PollyMobiles Rebuild

[pollyp]

needed to secure these catch cans better than zip ties to stop them moving around

welded on some mounting brackets

welded the captive nuts on the backplate

rounded off the sharp edge and stiffened the plate

painted black for stealth

added reflective insulation backing to help keep it cooler from the hot turbo

much better looking and solid

 

[pollyp]

with the new catch cans in the way, I needed to reroute & replace the old sticky & rusted bonnet cable

cut the retaining collar off the handle mount to release the outer cable

inner cable is crimped to the handle so I'll have to figure a way of attaching the new cable on

drilled a new cable hole and locked it at several points with screws

trimmed a slot to clear the screws and reinstalled the cable

remounted the bonnet release cable at a higher angle to clear the catch cans

 

[pollyp]

Saturday car meet at Dragonville

followed by a meet at the Transporter Bridge

 

[pollyp]

during the trip to Brussels, my m8 needed new mounts for his shower sliding glass doors, which broke and is hard to find replacements

so I modelled a stronger piece

and printed a few sets to replace all the mounts

old vs new

precision

 

[pollyp]

noticed the new steel catch cans at the front ain't condensing much and I suspect some of the flimsy old soft silicone hoses I used were kinking slightly at tight turns and restricting flow.

so I needed some reinforced but flexible hose like those found in conduit cables or washing machines or vacuum cleaners to maintain an open round shape for good flow.
alot of DIY places were selling a roll for £30+ but found em for £2 in wilko

the 20mm corrugated hose themselves were abit too big for the metal ports but figured of wedging the silicone hoses tight into the conduit ends which then fits snug onto the metal pipe ends

now it looks so much neater

went for a test drive and Yes! it's worked. condensing noticibly more oil vapour now

 

[John_D]

with the new catch cans in the way, I needed to reroute & replace the old sticky & rusted bonnet cable

View attachment 58412View attachment 58413

cut the retaining collar off the handle mount to release the outer cable

View attachment 58414View attachment 58415

inner cable is crimped to the handle so I'll have to figure a way of attaching the new cable on

View attachment 58416

drilled a new cable hole and locked it at several points with screws

View attachment 58417

trimmed a slot to clear the screws and reinstalled the cable

View attachment 58418View attachment 58420

remounted the bonnet release cable at a higher angle to clear the catch cans

View attachment 58419View attachment 58411

Very neat Paul .
Out of interest how are you planning to empty the catch cans?
had you thought of putting one of these....

or similar in the bottom of each can?
Instead of welding nuts onto sheet metal you really need to invest a few pounds on one of THESE kits.............

 

[MicraPRO]

Damn Paul! Finally had a catch up reading. I've missed loads, stay positive about your personal life we all have darker patches is how we learn from them that matters. Kasandra looks amazing an absolute testament to the man that built her! ?

 

[MicraItaly]

swapped her into trackday mode for saturday evenings track session at Teesside

View attachment 57281

hi paul, more info on this rear bracing? it bolts on the seatbelts points?

 

[pollyp]

Very neat Paul .
Out of interest how are you planning to empty the catch cans?
had you thought of putting one of these....

or similar in the bottom of each can?
Instead of welding nuts onto sheet metal you really need to invest a few pounds on one of THESE kits.............

at the moment I just remove the cans and pour into a measuring jug to accurately monitor how much it collects over time.

 

[pollyp]

Damn Paul! Finally had a catch up reading. I've missed loads, stay positive about your personal life we all have darker patches is how we learn from them that matters. Kasandra looks amazing an absolute testament to the man that built her! ?

