Build Thread: Reynard

[xmazdatracy]

Did you just use the cam bearing tools that are available everywhere? The seal driver type?

Smacking them with a hammer kinda scared me, I was curious how well that would actually work, especially with the wimpy cam towers. I made a few bushings to fit on a threaded rod and press them in/out.



Much appreciate you posing pics/updates.....as an amateur its nice to see some of the trials/tribulations I am also going thru!

Jim

Hello, yes I was very scared to pound on these older than me towers too. Especially two looong races ago another Reynard had his rear tower let go on him half way through the race (allowing me to take the win). But I talked to QS and they told me the old timers do that all day everyday at their shop. And if I wanted to have some one hold a heavy object behind the tower as I was hitting it it would not hurt. So since I have no helper I just cut two 2X4s to the perfect length and wedged them in between the towers. The first blows where pretty hard to get the bearing going, but as soon as it started to move they slid out fairly easy.

As far as a makeshift press I could not find one pre made. Anything I would make and try would not be the exact/correct size (dont have access to a mill), or would not press evenly or centered correctly.

So I heeded the advise of the elders here and replaced them with the cam bearing tool. And boy am I glad. They where in pretty bad shape.


Good luck! And if you want to buy that tool on the cheap...

[xmazdatracy]

Remember step two? I did. Thank you Mr. PF! It slipped twice while I was priming the motor. Third time it stayed put and I knew it was ready to start. AND HOW. just in the stand with the motor idling the shift points are sharp and easy to get in and out of. Can not wait to get on with the racing...

Thanks again Mr. Frog.

[xmazdatracy]

Wow, car ran great! It is very neat to know your actual RPM. No more guessing where the gears are now too. Diving down on the inside I can think about what I am doing instead of hoping I do not make a fool of my self looking for the gear and screwing the overtake up.

But I noticed the increase in power from like 6.6K to 7K. The motor really livens up. I think I never used that high of rev before (since the tac never really worked), so I never went that fast before. I took 2.1 second off my fastest lap at Blackhawk Farms this weekend. Stayed on the lead lap with the Atlantic cars too! Thanks to Primus Racing Parts for having my exact tac to make it a quick install/transfer.

New problem is when I grabbed my wheels from the basement I noticed that the mags are corroding through the paint. How do I prevent this from getting worse? Any mag dressing I should have used before painting?

[Steve Demeter]

Where are the wheels corroding? Bead seat by chance?

No matter what I do mine corrode there. Every time I change tires wire brush the corrosion off and hit with automotive primer.

They corrode NOWHERE else. So I am at a loss as to what do as well.

MY theory is that the soapy water I use to allow the beads to seat at a reasonable pressure ( one that I am not too scared that the tire will explode in my face) gets trapped and that causes the corrosion.

So I would also like to hear what those who are smarter than I am have to say.

[xmazdatracy]

In the front. All over the front. I suspect its from this Midwestern tropical climate we have had this year. My basement has been pretty humid. Not helping the situation my dehumidifier has conked out on me. I just cant believe the mag would do this through such thick paint.

My guess is to sand blast them and paint again... and again... Or keep them in the garage next time in sealed bags or something. I thought I was being smart by cleaning, waxing, and storing them inside for the winter. Never new this was a problem. I wonder what new wheels cost

[Steve Demeter]

you do not want to know how much new new wheels cost.....

[R. Pare]

Unless you get rid of all of the inter-granular corrosion, mag will just keep corroding, even if coated with paint.

The best thing to do is have them Dow treated before painting.

[Jerry Kehoe]

My experience is that spraying them lightly and reasonably often with WD40 works just fine. Also works on gearbox cases, adapters, uprights to keep them looking fresh and uncorroded. Also cheap! Spent much time polishing the wheels, then going to Laguna and behold the next morning with the fog and instant dull!

[xmazdatracy]

Hello, hey gents I noticed on some of the cars of my gen I found that some had a nice "bar stool" looking head rest. Where would I find one of those?

And looking for third and fourth gear to get my self up to Road America, so let me know if you have any laying around or know someone who does. My last race I never ground a gear once! So I would pay to rent or buy let me know.

Also in the mean time I am putting on my Ultra Averill pods, and nose/wing kit on. Will post some pics in a bit.

Thanks!

[Gary Godula]

Hello, hey gents I noticed on some of the cars of my gen I found that some had a nice "bar stool" looking head rest. Where would I find one of those?

And looking for third and fourth gear to get my self up to Road America, so let me know if you have any laying around or know someone who does. My last race I never ground a gear once! So I would pay to rent or buy let me know.

