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Alpine 1968 Renault R8
- Thread starter Adey
- Start date
- Featured
Still waiting on a few more bits to turn up and I can make a start on the engine modernisation.
I have received my new electric fuel pump though. This was ordered after my "issue" last time I drove it. Though the more I think about it the more I think it could have been a vapour lock. Either way an electric pump should add a little more resistance to it happening again if that was the case. The car will actually start up and run fine now and I've had it idling for quarter of an hour at a time
I have received my new electric fuel pump though. This was ordered after my "issue" last time I drove it. Though the more I think about it the more I think it could have been a vapour lock. Either way an electric pump should add a little more resistance to it happening again if that was the case. The car will actually start up and run fine now and I've had it idling for quarter of an hour at a time
Made a start on the Ignition ecu and conversion stuff. Picked out placements for everything and started mounting parts. Fuel pump is bolted down on some fresh rivnuts and piped up. Got the 36-1 trigger and pickup is fitted and set in the correct place. Then I decided to remove the manifolds for extra access and repair. The exhaust manifold has a slight blow, and the inlet could do with a few more tweaks. So why not do it all at the same time. I'm actively stopping myself from pulling the head off and getting a cam in there too......
One of the other bits I wanted to remove was the dizzy, it pins the gear to the top of the oil pump so just removing it could be catastrophic. I did post on the R5 Gtt FB groups asking if any one knew the way to blank it off correctly to be shown them still in place but with a cap on. People had just left them fully in place when running standalone. Not good enough for me, I chopped a dizzy down, inspected it to make sure it wouldn't fall apart and would work as intended still (bar driving a distributor) then made a quick cover from aluminium. Job jobbed.
DaveL485
Staff member
It is, my unconnected distributor cap bugs the shit out of me.great stuffodd that others just leave it fully in place. Seems "messy" to me.
easy solution above then
or just don't worry about it, and ill sort it when you drop the 9 off to me 
Made a start on the wiring side of things this afternoon, roughed out most of it in the correct locations. I don't think making it work will be an issue, making it look tidy will be though. Once I've got everything working properly I will go back and unwire everything that isn't needed in the fuse/relay box so there isn't an excess of wires hanging around.
Got a few hours in on the car, coil pack, water temp and map sensors are wired up. Started on laying things out in place too. I need to add few wires from the ecu so now waiting on delivery of a few more pins. These are for the extra outputs that will contol the fuel pump and fan.
I made some Pidgeon shit repairs to the manifold. Was able to see the small blows of black against the mild steel colour, so did my best to repair them. Drilled or cut out where there was an issue and puddled it back together. Gave it a lick on jenolite high temp paint, hopefully it will protect it from the UK weather and damp.
Manifolds are back on so I can see what space I have with regards to sensors and wire routing. Also confirmed the switched ignition live it working and switching the ecu/coil feed on and off through the relay box
All in all a good weekend and all being well I should have the extra ecu pins in need in the week. I can then get it to a "test" stage in the conversion.
Oh and in other news, insurance renewal is coming up, looks like it'll be £88 for the year and my road tax renewal came through with a huge £0 cost
Manifolds are back on so I can see what space I have with regards to sensors and wire routing. Also confirmed the switched ignition live it working and switching the ecu/coil feed on and off through the relay box
All in all a good weekend and all being well I should have the extra ecu pins in need in the week. I can then get it to a "test" stage in the conversion.
Oh and in other news, insurance renewal is coming up, looks like it'll be £88 for the year and my road tax renewal came through with a huge £0 cost
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Not far off completing the wiring loom now. I have a few bits to tidy up but the bulk of it if wrapped and in place. I've tested the ecu outputs and they are switching the relays very well. Electric fuel pump work as will the rad fan once that's fitted. Looking loads better, just need to source a new fan belt of the correct length and some HT leads and we should be ready to test fire the engine. I've also locked the trigger wheel in place after checking it was in the correct place with number 1 at TDC.
Wheelers Workshop
Active Member
All looking good Adey, will this new engine ignition management possibly give a few more horses? Your exhaust manifold looks the dogs, is it a one off ? its just that I would like a similar one for my '58 Dauphine project [ to be fitted with a 6 port Volvo 343 70bhp 1397cc unit with Salv Piper cam grind]
Great stuff!
Dave
Great stuff!
Dave
Potentially, though I've done this to add reliability primarily. After having a coil die on me, the "wrong" dizzy fitted as it was the one off my 1108cc and then the potential fuel pump failure I decided to replace it all with more modern items. Watch it all fail dramatically
With the ecu in place I should be able to set the optimum ignition timing at every point in the rev range and being "3D" and having a map sensor equally for all load points too. I should gain power and driveability in most places but peak numbers will likely be close or unchanged from what it already has. So to answer that question.... yes and no lol.
I think the manifold was a one off from @BobG, not sure if he made it himself or was purchased elsewhere?
I was very tempted to slap a cam in too, maybe in the future with a head skim to bump compression slightly. Its never ending isn't it.....
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