I get about 16mpg on a track day and I don't hang about. Something isn't right, it could be sensor or mapping related.

With my cold start I have to blip the throttle but once that's done it idles fine all the time.

Can't believe the issues your having with the car...should have been part of the 'lemons' in Cars 2.

What ECU are you running and have you got the software for it?

Going off who and where it was mapped (RS Tuning) I'd be more than confident that it's a sensor issue tbh.

It's running on a gen90 as well tom.

 

[Ph1 Tom]

In that case you need to get the software up and do a datalog to see where the issue is. Sounds like it could be the coolant temp sensor or the lambda sensor.

Do you have the software and a key for the Gen90 Andy?

 

[JoeMarano]

How did you remove the grille? Is it a cheeky job or easy enough?

 

[SharkyUK]

Dulcet tones?

Son of a b............. You must be on about another friend?
(or two that I can think of!).

I long for this car to be sorted, normal life can then resume. The amount of hours that have gone into this car stretch far beyond those spent in just a workshop. It's been a true conversation piece (it's also put me off of modifying the cup - so the mrs is happy; I can spend that money on shoes and bags).

No mate, there's only you :hearteyes::tongueout:
If nothing else, I'm glad I can help you save money on your cars by dissuading you from modifying them to the n'th degree. As for the shoes and bags... you're on your own mate! Good luck with that!

Car away for a year and get it back with poor mapping /cold start issues and a gearbox that doesnt select all gears, that sounds all to familiar I hope you stick at it longer than I did 😞

I'm not convinced it's poor mapping mate; not yet anyway. It was done by Paul at RS Tuning and I have confidence in his work. I strongly suspect a faulty sensor. I know the lambda sensor is ok as this was indeed faulty and a new one was fitted recently. I am not convinced the coolant temperature sensor is 100% though so that will be checked. As for the gearbox, well - that's just unfortunate I think mate. It's been rebuilt, LSD fitted and is 80% spot on. Just that third gear sliding out when pushing on. Thankfully this will be looked at very soon and I don't believe it's a serious issue. Just more inconvenience than anything. I'm definitely going to stick with it; it's been almost 2 years now so a month or two extra won't hurt! Cheers fella.

such a shame, tbh on my old itb and cammed clio i used to easily run round in the high 20's. never failed to start or anything. sounds strange but if you can leave your windows cracked open on a frozen night it will pull the moisture out of the car. Will be freezing the next morning but the cold night air will pull it out

Ah, ok - cheers for the suggestion mate. I'll give that a go

On a run I can get mid 30s from mine. I get about 16mpg on a track day and I don't hang about. Something isn't right, it could be sensor or mapping related.

With my cold start I have to blip the throttle but once that's done it idles fine all the time.

Can't believe the issues your having with the car...should have been part of the 'lemons' in Cars 2.

What ECU are you running and have you got the software for it?

Tell me about it mate! One issue after another! With regards mpg, I didn't really have the work carried out on the car to worry about the economy, but it is definitely not right. I would have expected high 20's at least and a figure in the 30's on longer, steady drives.

In terms of starting it up, I have to give it an initial blip to kick it into life but within a few seconds the revs drop immediately to a few hundred and the engine cuts out. I can't really adjust the idle screw due to the fact that I need so many revs first thing to stop it from cutting out! I'm running GEN90 but I don't have the dongle / software for it. However, I know a man who does and we are going to have a look into things tomorrow night. Hopefully that will at least give some indication as to where the problem may be.

Going off who and where it was mapped (RS Tuning) I'd be more than confident that it's a sensor issue tbh.

It's running on a gen90 as well tom.

^ This - thanks mate

In that case you need to get the software up and do a datalog to see where the issue is. Sounds like it could be the coolant temp sensor or the lambda sensor.

Do you have the software and a key for the Gen90 Andy?

As above sir, we will be grabbing some data and checking the map later tonight. The more I think about it, the more I'm suspecting a coolant sensor issue. In fact, thinking back to the overheating episode of a couple months back... I can't recall seeing the temperature reading move at all despite having to abandon the car as steam and coolant pished out everywhere. I wonder... coincidence? I might get a replacement for peace of mind. I don't want to risk the engine as Fred's done a great job on it and so far the engine is about the only thing that hasn't let me down!

How did you remove the grille? Is it a cheeky job or easy enough?

It's easy(ish) mate, especially as I have most of my slam panel missing due to the modifications! Basically it is just clipped on and you have to be firm, but not overly so, trying to ease the clips back whilst firmly using the palm of your hand to 'knock' the grille out forwards. It can take a while but it's worth persevering so that you don't snap the clips off (they can break easily with too much force).

 

[Ph1 Tom]

As above sir, we will be grabbing some data and checking the map later tonight. The more I think about it, the more I'm suspecting a coolant sensor issue. In fact, thinking back to the overheating episode of a couple months back... I can't recall seeing the temperature reading move at all despite having to abandon the car as steam and coolant pished out everywhere. I wonder... coincidence? I might get a replacement for peace of mind. I don't want to risk the engine as Fred's done a great job on it and so far the engine is about the only thing that hasn't let me down!