Tom!! missed ya m8
a ton has happened for the past year both personally & with kasandra, mostly positives
much better with help from pills and seem to have alot more luck this year.
you seen the recent video interviews bout her? ain't it just simply awesome
hope ur doing well too

 

[pollyp]

hi paul, more info on this rear bracing? it bolts on the seatbelts points?

here's the process of makin it
https://www.micra.org.uk/threads/pollymobiles-rebuild.35251/page-160#post-753995

yup it bolts onto the existing strong seatbelt anchor points keeping the rear structure rigid

 

[pollyp]

Heya everyone, it's been awhile since my updates with lots happening

Adjustable Dump Valve

I've been reading that the springs in dump/BOV valves should normally be tuned to keep it closed during idle vacuum so it doesn't suck in unfiltered air but light enough to allow excess boost to vent out or when the manifold has alot of vacuum from closing throttle above idle.

tested the preload and the saab 9000 dump valve only holds about 10psi by itself (boost pressure on the vac line helps keep the valve shut during boost)

cutting it open to see what can be made adjustable inside

made this V-clamp to hold the case back together

thinking what if I add an extra adjustable spring inside to push harder on the valve?

the home made spring didn't hold up (needed a proper spring).

so what if I used pneumatic pressure to adjust the preload?
so I inserted a tyre valve

machined a small piston

assembled it to test but the plastic cylinder wasn't smooth enough and kept getting scratched & slowly leaking

so I machined a smooth, solid & tight fitting aluminium lining & piston with lip & o-ring seals

once again getting it to seal air tight but loose enough to allow the piston to move was difficult

 

[pollyp]

at work by chance I found this spare free spring which was the same diameter but twice the free length and maybe stiffer?

machined a threaded BOV casing so I can adjust how much the springs are squeezed

the new spring might actually be softer with more coils there and the longer compressed height actually prevents the valve from fully opening, making it squirrel.

I'll need to buy a set of assorted spring rates soon

to attached the outlet more securely & smoothly to the hose I machined this AN fitting onto the BOV

 

[pollyp]

welding a subframe to fit a pair of Subaru seats into Lewis's Lupo

little clearance mod needed

fitted

 

[pollyp]

regular car meet at the Cafe

 

[pollyp]

my old trusty mini LED torch was getting abit sloppy loose so I decided to machine this beefy new enclosure to house the components solidly

it works soo much better, looks good and durable

 

[pollyp]

a m8's shower door had a few broken mounts so I printed some new mounts to test out

and they work gr8

 

[pollyp]

always struggled to see the joint line whenever I weld with my auto tint mask so I modified this LED light onto the MIG gun to light up the area

helps with positioning but it ain't bright enough compared to the welding arc so still can't see much

 

[pollyp]

Helmholtz 1/4 Wavelength Exhaust Resonator

wanna do something about silencing this exhaust which has this annoying LOUD boomy resonance when cruising at 3000-3500rpm
I cut apart my old de-cat pipe

welded a new decat and added this closed sleeve pipe over another pipe to let it slide along & tune like a trombone

space is tight so I welded this 90deg elbow

and welded it together like this

quickly added this bicycle cable to manually move the sleeve pipe along the resonator pipe while cruising down the motorway to see if it actually changes the sound

but nope no difference. maybe it needs a Helmholtz chamber at the end?
or the bend is too sharp & close to the main pipe?
or the turbo already absorbed most of the pulses and it's the powerflow back box that's booming inside the hollow interior?
more testing needed

 

[pollyp]

good news personally,

my good car m8s Dave & Nigel who I often see at the weekly car meets and works at a motorfactor had invited me to help work there as a delivery driver which I was happy to do

after dave showing me around on the 1st day, I quickly got the hang of the processes, locations, driving the van.
apart from being exhausted driving around all day, min wage and lifting heavy brake discs, hubs, water pumps etc I'm enjoying it

exhaust hiccuping probably from dirty injectors so trying out this redex a m8 suggested

at work brought a few service bits at m8s rates for kasandra
trying out this lucas engine oil stabliser it's soo thick like treacle, hope it helps reduce the burning oil past the rings.

the rubber lid seal on the catchcans were badly warping / curling up from the vapours so I made some card seals

 

[SuperUno]

When welding now I used a LED work light shining on the area I am welding. This helps me see what I am working on with the self dimming visor in place, obviously when actually welding it doesn't make any difference but it really helps with getting the weld started in the right place. Very useful when working under a car, which I have done plenty of recently on the Micra seam welding almost any seam I can find under the car....

