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UC Bonnet Wobble


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#1 knoath

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Posted 29 October 2006 - 08:22 PM

I hate how the bonnet wobbles over 80K's....is it worth raising the outer bonnet stops and lowering the bonnet catch? (I think I think I've got it as low as it'll go!!!)
Will a set of bonnet pins be the answer I'm looking for???

Got me stuffed, and I think there's a couple of other UC owners out there who may be interested in an answer.

Thanks.

#2 _devilsadvocate_

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Posted 29 October 2006 - 10:32 PM

Points to check:
Rubber blocks along the edge of the guards should be a snug fit, however, with time they will have perished, also relies on perfect guard bonnet alignment, which could have drifted over the years, or if the bonnet was removed.
Worn bonnet hinges, can create too much side to side movement and not seat it down properly at the rear.
The adjustement of the height of the supports at the front is important, as is every other point, need to check each point is touching when closed, (a dab of something on every surface should transfer to its intended touching surface when the bonnet is closed)
Tension on the bonnet catch should be firm, but dont overdo it, the plastic release lever might pop out of its pivot......a lot of fun.
I dont see bonnet pins as a solution to it wobbling, they would have to be fastened tightly and at more than just two points.......their purpose is to provide just a safeguard against it flying up in your face.
Even making sure all of the above is perfect, I dont think they were ever completely still, whether this makes them more prone to pop open?..........Ive never heard reports of a problem here or experienced anything myself.
If you were going to race or rally it then install pins(as you would in any car), otherwise I'd think you might be asking constable plod to take a closer look at your car(firstly to check the pins are legal.....not above the surface)......and under the bonnet......and he may be disappointed in the lack of conformity with adr27a

#3 _Keithy's_UC_

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 09:34 AM

Guess what dick... Welcome to UC land!! Mine has wobbled since i can remember! Dont be afraid of it hitting you in the head though - i just proved that 7000km of bonnet wobble and even through the extreme wind conditions in northern NSW still isnt enough to lift it!!

Its due to the different front end design, where you'll not the LX's down didnt do it because the front panel remained in place when you lift the bonnet on an LX whereas the grille on a UC is all thats left, and plenty of air gets past it!! Consider it a 'cold air intake system'!!

Sarsha and Nathan may be able to tell you if bonnet pins help with the squirming a bit or not!

Hows the donk?

Keith

Edited by Keithy's_UC, 30 October 2006 - 09:36 AM.


#4 knoath

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 10:41 AM

Yeah....thanks Keith.
Cold air induction 'eh? I like it! :spoton:

The motor is purring.... it runs pretty cool though...without the thermos coming on (in the mornings to work), it barely registers in the 'normal' range. But it doesn't seem to worry it at all.
1 thing I have noticed is the oil pressure guage reads very high...like on the high side of normal, and beyond.
I'm using the sender from the orig 202....could there be a discrepancy between it and the black block?
Oil pump looks standard, dunno if high volume pumps are just different internally, if it is a HV pump, would this explain the higher reading?

I'm thinking of getting some guages (water, oil press, volts) just to keep a better eye on things....I know I've got the factory ones in the dash, but they're really only a rough guide, I'd like something a bit more accurate.

Over all, everything's really good so far.
The missus reckons the note's a bit loud :D , I'll be going back to the exhaust place Wednesday to do the DB test.
:rockon:
Cheers.... :spoton:

#5 _Keithy's_UC_

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 02:16 PM

I rekon you get the gauges similar to mine dick... I have aftermarket oil pressure and water temperature gauges. Both are mechanical gauges, so if i lose power for whatever reason, they will still work. I run at about 40psi oil pressure at any given time and about 20psi at idle...

Cheers
Keith

#6 knoath

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 02:44 PM

No worries Keith.
Were your guages Speco?
They were the Cobalt Blue 2 1/4 inch weren't they???

I'm thinking... would 3x 2in guages fit across the old radio facia in the console?

