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Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=13807		 Page 31 of 35
Author:  KFunk740 [ November 1, 2017, 12:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
turbo_bird wrote:
Did you keep enough sheet metal that it still has a vin tag? That would be a real easy way around any registration hurdles, and I'd be real tempted to go that way if it were me. After all, it is just a modified Miata if you weld that frame on.
Kristian


Nah, he can't do that, because the title is in my name and I planned to do that myself if I can get away with it. :D
It'll be a funny looking Miata, but luckily Ohio never looks at anything.

Hey Tim, I finally registered an account here. :cheers:
Author:  geek49203 [ November 19, 2017, 11:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
KFunk740 wrote:
Hey Tim, I finally registered an account here. :cheers:


Woo Hoo! And thank you for all of your help, I spent some time this weekend trying to mount that windshield. (pause) uh, let me restate that...
Author:  geek49203 [ November 26, 2017, 10:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
So yeah, it turns out that attaching a NA Miata wind screen and cowl to a Haynes chassis isn't so simple. Oh, you can get it attached so it doesn't come off at speed, but the problem is that the top of the wind screen is exactly where the driver / passenger need a hand rail to get in and out of the car. And that's a lot of leverage to compensate for when attaching the thing!

So I've got about 20 hours into this mounting thing so far. Building out a 1" square tube (engineering studies indicated that I had 20 feet of the stuff in storage, so therefore it exactly matched my engineering specs?) a support structure attached to the underside of the cowl to attach to those 2 transverse tubes that support the firewall / steering wheel.

this is what it looked like in early mockup stages (the bars now stack up on top of each other, unlike this pic):
Attachment:
fixed_20171124_135800.jpg


And here you can see the bottom of the support structure, about 80% done. Need to cover this with sheet metal when the tubes are in place. And then I will use that space for the electrical bits -- you know, like a cowling?
Attachment:
fixed_20171126_154026.jpg
Author:  geek49203 [ November 26, 2017, 10:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
Obviously the real strength in those frames is in the metal around the frame (both sides of the cowling) but I really don't have anywhere to attach that to my chassis -- at least I can't think of anything that won't run thru the space where the exhaust system wants to go.

Attachment:
fixed_20171124_135817.jpg
Author:  geek49203 [ December 2, 2017, 9:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
Would post more stunning progress pics, but spent time the last few days making 12 b*$ckets to attached that cowling onto the frame, and tacking them into place. The entire cowl assembly will unbolt should the Commonwealth come to its senses and allow me a proper plexi wind screen (like the original).

When this phase is done, it will be ready for wiring. And hood fitting. Finish off steering. in other words, progress.
Author:  geek49203 [ February 25, 2018, 12:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
A question --

Can a serpentine belt be used like an old V-belt, which is to say, just cranking the alternator until the belt is properly tight instead of having an idler pulley?
Author:  zetec7 [ February 25, 2018, 1:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
Sure. The belt doesn't care where the tension comes from, as long as it's nice & snug. That having been said, if you can incorporate a tensioner, try to do so. They're spring-loaded, and always keep the belt tension the same, regardless of any lack of concentricity in alternator pulleys, water pump pulleys, etc. If you can't, make sure runout is kept to a minimum on those reciprocating parts, get the belt nice & tight, and it should work fine. The new serpentine belts don't stretch like V belts used to do, by the way.
Author:  TRX [ February 25, 2018, 2:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
There are many different designs of tensioner. I've even seen a few that rode on the inside of the belt, though the "proper" method is on the outside. And (probably for NVH reasons), I've seen a couple of setups with two tensioners...

And then there were *weird* setups, like the 1980s Ford pickups that had serpentines *and* V-belts.
Author:  Lonnie-S [ February 26, 2018, 10:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
When I took the belt off my donor engine (a Mustang 3.8L V6), I had to use a small breaker bar to move the tensioner far enough to get the belt off. That surprised me. Man, how tight do the serpentine belts need to be?

I won't have space for a big tensioner like the original (red arrow) and will likely need to reposition a home made unit about where the green arrow is.

My apologies for the hijack, Tim. The question is relevant to yours also.

Cheers,

Attachment:
Tensioner.jpg
Author:  zetec7 [ February 26, 2018, 1:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
The Ford tensioners have a small travel, and a stout spring, to accomplish their task. Serpentines, indeed, run very tight compared to old fashioned V belts. There's a lot of fiber reinforcement in the serpentine belts, and they pretty much don't stretch even a millimeter during their lives. It's always advisable to run whatever tensioner you use on the back (plain) side of the belt to prevent wear on the face ribs.

On the plus side, wrecking yards have vast numbers of tensioners, on all makes of modern cars, and they'll no doubt be cheap as chips. I'd consider spooking around your local wrecking yard & getting some ideas. You might just find exactly what you want & cut down the amount of fabrication needed.
Author:  Raccoonman [ July 11, 2018, 4:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
Another complete thread read and gleaned for information! Really; I absorb as much information as possible from every source possible. Y'all are invaluable! Every bit of what I read is used in some way on my Jag special.
Author:  geek49203 [ July 17, 2018, 7:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
I'm still working on this... honest. Really.
Author:  GonzoRacer [ July 18, 2018, 6:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
geek49203 wrote:
I'm still working on this... honest. Really.
Oh, are ya now??? Welllll... That's nice... :mrgreen:
Hi Tim! Good to hear from you. Yeah, life gets in the way sometimes, happens to us all. Keep chippin' away at it, you'll get there.
:cheers:
JDK
Author:  Lonnie-S [ July 19, 2018, 5:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
Will as someone always tells us, Tim (HINT: It's J.D.), photos or it didn't happen.

Cheers,
Author:  geek49203 [ October 7, 2018, 7:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cherry Cola... Tim's Lola Locost GM 3.4 build
There... a few years later... but I bet it never comes apart.

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