Hopefully that'll be the issue, swap the sensor then it'll all be ok. On cold starts it won't be reading low enough and then when its warmed up it'll be too rich all the time.

How many sensors are there. On some of my old Fords there were 3:-

Coolant gauge sender
ECU coolant temp sensor
Fan switch

It could be that one or more of yours are faulty dependant on what there function is.

 

[Chris205]

Sorry to hear you're having a rough time of it still after all this time and money spent. Hopefully one day everything will be running perfect and you'll be able to relax a little.

 

[fake ben taylor]

FWIW I was getting over 40mpg out of mine on a cruise, mid 30's commuting to work without trying and like Tom 15-16mpg on track with ITBs

 

[Cub.]

I'm getting 25mpg on a spirited drive and 29mpg on normal 'pottering'.

Yet to test it on track.

 

[SharkyUK]

Sorry to hear you're having a rough time of it still after all this time and money spent. Hopefully one day everything will be running perfect and you'll be able to relax a little.

Thanks mate. There were always going to be little things and niggles that needed sorting afterwards to be fair; but I'm sure it will get there. One thing at a time. I've no time limit so I'll just keep plugging away as and when necessary

FWIW I was getting over 40mpg out of mine on a cruise, mid 30's commuting to work without trying and like Tom 15-16mpg on track with ITBs :smile:

Cheers for the information mate. I'll post an update in a moment regarding recent activities...

I'm getting 25mpg on a spirited drive and 29mpg on normal 'pottering'.

Yet to test it on track.

That's not bad at all, Oli. I'd be happy with those figures.

 

[Cub.]

We can do a mpg comparison on our road trip bud. Keep the faith

 

[George182]

I think there needs to be a turbo'd clio on this road trip - just for the sake of comparison

[emoji4]

 

[SharkyUK]

November 2014 - Update #3
A few things have happened over the last couple of days that have resulted in an elevation in my mood! Apart from the bit where I'm expecting the first points on my licence... s**t!

Anyways, I was able to make use of a dongle, software and laptop to hook into the GEN90 ECU the other night. The plan was to take a look at what the ECU was seeing in terms of sensor readings and, most importantly, to stay WELL clear of anything that didn't make sense... Such as the mapping tables! LOL! To cut a long story short, the sensors were looking spot on and certainly returning what appeared to be valid results. But... the lambda/oxygen sensor was disabled. No wonder fitting a new sensor recently hadn't made any difference... The new sensor was simply enabled and - well - the difference was noticeable. No more issues around 2k and no more issues around 3k either. It's now a LOT smoother and civilised and I can drive around at 30mph in 5th without the engine stuttering, kangarooing and stalling. My mpg has also improved somewhat. It was around 18-20mpg. Now I'm hovering around the 30mpg mark when driving steady. That makes me happy

Another good piece of news is that the cold start is improved, too. Just a single little blip to get her started and she idles fine now and warms up nicely. It sounds like a bag of spanners admittedly (cold forged components!) and rather lumpy, but no stalling and no drastic rpm drops leading to stalls.

The only downside of recent days is that I got caught speeding on the M5 motorway My first ever points. With roadworks closing my normal route home, I was diverted along a section of the motorway I don't know and carried on at my 80mph cruising speed... bad idea. I got caught by an overhead gantry camera The annoying thing is that I might have got away with it (and a talking to) if a police patrol had pulled me, but a camera on an empty motorway at 1am in the morning doesn't issue warnings! I think I was literally on the camera's trigger speed as my TomTom audible speed alert was set at 80mph and hadn't sounded. Oh well, I'm expecting a letter through the door very soon...

But I don't want to end on a sour note so I'm happy to report that Scott contacted me yesterday with pics of my new purchases. A new custom rad/fan setup and header tank. The radiator is being fitted tomorrow and the header tank will be fitted as soon as the cap arrives for it. Here are a few pics of my items waiting for me...

By the way, that second Clio rad (same spec as mine) is also for sale if anyone is interested... the quality is outstanding!

 

[SharkyUK]

I think there needs to be a turbo'd clio on this road trip - just for the sake of comparison

Damn right, mate! Make it happen...

 

[Cub.]

I may be keen on the rad. Contact details for Scott...please...

 

[Mr R.]

Cub look in the for sale section mate, Scott's selling a rad for an itb car.
Looks epic.

 

[ScottRallye]

Fitted the new radiator to the trophy this morning, very very easy job, fits perfectly and Andy seems one very happy customer, looks the dogs too if I do say so myself. I am indeed selling an identical radiator to the one that is shown here. Can't wait for Andy to fit the new headertank once the cap arrives pleasure to meet you and do business with you andy!

 

[Mr R.]

Great choice Andy, Scott's work is epic and if I was ever after something in alloy then id also be using him.

Must be something about the name Scott.
[emoji23]

 

[SharkyUK]

Fitted the new radiator to the trophy this morning, very very easy job, fits perfectly and Andy seems one very happy customer, looks the dogs too if I do say so myself. I am indeed selling an identical radiator to the one that is shown here. Can't wait for Andy to fit the new headertank once the cap arrives :smile: pleasure to meet you and do business with you andy!