#7 makka

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 06:11 PM

Hey Dick, see what happens when you buy a UC? you start to notice all the things wrong with them! no matter how much you keep telling your self that they are good :tease:

#8 _Keithy's_UC_

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 08:07 PM

Mine are speco, but not cobalt (my tacho is cobalt)... They are 2 1/8" water temp and oil pressure, and if i remember correctly they cost me $60 each, and i had them hooked up and wired (for lighting purposes at night) in an hour...

You can get them at autobarn or your local performance parts place...

I have mine located above the shifter in the recess where you can stash coins and tic-tac's!! I purchased a $5 gauge holder (also speco) to mount them.

Cheers
Keith

Edited by Keithy's_UC, 30 October 2006 - 08:08 PM.


#9 _devilsadvocate_

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 08:08 PM

Easy ^, the UC gauges are fine, they offer high precision and their accuracy will depend on the care taken in calibrating them. You can do that yourself though, just need to take some measurements and establish particular points on the dials correspond to particular temps, volts and oil pressure readings.
Temperature and voltage are easy, oil not so easy......I have a low pressure switch which will come on at 7psi, so I know where that is on the gauge and also know where the max oil pressure is which must be the relief spring setting of whatever? Dont know what use its going to be to know whether one has 35psi of oil pressure or 40psi at a particular rpm, all one really needs to see is if the needle drops from the position it is normally at for that rpm and temperature to see if you have developed a problem.
If you do need to know exactly how many psi perhaps borrow a external gauge to get some firm readings and calibrate the uc gauge.
Anyway, seems like your keen on the look of the aftermarket gauges, they will certainly do the job.

#10 _Keithy's_UC_

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 08:11 PM

Mine dont really look that 'out of place', and work fine. They are about as accurate as your spelling devils!! ha ha!

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#11 knoath

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 08:22 PM

Before I opened this I thought "Oh here we go....I'll have to tell someone to Harden the f#@k up here...!!" makka.....:tease:

He he he.... you know what they say... jealousy's a curse! :tease: :finger:

I was working out my fuel economy tonight, and the way things are going, I'm gunna get an extra 100 k's outta this donk than the standard 202 with the auto!!!
Just been pottering around on the primaries so far, a squirt here and there, but nothing too wild (yet)

Hey, I can handle a bit of a wobble up front (got the gut to prove it!! :spoton: )

Ahh-Ha! I knew I'd seen Cobalt somewhere!
Hey Keith.... any chance I could spy a pic of this bracket you bought ?? How did it mount up??
Looks like 3 guages across might be too crowded.
Are your guages THAT accurate, Keith?

Thanks for the info Devil's.... didn't think they'd be so spot on....just a guide...
Cheers... :D

Edited by knoath, 30 October 2006 - 08:30 PM.


#12 Heath

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 08:32 PM

hehe good one Dick.

If you lift the bonnet up at the back (look appeals to some) to let some of the air flow out of there (great for cooling too!) would it make a difference?

#13 _devilsadvocate_

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 08:43 PM

Keithy, all I can say is "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"........is that big circle on the right of the steering wheel(looks like half a tree worth of wood) to help your counting? :D

Edited by devilsadvocate, 30 October 2006 - 08:43 PM.


#14 knoath

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 08:45 PM

Aaaaw moi Gooord Maaate....dunno why I nevva fort of it befoor...fully sick maaate!!!!

I'll chuck on some stick on bonnet vents from Autobahn!!!!

Vat'll get rid of va air maaate!

Siiick,

^^^ Oooh...nasty Devil's...got something against woodgrain steering wheels?
A greenie in disguise perhaps... he he he.

Each to their own fella's.... at least we're not getting around in rice....

Edited by knoath, 30 October 2006 - 08:49 PM.


