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My Shiny New Panther!
G.I Ginge - 13/12/13 at 06:11 PM

Hi all!
I've just bought Eddie99's Panther that he's been trying to sell for a while. What a lot of fun it is! Anyhow, I'm a COMPLETE novice with kit cars, so will probably be heavily reliant on the collective wisdom of this forum. So thanks in advance.

I have three super-basic questions to get started:
1) I've bought an aeroscreen to go on the car. How do I fit this? I'm presuming I need to drill a few holes through the fibreglass bodywork, but I haven't thought much further than that. I've read about possibly using rubber around the edge so it doesn't scratch the hell out of the bodywork where the screen contacts with the car. Is this a good idea? Where can I buy it?

2) I haven't confirmed this with Ed, but in an earlier post he mentioned that the car was dyno'd at about 110bhp with a 1.8 zetec blacktop engine. Is there no way to get a bit more power than this out of the engine? I drove a 1.8 focus for years and that had about 140bhp. Why the big discrepancy?

3) Ed has removed the grill of the car as he said it was getting too hot on track days. I don't mind the grill-less look, but do think it makes the car look sort of 'unfinished'. Does anyone have suggestions for either a grill that won't compromise air intake or another way to increase cooling that I (an utter mechanical imbecile, remember) could make happen?

Many thanks for ANY advice. It is gratefully received.

Dan


Dave Bailey - 13/12/13 at 06:17 PM

Ref the cooling.. how is it plumbed? Does the bonnet have any vents to offer a low resistance path out of the car to maximise airflow through the rad?

Dave B


Dave Bailey - 13/12/13 at 06:17 PM

O sorry WELCOME!


TimC - 13/12/13 at 06:31 PM

Hello, that's a great buy.

Is it one of Ed's aero screens i.e. the GTS one?

Oh, and join http://bristolkitcarclub.co.uk/ . They are a very active and helpful bunch.


NigeEss - 13/12/13 at 07:04 PM

Hello and welcome,

Dyno figures are what bhp is at the wheels, manufacturers quote figures at the flywheel. So allowing
for transmission losses you've probably got nearly 140 anyway.


big-vee-twin - 13/12/13 at 07:42 PM

Standard Zetec is about 115 the RS version gets 130 with fast cams etc. But as you say that's at the fly not wheels, so its about right.

Edd built that Panther to a good level, with a custom dash too.

Duratec is 145 out the box.


G.I Ginge - 14/12/13 at 07:06 AM

Wow so many responses already! Thanks for the warm welcome.

On the cooling front, the car has a carbon fibre air intake on the bonnet. However, it looks like this might be too far back to direct the air to the radiator specifically. The radiator is mounted about six inches in from the nose of the car which seemed pretty sensible to me, but might make extra air flow tricky. Ed is delivering the car this morning so I will get some pics up to give you a better idea. In terms of vents to direct air out, I didnt see any. Where would ne a good spot for them?

The aeroscreen is indeed from Ed so hopefully it is a gts one, but I couldnt say for sure. Ed simply assured me that it would fit the panther. I think he was taking pity on my ignorance and keeping things as simple as possible for me. Is the make of the screen important? Do different screens mount differently?

Thanks for the comments on the horsepower. I feel better informed already. She felt pretty quick already, but if I wanted a few extra horses, any suggestions on a relatively straightforward way to get them? Please dont say turbo charger-I dont think Im quite thete yet!

Thanks again for the help.


