October 2001
Wednesday 31st October 2001
Bought a Sierra 4x4 handbrake cable, and some 7/16" UNF fittings for the brake reservoirs. I've swapped the master cylinders around, so the 0.7" cylinder is feeding the rear brakes, and the 0.625" the fronts, after a guest book message pointed out my mistake. The smaller the cylinder capacity, the higher the pressure from the given pedal pressure. The brake fluid reservoirs and bias adjuster cable also arrived from TAS.UK.COM, so I now need to make a bracket to hold the two brake reservoirs in place, and just plumb them in. The handbrake cable will need a small bracket making to hold that in place too. Fitted the front brake hoses last night too.
One job I have coming up, which will probably take most of a day to complete, is to go round every single nut and bolt, and make sure that they're tightened to the appropriate torque settings. I'll get some paint so I can mark each nut as I work my way round the car. Don't want anything coming loose when I take her for the shakedown session at Mallory Park. Or Maybe I could go to Donington, as they now advertise full day test sessions for about £150. Better take it one step at a time...
I've been fortunate enough to have a Skoda Fabia as a hire car for the past two days. I know, a Skoda! But believe me, if it weren't for the badge in the steering wheel, you just wouldn't know it were a Skoda. The 1400cc 16V unit really sings, and the grip is phenomenal. If you can get used to the road manners of everyone around you, ie "Dont let it past, its only a Skoda", then its quite enjoyable to drive. Actually flashed my lights at a Subaru Imprezza travelling at 85 on the M40 so's he'd pull over! When he eventually did, he must have crapped himself! Overtaken by a 1400cc Skoda Fabia!
Monday 29th October 2001
Brake hoses arrived from Earls. Ordered a pair of fluid reservoirs, DOT4 fluid and the bias adjuster cable from TAS this afternoon. Just need to get some 7/16" unions so I can plumb the reservoirs in to both of the master cylinders. www.burtonpower.com sell Sierra XR4x4 handbrake cables for £15, so I may order one. I'll try Halfords first, to see if I can save on the postage.
Just trying something a little different with the pictures below. The first pair should display images in a new browser window. Doesn't work on my machine at home, since installing the Kodak software IE6 won't open a new browser window from a hyperlink. Should work for you though. I've tried reinstalling IE6 but its made no difference.
Saturday 27th October 2001
Rear brake line is now installed. The pipe runs through the car, and terminates on the rear seat squab in a T-piece. The rear hoses are brought up in to the car, and two short sections of copper/nickel hose connect everything together. I just need a brake linkage making up, and a pair of fluid reservoirs plumbing in and thats it! I'll take some photos on Sunday and upload them. No sign of the front flexible hoses from Earls yet. The invoice arrived on Friday, but no hoses.
Monday 22nd October 2001
Completed the rear disk assemblies. Painted the carriers and fitted the brake pads. Used the flexible hoses supplied with the HiSpec front calipers on the rear. They were far too long to use on the front calipers, and are the perfect length for the rears. I dont need to run with rear spacers any more, as the thickness of the brake disks is almost the same as the 10mm spacers I'd planned to use.
Fabricated the front brake pipes using the new flaring tool I bought from Frosts. I just need to get a pair of flexible hoses to connect to the front calipers. I'll order a pair from Earls in the morning. Nothing special, just a straight banjo on one end and a std fitting on the other. Tomorrow evening I'll make a start on the pipes for the rear brakes. I'm running the pipes inside the car, and I'll have a T-section feeding both ends of the rear axle.
Saturday 20th October 2001
Brake kit arrived from the Fiesta Center earlier in the week. Initial problems were that the hubs had to be machined at work, so they'd fit without binding against the alloy backplates (the caliper brackets). I then found that the backplates positioned the calipers in line with the trailing arms, so I've rotated the backplates round to roughly the 12 O'Clock position, where theres a lot more clearance for the caliper to sit. Don't know why the Fiesta-Centre position them next to the trailing arms in the first place (see picture below). Down there, all the muck and grit from the road will be thrown over the calipers. And you'd have to unbolt the calipers to bleed them, as they're normally fitted on the Granada/Sierra at the 12 Noon position.
Anyway, they're fitted now, and I've bought some brake pipe parts, so theres just some plumbing to finish. All the fittings are M10x1mm *thanks Jim* except the two fittings in the Girling master cylinders which are 3/8"?
Rumour has it that the RS2000 Mk5 handbrake cable fits, so I'll get a non-Ford item and try to get it connected up.
Bought a new digital camera. Its a Kodak DX3600 Digital Zoom, so from now on the picture quality is going to be much higher. 2.2 Megapixel compared to 350,000 pixel's of the old Fuji DX-8.The old Fuji has served me well over the past 3 years, buts its time for an upgrade, as the DX-8 doesn't do some jobs as well as I'd hoped.
Sunday 14th October 2001
Fitted the brake bias box to the servo bracket. One of the master cylinders is 0.7" and the other is 0.625", so I guess the 0.7" is for the front brake circuit.
I've written a new step by step guide on how to fit the Zetec to the Mk1 Fiesta. If you're interested in following me down the 16V Zetec route then read the guide that features the 10 basic steps required to make your Mk1 Fiesta 16V Zetec powered.
I stuck some of the new stickers to the car. What do you think? They're available for purchase from the merchandise page.Friday 12th October 2001
Collected the calipers from Halfords. £140 all in. Used a pair of old Ford Orion calipers to part-ex against them, saving £60. Don't think they realised either!
Ray from the Fiesta Centre called. My disk brake kit has been dispatched and I should have it by Monday. Thanks Ray! Thats service for you.
Collected the new stickers from Coalville Signs today. They look brilliant. I'll get some photos up tomorrow.
Wednesday 10th October 2001
Received the bias pedal box from TAS. Looks the business, and should bolt straight on without any mods either. Just need the calipers and the rear axle conversion kit to arrive now.
Wednesday 10th October 2001
The calipers required for the rear axle disk brake conversion are either off the Ford Granada Scorpio or the Ford Sierra Cosworth (2WD). I enquired at Halfords, and they can get me some brand new Scorpio calipers for about £70 ea. so I ordered a pair. Delivery is tomorrow, but I'll collect them on Friday afternoon.
Finally for today, check this twin-cam rear wheel drive Fiesta out on Ebay.
Tuesday 9th October 2001
Ordered an adjustable bias box for the Fiesta. It will bolt on in place of the brake servo. Part number TAS1177 from Trans Auto Sport. Its designed for a Vauxhall Corsa, but I'm sure I'll get it to fit the Fiesta.
The new silver .COM stickers are ready for collection. I'll fetch them on Friday and get some pictures up showing them stuck on the Fiesta.
Monday 8th October 2001
In anticipation of the rear axle disk brake kit arriving this weekend from the Fiesta-Center, I've ordered the following from Frosts.
- Brake pipe flaring tool
- Pipe bending tool
- 3/16" brake pipe (7 Metres)
Thursday 3rd October 2001
Cancelled the order with HiSpec. I'm just so fed up with waiting, five weeks is pretty awful! I've reserved a kit with the Fiesta-Centre. Ray called today to let me know that they're getting some more in, so I said I'd have one. Delivery possibly next weekend. It uses Granny rear calipers, and Mk3 Fiesta disks.
Check out these Mk1 Fiestas on a German website I've discovered. Click on the Bild�bersicht link.
I'm going to have some stickers made up as below, if you're interested in having some, then I'll have them on the Merchandise page before the end of the month. Again they'll be cut-out like the other stickers, so they can stick directly on to body work or glass. About 10" wide. Price TBA
