papak

I have the Stage 1 cams. Whenever I do rebuild the motor, I will use the Stage 2 cams. They are listed for boosted applications but Tom Carlin (Birkin distributor) said that they work well with a normally aspirated Duratec with stock rods and pistons. I use a rev limit of 7000 rpm.

If you order from Crane, make sure that they understand the the cams are for a track car. Otherwise, they will adjust the grind to add 4 degrees of advance (?) for emissions. I had to adjust this out with adjustable sprockets. Pain in the ass.

Try Crane in San Diego. They have a pretty big database and will respond to phone calls.

Try batinc.net. They show a plug in that thread with an o-ring seal. Probably just what you need. If you are nervous about the fit, you could drill one corner and safety wire it.

A nice turnout this morning following a beautiful drive up PCH at dawn.http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=14740&stc=1http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=14741&stc=1http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=14742&stc=1http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=14744&stc=1 Bear at with me as I’m just getting the hang of posting pictures. Yes, that’s a 1958 250 Testa Rossa!

I didn't have a problem with the relay. It was an LED capable relay. I experienced current bleed across the harness due to the lower resistance of the LEDs. The diode fix works perfectly.

When you take a look at replacing the rocker switches, let me know what you come up with. I wanted to swap them for toggle switches as I think they are pretty flimsy. It isn't a straightforward exchange. The way Birkin wired the lighting circuits seems unnecessarily convoluted. When I converted the tail light assemblies to LED bulbs, I had to add a couple of diodes to get things to function correctly. Were I to build another Birkin, I would simply order a wiring harness from Painless Performance or one of the digital systems.

The plan over the winter is to cut a new aluminum instrument panel and change over from a keyed ignition to a start button system (as well as cleaning up the wiring harness and removing a couple of unused switches). While I don't see this as particularly challenging, is there anything I should be aware of? I have a 40a start button, a guarded heavy duty toggle switch and a conventional cut-off switch on the way. I have lined up a local sheetmetal shop that will punch the instrument holes. Since there will be no key, I may also install a cell phone controlled immobilizer system. Since I converted to Brooklands screens, I no longer need the windshield heat or wiper switches. When I put on a flat bottomed Momo steering wheel, I found that it hid the directional and high beam indicator lights. This is an issue as I have a manual directional switch and an incredibly short memory. I would love to find toggle switches to replace the plastic rocker switches that came with the Birkin for the headlights and hazard lights but rewiring those circuits requires too many Tylenol. Any effective strategies are welcome.

It seems that you guys are approaching this from a purely "BDR" perspective. How does Porsche manage this? Many more seams and seals in an air-cooled motor and most Porsche owners are pretty compulsive about the purity of their garage floor. The same for Ferrari as well. Maybe call the guys at Quicksilver and ask them. I ran an Accusump on a track car for a number of years and used a manual ball valve to shut off the accusump prior to shutdown. It never leaked and I never had to question whether an electrically activated valve was functioning correctly. While it's not exactly the same application, perhaps this approach might work. More positive control than a spring loaded check valve. On the other hand, there are a number of truly essential check-valve controlled functions in aircraft that are very reliable. Maybe check Aircraft Spruce.

I pumped in .3-.4l of Lubrimoly GL-5 75-90 into it yesterday (til it ran out). I then stuck my finger in the upper fill port and pushed a bit out, hopefully to compensate for the angle of the diff while jacked up. My assurances that it was a precisely calibrated finger. Given that it's from a Subaru, I figure that is precise enough. When I did the original installation, I replaced the breather with a -4 hose that vents to the top of the boot. I should have it back on the road later this week (I originally jacked it up to replace an intermittent Facet LP fuel pump).

I checked on the a Subie forum and the fill is either 1.1 liters or fill to the bottom of the upper plug. Everyone seems to be an authority. I think I’ll fill to the upper plug and hold off on changing the seals as they aren’t slinging lube. Just a slight seep at this point.

I pulled the top plug on the end plate and can't feel fluid with my finger. This doesn't mean too much as the back of the car is jacked up and the clearance between the aluminum end plate and the diff is only about 1 ½". I show the correct fill amount to be .8 qt. I can't recall if this fills to the level of the top plug or not. Any info on this ?

I show a drop or two sitting inside the flare and a trail down the side a bottom of the housing. All of the seams are dry. It’s not “slinging” it to any extent. I’ll remove the upper plug this afternoon and check the level while I have it up on stands.

I picked up a used Subaru R180 LSD diff for my Birkin during construction. It was fairly low mileage (30k). I cleaned it up and resealed the side plates and rear cover. I also replaced the axle seals. Now that I have 1500 miles on the car, I found that both seals a leaking a little. It’s just enough to be a little messy under the diff. I show that this diff takes .8 qts of GL-5. Is this seepage evidence of overservicing or have the seals worn that quickly? I’ve got replacements but it’s a real pain in the ass to change them out if I don’t have to.

When I hook up the battery minder to the car, it maintains the charge at round 13.5v. Once I start the car and the revs get to around 2500-3000, I am showing 15v on the voltmeter. This is with no load other than ECU and pumps. The alternator is new, a small 40 amp unit from a Suzuki. There is a 50 amp master fuse in the charging circuit. I am running a small Braill battery. I have seen no issues arise from this to date other than some deformed tail light lenses (I have since changed to LEDs). I guess I could change the pulley but without some actual knowledge to base it on, it would be stab in the dark. Total miles are 1300 on everything. Should I be concerned?

That should work just fine.

I got mine from Aircraft Spruce: pn A26NS Newton fuel cap, $103.75. There are no additional vent tubes on the filler neck with this one. The rubber connecting hose to the tank neck can be found at fillernecksupply.com. Make sure you use fully lined hose clamps for longevity. Those are available from McMaster-Carr. aircraftspecialty.com can engrave anything you want on the cap and/or flange.

Try Pegasus or Wilwood.instructions on both websites.

Thanks

Nice car. Where did you get the cf windscreen for the XS?

I have the original Mountec wheel that came with my Birkin (barely used). I believe it’s about 330mm. I replaced it with a 300mm flat bottomed Momo to facilitate egress. PM me if you are interested.

I am using a lightened Focus flywheel (12.4 lbs) but it is the same diameter as the Ranger one (19.5 lbs). The bell housing is as supplied by Birkin. I could probably grind off ½” or so before exposing the inside of the bellhousing.

Upon second look, I realized that as well. The Birkin sump guard adds another ½” or so also.

How much ground clearance would I gain between a Raceline dry sump and wet sump on a Duratec? Curious. Right now I have exactly 2" with the wet sump. It can be an issue.

What thickness did you use for the bracket? ⅛”? Nice job of bending it. I figured that I would have to make a wooden form to get the bend correct. Thanks for the pictures.