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How (not) to make your Dauphine Handle
- Thread starter Steve Swan
- Start date
Steve Swan
Well-Known Member
Managed to get Paul Green's Hybrid finished today.
Plus the all important tag
This is pretty much state of the art for a swing axle transaxle and in my humble opinion, better than anything Renault made themselves in period....
Plus the all important tag
This is pretty much state of the art for a swing axle transaxle and in my humble opinion, better than anything Renault made themselves in period....
Duncan Grier
Well-Known Member
Looks lovely 
Steve Swan
Well-Known Member
While the next problem awaits I finished off the 1/18th Proto
Just need to do the stripes and number circles to take the eye away from the dodgy respray
Knocked up some indicators and brake lights as I use Mini items on my car
Normal service should resume next week....................
Just need to do the stripes and number circles to take the eye away from the dodgy respray
Knocked up some indicators and brake lights as I use Mini items on my car
Normal service should resume next week....................
Steve Swan
Well-Known Member
To every one who follows my day to day general lack of activity, I will say Merry Christmas and a Happy New year. Be Warned as you get older things like years don't last like they used to....
I wish you all success in your Endeavours. I'll be back in the new year with more rubbish to distract you from doing more sensible things with yourselves.
Happy Motoring.............
I wish you all success in your Endeavours. I'll be back in the new year with more rubbish to distract you from doing more sensible things with yourselves.
Happy Motoring.............
Duncan Grier
Well-Known Member
So much truth there @Steve Swan 
Have a great Christmas and New year, look forward to next years installments
Have a great Christmas and New year, look forward to next years installments
Turbell
Well-Known Member
Merry Chrimbo @Steve Swan , lucky to have you on here, real engineering experience.
All the best to everyone else, hats off to all of your projects, big or small, making things, breaking things, be a boring world if we couldn't fuck about in sheds.
All the best to everyone else, hats off to all of your projects, big or small, making things, breaking things, be a boring world if we couldn't fuck about in sheds.
Steve Swan
Well-Known Member
End of year report ..............
My workshop is full of 95% complete projects which is irritating. I hope to get clear in the early new year. Also the Gearcutter was in touch about bolt PCD on the parts he is making , so hopefully they will put in an appearance in the new year, getting a job of the bench which has been here nearly a year , apart from a short holiday when it went to Goodwood and got broken some more!!
The Dauph awaits the body shop, no surprises there then. I hope to have it finished and back by FEB, which will give me time to sort it out for Easterish (who am I kidding)
Today I have spent a long afternoon modifying the Detent on 5th gear on a 353/365/385 hybrid. This is an issue common to this Hybrid which is a very rare thing in circulation. I think 5 have been built in the UK 3 by me and 2 by Wheeler over the last 30 years. 4 out of the 5 had issues with jumping out of 5th gear. I have finally traced this out to be because the R8 353 5th top gear sits about 2mm further back in the case compared to the later 365 gearset. There is a lot of travel available on the 353 box to allow for its assembly and for it's interlocking mechanism to be installed. None of this was carried into later production 5 speeds, Which is why the problem exists.
I think I now have the definitive answer to this, but won't know for sure until it is back the car and working
The following pics describe the issue and solution. I hope.............
First pic is the 5th shaft from the box (lower) in comparison to a completely standard shaft.
This has been Ground out, by the other people who tried to repair this issue after I had built it, it had changed hands twice and I had a failed attempt at repair. The top shaft is for an 8mm detent which is what all but the last 353 boxes had. I opened it up to 10mm and succeded in making it slightly worse which was a valuable clue, when I think about it. The owner bought a new endcase which is for 10mm detent , but the issue persisted.
The pic above shows the detent moved back about 2.5mm to allow the shaft to travel further forward to full engagement of 5th gear..
Next up is to weld the forward facing part of the detent, putting as little heat as possible into the shaft as it is case hardened, making carbide tools a must. HSS bounces off.
The big lathe is handy here as it has the rigidity to allow fine finishing.
After much faffing about on the mill it's looking better.....
Then you have to polish all the edges by hand until it feels silky smooth all over!!!!!!!!
In the Movies you would fit it all and that would be it, but it wasn't. I built it up and had succeeded in moving it back about 1mm too far, so it all had to come apart and get fettled until it was spot on. If you look very closely at the first image in the sequence you will note that the right-hand detent has been moved toward it's neighbour slightly this had put me off and made me move it further than it needed.
Moral : Meddling with the actual insides of Gearboxes is an exact task and is not to be undertaken lightly.......