Also in the mean time I am putting on my Ultra Averill pods, and nose/wing kit on. Will post some pics in a bit.

Thanks!

I have a new nose and side pods to fit to my Reynard as well. Would like to hear how you are fitting your new parts to your chassis. I had to significantly modify the last nose to fit properly. I have never tried to fit new side pods. Need some advise on how to do it.

[Purple Frog]

Just my opinion.
Be careful not to gear too high for Road America.
Don't automatically think you can run gear ratios that modern cars can run.
Two reasons I say this:
1. The Reynard while a great car is not as aerodynamic as modern cars. Closer to a barn door.
2. I'm guessing your engine is not a top shelf "super engine" from somebody like QS or Knapp. (I'm basing that on the fact you changed your own cam without the aid of a dyno. )

We all want to go as fast as we can, And the run into T5 is exciting. But, if you gear too high you will sacrifice the ability to accelerate up to redline. That said I would keep the drop between 3rd and 4th gears somewhere around 700 to 800 rpm.
On the track you would also like to keep the revs in first gear above 5000 so you are not bogging coming out of an apex.

Obviously stuff you already know.

Maybe a 23/24 fourth gear. or, 25/26.
If you see you not are hitting at least 6700 at the end of the straights in 4th, drop to something like a 24/26.

It's more fun, and faster, to drive a car with a little "zip" than one that is just droning along.

It's not if you can run 143, it's more important how fast you get to that speed. Better to accelerate faster to 138, than slowly to 143.

As always... YMMV

[Steve Demeter]

Might want to check the thread on what gearing do I run at this track under general FC discussion....

[xmazdatracy]

Got this far in life with a harbor freight pop rivet tool and hf pop rivets, but just couldn't take it any more. Ordered up a pneumatic tool along with wide head aluminum and steel inner pop rivets since I now finally have a compressor that works. I had wired the house for a 240 outlet for the compressor that I got ten years ago , but it never worked (used). The other day I was "gifted" a much nicer and newer one. I have the compressor in the utility closet in the basement. So its nice and quiet in the garage. Let the air tool collection begin!

Also I was asked how I go to the narrow pods. That little well crafted piece of sheet aluminum sitting on the frame. That's how. Two of them holds the rads in place, and then I bolt up the pods around them. Two narrows on each side for the narrow pods, and I had two wide sets made for the wide pods. Also for the wide pods I made some pod floors out of dry erase board.


I have no idea how this thing ever worked. Any ideas on how to straighten this? How do you know where to glue in place? Do you just glue it up then stick it on the car and let it dry?


FINALLY the last of the red is gone!

[Purple Frog]

If you know how to work with glass you can cut it out and rebuild proper.

If not you can cut it out and build metal flanges on each side to support a steel rod.

All my Reynards, the wing pole went all the way through the nose and the wing pole was supported by the nose box/attenuator.

[xmazdatracy]

This one is a double pole setup. So I need to kinda "tack" it in there while its in place and then I can come back in there and glass it in proper.


But first I will need some radiator pipe extenders. Looks like the narrow pods have the rads sit up a bit farther forward than I thought.

[kea]

But first I will need some radiator pipe extenders. Looks like the narrow pods have the rads sit up a bit farther forward than I thought.

For the normal Utra side pods, the rad's go in the same spot. From what I see, yours have been modified.

[Purple Frog]

Keith is correct.
On your pods someboby cut out the side holes larger than standard.

It appears your rads are in the correct place.

Time for a little aluminum and rivets...

[xmazdatracy]

Nope. I am going from a pair of unique pods to ultra pods. The larger pods are not stock Reynard pods. I had to move up the rads a few inches to get them in the right spot for the ultra pods. After getting the pneumatic pop rivet gun and some quality pop rivets from speedway motors this is extremely easy to do. Damn near fun after decades of using HORRIBLE rivets and hand rivet gun from harbor freight. 4 couplers from Pegasus, a foot of hose and I am ready to go! Next is the nose. Wings are painted and a new wing bar are waiting for my terrible glass work. Here are some pics.







Who else color sands after spray painting?

[Purple Frog]

You may want to flare that piece of metal that is rubbing on the top aluminum pipe where it passes into the chassis.
Vibrations could cause it to wear into the pipe.

[CGOffroad]

That is a sleek looking design. Looks a bit 'Carbir-ish' from the top view. How far did you end up moving the radiator forward? Are you putting Nomex Honeycomb on the front of radiator to protect it? Might just be how tracks are in the desert regions.... but man do our radiators front side fins seem to take a beating!

