- Modified and left hand fuel level sender. Now I have both sides done. I have also ordered and received all the seals (Filler neck, drain plug and fuel sender) and two lock rings to hold the senders in. I have also ordered two Dan-Mark electronic fuel shutoff switches that I will install in the lines coming from each fuel tank. This will allow me to manage the supply from each fuel tank separately. Now all I need to do is make some fittings to go into the tank, and coat the left hand tank (original) with my Eastwood fuel take coating. I bought a new right hand tank that needs to be painted on the outside. Then I can install the tanks!
- More work on the Information Center. Now that I have the circuit boards done, LEDs and switches soldered and wire harnesses done, I needed to mount the circuit board in the shift handle bezel. I got on my 3D printer and created two mounting brackets, a slide activator and a switch shaft guide.
The slide activator will be glued to the gear indicator that is part of the original bezel. As the indicator moves, it pulls the activator along, pressing each switch in turn. I've got to make a few changes to my design, but here is the basic layout:
- ACC and Ignition circuit - I started to put together the ACC and Ignition circuit relays. It takes four relays to make my circuit work and I had to find a place to mount them. Fortunately there is a great space right above the steering column. I put the wiring together with the diodes soldered in line with the wiring, but the more I think about it, the more I don't like the idea. I think I'm going to create a small circuit board and mount the diodes on it instead. I also have a LED dimmer circuit board for the instrumentation lights that I need to mount. So I think I am going to get a small mounting box for Radio Shack and put both in there and mount it under the dash next to the relays. Should be much more secure that way!
- Also started to do some wire harness clean-up. I've recently looked a lot of Mars Curiosity mission photos here (http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/images/?s=1) and noticed that most of the visible wire harness on the rover are held together with cable lacing.
This is a very old electronics technique of using waxed string, tied at certain intervals, to hold the wires together. A good description of the technique is here (http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles/cable_lace/cable_lace.html). I did a lot of this in the USAF to secure wire harness or to replace wraps done at the factory that had to be removed to repair the components. The advantages of this process are:
- No sharp edges, unlike tie wraps
- The tread is not heat or cold senstive unlike nylon used in tie wraps
- When the wax gets a little warm, it actually melts and creates a more secure knot, sort of like dropping a dollop of glue on the knot.
- No chaffing of the wires in other bundles, which tie wraps can cause when bundles lay on top of each other
Disadvantages:
- Your fingers get all sticky from the wax.
- It takes a hell of a lot of time to do!
But, as you have probably guessed since I've spent so much time talking about it, I started cable lacing my harness this weekend. Here is a couple of pictures:
HAY! If it's good enough for NASA, It's just good enough for my Jaguar.
BTW - for those who are interested, I found this very interesting guide from NASA on how to create wire harness and electrical connectors. Thank you wikipedia!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_lacing
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codeq/doctree/87394.pdf
- Center Console - As I stated in a prior post, I laid up the center console and was not happy with the results. I spend a great deal of time Friday night sanding on the console and I think it is just not going to work in its present form! Pretty bummed about that! I'm going to try filling some of the gaps with body filler, get it to the shape I want, then do an external layup of carbon fiber. I'm going to try gluing the carbon fiber to the base using 3M Super 77 adhesive in all the high angle places so that the fiber says put. Then I will coat that in epoxy resin and clear coat. I'm really hoping this is going to work! If it doesn't I may end up needing to build another mold and trying again, only vacuum bag it this time.
- Chrome cleaning and parts ordering. Continued to do chrome and parts cleaning. I got the grill done this weekend, which is a really big endeavor! I also got the Cordoba headlight surrounds in that I ordered from ebay and they are in pretty good shape. I may have then re-chromed anyway, but they are good as they are.
I've also been watching ebay for some harder to find parts. For example, I found left and right hand all red rear tail light lens in good used shape. I bought both of them since the all red ones are pretty rare. I had one that was cracked already, so that will be a good replacement. I also found some good used chrome trunk parts. And, find of finds, a brand new in the box set of side view mirrors! The car was only fitted with one and that one is a little, well, used. So now I will be able to replace the left hand one, and mount a right hand one! That will make those right hand merges into traffic that we like so much here in Seattle a little easier!
So, that's it for this weekend. I guess I did get a lot done. Just doesn't always feel like it!