Happy New Year. All the best to all of you for 2023. May all your troubles be small ones................
My workshop is full of 95% complete projects which is irritating. I hope to get clear in the early new year. Also the Gearcutter was in touch about bolt PCD on the parts he is making , so hopefully they will put in an appearance in the new year, getting a job of the bench which has been here nearly a year , apart from a short holiday when it went to Goodwood and got broken some more!!
The Dauph awaits the body shop, no surprises there then. I hope to have it finished and back by FEB, which will give me time to sort it out for Easterish (who am I kidding)
Today I have spent a long afternoon modifying the Detent on 5th gear on a 353/365/385 hybrid. This is an issue common to this Hybrid which is a very rare thing in circulation. I think 5 have been built in the UK 3 by me and 2 by Wheeler over the last 30 years. 4 out of the 5 had issues with jumping out of 5th gear. I have finally traced this out to be because the R8 353 5th top gear sits about 2mm further back in the case compared to the later 365 gearset. There is a lot of travel available on the 353 box to allow for its assembly and for it's interlocking mechanism to be installed. None of this was carried into later production 5 speeds, Which is why the problem exists.
I think I now have the definitive answer to this, but won't know for sure until it is back the car and working
The following pics describe the issue and solution. I hope.............
First pic is the 5th shaft from the box (lower) in comparison to a completely standard shaft.
This has been Ground out, by the other people who tried to repair this issue after I had built it, it had changed hands twice and I had a failed attempt at repair. The top shaft is for an 8mm detent which is what all but the last 353 boxes had. I opened it up to 10mm and succeded in making it slightly worse which was a valuable clue, when I think about it. The owner bought a new endcase which is for 10mm detent , but the issue persisted.
The pic above shows the detent moved back about 2.5mm to allow the shaft to travel further forward to full engagement of 5th gear..
Next up is to weld the forward facing part of the detent, putting as little heat as possible into the shaft as it is case hardened, making carbide tools a must. HSS bounces off.
The big lathe is handy here as it has the rigidity to allow fine finishing.
After much faffing about on the mill it's looking better.....
Then you have to polish all the edges by hand until it feels silky smooth all over!!!!!!!!
In the Movies you would fit it all and that would be it, but it wasn't. I built it up and had succeeded in moving it back about 1mm too far, so it all had to come apart and get fettled until it was spot on. If you look very closely at the first image in the sequence you will note that the right-hand detent has been moved toward it's neighbour slightly this had put me off and made me move it further than it needed.
Moral : Meddling with the actual insides of Gearboxes is an exact task and is not to be undertaken lightly.......
Happy New Year. All the best to all of you for 2023. May all your troubles be small ones................
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Steve Swan
Well-Known Member
I have actually finished something in 2023 and it's still January........
Who knows where this year will end up...........
Back to reality soon and possibly a bit of a tale about Chinese Diesel heaters if I can muster the enthusiasm....
Who knows where this year will end up...........
Back to reality soon and possibly a bit of a tale about Chinese Diesel heaters if I can muster the enthusiasm....
Steve Swan
Well-Known Member
Still stuck with a workshop full of nearly done jobs......... Hopefully things will start moving next week, now also got to swap out the gearbox in the Logan , Found a donor and I will strip the old box to see what has actually happened .
I don't do much in the way of bling and don't clean cars, but the Dauph has a couple of bits of it's original trim, The air intake grills and the small running board trims. They are not in great shape and replacements are hard to find
A pair popped up on e-bay in California for sensible money, about 12 quid each they were both Anodised Ally and heavily weathered, but no scratches or dents so I took a punt on them
A bath in caustic soda solution removed the Anodizing which left them looking a bit better (which I didn't photograph)
Next was 400-600-800-1000 WetnDry wet with soap then the metal polishing mops and we're done
All in all about a half days work hours wise
Not perfect, but better than what I've got . Just need to find a couple of Running board trims...................
I don't do much in the way of bling and don't clean cars, but the Dauph has a couple of bits of it's original trim, The air intake grills and the small running board trims. They are not in great shape and replacements are hard to find
A pair popped up on e-bay in California for sensible money, about 12 quid each they were both Anodised Ally and heavily weathered, but no scratches or dents so I took a punt on them
A bath in caustic soda solution removed the Anodizing which left them looking a bit better (which I didn't photograph)
Next was 400-600-800-1000 WetnDry wet with soap then the metal polishing mops and we're done
All in all about a half days work hours wise
Not perfect, but better than what I've got . Just need to find a couple of Running board trims...................
