Neal R19
Well-Known Member
Or driving around billowing smoke after filling up the oil and forgetting to put the oil cap back on.
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Mk1 / Ph1 Mégane Cabriolet F4R-t conversion
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Or driving around billowing smoke after filling up the oil and forgetting to put the oil cap back on.
binge
Well-Known Member
Okay chaps. I get the idea! 
Second rad fan arrived today. Nice £14.00 bargain on ebay. Just another Clio / Megane / Laguna fan, all the same, valeo thing on a steel frame.
Identical to the one I've already got. And conveniently, being from a breaker, they just cut the wires rather than unplugged it, so I've got the plug for it too.
It'll squeeze onto my rad, along side the current fan, for double speed cooling.
I'm in two minds whether to get a slightly lower temp fan switch. But will wait until I've done a full fluid flush and running a correct mix of water and coolant. It's currently just got tap water in it. Probably not too important. But the fan coming on and off constantly is the matter of a few degrees in temp.
Nothing too exciting to update.
Gave it a wash and polish(ish) today. Paint is a lost cause, so once It's mechanically sound, full paint is defo on the cards. Will have to start saving soon! aha
Also fitted the headlight protectors back on.
I did start mocking up a dial plate for the dash. Had some random sheets of carbon lying around, although I do need to make another as the Chinese gauge on the left, has a slightly bigger bezel than the TIM gauges, so it looks like it's sitting closer than the other two.
Probably going to drill them all closer together, so I can move them up a bit too, and get the whole plate sitting flusher to the dash.
And frustratingly, the volt meter turned up white. I asked the seller about it but they just gave me some bullshit that I'd purchased the wrong item, even though I put black in the comments, and the auction showed photos of black and white gauges.
So, I think I'm going to either get a white overlay for the centre dial (Speedo) in my main dash, then have the plate surrounding the dials carbon wrapped.
Or just buy another volt meter in black. Undecided yet.
Second rad fan arrived today. Nice £14.00 bargain on ebay. Just another Clio / Megane / Laguna fan, all the same, valeo thing on a steel frame.
Identical to the one I've already got. And conveniently, being from a breaker, they just cut the wires rather than unplugged it, so I've got the plug for it too.
It'll squeeze onto my rad, along side the current fan, for double speed cooling.
I'm in two minds whether to get a slightly lower temp fan switch. But will wait until I've done a full fluid flush and running a correct mix of water and coolant. It's currently just got tap water in it. Probably not too important. But the fan coming on and off constantly is the matter of a few degrees in temp.
Nothing too exciting to update.
Gave it a wash and polish(ish) today. Paint is a lost cause, so once It's mechanically sound, full paint is defo on the cards. Will have to start saving soon! aha
Also fitted the headlight protectors back on.
I did start mocking up a dial plate for the dash. Had some random sheets of carbon lying around, although I do need to make another as the Chinese gauge on the left, has a slightly bigger bezel than the TIM gauges, so it looks like it's sitting closer than the other two.
Probably going to drill them all closer together, so I can move them up a bit too, and get the whole plate sitting flusher to the dash.
And frustratingly, the volt meter turned up white. I asked the seller about it but they just gave me some bullshit that I'd purchased the wrong item, even though I put black in the comments, and the auction showed photos of black and white gauges.
So, I think I'm going to either get a white overlay for the centre dial (Speedo) in my main dash, then have the plate surrounding the dials carbon wrapped.
Or just buy another volt meter in black. Undecided yet.
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DaveL485
Staff member
When you wire it in, make sure you get the wiring the right way arou....oh wait... no matter, carry on
binge
Well-Known Member
We have a working speedo!
With the help of Autodata, and badgering Neal again all hours of the day / night.
It's very temp at the moment, with the wires from the sender unit in the diff housing, just running through the hole in the bulk head, to a live / earth I found behind the dash, and then the pulse wire hooked up to the correct pin in the back of the instrument cluster.
Next job is to locate the signal wire for the rev counter, work out what it requests as a signal to operate, and then work out some way of getting the engine to talk to it.
The 1.6 set up gave a pulse from the ECM. But the Laguna set up is all CANBUS, so that's a no go.
Any ideas from our creative bunch?
