2 door VAE 306H

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kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

springs are all done, sports exhaust is sort of on (we had it and it clears the dampers better but won't be fully done til I fit the manifold).
Still needs a Torque check and paintmarking but I'll do that when the front bushes and ride height are done.
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Taken it for a short drive seems good, still compliant and not crashing through to the bump stops any more.
ride height looks good too.
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.

Next up find where the brake fluid is going (as its lost quite a bit and there are no drips servo is favourite) replace front bushes with poly, replace engine mounts, fit twin carbs and LCB exhaust.
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

had a quick look at the fron, I think tjis is the issue.
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only done around 5000 miles! I've got poly bushes to try this time. Plan to fit them here and to the top trunion but leave the tiebar rubber, worrried the poly ones will put too much bending load on the tie bar.
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

fitting the new bush went easily, only took 15 minutes.
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My son had been a bit overzealous with the underbody wax and grease gun which meant it was messy tnough.

Found the main cause of the knock, the caliper mounting bracket was moving a ting amount on the stub axle I'd fitted nylock nuts so it wasn't about to fall off though.

We had a problem with the brake disc not being seated on the hub properly giving enourmous runout, I suspect this is what's caused them to stretch a little. I've bought high tensile bolts and I'll clean all the paint off before I put it back together. Other side seems fine but I'll do the same anyway.
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

Both sides of the front suspension are now re-built, had to take the torsion bars back to the original spline as it was much to high, I will need to make a tool to to enable me to adjust the rear arm position.

Took it for a drive, the stiffer rear springs and telescopic dampers have transformed the way it drives, no crash through, neutral handling and still a decent ride.

next was to find out where the brake fluid was going, initialy I had assumed it was the puddle under the rear wheel but this turned out to be axle oil which was fixed with a new seal and speedi sleeve. Given everythingbelse was dry I wondered if it was leaking into the servo.

took the servo out and emptied this lot out, around a pint of brake fluid!
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That also explains the smoke at Idle I've never got too the bottom of.

New servo.purchassed and I've started fitting it.
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geoberni
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by geoberni »

kevin s wrote: Wed Nov 26, 2025 2:21 pm
New servo.purchassed and I've started fitting it.

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Does your fitting instructions not say to mount it with the air valve downwards?
I know many have been incorrectly fitted with it towards the top in the past.
Basil's was the wrong way up when I brought him; the fitting instructions were even in the document pile that I was given... :roll:
Image
.
Basically, fit the air valve to the top, you'll never bleed all the air from it....
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Basil the 1955 series II

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kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

It just says the out pipe should be angle upwards, mind you they are a mickey mouse translation. I'll see it It can be turned around, the old one was like this but prefer it to be right thanks.
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geoberni
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by geoberni »

kevin s wrote: Wed Nov 26, 2025 8:09 pm It just says the out pipe should be angle upwards, mind you they are a mickey mouse translation. I'll see it It can be turned around, the old one was like this but prefer it to be right thanks.
If you take a look at this link back in 2021, it's when I turned mine around as part of overhauling the brakes on Basil.
viewtopic.php?p=667139#p667139

Info there on how I got around problems.
And also includes links to good copies of the Lockheed/Delphi Instructions.
This youtube video is useful too.
https://youtu.be/7-xPLRbDiDw
Basil the 1955 series II

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kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

Previously it was where yours is but it made it very difficult to access the brake switch, radiator bolt and engine mount, putting it at the back seems to have fewer compromises. Its only got 2 mounting bolts so I think it will be easy to flip it 180 degrees, the pipes not yet being on. Currently sitting in Cologne airport after a few days at the vastly overpriced xmas markets, hopefully get a look at it tomorrow.
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by panky »

Here is how I mounted my servo. The orientation is as the instructions
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kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