INDY BIRD - 14/12/13 at 07:39 AM

Hi welcome and good luck with the car,

Ask Eddie he is very experienced with these cars and has built some fine cars,

I would live with the power for a bit then see where you want to go, as the car is like new and very nice tidy build,

We you on track or road use? Road use I would say its plenty enough power but we all want more,

There is plenty of ino on the net to get more power from a zetec, can't remember if the car has std injection system or not, but cams and a quick fix is remove the cat but of course for emissions you will need it at mot time, but will release a few etra horses,

Good luck with the car and ask edd as said he knows is stuff,

Sean


snapper - 14/12/13 at 10:08 AM

Let me assure you that car is plenty quick as it is, Eddie is also a very good driver
You should get to know the car before wanting more bhp and be aware in this cold damp weather this type of car will put you in a ditch if you go all boy racer straight away
Be cautious, take it easy.
I think Ed built this with the original Ford ECU, ask him, if so tuning is limited unless you change for aftermarket
An option for more oomph is a 2.0L 170bhp Zetec, easy straight swap


G.I Ginge - 18/12/13 at 03:28 PM

Thanks for the replies.
I actually had the chance to speak with Ed about all the issues when he dropped off the car the other day.
I'm going to leave the cooling for now- Ed explained the situation with the overheating was during a blazing hot day, on a track, after a full day's thrashing. I'm not really going to push the car to those sorts of limits, so no need to take any action. Ed was even nice enough to offer to send me the grill material to replace it!

Regarding the power, it was really just for my information. I totally take on everyone's points- I need to learn any car thoroughly before I start tweaking.

The car isn't going out until the spring, so that will give me plenty of time to fit the aeroscreen and get some pictures up on this site!

Just two more questions- having sat in the car for a more reasonable length of time now, there is a big difference between the angle of the break pedal and that of the accelerator. I'm a bit taller than Ed and have clown- sized feet, so this is going to make switching between them tricky for my right foot. Is it easy to change the angle of this pedal or am I just asking for a world of pain?
Also, I'm too tall to see the digital speedo- the wheel is in the way. Is it possible to reposition the steering wheel?

[Edited on 19/12/13 by G.I Ginge]


G.I Ginge - 26/12/13 at 09:47 PM

Bump! Can anybody offer any advice RE: the brake pedal?


eddie99 - 1/1/14 at 05:26 PM

Hi Dan,
Glad your happy with the car, regarding the brake pedal. Its a wilwood pedal box which doesn't have much adjustability however i think i spaced out the throttle pedal towards the driver to aid with heel and toeing, You might not like the new position and its easy to remove the washers between the throttle pedal pad and the throttle pedal. However you can't change the angle easily I'm afraid.
Kind Regards
Ed


G.I Ginge - 10/1/14 at 08:39 PM

Hi Ed. Thanks for the reply. I shall have a look at the washers on the accelerator pedal and see what can be done.

A question for anyone- I want to fit a fuel sender to the car's tank so I can actually have a fuel guage. What fuel sender have others used? Im concerned that with such a small tank just buying a sierra sender might be too big?

Thanks for any replies.


INDY BIRD - 10/1/14 at 09:17 PM

Something like this

http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/fuel-tank-sender


G.I Ginge - 10/1/14 at 10:35 PM

Thanks very much


G.I Ginge - 14/1/14 at 10:27 PM

So I've got the suggested universal fuel sender on the way now, but, having removed the panel to the rear of the car, I'm having trouble locating where this fuel sender will need installing. I have tried to attach a picture to illustrate, but cannot seem to do it. I keep being told that a jpeg file is not a supported file type, irritatingly. I'm going to have a thorough look tomorrow, but shouldn't a hole for a sender just be a round bit on the top of the tank? Where else would it be?

I also have some new shiny bits on the car like a new handbrake and gear knob. Plus I've tidied up some scuffs to the 'doors' with some rather neat looking strips of foam rubber. I so WISH I could figure out how to share pictures on here!

[Edited on 14/1/14 by G.I Ginge]


mcerd1 - 15/1/14 at 08:58 AM

quote:
Originally posted by G.I Ginge
I keep being told that a jpeg file is not a supported file type

how big are the pics ?

re-size them to 1024x768 or 800x600 and try again (also save them as *.jpg not *.jpeg)




btw what kind of 1.8 focus did you have with 140 bhp
as far as I knew they only come in 115 or 125 ps flavours....