With the help of Autodata, and badgering Neal again all hours of the day / night.
It's very temp at the moment, with the wires from the sender unit in the diff housing, just running through the hole in the bulk head, to a live / earth I found behind the dash, and then the pulse wire hooked up to the correct pin in the back of the instrument cluster.
Next job is to locate the signal wire for the rev counter, work out what it requests as a signal to operate, and then work out some way of getting the engine to talk to it.
The 1.6 set up gave a pulse from the ECM. But the Laguna set up is all CANBUS, so that's a no go.
Any ideas from our creative bunch?
binge
Well-Known Member
Cheers Neal, You're a babe! I'll purchase the bits on ebay and pester you next week when I cant wire it up!
little update. Braved the OBD.. Plugged it in the other day on my drive to work. Opened it up on a stretch of Autobahn and got to a stage where I wasn't comfy reving it much further. Besides, the power curve flattens out at around 5.5k anyway, so any more than that is not worth reving to.
Now I am not 100% sure on what my JB3 box code is, but I do know that the ratio in 5th is not very long at all.
I've been looking at different JC5 boxes and I think I am going to settle on a JC5 128. Which is a diesel box from the Clio II.
It has an almost identical ratio in 1st to 3rd, but 4th and 5th are quite a bit taller, which will make it a more comfortable cruise on the A roads and motorways.
Even at the moment, to sit at 70/80mph the engine is quite revvy. It makes so much toque below 5k RPM it would be silly not to make use of it.
Gear calculator for the 128:
159mph is probably unrealistic, because once the box is in, the engine probably wont pull right up to the red line in 5th (Like most cars).
At the moment, with the JB3 in, it'll happily hit the limiter in any gear! haha
I'm also booked in at Powerflow on the 4th August for a proper front pipe making up.
I've bought all the hardware, minus the tubing, to take with me.
I've got a 2.5" 3-bolt turbo flange
A set of turbo exhaust studs and nuts
Pair of lambda sensor bosses
Genuine Renault turbo gasket
Weld in flexi
And a 2.5" to 2" reducer.
All in stainless.
The fabricator there is confident he can sort it and get it exactly how it needs to be. So I'm looking forward to being able to drive it without the exhaust blow, and the rattle from exhaust to subframe contact!
I've also bought a new rear gearbox / engine mount:
I will be looking for ways to solidify it. NOT filling it with silicone though. Something proper.
little update. Braved the OBD.. Plugged it in the other day on my drive to work. Opened it up on a stretch of Autobahn and got to a stage where I wasn't comfy reving it much further. Besides, the power curve flattens out at around 5.5k anyway, so any more than that is not worth reving to.
Now I am not 100% sure on what my JB3 box code is, but I do know that the ratio in 5th is not very long at all.
I've been looking at different JC5 boxes and I think I am going to settle on a JC5 128. Which is a diesel box from the Clio II.
It has an almost identical ratio in 1st to 3rd, but 4th and 5th are quite a bit taller, which will make it a more comfortable cruise on the A roads and motorways.
Even at the moment, to sit at 70/80mph the engine is quite revvy. It makes so much toque below 5k RPM it would be silly not to make use of it.
Gear calculator for the 128:
159mph is probably unrealistic, because once the box is in, the engine probably wont pull right up to the red line in 5th (Like most cars).
At the moment, with the JB3 in, it'll happily hit the limiter in any gear! haha
I'm also booked in at Powerflow on the 4th August for a proper front pipe making up.
I've bought all the hardware, minus the tubing, to take with me.
I've got a 2.5" 3-bolt turbo flange
A set of turbo exhaust studs and nuts
Pair of lambda sensor bosses
Genuine Renault turbo gasket
Weld in flexi
And a 2.5" to 2" reducer.
All in stainless.
The fabricator there is confident he can sort it and get it exactly how it needs to be. So I'm looking forward to being able to drive it without the exhaust blow, and the rattle from exhaust to subframe contact!
I've also bought a new rear gearbox / engine mount:
I will be looking for ways to solidify it. NOT filling it with silicone though. Something proper.
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binge
Well-Known Member
We've developed an oil leak. Noticed a patch out on the road this morning when I left for work. 
