Re: Mk1 172 Hybrid Track Car Project
Bit of an update from today...
After the box mount shearing off before brands hatch at some point, I had been left with one of the bolts snapped off inside the casing. I had just been running the car with two bolts in the mount instead of three, and the rear brace thing. Decided I would try and get this snapped off bolt out today, as I really cant be bothered changing the gearbox and it was annoying me...
I torqued the two bolts and brace up after brands, and since done another trackday and driving about, and it hadnt come loose, so it was holding. But either way I wanted it sorting...
As you can see the bolt is missing....removed the mount completely, and you can see the thread...
You can also see the far right hole has been damaged slightly from when the mount came loose, another excuse to take the box out really. Tried to drill a center hole into it, which I did, then tried to use some thread extractors (yes Winston
) to remove the bolt, but they were made of cheese and did not work... After that I just gave up and put it all back on, but beforehand fitted this.... front '4th' box mount, comes on 172's etc but I had never bothered with it before...
I really should have painted the bracket but I couldnt be bothered and just wanted to see what difference it made, lol.
Fitted and it certainly does make a difference, alot more 'together' and ive lost all the rattling from my solid rear dogbone mount for now
Although, my downpipe has started blowing again from the manifold join, new gasket time again, and hope the engine has less movement now with the 4th mount to stop the gasket wearing again...
Anyway after giving up on the sheared off bolt, I cleaned up the JB3 I had off the blue valver (Very low milage, was bought from renault by previous owner
)... Painted it up with some hammerite like last time, slightly different color this time as its all I had lol...
Mmmmmm bolt in diff rather than s**tty circlip
Il probably try and get the box swapped in the next week or so, before the renaultsport cadwell day, will just have to see how much else needs doing. Quicker for me to drain the coolant and take the engine out, swap boxes and put it back in, didnt take long at all last time....and I cant be bothered mucking around trying to get it through a gap in the subframe.
Sorted the rest of the cage bars over the past week or so, the ones that were wrong are now profiled to how I want, 7 in total (rear lower stays, harness bars, door bars, bulkhead bar), and they just need welding in. I will hopefully find someone who can weld around this way that can just spend an hour welding round them and then its done and in, and can get on with painting....dragging on now :boring:
More soon!