[Edited on 15/1/2014 by mcerd1]


eddie99 - 15/1/14 at 09:48 AM

quote:
Originally posted by G.I Ginge
So I've got the suggested universal fuel sender on the way now, but, having removed the panel to the rear of the car, I'm having trouble locating where this fuel sender will need installing. I have tried to attach a picture to illustrate, but cannot seem to do it. I keep being told that a jpeg file is not a supported file type, irritatingly. I'm going to have a thorough look tomorrow, but shouldn't a hole for a sender just be a round bit on the top of the tank? Where else would it be?

I also have some new shiny bits on the car like a new handbrake and gear knob. Plus I've tidied up some scuffs to the 'doors' with some rather neat looking strips of foam rubber. I so WISH I could figure out how to share pictures on here!

[Edited on 14/1/14 by G.I Ginge]


Im afraid there isn't a hole for a fuel sender, otherwise i would have fitted a sender originally. To properly put a hole in it, you need to get tank out of the car and get a ring the correct size TIG'd on, also make sure its got no fuel or vapours in it when doing so.


G.I Ginge - 21/1/14 at 08:20 AM

Ah. I think that might be a project for next year, then! I want to actually enjoy DRIVING the car for a while before I blow myself up drilling holes in fuel tanks!


G.I Ginge - 3/2/14 at 11:18 AM

Got the car out for its first drive this weekend! Loving it- especially with the aero screen to take some of the sting out of the buffeting I do have two small questions, neither of which is particularly urgent:
1. Under a steady throttle of about 2-3,000 revs, there is a noise coming from the engine bay. It sounds like maybe a belt or something under strain? This noise goes away if you rev the car beyond that threshold, but it is also present during acceleration up to 3,000 revs. Anything to worry about, do you guys think? I can't say I noticed any issues with performance whilst the noise was present. I should also say that the car has been sat unused for at least 2-3 months, if that's relevant.

2. The brakes felt a bit less positive than I was expecting. I'm used to driving a 350z, which has brembo 4 pot callipers on the front and computers to sort out breaking for you, so maybe my expectations just need adjusting, but I had thought that a car like this would pretty much stop on a dime with discs all round. They certainly stop the car, but the initial stop from the brakes did not cut as much speed as I thought they would. Again, anything to worry about, or am I just used to something different?

Many thanks!


mcerd1 - 3/2/14 at 12:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by G.I Ginge
2. The brakes felt a bit less positive than I was expecting. I'm used to driving a 350z, which has brembo 4 pot callipers on the front and computers to sort out breaking for you, so maybe my expectations just need adjusting, but I had thought that a car like this would pretty much stop on a dime with discs all round. They certainly stop the car, but the initial stop from the brakes did not cut as much speed as I thought they would. Again, anything to worry about, or am I just used to something different?



but your 350z would have servo assistance

non-servo assisted brakes take a fair bit more effort on your part to make them work....


scootz - 3/2/14 at 02:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
... non-servo assisted brakes take a fair bit more effort on your part to make them work....



Non-servo assisted brakes are probably my pet-hate of (most) kit-cars. I'm seriously considering adding a servo to the Quantum.


G.I Ginge - 7/2/14 at 03:02 PM

Ah, OK. So just stamp a little harder. Got it.

Anybody care to stick their neck out and offer a theory RE: the belt noise I can hear?


wackydo - 22/2/14 at 09:36 AM

Hi

I work in Keynsham and live in Downend, though not massively experienced would be happy to pop round and have a look at things with u some time.

Tony


G.I Ginge - 22/2/14 at 11:43 AM

Hi Tony,

That would be very kind of you, thanks. I've taken the car out for several drives now and all seems to be fine. The noise may be some kind of air intake noise, on reflection. I'm going to take an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' approach for now, but if anything changes I will definitely message you.

Thanks again,
Dan


G.I Ginge - 5/3/14 at 08:18 AM

ARGH! I need some help please guys. I've been driving the car around quite merrily for the last few weeks and it has performed faultlessly. However, this morning I went to start the car and couldn't!