Steve Swan
Well-Known Member
Quiet here. Workshop down to 1 job, an A110 Montecarlo Transaxle repair, awaiting parts. apart from my own shite, which has no time limit, my time is my own. Just as well, as I am currently dying from Manflu which is trying to be a chest infection, so here I sit sounding like a burst Melodeon writing this.
I follow a lot of threads on here, possibly as a bit of a lurker, it's not intended to be like that, it's just difficult to make conversation with people you don't know/have not met (yet) and to be fair everyone on here I have interacted with has been a model of tolerance and politeness, to you all, I am grateful.
I was thinking I may go off on a tangent which is intended to be a discussion, so don't hold back if you want to add anything.
As a boy, my Dad, like many fixed his own car, his Dad was a Mechanic at the Local Ford Dealer where he had been since the 1920's and my own father had wanted to follow his, but was not allowed! Grandad S didn't think it was a good idea!!
Where I grew up I was in the minority to be in a car owning family. I remember helping my Dad with his Corsair and Later Maxi and Allegro (must have been his mid life crisis) as he got into his forties, he lost all interest in his own cars, other than as conveyances for going Fishing and Radio controlled models (neither of which I complained about)
After passing my test at 17 I fell in with a Guy who lived down the road from me, Mike K. He was about 3 years older than me and a bit of a Petrolhead. I remember him going to his work while I was on my Paper round never going less than 50, roundabouts and all. Well anyway Mike had just lost his Father before his time and had sold his own car, an Avenger and his Dad's nearly new Lada and had invested in a really rough Droopsnoot Sportshatch, it was not pretty but it had the right bits, Blydenstein Head and 5X cam plus twin 48's was about 180 BHP it had no interior and a back half cage. It really was quite mental. We used to go about making lots of noise and annoying the population in it. Mike K was the most laid back guy you would ever meet, so when I asked if I could have a go, he pulled over and jumped out. It was great, I had never experienced anything like this before (kids today would never believe how bad 1970's cars were) as fast as you could press the pedal to the floor it was time to change up, in the first 3 gears anyway. That was it I had to get me one of these.............
As it happened the Snoot was needing a Cambelt, so Mike K. and I piled in and Went to Mike S's Garage at the old WW2 Airfield in Deepest Darkest Errol. This was the first real proper car Guy I had met and it opened my eyes to a different world of cars, Competiton Cars. Mike S. is 9 years older than me and actually went to secondary with my big sister. We sort of hit it off as friends, possibly he could see I had some understanding of what he went on about. He was into his Vauxhalls in a big way and was probably on car no.9 Due to his Roger Clark `sideways to victory' driving style at all times (even the shops) Mike K and I could be found prowling the city centre in the Snoot late at night, however Mike S's days of that were behind him and he was more of a weekend racer. This somehow resonated with me, I couldn't see the point of antagonising the local Law Enforcement, though Mike K. thoroughly enjoyed it.
To be Continued................................
I follow a lot of threads on here, possibly as a bit of a lurker, it's not intended to be like that, it's just difficult to make conversation with people you don't know/have not met (yet) and to be fair everyone on here I have interacted with has been a model of tolerance and politeness, to you all, I am grateful.
I was thinking I may go off on a tangent which is intended to be a discussion, so don't hold back if you want to add anything.
As a boy, my Dad, like many fixed his own car, his Dad was a Mechanic at the Local Ford Dealer where he had been since the 1920's and my own father had wanted to follow his, but was not allowed! Grandad S didn't think it was a good idea!!
Where I grew up I was in the minority to be in a car owning family. I remember helping my Dad with his Corsair and Later Maxi and Allegro (must have been his mid life crisis) as he got into his forties, he lost all interest in his own cars, other than as conveyances for going Fishing and Radio controlled models (neither of which I complained about)
After passing my test at 17 I fell in with a Guy who lived down the road from me, Mike K. He was about 3 years older than me and a bit of a Petrolhead. I remember him going to his work while I was on my Paper round never going less than 50, roundabouts and all. Well anyway Mike had just lost his Father before his time and had sold his own car, an Avenger and his Dad's nearly new Lada and had invested in a really rough Droopsnoot Sportshatch, it was not pretty but it had the right bits, Blydenstein Head and 5X cam plus twin 48's was about 180 BHP it had no interior and a back half cage. It really was quite mental. We used to go about making lots of noise and annoying the population in it. Mike K was the most laid back guy you would ever meet, so when I asked if I could have a go, he pulled over and jumped out. It was great, I had never experienced anything like this before (kids today would never believe how bad 1970's cars were) as fast as you could press the pedal to the floor it was time to change up, in the first 3 gears anyway. That was it I had to get me one of these.............