[kea]

Here is a photo of a Reynard with Ultra-side covers. The radiators are in the original position (for-aft) as the factory covers.

[xmazdatracy]

OK, cut that lopsided bar out of the nose with one of those vibrating saw things. Then ground alot of terrible glasswork out from the inside so now the nose can fit around my shock reservoirs. A bit of trimming and re-mounting of the hardware (with backing plates not duct tape) and now it fits flush with the rest of the car.

However the wing pole goes through the tip of the nose and is very unstable/loose. The cross section is 3 1/2". What should I do to stabilize it? Should I drill a hole to it and squeeze in that two part foam stuff? Or take it all the way out and put that two part foam in and re-drill the hole? Or should I buy a larger piece of pipe and drill the hole out bigger and slide the wing pole though that???

The good stuff.

[kea]

One thing I see in your picture.
If those are Ultra wings, they do not require and were not designed for your little winglets on the top. They will create more load then you can possible balance out with the rear wing. They also add more drag, interference with air flow to the radiator and rear diffuser, then if you ran them as designed.

[Purple Frog]

OK...

By the way Averill is dead on. Those winglets are totally un-needed. Might look cool, but they will slow you down.

The Averill wings are super efficient. I always ran them at 0 degrees, or even -1 degree.

About the wing pole. The nose should hold the wing pole fairly tight.
That wing creates like 300 lb. of downforce... I don't think foam is the answer to your problem.
If the two sides were beefed up with glass and drilled for a tight fit of the wing pole, that would work even without a sleeve.

The problem with foam will arise when you need to insert your spare wing pole in a hurry.
Maybe wrap the pole in one or two wraps of tin foil, insert it, and then pour some resin inside the nose around the pole...

If the wings are a bit loose laterally on the wing pole, either drill another hole for the pin, or fab up a bushing to put between the end plate and the pin.

[xmazdatracy]

I like that last idea best. I will drill down from the inside through the foam to the pole hole since I have not glassed in the actual holding pole yet. And yeah put some tin foil around the wing pole so it does not get glued in there. But use resin not foam.

I bought a new wing pole with enough left over to make the actual holding pole too. That way I can switch between noses with doing nothing but popping them on and off. But if I ever catch a wing on something/someone, and using the tin foil idea I can still switch the pole out. Thanks!

Yeah, not surprising. I will take the winglets off. Should I make new end plates?

[BruceRace]

I used waxed paper....worked great when I glassed it in the nose.....

[xmazdatracy]

Done with the exception of decals.

Lost track of the aluminum side thingys, so I needed to make new ones. And since I dont have that thin of aluminum laying around, so I used some wood I had waiting outside in the rain for something.


one side just bare glass and the other (bottom) I put a layer of that 407 stuff over the glass, and sanded it down to 220 grit then painted it all simi-gloss black.

I was able to cut the extra aluminum bar piece to the size just a touch bigger and then crammed on the nose in the correct position and then took it off and it was stuck in the correct orientation.


No more 1 1/2" gap between the nose and body. And dont worry I will be taking the winglets off next chance I have some free time.

[Purple Frog]

Great progress!

You have to put a bigger pad on that headrest... just saying.
Even if you cut out a round piece of plywood and screw it on.
A little foam and wrap with something.
Even if only to keep your helmet from getting scratched.

I also suspect the upper mounts for your shoulder harnesses are too low.
Go out to the HANS site and read the documents for correct belt placement.
There are some good historic threads on Apexspeed on how to retrofit Reynards for proper belt placement.
Averill did a great job on Meyer's car many years ago and there were pictures in the thread.

On most cars the shoulder harness top mounts are up on , or almost on, that horizontal bar holding the headrest.

See example of way to have 4 different settings...

[xmazdatracy]

I was a bit nervous with the ultra nose, so I just used the stock one. Still waiting on the number sticker and the avrill die-cast sticker any how. But outside of the carb needing to be rebuilt (dumps gas like crazy when you touch the gas pedal when parked after a session) this car runs perfect. Thank you to all for all the help. Especially for the RA event. I was right at 7K into ever braking zone. Gear selection was spot on. Full throttle from the last 3/4 of the carousel all the way to the Canadian corner. What a blast. I new I could push it a bit more if I pulled back on the rear sway bar, but I was by myself (1 of 6) and had a oily track to play on... *cough* HD *cough* But I am looking to move on. Just thought I would post up a pick before I pay apex to list her.

Thanks again.
The Village Idiot

[xmazdatracy]

Finally got the stickers. Hope she does not sit too long.