I can turn the key in the ignition for two 'clicks', i.e. I can get the battery switched on, but the key will not turn any further to get the motor started. I've got no idea why this could be! Is it the immobiliser? If so, how do I fix it? I'm totally gutted that this has happened because it was working perfectly just this weekend. Any advice much appreciated.


eddie99 - 5/3/14 at 09:44 AM

Give me a call mate on 07590 804865 and see if I can help diagnose it


G.I Ginge - 5/3/14 at 02:56 PM

OK, thanks Ed. I tried you this afternoon, but you phone was off. I'm going to go home and have another try- perhaps it was something to do with the cold... Don't think so, though...


G.I Ginge - 27/4/14 at 05:26 PM

Hi again, it's me- the total imbecile that knows nothing about the kit car he's bought! Except that it's awesome, of course

Anyway, my next ultra-newbie question is can someone please identify the name of the bushing in my picture? I'm pretty sure it's on the end of the tie rod, but I could just as easily be COMPLETELY wrong about that. All the other bushes on the front suspension seem to be holding up well, but (as you perhaps see in the picture) these bushes are perishing on the driver and passenger side, so I want to replace them with some poly bushes. However, those things are expensive and I don't want to spend a tonne of money on the wrong ones!

Any help much appreciated.



Ah. Despite linking up the picture it doesn't seem to want to display. You can right click on the icon and open it in a new tab or just check out the picture in my photo gallery. There's only two pictures in there!

[Edited on 27/4/14 by G.I Ginge]


G.I Ginge - 27/4/14 at 06:06 PM

Anybody?


me! - 27/4/14 at 06:25 PM

They're not bushes, they're protective rubber boots covering ball joints. You should be able to buy some replacements pretty cheaply, you'll probably need a ball joint splitter of some description to get at them though.

The boots should be filled with grease to keep the joint lubricated, if they've been like that for a while you may need new track rod ends- this will be obvious if they feel like s*** when you get them apart.


G.I Ginge - 27/4/14 at 06:32 PM

Thanks for the info. Some more pretty basic questions:
What's a ball joint splitter? What's to stop one from just putting something in there to pry the ball joint apart?
When you say 'feel like s**t'- can you be more specific? Should the track rod end just be smooth and rust free or is there more to is than that?

Many thanks!


me! - 27/4/14 at 06:49 PM

quote:
Originally posted by G.I Ginge
Thanks for the info. Some more pretty basic questions:
What's a ball joint splitter? What's to stop one from just putting something in there to pry the ball joint apart?
When you say 'feel like s**t'- can you be more specific? Should the track rod end just be smooth and rust free or is there more to is than that?

Many thanks!


There are a few different types, but they all pry the joint apart- see here for three different ones (if the link works) http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchCmd?srch=Ball+joint+splitter&action=search&storeId=10001&catalogId=10151&langI d=-1
The joint you split is a taper fit into the upright, not the ball joint itself (you push the threaded end down through the hole in the upright).

I normally avoid using the fork type as they tend to destroy the boots- not so much of a problem if you are replacing them anyway. Having said that they are very effective if you get a difficult ball joint- I've had them defeat my scissor type splitter and the fork do the job in a couple of hits. When you split the joint leave the nut on a few threads- they tend to go with a bang! You can do it with a lever and a hammer, or even just a couple of hammers, but I've not tried to be honest.

The joint should feel smooth with zero play- any notchiness or movement and they need changing.


me! - 27/4/14 at 06:54 PM

Ps the rubber boots are held on with wire clips wound around the rubber. They are like a key ring but thinner gauge wire. Remove these carefully and reuse when you replace the boots.


G.I Ginge - 27/4/14 at 07:08 PM

Thanks again for the sage advice.
The new boots I've ordered come with replacement clips, so no need for me to be careful, I hope. I'm learning as I go here, so delicate work presents an issue when you've got only the barest inkling of what you're doing!

