Brett's Astra GTE 16v Turbo Trackcar Project - Page 5

**CraigGreen** · 19-02-2007, 11:09

Nice update Brett. Good source for hoses too.

CG

**Brett** · 05-03-2007, 21:43

Well, have been quietly cracking on. With all the fuel lines done I've been looking at getting the brake lines done, which Steve and I did untill about midnight on Saturday. Good old stand lights

Ive swapped from the setup I stt and I orginally made, in may 06 - as I found out a Calibra Turbo master cylinder has a larger piston, which would make up for the larger calipers needing more fluid to work. These have 2 outputs for ABS as opposed to 4 for the orginal GTE 16v master cylinder I used orginally. With only one line running to the rear of the car now, I can maybe in the future add a bias valve

not for now though.

where the front splits into 2m the T peice and the line for the rear passes into the car and along the exhaust tunnel.

T peice is sace out from the bulkhead about 10mm, if it was close to the bulkhead work on the unions would be hard on the future (not exactly going to be easy though!)

riveted on a MK3 Astra engine loom clip, in an effort for more bay tidiness. Needs a respray around there btw!!

also completed wiring in the guages and running wires into the bay for those, and am working on sorting an alarm for it. Me and steve are going to finish the brakes one night this week hopefully, then use some dot 5.1 fluid in there. also need to fit a handbrake cable soon.

still, its coming along at an improving pace!!

**Brett** · 06-03-2007, 16:04

changed my mind about a bias valve after chatting to a few people on Astra-mk2.com - just ordered this from Rally Design

http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/catalog...oducts_id=4109

**Benn** · 06-03-2007, 16:07

is looking very very nice,

**CraigGreen** · 07-03-2007, 21:06

same thing isnt it Brett? Still trick though.

Once mine is adjusted I doubt it'll move much. CRACK ON!

slappycarp · 07-03-2007, 21:59

have nt you finished yet : - )

looking good brett,not long now bud!!!!

you going to use it on the road too???

will surprise a few in weston : - )

**Brett** · 08-03-2007, 09:35

yeah its going to be fully road legal too

Probably only have to adjust it for trackdays/wet weather, but its trick like yu say.

**Brett** · 26-03-2007, 22:40

bit of an update, lots of talking/planning not enough doing as per usual

decided that a full bottom end rebuild should be done, there are to many people on here having bottom ends seize and i dont want that nor can I afford it!!

So, at the moment this is what stt and I have planned -

New crank from an early XE
Isuzu 1.7TD oil squiters
nylon oil presure reliefe valve
new rings, bearings etc
oil pump

While its apart I'll probably have new valves stem oil seals fitted, and have the tappets out for a clean. Ive got an alloy underdrive crank pulley coming, and a set of verniers too.

Also started to fit the battery box, bolted it down and ran a big fat wire from the battery to the front of the car to where Ive located the master cut of switch in the dash. Reworked some of the dash wiring to suite this.

Spent an hour tonight trying to fox the rear foglights which had no live. Ahh the joys of amateur mechanics. Eventually I traced the fault to n obscure fault in the fusebox.....

no fuse LMFAO!

fannied around with the fuel pump wiring some more, then went to help my brother with his Astra GSi which is almost fixed after being pinched 2 months ago.

**CraigGreen** · 27-03-2007, 10:21

Rebuild sounds like a good plan. You get to run the lump in too. (hardly exciting)

This is having an F28 & a Quaiffe ATB yeah?

Nom Tova · 27-03-2007, 11:23

Looking good mate

**Brett** · 27-03-2007, 14:47

yeah one of stt's mates is having the F28 to fit the Quaiffe actually, hes going to give it the once over for me too, new driveshaft seals and so on.

**Benn** · 27-03-2007, 17:23

comming on nice dude,

**Brett** · 10-04-2007, 10:09

I spent 4 days solid woring in a Cat 1 alarm on my own this weekend. Pleased to say it all appears to work first time, I just need to work out how to get it into test mode so i can check without pissing of the neighbours

I had to take the dash back out again which was annoying but in the interstes of a good job I did it anyway.

I also found a way of fitting the late spec doorcards I wanted in it all along so did that, looks much better IMHO now.

No pics as though because Im lazy and didnt take any

**Brett** · 23-04-2007, 22:43

Right well, I have been monumentaly busy since saturday lunchtime stripping the LET down at stt's...

pics galore!! Si collected the engine a few weeks ago, we've just been wating for a chance when we both have free time to strip it. Thats why I buggered off from Combe at lunchtime, I wasnt ducking out it was for the greater good you see!!

on engine stand, built up still

Cams are in lovley nick, no wear or scoring at all

inlet off, it got caught on the stud nearest the waterpump, so we had to remove the stud by tightening 2 bolts on (will remember that one)

stt working out undoing the head bolts...

Then there that moment of truth isnt there... whats it like inside the chambers.... well ****ing mint it turns out

So chuffed about that, its just perfect both the head and the block. Pistons are like new too.

Its only looking silver due to the flash, the pistons have a think layer of coke on them. Honing marks still visable on the cylinder wall, you can just make it out. Theres no pitting, no det on the pistons which look mint. No scoring and a very very small lip at the top of the bores. Engine has done 99k miles, I know its had a head gasket from looking back over my emails from when I bought the cally turbo this evening but the owner doesnt mention any previous rebuilds, and he owned it from new.

Next up the sump came off, baffle plate, oil pump and followed by the crank and pistons. Again the bearings tell a good story, one of the main bearings had some slight scoring, but nothing to worry about as Im not using this crank anyway!!

