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Project Beatrice. (1999 Birkin S3)


Jackal

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They certainly seem like.

 

I have unfortunately already got a call about some things that need adjustment. At the other shop the car was at previously, they would have waited weeks before I called them to bring issues up. haha. They seem on the case though and I welcome the help.

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Is it ready yet? How about now? Is it ready.....update.....

 

 

Where do I even begin?

 

There have been some challenges with the car at the new shop. Let me start be saying that Todd at Sports Car Parts is fantastic! I should have gone there first, and will not make that mistake again.

 

Todd inhereted a few challenges, but has been able to prioritize them and make reccomendations to me on things I can accomplish myself. Some things still need to get sorted, and unfortunately it is all work I paid the first shop to do. It was reccomended the timing get looked at, and as it turns out the other shop didn't know what they were doing (surprise, surprise!) and the cam was broken slightly during the process. That and the timing was off anyway.

 

That said, Todd seems to think that I am not too far out right now. Timing is the first thing to sort, and another small issue with an IACV that was plumbed backwards. I'm hoping mid week next that I'll be taking my first drive out in her.

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Well, I've been without my Trixxy for a little over a week now and I am going stir crazy!

 

Unfortunately there were some challenges with the work the previous shop did, and I have had to have it corrected. I have addressed these concerns with the shop in question, but really haven't had a resolution yet.

 

It turned out in addition to being installed crudely (Page 10), the IACV was actually installed completely backwards. This caused some issues with setting the idle and took a little bit of time to sort out. I suppose I could have researched the way it was plumbed when I had the whole thing apart last month, but I had assumed that the basic operation of the IACV (which as it turns out, is a Boost control solenoid, not the Haltech IACV on the bill) was done correctly as it was the shop that set it up.

 

My new shop also recommended double checking the timing before the tune. At this point I could tell that the new shop was really doubting some of the engine work they have seen. This is where things got really funny/craptacular. There was a gouge out of the timing tool that the previous shop bought for me, and I noticed it as I was getting the tool to the new shop. The new shop later called me up to inform me that there was a small issue with one of the camshafts. I was informed that a chunk was missing from the rail that the timing tool sits in on the back of the cam. It appears that the pulley was tightened with the cam tool in place and the cam broke as a result. This set me off this week. The chunk is not anywhere to be seen under the valve cover, so I can only assume it was removed when the last shop did the timing.

 

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l294/nivaguy/523efed0-d0ce-41b2-ada4-35764616782a_zps7cf4d278.jpg

 

Why would I not have been informed of this? When working in someone's home in the past, I always found it necessary to point out problematic things that could be misunderstood as my work. I wasn't informed ahead of time, so I have to assume the damage was done at the prior shop. Anytime anything breaks in or on the motor, I want to be made aware. What really sucks about the whole deal is that the timing was still off too.

 

The car is on the chassis dyno now though, and I hope that I can put all the ripped off feelings from the previous shop behind me when I go for the first drive in a week or so.

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Crap.....so sorry to hear of this latest bump in the road.. fingers crossed for you Duane. Cant wait for your first run out in the "Trixter"...

 

It cost a little time and a bit of money, but it is still moving forward. As mentioned Todd has it on the dyno now, but was away at a show for the weekend.

 

I have taken these issues up with the shop, and got responses all the way up untill I said the only way I'd be happy is if he gave me some of my money back. Now I sit wondering how far I should go. In emails the manager at Vex said that Haltech told him to do the boost control solenoid that way, and that the Haltech IACV that I was actually billed for wasn't needed. I find it hard to believe that Haltech would tell the registered dealer to buy other vendors incorrect parts and then set them up wrong. So I am faced with a conundrum. Do I kick the hornets nest with Haltech themselves, or cut my losses?

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Call Haltech yourself . They are not going to be happy that one of their dealers is defaming them and also not going to be happy that one of their dealers doesn't know what they are doing. Your not going to get your money back but a bit of "name and shame" will make you feel better.

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At this stage of the game you have nothing to lose, give Haltech a call maybe they can rattle the other guys chain a bit. Dont get into to much of a frazz about it tho, big thing is to get Trix on the road....:drool::driving:

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  • 3 weeks later...

Updates..... Well lets see. My shop bumped me back again for a couple weeks to work on another project (seems to be a pattern here), then proceded to call Alberta Transportation to verify some things on my car before bothering to send it to his guy that actually does the OOP. This has apparently put my car on the radar of Alberta Transportation as I got a call from registries Friday, stating that something was wrong with what they put on the OOP form four weeks ago. :banghead:

 

Apparently I need bumpers to be put on to be road legal, and I need to replace two heim joints on the steering rod ends with ball joints. Apparently only my car requires these things, as others that have gone through the shop, have had no challenges with the same setup. :banghead:

 

At what point do I just pack it in and say F**k it? Not one bloody thing has gone straight forward with this car, and all the challenges with shops and parts and people seem exclusive to my build. I'm frustrated, I'm disheartened, and I'm just about to pack the bloody thing in.

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