Hi Scott

I am indeed one very happy customer. The photos look good but still don't fully convey the quality of the radiator (and header tank). They really are outstanding. I hope you get more orders through mate, I really do. Thanks for these and for taking time out to fit it this morning; a pleasure to meet another enthusiast and downright good bloke :up: I want my whole engine bay done now! Hahahaha! Thanks!

Great choice Andy, Scott's work is epic and if I was ever after something in alloy then id also be using him.

Must be something about the name Scott.

I couldn't agree more, mate. Superb.
:hearteyes: Scott's :hearteyes:

 

[JoeMarano]

Those rads look nice! What did you get it for does your engine run hot?

Reference your points...I always have the cruise set to 60mph maximum when im on motorways. The way I see it going fast in a straight line is awfully boring and the difference in journey time compared to say 80mph is feck all when you think about it and you'll probably get 15mpg more. I reckon you were pretty unlucky to get flashed as its usually 10% plus 2mph so 79mph should be safe.

 

[SharkyUK]

November 2014 - Update #4
As alluded to in my update yesterday, I took a road trip this morning to see @ScottRallye in order to get the new radiator/fan fitted and to pick up the header tank (sadly the header tank will have to be fitted at a later date as I need to get hold of a suitable cap first). Scott was kind enough to take time out of his day to fit the radiator for me whilst I generally got in the way and had a nosey at some of the other beautifully fabricated and welded items that he and Matt have produced (pics to follow). Naturally I am grateful for his time, help and expertise and extend my thanks to him.

Please excuse the not-so-good quality of the mobile phone photos because, like an idiot, I didn't take my camera with my as I had intended to. Suffice to say, the quality of the radiator (and header tank) is superb. Functional and good to look at; beautifully fabricated and welded. These items most certainly are NOT like the cr*p you can get off e-bay and consequently aren't the cheapest. BUT, they are worth every penny (in my opinion) and if you are investing a significant chunk of money on your car/engine then it makes sense to also have an adequate cooling system. I'm in no way affiliated to where Scott works but would highly recommend you give him a shout if you are serious about getting a proper radiator setup done (or indeed header tank, catch tank, custom pipework, etc.) I'll post up a few pics as I go along...

To start with, here's a side-by-side comparison of the new radiator and the old Polo rad that I was running. Obviously the new radiator is running a considerably more efficient cooling core and is double the thickness.

With regards to the radiator, it was/is a breeze to fit. Simply take the old one off, drill an additional hold for a securing bolt and drop in the new radiator. It fits like a glove. It was designed specifically for these cars hence offers this nice drop-in ease of fitting. My radiator also has the SPAL VA07 PULL fan that is PROPERLY fitted and sealed against the radiator core. Rather than sitting a short distance away from the core and pulling through surrounding air, this is sat flush against the rad and also sealed to ensure that all air pulled through it actually comes through the rad (and naturally offers maximum possible cooling).

You can just see in the photo above where you need to drill an additional hole for securing the rad via the mm perfect bracket. Damn it looks good! The picture below also gives you some idea as to the room in the engine bay that this setup has afforded me (and, again, where you need to drill that hole for the bracket).

All back together! It's a shame that it's hidden because I just want to show it off...

As mentioned above, I had a bit of a nosey around the storeroom and shelves whilst Scott wrestled with removing the bumper. :tongueout: I'm sure he won't mind if I post a few pics showing off their handiwork...

I guess the quality of products speak for themselves when your client-base included WRC and F1 teams

Thanks again, Scott - top job and a very happy customer

 

[SharkyUK]

Those rads look nice! What did you get it for does your engine run hot?

Reference your points...I always have the cruise set to 60mph maximum when im on motorways. The way I see it going fast in a straight line is awfully boring and the difference in journey time compared to say 80mph is feck all when you think about it and you'll probably get 15mpg more. I reckon you were pretty unlucky to get flashed as its usually 10% plus 2mph so 79mph should be safe.

As a high-compression build it generates a LOT of heat mate. Hence why the old Polo rad was only ever a temporary measure until I got a proper setup installed

As for the speeding... I received the NIP by the time I got home this afternoon after having the rad fitted. I was caught at just after midnight on the M5 doing... 80mph! So yeah, as I expected I was just about on the limit but hey-ho, I was still speeding. I have been offered an awareness course but I don't think I can take it as I took a course a while ago (got caught doing 34 in a 30 zone) - but I'm not sure if that was more or less than 3 years ago. Oh well, I'll take my medicine no matter how bitter it tastes.

 

[JoeMarano]

Take the course and do it in the county next to you as long as its not Kent I can't remember why but I see to remember being told not to do Kent and London as well I think it was. Either way the reason is because the forces don't talk to each other meaning you can speed one week and do a course in say Essex and then get caught the next week and do a course in Suffolk and thats that- no points. This is what I was told by one of the instructors at my awareness course.