Bare block! (note the plyers visable through the hole for the cran case breather/dip stick

)

that was saturdays activites anyway. Im delighted the engine is so good, really is an excellent base engine and also helps persuade me if I needed any to do this build properly.

oh yeah, and me after craig and simon stopped covering me in oil everytime I spilt some round cricle is courtesy of a valve remover/plunger thingymajig....

**Brett** · 23-04-2007, 22:44

Sunday..

Went back down to stts to strip an early XE block for its crank and sump, I did a bit more of this on my own so it took a while, in between clearing up various oil spills that could have rivaled the Exon Valdes!!

then mainly fannied around on my own deciding what excalty we needed to do with the parts spread around us, and Si giving me a lesson in how a clutch works. Propped by the discovery of a nearly new Sachs clutch on the XE bottom end which may be good enough for my LET. Meaning I can use the flywheel of this XE and ditch the pot one from my LET.

Stts old man has this hiding in one of his barns. ****ing cool 1940's Austin 10. When I was a small kid dad restored a very similar Austin 8, which we sold when I was about 7 due to mum passing her test and, well it not being practical for her. Trying to blagg dad to buy it!!!

**Brett** · 23-04-2007, 22:45

Tonight Ive been back down to collect both blocks to take them down to Steve's g/f dads place tomorrow night and chemical bath them. Got a fair few bits to clean so should make life a lot easier. I must invest in some Cillit Bang too Im told

Si taught me how an oil pump works, Ive got one here of the XE bottom end which looks fairly new. Ive got a nylon pressure reliefe valve from SBD and Im going to investigate some uprated internals rather than a whole new pump. If I do gt a new pump it will be a Z20LET one I think.

Anyway, not many pics 2 blocks wrapped in cling film to protect the cavalier isnt that exciting, but heres a nice comparison of an early and late XE crank. The early one is noticably lighter

Late top, early bottom

Early

Late

Ive also been talking to Gary who had the car before me about him doing a strip down, acid dip, gas flow and rebuild on the head (which is coscast btw!!!) and I think its excellent value at under £250 so most likley will be dropping that off to him very soon indeed!

**Benn** · 23-04-2007, 22:55

looks good,

**Brett** · 23-04-2007, 22:59

stt just sent me this from SBD's site, OS-SPG1 and OS-OPG1 are the ones!!

coolamasta · 24-04-2007, 08:25

Looking good mate

How come your using an early XE crank? I think they are supposed to be stronger or something arn't they? I can't remember lol

**CraigGreen** · 24-04-2007, 08:46

Lighter & stronger.

Must be a bit of a chufty to have bagged a good unragged LET brett? Not too many of those about I shouldnt think.

**Brett** · 24-04-2007, 10:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolamasta

Looking good mate

How come your using an early XE crank? I think they are supposed to be stronger or something arn't they? I can't remember lol

Yes mate its lighter, not sure by how much but I will weigh them both when I get a chance. Its also stronger then the later one, quality of metal is better 0dders told me. Well worth doing tbh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CraigGreen

Lighter & stronger.

Must be a bit of a chufty to have bagged a good unragged LET brett? Not too many of those about I shouldnt think.

mate, Im delighted. I know I probably paid over the odds for a rusty Calibra Turbo but I knew then engine was the perfect base for the project

**CraigGreen** · 24-04-2007, 10:33

Not to mention the peace of mind having a well looked after car & engine with no adverse history & all the other bits & fun that it brought (body kit & swapping parts on & off the 16v Cally etc).

Tomm · 24-04-2007, 16:03

looks very good, very intresing and great quality or work!

**Brett** · 09-05-2007, 17:58

right big update because Ive been busy but not telling anyone about it!!

Ive taken lots of bits home from the farm, to clean them up. Bottom end, baffle plate, sump gasket and timing belt backing plate have all been scrubbed clean, should make it easier to clean out after fitting the oil squirters.

one half of the block cleaned, one half not....

Other engine stuff Ive done is take the head up to Garys for a full strip down, gasflow, acid dip and rebuild! Its a low mileage coscast one, e-mails from buying the Calibra Turbo suggest its seen under 30k miles, being a replacement fitted at 70k miles.

On the car itself Ive finally sorted out my doorcard problem. bit of a bodge, Ive used massive washers and bolted the arm rest to the door card not the door, but it means I can use the later style flat ones which fit around the cage better, and just look better in black.

Ive taken the front legs off to add some bushes and washers I forgot, so I used the chance to give the inner arches and the sills a second load of underseal. Previous experience has taught me not to take this issue lightly!!

Ive finished the last of the wiring inside the car to now, at flaming last. Turned my attention to the engine bay. For neatness Ive used the round plug of a Mk3 Astra and the bracket that it clips into has been riveted to the bulkhead. The wires to this now run into the engine bay with the ECU loom, along behind the servo and on to the round plug on the passenger side, instead of throught the pedal box near the clutch cable as standard. Ive built the loom so it takes in all the wires for what I need in the engine bay, including the oil temp/pressure guages etc. Nice and neat that way.

All done, to the drivers side of the car coming from the loom is a 3 pin plug for the oil guages, on the passenger side thats the transducer wires, and finally the MK3 Astra round plug at the end there.

You can also see in that pic steves done some more on the brake lines for me, and Ive also had the servo and master cylinder off for a re-paint.

Ive refitted the front wing, plastic **** guard, and also fitted the side skirts I have in gloss black, shouldnt be any need to have any of that off again now.

**Benn** · 09-05-2007, 18:08

door cards and shirts look damn good,

bay looks good likethe arb,