I shall certainly look into the splitter and shall inspect the rod ends carefully when I change the boots.

One last question: will I need to get my tracking aligned after I do this work? It seems like probably not, but it never hurts to ask.


me! - 27/4/14 at 07:37 PM

quote:
Originally posted by G.I Ginge
Thanks again for the sage advice.
The new boots I've ordered come with replacement clips, so no need for me to be careful, I hope. I'm learning as I go here, so delicate work presents an issue when you've got only the barest inkling of what you're doing!

I shall certainly look into the splitter and shall inspect the rod ends carefully when I change the boots.

One last question: will I need to get my tracking aligned after I do this work? It seems like probably not, but it never hurts to ask.


If you just change the boots it'll be fine


G.I Ginge - 27/4/14 at 07:54 PM

Great thanks very much. I hope all shall go well!


G.I Ginge - 19/7/14 at 07:49 AM

(Sigh) So after my big talk of 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' the car IS now broken and I do need to fix it. I'm having an issue with the battery/ alternator/ wiring. All the slashes are because I have no idea which. I'm hoping I can tell the collective what I have done so far and you guys can give me some tips about what I can try next:
1. A couple of weeks ago I had to booster start my car. When I went to use it the time after that it would not start and I had to charge the battery.
2. Took car to a mate's house to sort out a small issue. When I tried to start it, battery dead again. Partially charged the battery- enough to get me home.
3. Test-started the car every day for the next four days. Just starting the car, letting it run for a minute, then turning it off again. All seemed to be fine.
4. On the fifth day, I took the car to work. Got me there fine, but when I tried to go home, battery was flat again. Jump started the car, but it still conked out on me on the trip home. TWICE. My wife was not impressed having to come out and jump start me in rush hour.
5. My digi-dash has a voltmeter reading. It was always below 10v during that trip home (which I know is not good) and was slowly dropping as I drove and dropping sharply if I kept my foot on the accelerator.

All this makes me think it's an alternator issue. The battery held a charge for four days but driving the car is draining the battery and nothing seems to be filling it back up. Ed also told me that the alternator 'only charged the battery at higher revs' when he sold me the car which could be an indication that it was already on its way out? Either way, how can I test this for sure? If I need a new alternator what should I get? The engine is a ford 1.8 blacktop.

Many thanks for any responses- I know this is basic stuff but I'm just a newbie!

[Edited on 19/7/14 by G.I Ginge]


G.I Ginge - 19/7/14 at 03:23 PM

Bump! Any help would be MUCH appreciated guys... I'd really like to try to find my way towards a definite solution by the end of the weekend.


maccmike - 19/7/14 at 04:23 PM

Starting the car 4 days in a row and allowing it to idle wont recharge the battery. Its likely youve drained it more.
Run the engine at a couple thou revs and let us know what the multi meter reads straight off the battery.
Youve probably just got a tired battery.
Invest in a trickle charger.


G.I Ginge - 21/7/14 at 07:37 AM

Back up one or two steps there please:
1. Multimeter? What are we talking about here? Is that another tool I need to buy?
2. If it's just a 'tired battery', what does that mean and why would charging it with a trickle charger be beneficial?
3. My biggest question is why even a 'tired battery' would have enough juice to start in the morning, then be flat by the time I reached work 45 minutes later? Surely my alternator should have juiced up my battery enough in that time to start the car again if it were working? Also, why was the voltage reading steadily dropping whilst I was driving if the problem is the battery? Shouldn't the alternator be taking over the power supply once the car is running, with the battery just acting as a capacitor?

Many thanks for the reply.