Hoping it's something like the selector shaft seal on the box as that's going soon. Can't do a sniff test because I'm running 5w30 in both engine and box! haha!
Cheapness, box is gonna shit it's pants anyway, may as well not have it go with £30 of oil in it.
So will need to get under it before I trundle it 100 miles round trip for the exhaust work next month.
Hoping it's something like the selector shaft seal on the box as that's going soon. Can't do a sniff test because I'm running 5w30 in both engine and box! haha!
Cheapness, box is gonna shit it's pants anyway, may as well not have it go with £30 of oil in it.
So will need to get under it before I trundle it 100 miles round trip for the exhaust work next month.
binge
Well-Known Member
Oil leak is from the box. Usual selector shaft seal.
I've been priced up on a reconditioned JC5-128 from a pal who runs a gearbox refurb shop. He's come in at £400.
That will be for a box with blasted casings, so looks brand new. 6 new bearings and all new seals.
Can't really buy the bits to do it myself for that, so once the front pipe is done next week, I'll be off to pick a box up from him.
Nothing of too much excitement. Diodes and resistors have arrived, so next job is to mock up a loom to get the tacho working.
Also, some bits turned up in the post. 200 cell sports cat for the front pipe and some hardware.
I've been priced up on a reconditioned JC5-128 from a pal who runs a gearbox refurb shop. He's come in at £400.
That will be for a box with blasted casings, so looks brand new. 6 new bearings and all new seals.
Can't really buy the bits to do it myself for that, so once the front pipe is done next week, I'll be off to pick a box up from him.
Nothing of too much excitement. Diodes and resistors have arrived, so next job is to mock up a loom to get the tacho working.
Also, some bits turned up in the post. 200 cell sports cat for the front pipe and some hardware.
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binge
Well-Known Member
Little update.
I made up a small loom for the rev counter as per the above diagram from Neal.
It will work if it's only hooked up to one of the coil wired, either one works. But only wired to one.
If wired to both coils it does nothing at all.
The issue is, it's only getting 50% of its signal so the dial is only reading 1/2 speed.
I need to spend a bit more time on it. But we're getting somewhere.
I made up a small loom for the rev counter as per the above diagram from Neal.
It will work if it's only hooked up to one of the coil wired, either one works. But only wired to one.
If wired to both coils it does nothing at all.
The issue is, it's only getting 50% of its signal so the dial is only reading 1/2 speed.
I need to spend a bit more time on it. But we're getting somewhere.
binge
Well-Known Member
Road tested today. It's defo reading at 50%. It took a couple of minutes for it to settle and start operating properly. But it's reading more or less half of what my OBD rev counter is, give or take a bit of needle calibration.
So I now need to work out a way to either double the pulse input per revolution, or make the dial work on half.
So I now need to work out a way to either double the pulse input per revolution, or make the dial work on half.
binge
Well-Known Member
Little update:
Yesterday I untaped the loom I made for the revcounter, double checked the diodes. All are correct.
I even tried wiring it onto the other coil wires, just incase it was on the wrong pair. Tried all combinations and still nothing.
I literally have a dead rev counter unless it's wired onto one of two of the coil -ive signal wires.
Still have 50% read. Not really sure where else to go, other than to butcher my cluster and intergrate a universal rev counter into it somehow. One that is adjustable and can be set up with the pulse rate I currently have. Which is 1 pulse per 2 revs. (I think)
Today was exhaust fitting day.
Nice 40 odd mile drive to Bromley this morning.
Up in the air, old shit stripped off, and mocking up the new harware:
The guy did a really good job of keeping it close to the manifold. It's given me an extra 5mm or so of room between DP and brake MC.
He's also fitted a bolt on flange just above the drive shaft, for ease of removal when I drop the engine out later this year. Means I can leave the DP fitted to the turbo as it's an utter SWINE to do the 3 nuts up.
Nice and central in the tunnel, with underfloor sports cat, and flexi fitted.
He's also fitted anaditional mount on the cat to the body.
Only thing I forgot to do was tell him the post cat lambda is tucked down the back of the engine bay. So on my next visit when they do me a 2.5" middle and rear box, I'll get him to weld a boss in for me.