 

[pollyp]

When welding now I used a LED work light shining on the area I am welding. This helps me see what I am working on with the self dimming visor in place, obviously when actually welding it doesn't make any difference but it really helps with getting the weld started in the right place. Very useful when working under a car, which I have done plenty of recently on the Micra seam welding almost any seam I can find under the car....

that's the issue I'm having.
before welding, I can see the path
when I start welding and it tints, I see nothing but the hot molton pool

 

[pollyp]

well this bloomin sucks aass.

at the motorfactor shop I work as a driver & stock control 9:30 - 5:30 mon-fri,
paid minimum wage cash-in-hand on the friday 1 week behind,
no contracts signed,
BUTTT he said for the first 12months, staff are not given any holidays!
what the flying faap!? working full time for pennies with no rests till it kills me again? I thought I left this sort of dodgy employment terms behind me? is this even legal?

so I don't get any days off to spend with a potential lady friend this summer? this is bollucks. I'm gonna have to move my aass and get a proper paying job with proper legal holidays etc. I'm sick of being a cheap slave again

 

[DEdgeMac]

From what I've ever seen Helmholtz resonators are usually installed near the back box- a few JDM tuning companies use them that way.

 

[Mrthc]

Even in UK ?
I thought that was possible only in Italy .. (where i live. ..)
Leave it Polly.

Inviato dal mio SM-J500FN utilizzando Tapatalk

 

[DEdgeMac]

No, never seen it in the UK mate.

Only seen it on some Japanese exhausts, possibly used for track days with strict noise control.

 

[SuperUno]

Totally not legal (I work in management employing people), there are legal rights for employees and holidays. Also get a contract signed or they can drop you in a second. They are dodgy....

 

[SuperUno]

that's the issue I'm having.
before welding, I can see the path
when I start welding and it tints, I see nothing but the hot molton pool

Adjust your visor, or try a new one.

 

[pollyp]

Totally not legal (I work in management employing people), there are legal rights for employees and holidays. Also get a contract signed or they can drop you in a second. They are dodgy....

think I need to visit citizens advice bureau to see what my rights are, where I stand, what the legalities are cos nothing's been signed. just verbal agreement. he also asked for my last P45 for some reason and we're gonna visit the accountant tomorrow. dunno if this is about setting up the payment details or about employment contract?

if I'm just helping out at work with no written contract and paid cash but doing similar level of work as the other employees did who are on a contracted payroll, am I a freelancer or temp worker? dunno the correct term

 

[pollyp]

Adjust your visor, or try a new one.

this variable auto visor is at the lowest setting and it's the same issue with my first auto visor with a fixed tint too.
maybe I should eat more carrots?

 

[SuperUno]

Changed a few years back contractor or employee you are still entitled to holiday pay.

 

[LiamC]

well this bloomin sucks aass.

at the motorfactor shop I work as a driver & stock control 9:30 - 5:30 mon-fri,
paid minimum wage cash-in-hand on the friday 1 week behind,
no contracts signed,
BUTTT he said for the first 12months, staff are not given any holidays!
what the flying faap!? working full time for pennies with no rests till it kills me again? I thought I left this sort of dodgy employment terms behind me? is this even legal?

so I don't get any days off to spend with a potential lady friend this summer? this is bollucks. I'm gonna have to move my aass and get a proper paying job with proper legal holidays etc. I'm sick of being a cheap slave again

Where I work over summers when I'm not in college, I get what works out as a day off for every 3 full weeks worked, which is the minimum here in Ireland

Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Micra Sports Club mobile app

 

[pollyp]

ok I cleared things up bout the holidays.

the shop manager guy who interviewed and told me I had zero holidays for first 12mths was talking out of his orifice abit
when he was off the other day, I discussed the issue with both my colleagues & finally our old accountant guy who does all the paperwork & knows the legal stuff.

basically my work m8s are on the same non-written/signed contract as me and have the normal 28d holidays, so for the manager guy to state zero holidays throughout a full 1st year is odd, incorrect and if true would be illegal.

but the full answer is that yes new employees start off day1 with zero entitled holidays but we earn our holidays as we work @ 2.3 holidays per month (therefore 28d statutory annual leave).

so after working here for a month I'll be allowed upto 2 days off, enough to take either a fri or mon off to spend long weekend with my new friend
can't take fri's off yet cos we're short staffed so I'll have to chat with colleagues & see if he could cover me to take 1 fri off in few months time.