As it happened the Snoot was needing a Cambelt, so Mike K. and I piled in and Went to Mike S's Garage at the old WW2 Airfield in Deepest Darkest Errol. This was the first real proper car Guy I had met and it opened my eyes to a different world of cars, Competiton Cars. Mike S. is 9 years older than me and actually went to secondary with my big sister. We sort of hit it off as friends, possibly he could see I had some understanding of what he went on about. He was into his Vauxhalls in a big way and was probably on car no.9 Due to his Roger Clark `sideways to victory' driving style at all times (even the shops) Mike K and I could be found prowling the city centre in the Snoot late at night, however Mike S's days of that were behind him and he was more of a weekend racer. This somehow resonated with me, I couldn't see the point of antagonising the local Law Enforcement, though Mike K. thoroughly enjoyed it.
To be Continued................................
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Norwich Nick
Well-Known Member
I’m much the same, I appreciate the people who take the time and effort to make a thread and update it. I don’t mind when things go off topic (my thread hasn’t been car related for years
) I find the diversions interesting. Hope you feel better soon and looking forward to reading more of your posts
Get well soon buddy, don't worry about going off on a tangent in the threads, it makes good reading 
I'm the same recently, a lot of reading a lot less posting. Though not having a Renault in the fleet for the first time in a very long time means I don't have too much to add. Still here reading daily though
I'm the same recently, a lot of reading a lot less posting. Though not having a Renault in the fleet for the first time in a very long time means I don't have too much to add. Still here reading daily though
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Steve Swan
Well-Known Member
Thanks both if it's not improving in the next couple of Days it'll need to be the Vet I'm thinking
You’re an accordion which still plays some great tunes @Steve Swan !! Keep it coming sir, great to read.
Funny how every generation thinks they’ve got the fastest cars… but I know 180bhp in a 70’s car would feel KER-WIK!! Any photos??
Funny how every generation thinks they’ve got the fastest cars… but I know 180bhp in a 70’s car would feel KER-WIK!! Any photos??
Steve Swan
Well-Known Member
@Big Steve - RaiderYou’re an accordion which still plays some great tunes @Steve Swan !! Keep it coming sir, great to read.
Funny how every generation thinks they’ve got the fastest cars… but I know 180bhp in a 70’s car would feel KER-WIK!! Any photos??
Happy to oblige as they used to say in VIZ
This was the first Quick car I had a go in. Not this particular one , but one of the other 196 they made. Same colour, crazy Red Tartan seats (Front only) and it was as rough as toast from the stripes down . On Rainy nights you used to get your feet wet from the holes in the floor Happy Days.......................
It was MSP 900P and I think it is hiding in a shed somewhere after the Guy who bought it from Mike K. Was tragically killed in a Road accident as a passenger He was the same age as me (went to school with the wife) Dead at about 22 makes you think................
Steve Swan
Well-Known Member
Might as well finish the Snoot stories and end that chapter. The sportshatch was the poorer relation to the Droopsnoot Firenza it had a CF van type box rather than the nice ZF in the Firenza. This meant it's service life, when owned by a Hooligan was generally measured in Minutes. It didn't take long for Mike K to kill the box, so his mate John H and I swapped it out at John H's Dad's farm (it's a proper Redneck tale this)
When we had it all back together Mike K arrived to test it and John H said `Take it easy I can't mind if I tightened the Propshaft bolts' Mikes test involved Dropping the clutch and spinning the wheels up to the end of the barn we were in, turning it round and burning the tyres all the way back. The prop didn't come through the floor, so I guess the bolts were tight after all. I will carry the Look on John H's face while this test was going on to my grave.
We bade our farewells and set off for home at Mike K's usual Ten tenths pace, which was fine until the reversing light wires we forgot to reconnect, shorted out all the lights on the back road at quite some speed. After managing to stop and regain some composure we crawled back to town in the Black dark in a near black car! Parked it on a high kerb connected the wires and made a silver Fag paper Fuse and carried on Regardless.
