LocostUSA.com

When we remodeled the house here in Wisconsin I cut off the old 2 car garage and moved it to the back of the lot for a workshop. I replaced the original garage with a new 3 car. But Mama said it is only for running cars. So I still don't have enough space. And I have some finishing work left on the 67 Mustang. But even if it was finished I could not park it in the 3 car- the 3rd bay is stuffed with the furniture and stuff from when we sold the condo in Chicago until the basement is done.

Meanwhile, like you, I can't find half of what I know I have "somewhere". Hopefully the basement will be done in the next 2 months along with the Mustang. Then I can park it in the 3rd bay. But then I am looking at moving the Locost back to Wisconsin from Boston and finish it along side of the Cobra. At least the Locost is smaller than the Mustang.

Thom

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Thom

Seems to me that you've found a loophole.

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Trochu Motor League

Thanks for the comments KartRacer47. I find no reason to leave any questionable metal in the body tub. This is intended to be a once and done project with no further rust repairs later on.

I’m back to work on the GT.

The firewall is a double wall construction in some areas. The flanged, spot welded areas were not conducive to my plan for cleaning up that area. I cut thru the engine side to give plenty of clearance to work with. This hole will be eventually covered by a bolt-in panel. Then I cut the inside wall a bit smaller than the other to fit the A/C evaporator forward an inch or two to clear the cross brace, temporarily removed. I had to cut clearance for the blower motor on the passenger side. This area intrudes on the original cavity made for the hood (bonnet) hinge. It needed to be closed up in order to prevent engine fumes from entering the cabin. A little fidgety fabrication (2 days!), and viola, I now have clearance and a closed hinge cavity. By moving the A/C forward, I should have some clearance between the A/C evaporator unit and the back side of the dash for some future gauges, switches, etc.

This installation will remove my intended plan to retain some sort of fresh air thru the OEM ventilation paths, while replacing the heater with the heater - A/C system. It should improve the Heater part as it is heating recycled cabin air and not fresh air. Oh well. If it must be, so it shall be. Maybe I’ll have an epiphany later on and find a way to bring fresh air into the foot wells.

In the A/C’s planned location, I will be able to reinstall the square cross tube and still be capable of removing the assembly for future service if necessary. A little move rearward, a slight tilt and it can be lowered and removed. The radio console. Center support that is welded to that tube may need some modification/relocation. I may possibly make it removable. We’ll have to see as more things are fit.
On another front, I decided to purchase a customized installation kit for putting the 3.4L Camaro engine into an MGB. I could have built it myself. My previous Locost build gave me confidence in being able to build that part, but decided to focus my efforts on what I could not purchase. The installation instructions require some bolt clearance on the top of the transmission. This was pre-accomplished when I removed the heater shelf. It also required some clearance on the driver’s side tunnel / foot well edge to clear the exhaust header mounting bolts. The installation instructions said to simply beat the metal into the required clearance. I decided to just cut the sheet metal and fabricate a piece for that clearance.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

That's a nice elegant solution. I'm sure it was quite a fiddly bit to get to fit up.

One and done is a good plan for rust, especially when you consider how much time effort and money goes into paint prep.

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Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

The last day or two I got the firewall panel drilled for plug welding. Welding to be done soon. I decided it will be welded in place rather than screwed since the A/C will be bolted to it and it will be removable from the interior. I cut a piece to close off the fresh air vent hole. Re-welded the dash cross member.

On another note, I picked up the necessary parts from a 2009 Toyota Prius to implement Electric Power Steering. I cut a deal from a guy parting one out for the motor/sensor assembly, computer, the lower shaft link and a short pigtail for all the connectors. Unlike some other EPS implementations which require a custom converter box to control the assist level, the Prius ( and a few others) has a failsafe mode which provides some, but not full power assist when CAN communications are lost. All that is required is 2 big power wires and a single wire connected to the ignition switch. When I went to pick it up, he gave me the entire steering wheel assembly including Steering wheel, switches, etc (no air bag). To my surprise, it also included the tilt wheel mechanism/lock, which starts me thinking...….. Can you say "Feature creep?"

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Hey Chuck, Sounds like a very interesting set up. I'll be watching the results.

Cheers!

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Larry in Seattle

I don't know if I could mount any Prius parts out where they could be identified on my creation.

Because I downshift 2 gears when I pass a Prius, to offset their low carbon foot print...

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Honey anyone?

I stripped down the unneeded parts. Then I bench tested it. I used a 12V 10A power supply to start. I found it was not working properly. It tried to work but stopped as soon as it started. I figured that the power supply was current liming so switched to a spare auto battery. Success! Now to see if it will fit. Then box it up for future use.

I've was thinking on contacting the guy again in case he has any more. He works on a fleet of Prius Taxis and is always parting them out. It would probably be more of a diversion than a money making project. I think I could sell a kit of parts on eBay for about 2x what I paid.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

I got the rest of the A/C mounting done. I added a couple of 5/16" standoffs to the firewall to allow for some insulation between the unit and the wall. Then I built the 3rd (and last) mounting br@cket to support the unit. Job done! Time to move on.

I started to mod the support panel that runs between the cross member and the trans tunnel. This is by using the original pice modified to fit a new location a few inches. I'm about 50% done with that.