And the top end. We have some distortion on the turbo flange though, and the genuine gasket isnt sealing it up quite well enough.
When it comes apart later this year, I've got some shorter studs to fit, so can get rid of the dodgey nut spacers hes used, and a fatter gasket to try to fill the gap up a bit better.
It's literally blowing the tiniest little bit though. Cant hear it any more when driivng the car like I could.
Getting a nicer power delivery off the line for sure. No more juddery running when cold either.
I've developed a bit of a breating issue with the gearbox too. It's pumping oil out of the top breather.
Gonna dump the oil out at the weekend, and re-fill with some proper stuff, as I'm not sure if the old 5/30 ive chucked in there is foaming or something silly like that.
Yesterday I untaped the loom I made for the revcounter, double checked the diodes. All are correct.
I even tried wiring it onto the other coil wires, just incase it was on the wrong pair. Tried all combinations and still nothing.
I literally have a dead rev counter unless it's wired onto one of two of the coil -ive signal wires.
Still have 50% read. Not really sure where else to go, other than to butcher my cluster and intergrate a universal rev counter into it somehow. One that is adjustable and can be set up with the pulse rate I currently have. Which is 1 pulse per 2 revs. (I think)
Today was exhaust fitting day.
Nice 40 odd mile drive to Bromley this morning.
Up in the air, old shit stripped off, and mocking up the new harware:
The guy did a really good job of keeping it close to the manifold. It's given me an extra 5mm or so of room between DP and brake MC.
He's also fitted a bolt on flange just above the drive shaft, for ease of removal when I drop the engine out later this year. Means I can leave the DP fitted to the turbo as it's an utter SWINE to do the 3 nuts up.
Nice and central in the tunnel, with underfloor sports cat, and flexi fitted.
He's also fitted anaditional mount on the cat to the body.
Only thing I forgot to do was tell him the post cat lambda is tucked down the back of the engine bay. So on my next visit when they do me a 2.5" middle and rear box, I'll get him to weld a boss in for me.
And the top end. We have some distortion on the turbo flange though, and the genuine gasket isnt sealing it up quite well enough.
When it comes apart later this year, I've got some shorter studs to fit, so can get rid of the dodgey nut spacers hes used, and a fatter gasket to try to fill the gap up a bit better.
It's literally blowing the tiniest little bit though. Cant hear it any more when driivng the car like I could.
Getting a nicer power delivery off the line for sure. No more juddery running when cold either.
I've developed a bit of a breating issue with the gearbox too. It's pumping oil out of the top breather.
Gonna dump the oil out at the weekend, and re-fill with some proper stuff, as I'm not sure if the old 5/30 ive chucked in there is foaming or something silly like that.
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Neal R19
Well-Known Member
Could always do the same as I did on mine, the rev counter part is pretty simple, honestly.
In fact, yours would be even simpler than mine, you pretty much need just this sensor installed as your tacho just takes a square wave and doesn't need a coil spike.
binge
Well-Known Member
That may be my only option.
I've bought a cheapy universal odometer off ebay which should arrive early next week. I'm going to wire that up to the two coil wires and see what it does. If it works I'll strap it to the steering cowling until the engine comes out later this year, and I'll whack a sensor in the cam wheel cover.
What sensor is that Neal?
I've bought a cheapy universal odometer off ebay which should arrive early next week. I'm going to wire that up to the two coil wires and see what it does. If it works I'll strap it to the steering cowling until the engine comes out later this year, and I'll whack a sensor in the cam wheel cover.
What sensor is that Neal?
Neal R19
Well-Known Member
Right, Bosch part number is 0232103052
But like I said, it's used on LOADS of stuff:
Check out the MS Paint skillz
This *should* just work straight off the bat for yours.
Positioning is not critical, just put it roughly where I did and get the tip fairly close to the face of the pulley.
You could test it before messing around with your cam cover - wire it up and put something in your drill to spin in front of it.
But like I said, it's used on LOADS of stuff:
Check out the MS Paint skillz
This *should* just work straight off the bat for yours.
Positioning is not critical, just put it roughly where I did and get the tip fairly close to the face of the pulley.
You could test it before messing around with your cam cover - wire it up and put something in your drill to spin in front of it.
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