I bought a small vice, hoping to fit the rear c/v joint in it and push the wheel studs through tightening the wheel nut over washers, as pictured two weeks ago. After some time and lots of puffing, I quit. It really didn't seem to move more than a third of what has to get in. I'll have to ask Steve if there is any problems in enlarging slightly the wholes. Otherwise, will have to take the rear calipers and wheel studs to the classical repair auto-shop and pay them to do it for me on their professional tools.
Then I used the vice to hold the tube where the upper rear caliper fits to. Steve told me I should put a file on it so that the caliper fits without effort, to make it easier to attach and detach it to adjust the wheel camber. I used an emery tip on my driller. Probably it's not the proper emery for steel, since it was doing it's job but taking a long time. We had visitors for dinner and I had to leave the job unfinished.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Drilling Holes - The Peddle Box
Finally mustered the needed courage to start drilling holes on the car. Summing it up, took me a bit over 1h30 and a 3mm drill bit to make 4 holes. But let's get into details...
Started by taking out the upper part of the steering column, since it got in the way and I assembled it too early.
Looking at the drill bits and the bolts that came with the peddle box, it seemed 8mm drill would make a hole too big. Started by drilling with a 3mm. When it went through the peddle box and the steel floor, it snapped. Enlarged the hole with a 4,5mm bit and ended up using the 8mm bit. The following two holes were done with the 4,5mm to mark the spot and the 8mm to open it up.
To finish that up, I went for the clutch cable, laid it in place and measured to drill for the clutch peddle stop bolt. Had to drill laying on my back from under the car. Ends up I measured once and drilled immediately... The mantra goes something like "Measure twice, drill once". I had to enlarge the hole to one side so that the bolt would actually stop the peddle. Enlarging with just the drill bit is not easy. But in the end, it all worked out well and the washers cover the enlarged hole.
Just a note on the clutch cable. It fits on the peddle with a bolt that came with it. But the bolt is too long. It would either had to be inserted on the peddle before attaching the peddle box to the car or be shorter. I'll have to shorten it up around 2mm to make it go through.
Started by taking out the upper part of the steering column, since it got in the way and I assembled it too early.
Looking at the drill bits and the bolts that came with the peddle box, it seemed 8mm drill would make a hole too big. Started by drilling with a 3mm. When it went through the peddle box and the steel floor, it snapped. Enlarged the hole with a 4,5mm bit and ended up using the 8mm bit. The following two holes were done with the 4,5mm to mark the spot and the 8mm to open it up.
To finish that up, I went for the clutch cable, laid it in place and measured to drill for the clutch peddle stop bolt. Had to drill laying on my back from under the car. Ends up I measured once and drilled immediately... The mantra goes something like "Measure twice, drill once". I had to enlarge the hole to one side so that the bolt would actually stop the peddle. Enlarging with just the drill bit is not easy. But in the end, it all worked out well and the washers cover the enlarged hole.
Just a note on the clutch cable. It fits on the peddle with a bolt that came with it. But the bolt is too long. It would either had to be inserted on the peddle before attaching the peddle box to the car or be shorter. I'll have to shorten it up around 2mm to make it go through.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
The Rear Uprights Revisited
Last weekend I had to work so I didn't get any kit car time. It was the first weekend I failed to put some hours on the kit since I started building it. It made me very sad.
But it was not all stopped. I swapped several emails with Steve from Aries regarding the distances between p-clips for the brake and petrol pipes and also about the rear uprights. As usual, Steve is a top person, very helpful and very interested. If I go over 4 weeks without sending him an email, he mails me to ask if everything is going well. This is top customer service!
Summing up the emails, for the p-clips the IVA man doesn't require 100mm between p-clips. He wants the pipes to be secure. Steve recommends the 100mm but he reckons that in some places a bigger spacing (150mm) is acceptable while in others the pipes get more secure with a shorter distance. I should use discretion and reason while doing this and be sure the pipes don't rub any metal from the chassis.