 

[pollyp]

old plugs were getting abit crusty & worn, especially #3

fresh shiny & gapped plugs

replaced the fuel filter

recent filter now appears much cleaner after replacing the rusted filler pipe few months ago

replacing the parents pug 307 absolutely filthy blocked pollen filter

my clutch cable was now getting more sticky, more frequently.
so I purchased a new cable at work

comparing old & new cable. new one has a slightly longer outer cable but shorter inner. so the adjustment range will be abit more snug

and wow what a difference some fresh slippery cable lining makes. it slides soo smoothly with no sticky binding at all

straight to the Cafe meet after finishing work @ 6pm.
Peters Passat had blown it's boost pipe off so I helped him reclamp it

me & Frankie sharing our big girthy tail pipes and then I took her for a ride in kasandra she likes it

 

[pollyp]

the temporary plastic gear selector bushings I machined few months ago are getting abit sloppy when cold and squeaky tight when warmed up by exhaust so it's time to machine a proper replacement.

clamped two short perpendicular pipes on the vice for welding, each inserted with a thick pipe inside to prevent the vice from crushing it oval and also as a headsoak so I don't blow holes

machined the bores round & smooth

machined a precise fitting steel inner bushing so it's just tight enough with no play but still loose enough to rotate freely and won't wear out quickly.
the o-rings on both ends keeps the grease inside the bushes away from the outside elements and also cusions against vibrations

I didn't have any solid round bar large enough to make the 20mm x 8mm inner bush so I machined some plastic bar to fill in the bolt hole gap

finished joint for the selector rod

wow the gear stick now feels both precise and silky smooth perfect

 

[John_D]

Very nice job Paul, now replace the nuts on the through bolts with Nyloc ones, so that they don't vibrate loose....

 

[pollyp]

At Dyno Remaps with Cleveland Car Scene club

had a car meet at a local dyno shop in stockton, be interesting to see how kasandra performs nowadays

the results between her early 2011 setup and todays is interesting

so the current refined setup with a fresher turbo, engine, neater plumbing, cooler intake and de-cat, the low-end is dramatically improved with torque coming really early and over a lot more range from 3.5k - 5k, even though it's the same spec turbo?
but after 5k it begins to lose steam?

here's a look at how the turbo used to run with standard cast Alu pistons v/s stronger low-comp forged pistons. Ed could extract more juice out of the forged setup probably cos of reduced pre-detonation.

 

[pollyp]

the 10yr old PAS has been whining slightly for awhile and I always have to blip the throttle whenever I'm stationary before I can turn it full lock.
so with fresh PAS oil I removed the pump to inspect if it could be worn

also thought of machining this pulley a smaller radius to spin faster so I don't have to blip it during idle to turn the steering BUT I couldn't figure out how on earth I remove it?
the allen fastener is truely seized, the petruding cylinder doesn't loosen, I even tried grinding it down to the fastener but still appears solid? meh left it alone

this is the high pressure side with sprung regulator

the vane pump inside is similar to the oil pump

not much wear other than little pitting near the port openings that the vanes slide over. cleaned & reassembled back

filled with fresh oil, bled the system, drove out to test and wow just by changing the oil it now operates so quiet and provides so much better assistance even at idle

 

[pollyp]

the old crossmember is crumbling with holes so it's time to get this new front panel and finally straighten up her wonky front face for the 1st time

this panel even featured all the required tow eye bolt threads which the old one didn't have and various bolts included

gonna be alot of work prepping this panel before I even begin.
including straightening all the bent bits during transit, extra seam welding a few weak places, welding up all the un-used open holes, cutting sections to clear the IC plumbing, stripping off paint where it's gonna be welded, undercoat the whole panel, etc etc