We once towed John H's Granada back home to the farm after it stripped its timing gear with the Snoot, it was the first time in my life I had been in a car doing an indicated 120 while towing another car ,but it was not the last (which is a few chapters on)
Last Snoot Story is mine. We had been in the Neighbouring county (Fife) Stirring up the locals and found ourselves in Kircaldy at half 2 in the morning with the Locals becoming increasingly restless and the fuel gauge on E. Mike had a brainwave, he was sure there was an all night petrol station in this tiny village in the middle of nowhere. We made it, just and scraped a fiver together for enough to get home .
Mike then decides he is too tired to drive, so it's my turn FFS ! I set off and all is well until we are about 12 miles from home, there is a long straight `The Baiglie' about a mile and a half followed by the last bit of motorway. it was the steady speed that did it, by the time I turned onto the Motorway I could not keep my eyes open. I struggled on and about 4 miles from home I'd had it . I should of stopped, but I'm 18, so decided to speed up to keep awake (great idea) Then just maybe shut my eyes for a count of 2. What happens next is the closest I have ever come to meeting my maker so far. I open my eyes to find I am in the middle of the 2 lanes of a tightening curve toward the roundabout at the end of the Motorway we are doin about a Ton and the 100yd marker has just flashed past ! I hit the brake and go for 3rd and the bitch spat me out ! I brake as hard as I can and pull for second as hard as I can, it is the most Monumental crunch I've ever had on a downshift , I lift the clutch and the back of the car starts to hop as the rears are locked, now fully awake I Get a thud in the back which was the sleeping Mike flying forward from his slumbers on some old jackets and covers piled up where the back seat should be. I eased off the brakes and start to turn and by sheer good luck the back end had decided to hold on to the road and we made it round. I stopped Eyes like dinnerplates thinking my head might explode . and Mikes face appears between the seats mumbling `what the fuck'. I said, ` I nodded off Man' and left it at that........
Drive safe Boys and Girls
To be continued.........
When we had it all back together Mike K arrived to test it and John H said `Take it easy I can't mind if I tightened the Propshaft bolts' Mikes test involved Dropping the clutch and spinning the wheels up to the end of the barn we were in, turning it round and burning the tyres all the way back. The prop didn't come through the floor, so I guess the bolts were tight after all. I will carry the Look on John H's face while this test was going on to my grave.
We bade our farewells and set off for home at Mike K's usual Ten tenths pace, which was fine until the reversing light wires we forgot to reconnect, shorted out all the lights on the back road at quite some speed. After managing to stop and regain some composure we crawled back to town in the Black dark in a near black car! Parked it on a high kerb connected the wires and made a silver Fag paper Fuse and carried on Regardless.
We once towed John H's Granada back home to the farm after it stripped its timing gear with the Snoot, it was the first time in my life I had been in a car doing an indicated 120 while towing another car ,but it was not the last (which is a few chapters on)
Last Snoot Story is mine. We had been in the Neighbouring county (Fife) Stirring up the locals and found ourselves in Kircaldy at half 2 in the morning with the Locals becoming increasingly restless and the fuel gauge on E. Mike had a brainwave, he was sure there was an all night petrol station in this tiny village in the middle of nowhere. We made it, just and scraped a fiver together for enough to get home .
Mike then decides he is too tired to drive, so it's my turn FFS ! I set off and all is well until we are about 12 miles from home, there is a long straight `The Baiglie' about a mile and a half followed by the last bit of motorway. it was the steady speed that did it, by the time I turned onto the Motorway I could not keep my eyes open. I struggled on and about 4 miles from home I'd had it . I should of stopped, but I'm 18, so decided to speed up to keep awake (great idea) Then just maybe shut my eyes for a count of 2. What happens next is the closest I have ever come to meeting my maker so far. I open my eyes to find I am in the middle of the 2 lanes of a tightening curve toward the roundabout at the end of the Motorway we are doin about a Ton and the 100yd marker has just flashed past ! I hit the brake and go for 3rd and the bitch spat me out ! I brake as hard as I can and pull for second as hard as I can, it is the most Monumental crunch I've ever had on a downshift , I lift the clutch and the back of the car starts to hop as the rears are locked, now fully awake I Get a thud in the back which was the sleeping Mike flying forward from his slumbers on some old jackets and covers piled up where the back seat should be. I eased off the brakes and start to turn and by sheer good luck the back end had decided to hold on to the road and we made it round. I stopped Eyes like dinnerplates thinking my head might explode . and Mikes face appears between the seats mumbling `what the fuck'. I said, ` I nodded off Man' and left it at that........
Drive safe Boys and Girls
To be continued.........
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