I did think of putting it there but future plans include a LCB manifold, twin carbs and some better engine mounts so I wasn't sure if it would be in the way.
Turning it up the other way where it is will also tuck the feed pipe out of the way.
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

servo now fitted bled easily enough and brakes seem fine for the few feet I have driven it.
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also fitted one of the new mounts I made based on mx5 parts. I wanted something a bit more compliant than the pattern ones available nowadays, and happened to have these.
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from left to right, new tower, mx5 mount travel limiting box, mx5 mount, adaptor to engine front plate
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loosley fitted to car
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still need to findca new home for the washer bottle, if the pump will pull it through I'll put on the passenger side bulkhead.
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geoberni
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by geoberni »

kevin s wrote: Wed Dec 03, 2025 8:37 pm servo now fitted bled easily enough and brakes seem fine for the few feet I have driven it.


still need to findca new home for the washer bottle, if the pump will pull it through I'll put on the passenger side bulkhead.
:tu1:
Basil has a manual push button pump and washer bottle on the passenger bulkhead, which works fine.
(Old photo from when I brought him, been a few changes since; Servo turned over, Coil moved to bulkhead, new battery with posts to rear, correct SII Radiator fitted for starters... :wink: )
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Basil the 1955 series II

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kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

finaly got round to moving the washer bottle (electric pump draws fine from up there) and fitting the mx5 mount to the LHS.
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Sleeper
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by Sleeper »

Breather can to inner or outer air filter ?
What ignition are you using?
MX5 pc Valve ?

Looks good.

John ;-)
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

Its on a megajolt system which is based on the Ford edis technology. At the moment it is just an open breather into the dirty side of the aircleaner, plan is to fit twin SU's and the move to a mx5 pcv valve which will push in the top of the breather can.
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by Sleeper »

Nice

Megajolt, the mini-megasquirt system....timing programmable?

Would the PCValve benefit from being plumbed into the clean side of the air filter? ( more vacuum ).

" The system relies on engine vacuum to clear blow-by gases, preventing pressure buildup and oil leaks, and involves specific hoses and sometimes grommets that can fail over time. "

John ;-)
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

Yes its a mappable ignition.

the breather is only temporary, at the moment there is no pcv valve, when I fit the new manifold it has the correct take off to connect a pcv valve and it will be installed.
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

Finaly got round to doing a bit more, adjusting the front ride height, Its currently only a couple of mm off the bumpstops. I had tried moving the torsion bar 1 spline but that sat much to high, looked like some sort of gasser. So the next idea was to raise it a couple of holes on the adjustment plate. Rather than take it all appart I madeva contraption out of scrap to pull the arm down which worked perfectly. Basically it clamps around the torsion bar and hooks over the top of the reaction arm, then place a block of wood between it and the inner sill and wind the hook bit down with a piece of studding.
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Need to take it for a drive to settle things but based on the arm bolt going down approx 8mm and the ratio of the arm to wheel centre from the torsion bar being around 4 I 'm expecting to go up around 30mm which will be perfect.

Also took it for a drive and broke down many times, clearly a fuel issue It woud start and idle ok put put any load on and it spluttered to a halt. In the end it wouldn't even rev above a couple of thousand rpm. stripped it down and found the pipe between the jet and float chamber was restricted, blew it out and it seems OK now. next drive will tell!
Not sure how the sediment got there it has a filter king on it, only thing I can think is its historic from before that was fitted and been washed out of the float bowl (there7 wss loads in there too) due to it drying out with lack of use.

next up is fitting the recon twin carbs and LCB manifold, I'll add a second clear filter as well then.
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

ride height is much better, around 30mm clearance to the front bumpstop now, drives much better.
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Also re built the pair of SU's for it, cleaned in the ultrasonic cleaner, fortunately the spindles and linkages are in perfect condition, so I just changed the jets and float valves.
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Need to weld an oxygen sensor boss to the LCB downpipe so I can use my AFR gauge to set up then it can all be fitted to the car.
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

Started on fitting the carbs today.

starting point.
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pulled the manifolds off and test fitted the LCB, fits reasonably but is close to to the inner edge of the apperature it passes through, so this will need a little tweaking, also need to add a lamda sensor boss for my AFR gauge.
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then fitted the carbs, generally OK but the air cleaner is tight to the wiper motor so needed a bit cutting away, also close to the shock so may need some work. Other issues are the breather can will need tweaking as it hits the exhaust and the choke cable is now too short, all easily reslolved.
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