Steve also questioned me about the need I had to enlarge the hole on the rear suspension pickup by 1mm. It shouldn't have been needed. Probably, if I had taken out the bush tube and rubbers and fitted them again with more lithium grease, it would have gone into place. Anyway, no big harm done.
He additionally told me I should use the extra bush pipe he sent me, instead of washers, to make space on the lower axle of the upright. The bush pipe would have to be cut in half. As I don't have a tool for that, I questioned about using washers (even if I had to buy more) and he said it would be OK. But no washers on the back of the upright, only on the front side. (see edit at the bottom)
He added that the upright should get into place on the top wishbone bush tube easily to allow for later camber adjustment. That would require some filling of the bush pipe and rubber. I had to hammer that into place...
So, when I got to the car today I started by taking out the rear uprights and the upper bush tubes. I'll work all that out on my bench and then reassemble it all on the car.
One of the upright axles was slightly damaged on my hammering spree two weeks ago. The thread is a bit thorn and now the nut will not screw in. I tried to amend that with a file and a little hacksaw. It's not good yet, but I may be able to fix my mistake.
My last task was to try to fit the wheel studs on the outer c/v joints. A blog reader (thank you daveyboy) told be Steve had said to put loads of washers on the stud and then use a wheel nut to pull the stud into place. I tried that but the outer joint would start to rotate and I couldn't manage it. I'll have to try again later with the outer joint hold up tight in some way...
I'm considering buying a vice for my stand, would help me a lot in a couple of jobs I'll have in the future...
EDIT - 2013-03-24 - It is very important that the washers are really all at the front. It ensures proper castor settings and it also prevents the rod rubbing the inside of the wheel. Additionally, it is easier to set as accurate as possible the toe and camber at this point. Since I didn't manage to properly measure the settings, I used the same as a similar car from another builder, that was professionally set. See 2013-03-24 post for more information.
But it was not all stopped. I swapped several emails with Steve from Aries regarding the distances between p-clips for the brake and petrol pipes and also about the rear uprights. As usual, Steve is a top person, very helpful and very interested. If I go over 4 weeks without sending him an email, he mails me to ask if everything is going well. This is top customer service!
Summing up the emails, for the p-clips the IVA man doesn't require 100mm between p-clips. He wants the pipes to be secure. Steve recommends the 100mm but he reckons that in some places a bigger spacing (150mm) is acceptable while in others the pipes get more secure with a shorter distance. I should use discretion and reason while doing this and be sure the pipes don't rub any metal from the chassis.
Steve also questioned me about the need I had to enlarge the hole on the rear suspension pickup by 1mm. It shouldn't have been needed. Probably, if I had taken out the bush tube and rubbers and fitted them again with more lithium grease, it would have gone into place. Anyway, no big harm done.
He additionally told me I should use the extra bush pipe he sent me, instead of washers, to make space on the lower axle of the upright. The bush pipe would have to be cut in half. As I don't have a tool for that, I questioned about using washers (even if I had to buy more) and he said it would be OK. But no washers on the back of the upright, only on the front side. (see edit at the bottom)
He added that the upright should get into place on the top wishbone bush tube easily to allow for later camber adjustment. That would require some filling of the bush pipe and rubber. I had to hammer that into place...
So, when I got to the car today I started by taking out the rear uprights and the upper bush tubes. I'll work all that out on my bench and then reassemble it all on the car.
One of the upright axles was slightly damaged on my hammering spree two weeks ago. The thread is a bit thorn and now the nut will not screw in. I tried to amend that with a file and a little hacksaw. It's not good yet, but I may be able to fix my mistake.
My last task was to try to fit the wheel studs on the outer c/v joints. A blog reader (thank you daveyboy) told be Steve had said to put loads of washers on the stud and then use a wheel nut to pull the stud into place. I tried that but the outer joint would start to rotate and I couldn't manage it. I'll have to try again later with the outer joint hold up tight in some way...
