Maiden voyage

Welderd · Apr 12, 2008

Here's a dumb little clip. I had the helmet on cause I was ready to go fast but no one else was!

Few problems:

1. wiring at least one crappy soldered joint came apart. Also fan didn't come on

2. steering leak - the orbital is leaking out the front where the column attaches - I have several that work now but I think they all do it. Is there a seal there or what? it's coming up the column and out near the wheel, not bad but not acceptable

3. cooling system?? Blew the lower hose off after a trip up the street and back. The lower hose pressurized? shouldn't it be vacuum? the upper was warm, the fan never kicked on and my crappy guage never registered. The fluid was warm but not boiling hot. I put a new pump on, new t-stat and all hoses are new. I think the system was fairly well bleed and the cap seemed to work cause it has filled the overflow before. At first I thought maybe I put the belt on wrong and was turning the pump backwards but it's on right. Bad radiator? or did it get hot and I didn't know it?
The fan is still controlled by the factory taurus computer and it has turned on once before but not long

It was a blast though!!!

InDaShop · Apr 12, 2008

congrats musta been an awesome feeling.

blacksheep10 · Apr 12, 2008

I have no idea on the pressurized lower hose, but its a good feeling to drive one the first time. how's the acceleration and braking?

Welderd · Apr 12, 2008

braking sucks so far - we didn't bleed it enough

I've got a corvette MC and 3/4ton chevy brakes all around
think it need residual valves on front and rear?
proportional valve?
which res to front/rear? or does it matter

acceleration is good so far
went right thru the gears in low and then again in high
probably only got to 30-35 in the dark with bad brakes and no lights

John Galbreath Jr. · Apr 12, 2008

rockwild said:
braking sucks so far - we didn't bleed it enough

I've got a corvette MC and 3/4ton chevy brakes all around
think it need residual valves on front and rear?
proportional valve?
which res to front/rear? or does it matter

acceleration is good so far
went right thru the gears in low and then again in high
probably only got to 30-35 in the dark with bad brakes and no lights

That its the brake set up I have on the Purple Jeep. No proportioning valve. I think the resivoirs are teh same ize, so I don't see why f/b would matter.

Could the water pump be pumping backwards, do you have vacuum on the top hose?

Welderd · Apr 12, 2008

i thought about the pump going backwards but it's a stock ford tauras motor and the pump is from vatozone. The only way the pump could go backwards would be if the belt was on wrong - it's on like stock.

I'm gonna take the t-stat out, wire the fan to a switch, buy a new cap, prefill all the hoses and try again

any other things to try?

Welderd · Apr 12, 2008

cooling fixed - stock pump has a tube that just pushes on with an o-ring, tabs added and it's not coming out now, dumb not to think of it sooner

orbital changed - leaks less, gotta try to find out how to seal it up

brakes - suck, suck bad. Once I pump em I have good pedal and cutting brake but once I let off for a bit they go away. Also if I pump the pedal I get good cutting brake handle and it stays until you hit the pedal again.

the lines go straight up out of the MC about 6-8" then to the residual pressure valves I just added. Might need to put them down on the MC?

wngrog · Apr 13, 2008

rockwild said:
brakes - suck, suck bad. Once I pump em I have good pedal and cutting brake but once I let off for a bit they go away. Also if I pump the pedal I get good cutting brake handle and it stays until you hit the pedal again.

What process are you using? I ended up having to pressure bleed mine with the cutting brakes. I never could get them to work right without doing that.

kid rok · Apr 13, 2008

Sounds like you may have air in your cutting brake.

Welderd · Apr 13, 2008

those clear lines help with bleeding - can't see anything in them???

first off it's a 2in 2out one, pull back for rear, push for front.

we start by pulling handle back, then pump pedal and the cutting brake gets pumped up. Hold the 2 and bleed rear - repeat.
push handle, pump pedal and bleed front - repeat

wngrog · Apr 13, 2008

For what it is worth, that is the hardest cutting brake to bleed. I used a CNC master on my last buggy.

Cnc sold a cap for the brake master that had a schrader valve on it. I would put a bike pump (low pressure) on the valve and slowly pump fluid in the system with the cutting brake in the neutral position.

I dont know what master you have but they may sell such a bleeder.