INDY BIRD - 21/7/14 at 08:10 AM

as said you need to check voltage with multi meter,

this kind of item

link

http://direct.asda.com/george/george-home/draper-digital-multimeter-52320-16-functions/001240572,default,pd.html&cmpid=ppc-_-ad-pla-_-ggle-pla-_-H ome-_-001240572&cm_mmc=ad-ppc-_-ggle-pla-_-Home-_-001240572&istCompanyId=71f4ae42-94c5-4821-aa58-05eff6da2486&istItemId=axxxiraa&istBi d=tztx

you can then put it on a setting like 20v to determine what volts you are getting, ie on idle around 14.2 volts and higher with increased rpm,

also is the battery light on? or all connections made as this will also not make connection to alternator and wont charge or see correct voltage?

if you are getting below 12v it will be draining the battery,

if above 12v then its prob a dud battery and as stated above dont do run the car for short periods as drains battery and invest in trickle charger its better for the battery,

best of luck


G.I Ginge - 21/7/14 at 08:36 AM

Thanks for the reply. I shall go and get a multimeter today or tomorrow and get back with some readings.

The battery light is a funny one. It always comes on at ignition, no matter how full the battery is, but the light goes straight off as soon as I rev the car above about 3000 revs. Strangely, though, the light turns off after revving the engine no matter how low on charge my battery is, i.e. the light switched off 'as usual' on Friday even though I know the battery was critically low because the car cut out, due to lack of power.

I will try to check the alternator connections today. Is there anything that commonly comes loose that I should look out for?


daveb666 - 21/7/14 at 11:17 AM

Read up on what a battery light is/does here:


If, on driving and even idling your battery voltage is not above 13.3/13.4volts then there is a problem with something in the charging circuit which is likely to be:

1 - Alternator belt has come off
2 - Alternator plug/wires have come off
3 - Alternator bushes are worn (easiest to buy new alternator)

There is the potential for other wiring issues but it's most likely to be one of the above though.


G.I Ginge - 21/7/14 at 03:58 PM

Thanks for your ideas. The link you tried to post seems to be missing, but I'm sure I can do battery light research on my own.

I've had a quick look at the alternator. Irritatingly, it appears to be in good nick! I was hoping for a simple solution... The belt is definitely still on- tension seems reasonable. The wiring appears to be as it should be, but I'm going to strip all the tape and stuff off later to properly inspect it. I'm waiting for the battery to reach full charge before turning it all on again so the meter readings are reliable, but when I do I shall see whether the alternator seems to be working properly as well.


G.I Ginge - 22/7/14 at 02:22 PM

Having done more testing, I am, if anything, more confused. I couldn't buy a multi-meter at my autoparts shop- they were out of stock. Instead, I bought a Gunson Startcheck device like this:
Gunson Startcheck

as it purported to test the function of the battery and alternator, which is just what I need.

Just to make sure the tester was functional, I tried it on my little Ford fiesta. When started, the 'battery charging 75-100%' light and 'Alternator O.K.' lights both come on straight away. I swapped the battery in the Fiesta with the one from my kit car and it too read as working fine when installed in the Fiesta, so the issue is certainly in my kit car.

When plugged into my kit car, power off, it reads 'battery charging 75-100%'. When powered on, the reading changes to 'battery charging 25-75%' and does not improve after a few minutes of revving to different rpms and idling. Neither alternator indicator light comes on on the Startcheck device, which, the instructions tell me, indicates an alternator issue. I also put the Fiesta battery into the kit car and it read exactly the same way.

Whilst running at idle, the voltmeter on my car read 11.9, which I know is low. When I revved the car, switched the lights+fog lights on, the indicators, etc, this number dropped to about 11.2. When I went back to idle and turned the devices off, the reading went back up to 11.8. Does this mean anything conclusive to anybody?

Where do I go from here? All I've managed to figure out is that I definitely don't need a new battery (I think!). I've tried looking at the alternator wiring- I found two big brown cables coming out the back, which both go to the positive terminal of my battery, and a small blue wire, which disappears into the car's internals, presumably the battery light sensor? The big brown wires, it seemed safe to assume, carry the juice to the battery. They are very solidly attached at both ends and the tape wrapping around the remainder of the wires remains intact and unscuffed anywhere, indicating that they are still in one piece. Should I check the blue wire? What else can I check?