EDIT - 2013-03-24 - It is very important that the washers are really all at the front. It ensures proper castor settings and it also prevents the rod rubbing the inside of the wheel. Additionally, it is easier to set as accurate as possible the toe and camber at this point. Since I didn't manage to properly measure the settings, I used the same as a similar car from another builder, that was professionally set. See 2013-03-24 post for more information.
Monday, November 8, 2010
EB Cargo Bad Service and Partial Refund
As I had mentioned before, I contracted through Shiply a freight forwarder to bring me the crate with my kit car. I contracted collection and delivery door-to-door and stated I needed equipment to load and unload the 650Kg crate to/from the transport.
EB Cargo (http://www.ebcargo.co.uk/) from Tamworth bid a very low price and they later revised it to more than double. As I posted on the 2nd August, they failed to provide lifting equipment on collection and Steve from Aries had to save the day getting a forklift.
If any readers have noticed, on the 11th August I had to pick the kit from a warehouse instead of having it delivered on my doorstep, as agreed and paid for. The reason was that EB Cargo stated, after the kit was already in transit, that they were not providing proper lifting equipment on delivery. Additionally, if I wanted to have that equipment, I would have to pay additional 210£. So I talked with the Portuguese transportation company and arranged to collect myself from their warehouse.
After having the kit, I tried to negotiate with EB Cargo for a refund for contracted but not delivered services (the lifting equipment). After all. they bumped the price to more than double for the equipment... They refused to give me the 315£ refund I wanted and would not accept the compromise I proposed of returning 190£ that was the difference between their price and what DHL would charge me for the same level of service (no equipment on collection, delivery to a warehouse near Lisbon). That compromise was based on the fact that, if they had told me that the 505£ didn't include equipment, I would have declined and gone for DHL. EB Cargo's manager named Brian Keates was almost abusive declining any responsibility, saying I had no reason and stating they would not refund more than 60£, the amount pertaining to the transport between Montijo and Lisbon, that I didn't get.
I then filed a complain through Paypal but they closed it immediately since they don't mediate service complaints.
My last chance was to complain directly to VISA. I filed the complain there, had to write a detailed document with my reasoning, scanned documents, emails and pictures. It was a 10 page document. I requested the 315£ refund but stated I would be OK with the compromise amount of 190£ refund. VISA later sent me EB Cargo's reply where they said they had provided 95% of the contracted service and as such would only refund 60£. VISA asked if I had anything to add. I rewrote a summary of my first document and stated that the percentage of delivered service was less. I also stated again my compromise amount.
Today VISA ruled the verdict and I was refunded 190£ through a charge back. I'm very happy! Not as much because of the money but mostly because EB Cargo was not serious on this matter and wrongs have been made right with the ruling. I would love to have seen Brian Keates face when he found out he's shaddy business actions had come back to bit his wallet.
Just to show two other actions EB Cargo and Brian Keates did that were shaddy...
1) When I gave them the date to collect the crate, he asked for the final crate dimensions. It was a bit bigger than stated before and he bumped the price around 30£. Seems fair to me. But he didn't give the new dimensions to the transportation companies, thus he pocketed that amount. I found that out because on the release form from the Portuguese transportation company the crate dimensions were the old ones.
2) When Brian sent me the email saying EB Cargo would charge me additional 210£ for proper equipment to download the crate from the truck at my doorstep, he was saying that it was the transport company demanding. He sent the full email history exchanged between EB Cargo, RH and Rangel. But he manually edited the company's price conversion from € to £ in a way that would make him pocket 20£ more. It's fare for him to have his margin on top of all services he would resell me, but not hide that margin, specially when it was a service that supposedly was already included...