Then I turned to figuring how to mount the Camaro transmission shifter. The shifter was made smaller by removing the brake interlock for shifting out of park. Who needs this anyway? I cut some of the shifter frame away then did some welding and forming to get 3 points of mounting. I then committed cutting into the tunnel for the shifter. It seems to fit nicely. in about the same location as the original shifter. I don't know where its vertical position will end up until I get the trans fitted. I don't want to get too far head of myself on that part.

Next up I think will be a workspace cleanup and then a first pass at fabricating the power steering assembly. It appears that I left enough room for it with the A/C in place. PHEW!

On another front, I decided I will be replacing all of the OEM instruments with modern devices.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Update for mid-July. I spent the last week getting my son and his family settled into their new home 500 miles away. Together we replaced the front door, the entrance door into the garage, a storm door, patched some water damaged drywall tape, fixed a couple of bi-fold closet doors, painted 2 rooms and more. Glad to have them closer and back in the lower 48. But sadly, they are still most of a day’s travel away.

Back to working on the car. I have spent some time with figuring out how to implement the EPS. The good news is that it will fit. The not so good news is that it takes a bit of fettling, cutting and welding. Where have I heard that before? The Prius system got stripped down. Measuring took place, then some more measuring. Remember that adage measure twice, cut once. It seemed I measured a dozen times. Some parts to adapt the system into the MG were purchased. Today I got to make a major headway. I have the steering wheel end of the system mostly modified. The original MG steering column mount was cut to clear the motor assembly. And to my surprise, it all fit in place. Without any further discussion about it, here are some pics of the process. Feel free to ask questions. I have more to do, but the rest is straight forward work. No real figurin’ necessary, I just need to fill in the missing bits.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

After a lot of test fitting and measuring, then evaluating and thinking, and then more rethinking, weighing alternative designs (repeat, repeat, repeat), I have finished the EPS assembly. I must have had it installed and out over a dozen times. The steering shaft is the same 30-3/4" long tip to tip as the original was, as it should be. Unfortunately, I had to eliminate the collapsible feature of the column. I also eliminated the steering-lock feature when removing the ignition key. No big deal IMO as 2 model years earlier, MGB's didn't have these features. Few Locosts incorporate these features also.


I had to cut the OE MG steering column mounting br@cket to fit the EPS. This resulted in a flimsy br@cket resulting in a steering wheel that would move left and right under use. Not good! In addition, I needed to provide some method of torque resistance as the motor must turn the front wheels with the same effort as a driver would have normally applied to the steering shaft pre-EPS. I added some steel to strengthen the cut-up br@acket and decided to add a tab off of that steel for just such a purpose. a single bolt thru that tab bolts to the EPS assembly. The motor can still be removed with the br@cket insitu; or the br@cket can be removed with the EPS still assembled. Ease of future service is always in the back of my mind when doing such jobs, even if it takes me more time to think through and to build.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

I ground off the original mounting tabs from the EPS control unit. The OEM mount fit 3 different crazy body locations that simply do not exist in the MGB. I was concerned that I may destroy the electronics internally with all the heat and electrical noise of the cutoff wheel on my angle grinder. I figured if it was designed properly, as I expect all major auto manufacturers do, it should be well protected from spurious noise on any unused inputs, so I moved forward with that plan. I fabricated an aluminum case to enclose the box and mount it to the vertical firewall virtually right next to the motor of the EPS unit. Added 4 rivet nuts to the firewall. The box now screws in with 4 pcs of 10-32 screws. Tested it again in situ. Lo and behold, it still works as it should. No damage was done during my br@cketectomy procedure.

One other thing was the lower ball bearing set on the lower steering shaft was missing a few balls. It is not a complete manufactured bearing, just an inner and outer race and loose balls with no ball separator. I ordered 100 0.125" balls from Amazon and filled the race leaving about 1 ball short to allow free motion. I greased it up and added a felt dust excluder and a plastic retainer. DIY ball bearing set I guess. Also finished up a shield that slides over the steering shaft just above the same bearing in hopes to keep dust and gravel from falling in from my shoes. There is a small gap between the shield and shaft that I'm not how to exclude that last little space or even if it is necessary.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Nice work Chuck.

GT with power steering will be a nice feature.

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Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

Heavy felt impregnated with grease/oil, cut into ring with hole cut slightly larger than the shaft, then slit, wrap around with overlap, and hold to shield with small tacks into holes and bent over, or small self tap screws with washer and a dab of epoxy on the threads where they stick through.

Felt seals are pretty good, and if you play around with shaping of the 2D part, you can possibly get it so there's enough on the shaft seal side for a hose clamp. Think CV boot or baby bottle nipple shaped.

I like the concept. I used felt on the engine side of the bearing. It should do the job on the inside. Thanks for the idea. I got out to the garage today and tried the concept using an old sock. My obstacle is the rotating shaft in that area is a double "D" shaft. Sealing is not possible. But... if I reverse the idea and clamp the felt to the rotating shaft and let the sealing occur on the face of the fixed shield, it should work. As I was doing this, I thought of using leather instead of felt. So many options now that you have opened up the can of worms. Thanks.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766