As I said, the alternator appears to be in good condition. It is clean, the power leads appear to attach well, it spins around quite happily when the engine is on and makes little discernible noise when functioning (or possibly functioning). WHAT AM I MISSING!? I'm too skint to buy a new alternator if I don't need one- I've got to find a way to verify the problem for sure before I pay out to fix it.

[Edited on 22/7/14 by G.I Ginge]


matt5964 - 22/7/14 at 04:19 PM

you wont need a battery if you have confirmed the kit car battery is functioning ok in the fiesta.

must be either wiring issue in kit car or alternator failed.

If you have cheques the wiring both ends then that points to alternator failed.

have you cheque the other electrical circlets on the car to see if there is a loose connection, short or drain there (lights ,starter, ignition, instruments etc.).


matt5964 - 22/7/14 at 09:02 PM

Nippon Denso Light Weight Competition Alternator 40 Amp

datsun / nissan alternator built in reg powerfull small unit ideal kit car etc


MikeR - 22/7/14 at 09:22 PM

Quick question ......

What did Eddie build the car for?

Its possible to wear out an alternator by continual running at very high revs, the solution is to change the pulley on the alternator so it spins slower. This means at low revs it doesn't charge the battery and at high revs it charges it normally.

(before someone comments about 'wear out' i'm trying to keep it simple)

Its possible you've got a modified alternator or a generally broken alternator.


Macbeast - 22/7/14 at 10:28 PM

In your first post you said the trouble started after you had to boost start the car. I would suspect that fried the alternator.
But, before you replace it, there could be a very heavy-duty fuse ( 80 A or so ) in the feed from the alternator to the battery. I should check that first.


G.I Ginge - 23/7/14 at 07:16 AM

Thanks for the replies everybody. Eddie did say that he built the car for road use, but you are right he might have modified the pulley. How could I check this? Also, when I had the car sitting at 3000revs, shouldn't my startcheck device have started to register 'alternator charging' if it was just waiting for higher revs?
I have had electrical issues in the past- part of the loom fell onto the drive shaft and a few wires needed repairing, but that was a while ago and I'm pretty sure that I did a decent job of fixing it. I shall look again for more issues but everything appears to be working as it should.

Where will I find this big alternator fuse? Is it just with my other fuses?

Why would boost starting my car have fried the alternator? It's not a powerful boost starter. Plus surely the fact that I NEEDED to boost start the car implies that the issue was already occurring?

If I remove my alternator from the car, could a garage test it for me to see whether it is working? Could they do this test with the alternator still in the car? At this stage, I just want the car working- the weather's too nice for it to be languishing in the garage!


matt5964 - 23/7/14 at 06:24 PM

Large alternator pulley usually 68mm diameter, I think


G.I Ginge - 24/7/14 at 07:14 AM

Thanks, I will get the measuring tape out.


Macbeast - 24/7/14 at 09:16 AM

Any electrical garage will be able to test the alternator but you can check it yourself. Get a voltmeter ( a multimeter on 20V range ) and connect it across the battery with the engine off. With a good charged battery it should read about 13 V. Start the engine and rev it a bit and you should see the volts rise, maybe to 15V as the battery charges. If it doesn't rise there is nothing coming out of the alternator. Either the alternator wiring is faulty or the alternator is.
BTW, an analogue meter ( one with a needle ) is better than a digital to see changes happening


G.I Ginge - 25/7/14 at 10:56 AM

OK, so I took the car somewhere to test the battery and alternator. Battery was fine, as expected, measuring 12.6 volts engine off. The alternator was not functioning correctly, again as expected. It's nice to have it confirmed, I suppose. Once I turned the car on and switched on the lights, the car started pulling juice out of the battery, even at 2-3000 revs. I know the alternator is supposed to need 'higher revs' to charge properly, but the regulator should surely be kicking in by 3000 revs? If not, how high would I need to be revving the car? It tops out at about 6,700rpm. Also, I checked the pulley size and it is 68mm diameter, which sounds standard, so should this even be an issue? So that leaves me with a wiring issue (which seems unlikely) or a broken alternator.