So, final note... Never do business with EB Cargo (http://www.ebcargo.co.uk/) from Tamworth. As a freight forwarder, they acted shaddy and were not professional. Great I paid with VISA, otherwise I would have no way to avoid their scam.
Positive note to RH and Rangel, the UK and Portuguese transport companies that belong to the System Alliance Europe group of transport companies. The people from Rangel were also great to allow me to occupy a cargo bay on their enormous warehouse, for a whole morning, where I could open the crate and move it to my rented van.
EB Cargo (http://www.ebcargo.co.uk/) from Tamworth bid a very low price and they later revised it to more than double. As I posted on the 2nd August, they failed to provide lifting equipment on collection and Steve from Aries had to save the day getting a forklift.
If any readers have noticed, on the 11th August I had to pick the kit from a warehouse instead of having it delivered on my doorstep, as agreed and paid for. The reason was that EB Cargo stated, after the kit was already in transit, that they were not providing proper lifting equipment on delivery. Additionally, if I wanted to have that equipment, I would have to pay additional 210£. So I talked with the Portuguese transportation company and arranged to collect myself from their warehouse.
After having the kit, I tried to negotiate with EB Cargo for a refund for contracted but not delivered services (the lifting equipment). After all. they bumped the price to more than double for the equipment... They refused to give me the 315£ refund I wanted and would not accept the compromise I proposed of returning 190£ that was the difference between their price and what DHL would charge me for the same level of service (no equipment on collection, delivery to a warehouse near Lisbon). That compromise was based on the fact that, if they had told me that the 505£ didn't include equipment, I would have declined and gone for DHL. EB Cargo's manager named Brian Keates was almost abusive declining any responsibility, saying I had no reason and stating they would not refund more than 60£, the amount pertaining to the transport between Montijo and Lisbon, that I didn't get.
I then filed a complain through Paypal but they closed it immediately since they don't mediate service complaints.
My last chance was to complain directly to VISA. I filed the complain there, had to write a detailed document with my reasoning, scanned documents, emails and pictures. It was a 10 page document. I requested the 315£ refund but stated I would be OK with the compromise amount of 190£ refund. VISA later sent me EB Cargo's reply where they said they had provided 95% of the contracted service and as such would only refund 60£. VISA asked if I had anything to add. I rewrote a summary of my first document and stated that the percentage of delivered service was less. I also stated again my compromise amount.
Today VISA ruled the verdict and I was refunded 190£ through a charge back. I'm very happy! Not as much because of the money but mostly because EB Cargo was not serious on this matter and wrongs have been made right with the ruling. I would love to have seen Brian Keates face when he found out he's shaddy business actions had come back to bit his wallet.
Just to show two other actions EB Cargo and Brian Keates did that were shaddy...
1) When I gave them the date to collect the crate, he asked for the final crate dimensions. It was a bit bigger than stated before and he bumped the price around 30£. Seems fair to me. But he didn't give the new dimensions to the transportation companies, thus he pocketed that amount. I found that out because on the release form from the Portuguese transportation company the crate dimensions were the old ones.
2) When Brian sent me the email saying EB Cargo would charge me additional 210£ for proper equipment to download the crate from the truck at my doorstep, he was saying that it was the transport company demanding. He sent the full email history exchanged between EB Cargo, RH and Rangel. But he manually edited the company's price conversion from € to £ in a way that would make him pocket 20£ more. It's fare for him to have his margin on top of all services he would resell me, but not hide that margin, specially when it was a service that supposedly was already included...
So, final note... Never do business with EB Cargo (http://www.ebcargo.co.uk/) from Tamworth. As a freight forwarder, they acted shaddy and were not professional. Great I paid with VISA, otherwise I would have no way to avoid their scam.
Positive note to RH and Rangel, the UK and Portuguese transport companies that belong to the System Alliance Europe group of transport companies. The people from Rangel were also great to allow me to occupy a cargo bay on their enormous warehouse, for a whole morning, where I could open the crate and move it to my rented van.
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