 

[pollyp]

wednesday cafe meet including a few more micra fwriends

popped over to the riverside stadium nearby for a nice shoot

was interesting to spot the height differences of various bits between Jacks facelift and my preface

 

[pollyp]

Yay! shiny stainless exhaust resonator arrived
it's 2.25" pipe x 4" diameter x 22" long

interesting to note that they expand the ends of the perferated tube to wedge/lock it against the casing and it's filled with I presume stainless wool

amusing that it's the same size as my powerflow tip

removed the mid-pipe & decat and deleted the 1/4 wavelength resonator tube I made

cut & welded the new resonator onto the mid-pipe

reinstalled

so the test drive verdict is that I think it slightly muffles the mid-high freq from the tail pipe and the rear end is no longer as boomy bass-y as the front but the very low freq during idle is more noticable and now most of the deafening noise is actually through the bulkhead and ridiculous tyre roar from the bare footwell/arches.

so sound insulation & better tyres are to come

 

[pollyp]

so this is where I work and the corsa diesel van I drive

organising all the warehouse stock while also researching into which lower arm I could modify to safely reposition the front wheels 10mm further outwards to stop it rubbing at full lock and allow more camber

 

[pollyp]

Toyos are running abit thin and begining to struggle, time for the last swap front - rear

front tyres close to min, very unusual wear on the front right tyres inner shoulder? maybe from repeatedly rubbing the chassis during full right lock?

rear's still healthy and swapped to the front

 

[pollyp]

sister was replacing her carpets so I grabbed the underfloor insulation she was gonna chuck away so I can insulate the micra again.
I first made a piece for the boot floor

visited another car guy over the weekend and we had such an awesome long chat till it was late & dark

 

[pollyp]

this silly remote boot release cable mechanism where the little finger near the hook loop flicks the tab under the boot lock to release tends to stick / jam / seize which was annoying

so decided to reroute the old cable up through the boot lid alongside the boot wiring loom and connect it directly to the lock

trimmed this block off the cable which used to open the fuel cap and joined both outer cables so it has full length of travel

connected the release cable to where the key barrel used to work and now it opens more reliably

sunday car meet near transporter bridge

 

[SuperUno]

Hmmm 6R4

 

[Low Rider]

the old crossmember is crumbling with holes so it's time to get this new front panel and finally straighten up her wonky front face for the 1st time

View attachment 58952View attachment 58953View attachment 58954

this panel even featured all the required tow eye bolt threads which the old one didn't have and various bolts included

View attachment 58955View attachment 58956

gonna be alot of work prepping this panel before I even begin.
including straightening all the bent bits during transit, extra seam welding a few weak places, welding up all the un-used open holes, cutting sections to clear the IC plumbing, stripping off paint where it's gonna be welded, undercoat the whole panel, etc etc

Genuine Nissan or knock-off? If it's the latter, DON'T jack it up using the front jacking point or you'll turn it into a banana without additional reinforcement.

 

[SuperUno]

Genuine Nissan or knock-off? If it's the latter, DON'T jack it up using the front jacking point or you'll turn it into a banana without additional reinforcement.

Reinforce it before fitting it. I did that to ours, and it has been an ace front sump guard mount. Has taken huge forces over the years on WRGB.

 

[pollyp]

Genuine Nissan or knock-off? If it's the latter, DON'T jack it up using the front jacking point or you'll turn it into a banana without additional reinforcement.

most likely a copy part at £34 from ebay. hehe I'd never jack up from the middle of the crossmember whether it's genuine or not cos it's such a weak point in the front structure for supporting the car imo, especially if the crossmember's made of paper thin steel.

 

[pollyp]

Reinforce it before fitting it. I did that to ours, and it has been an ace front sump guard mount. Has taken huge forces over the years on WRGB.

how'd you recommend I reinforce it?
weld a few angled truss ribs inside the box section?