Thermostat change

A few weeks ago I changed the cooling system plumbing to prevent the thermostat being bypassed all the time (an historic design flaw with the original cars design) however the car was still running cold all the time. This could only mean that the thermostat was stuck open allowing cooled water to circulate all the time. It’s a cheap part so I ordered a new one and it arrived this week. 

First step was to drain some coolant as the thermostat is at the top of the engine I just needed to get the level below this. 

 

the thermostat lives in here with 3 bolts to release

 
Three bolts later and the pipe work eased out of place the thermostat could be seen and lifted out

  

 
Once I had it out I could see it was stuck open

 

you can see the open part of the valave at the top centre. this should be closed when its cold an only open at about 90 degrees

 
The new one slotted in and everything was fastened up again and the coolant topped back up. All in a fairly easy fix. I took the car out and now the temperature sits correctly at 90 degrees and everything is working correctly. 

The last remaining job is one I’ve been putting off. The fuel sender. It’s a faffy job as I need access to the top of the tank which in turn means removing the boot box and part of the roll bar. I’ve got the new part so it’s next on the list. Hopefully next weekend. I must be due an MOT soon too so I’ll have to check the date for that and get booked in. 

Steering Wheel pt2

I had a few days off work this week and managed to get over to work on the car for an afternoon. First job was to fit the new steering wheel assembly. Fairly easy. Main point was to ensure the wheels were straight so that the wheel was attached in the right position. 

The boss and female end of the quick release were attached first with some thread lock on the screws.  

 

And then the wheel attaches to the quick release. The whole new assembly brings the wheel about 1.5 inches closer to the driver and makes access much easier. It also allows a better view to the instruments.  

 

Next up, thermostat. 

Steering Wheel

With a new wheel and boss bought and a quick release won on eBay I now have all the necessary parts to assemble the new steering solution. The aim was to replace the fairly tatty and plain original one and bring it closer to my driving position at the same time.

First up I needed a new boss for the column. This 48 spline one also came from eBay and was recommended on the WSCC forums. The original Westfield supplied one has a pcd of 100mm which is quite unique and incompatible with most aftermarket wheels (70 or 74mm).

The steering wheel is an OMP Trecento from Demon Tweeks finished in lovely suede. It’s 300mm the same as the original and salon available is leather or plain polyurethane.

Because the new wheel is flat whereas the original was dished this combination alone makes the wheel further way from the driver. So I could use a plain spacer which are available in various sizes but I opted for a Sparco quick release which will bring the wheel back closer and also make access easier. It could be considered a security feature too as the wheel can be removed from the car.

Half of the quick relese fastens to the new boss

And the other half is fastened to the wheel

So now the whole thing is ready to go onto the car. I’m hoping this gets the distance right otherwise I may need to add spacers or use a larger quick release. Looking forward to testing it though!

At the weekend I sorted the coolant routing with some new pipes and joins but he temperature still seems a little low. Suspicion points at the thermostat so I’m going to change that next as its a cheap part and they are prone to wear and aging despite low milage. It’s bound to be a daffy job though!  I also bought a new fuel sender when I was at Demon Tweeks so will be fitting that soon. To access the fuel tank the boot box and some of the roll bar needs taking so it will be a whole days effort.