I just want to check- other than the two big brown wires that head to the +ve battery terminal and the little blue wire that heads off to parts currently unknown , there are no other wires that I can spot coming out of the alternator. Does that sound right or have I missed something? The three wires I can see go into a nice neat connector at the back of the alternator and all connections are good- I've checked. I couldn't find any massive 80A fuse that Macbeast mentioned, so I'm assuming there isn't one.

So now I've got a few more questions. I currently have this alternator in the car.

Brise Alternator

Is 45 amps actually enough charging power? Would I be better off getting something more powerful, given that I have had this issue? It is also a very small unit- are the dimensions quoted quite common? I can't spot any room for adjustment in the setup that Eddie has on the car, so any replacement I purchase will need to be the same size or I'm going to have headaches fitting everything in again.


matt5964 - 25/7/14 at 04:58 PM

as mentioned before the larger pulleys are 68mm which are for higher revving engines and rotate the alternator slower so you would need more revs for them to be giving the correct output if you are just road driving and not keeping the revs up.

If the alternator produces the correct numbers at the upper end of your rev range then change the pulley for a smaller one and that should be fine.

45a is more than enough as the car will not have any heaters, windscreen wipers stereo etc to power.

that alternator seems on the big size as most kits use ones that are 2.7KG more like the link below

http://www.brise.co.uk/Denso-5305.html


G.I Ginge - 26/7/14 at 06:22 PM

Hey all thanks for all the helpful sage wisdom I really do appreciate your patience with me. I've got a multimeter of my own arriving early next week, so I can do some conclusive tests on the alternator to see if ANY amount of revs will charge the battery. If hard revs will cause a charge, I will keep the alternator and just give it a goon hoon now and then. What a shame that would be. If it won't, I shall simply buy a replacement alternator- the exact same one again to save on fitting headaches. I don't mind the extra kilogram of weight and I LOVE the cheaper price of my current unit. I'd like to change the pulley size so it charges well at idle, but I assume Eddie did this for a good reason when he built the car. He hasn't gotten back to me, so I will just trust that it is for the best and save myself from having to buy a new pulley and serpentine belt (the alternator positioning is not adjustable so I would need a new length of belt).

It may turn out to be a wiring issue is my only other worry. Is there a way to test whether the power is coming through the wires from the alternator to the battery? Could I just put my alternator in series to the battery +ve terminal from the alternator? What should it read if the alternator is working?

Cheers all!


G.I Ginge - 31/7/14 at 05:08 PM

Didn't get any answers so had to plough on ahead with my usual foolish, bumbling, 'stare at it 'till it works' style of mechanics.

Multimeter was still reading <12 volts across the battery with the engine running, no matter how many revs I put through the engine, so I've yanked the alternator out and ordered an exact replacement. If I put the new one in and it's still not working, I will know it's an electrical issue or maybe the ECU? If it works then I've solved the problem and can stop bothering you good people!

If it does turn out to be an electrical issue, I will have a brand new alternator for sale. It's part no. 16004 on brise.co.uk. Cost me £82 all-told with delivery and VAT. Would anyone be interested in this part if it turns out I don't need it? £70 and I will cover the delivery.


G.I Ginge - 16/8/14 at 07:52 PM

Just a quick update. It was an alternator failure. I've replaced the alternator and all is now well. I'm off to Abingdon on August 29th. Anyoneelse planning to be there?


James - 17/8/14 at 08:13 AM

Great news. Glad to hear you're up and running again.

For any future issues can I suggest you start a new thread as this one is so long now it will put people off reading it and getting to the 'meat' of the issue!

Cheers,
James