#15 _devilsadvocate_

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 08:56 PM

Think weve done the bonnet gap thing b4.
There is already an air gap on both sides of the plenum grille, but the middle should be blocked off by a rubber seal so that hot air is not sucked down through the plenum chamber when using the flow through ventilation.
One other theory being that the air gets sucked into the engine bay via this gap, in the same way it gets sucked into an a9x scoop.
Cant say my testing of plenum temps supported this at speeds up to 80kmh. There maybe different results without an engine fan, was going to test that out this winter..........forgot.......I only run the engine clutch fan in summer........or when the 1st 30+ degree day hits, which was very early this year!
I like the original type woodgrain steering wheels on sports cars etc..........my comment in respect to Keithy's being more than half a tree was (perhaps too subtle) a way of pointing out that it possibly doesnt meet the design rules in terms of collapse standards.

Edited by devilsadvocate, 30 October 2006 - 09:06 PM.


#16 knoath

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 09:19 PM

Devil's wrote

Cant say my testing of plenum temps supported this at speeds up to 80kmh. There maybe different results without an engine fan, was going to test that out this winter


You've tested this? Have you got a wind tunnel or something devil's? How would one go about testing such a theory in the real world?

my comment in respect to Keithy's being more than half a tree was (perhaps too subtle) a way of pointing out that it possibly doesnt meet the design rules in terms of collapse standards.


You really are a stickler for the rules, 'eh Devil's?
Do aftermarket steering wheels such as Keithy's bypass all relevant design standards... dunno, just something you brought up.

Always like to read your commentary Devil's, always informative.
Thanks again.

#17 Heath

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 09:30 PM

my comment in respect to Keithy's being more than half a tree was (perhaps too subtle) a way of pointing out that it possibly doesnt meet the design rules in terms of collapse standards.

Probably not, but it's probably better than a lot out there. Just be happy he's not using this. :rolleyes:

Well, the Billet wheel could be pretty damn dangerous (despite what I thought when I read your post - *Just another stupid DA comment*), but there isn't necessarily a better alternative.

I don't think any wheels would really 'collapse' effectively. Too weak (like a cracked old 50's steering wheel) the wheel shatters and your face goes strait into the centre of the steering column, too hard (like that metal one, lol!) and you whack your face into the wheel and hurt yourself...

Maybe something to consider when selecting a wheel, but whether it meets the original standards or not is irrelevant. It's gonna hurt like f*ck anyway and it's still a lose-lose situation.

Edited by Heath, 30 October 2006 - 09:35 PM.


#18 _devilsadvocate_

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 09:46 PM

Yes, the standard wheels are very easy to bend at both the spokes and the rim and of course the entire column should collapse fowards as well so you dont get impaled on the centre. Whether Keithy's meets the standards I dont know, but 1.5 inch diameter wood........would seem unlikely, but there is hopefully standards in place regarding the sale of these wheels for aftermarket use.
Knoath, I dont have a wind tunnel but have put temp probes in the plenum chamber just outside the gaps on the bonnet, if we get hotter than ambient air readings on the probes the air is coming out rather than in the engine compartment. The rubber seal is effective in stopping the hot air getting to the plenum area. It is easy to feel the air at the gaps when stationary with the motor going( with fan)
Anyway, pic below is how I like my torry to look:
Posted Image

#19 Heath

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 09:51 PM

More of the DA's vehicle is slowly revealed.

Do you actually have a cardomain site or do you just use it for hosting images? :P

#20 _devilsadvocate_

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 10:03 PM

just for hosting images.

Heath:

and your face goes strait into

:<_<: homophones.......again......was "Bass straight or something" in the words of Ostentatious.........or was it Austen Tayshus

Edited by devilsadvocate, 30 October 2006 - 10:16 PM.


#21 _studricho_

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 11:09 PM

The bonnet woble thing can be caused by worn rubbers and hinges, i agree. What gets my goat is the lift of the bonnet on the left hand side looking out from behind wheel.

I've had numerous panel beaters and mates try to fix it and we came to the conclusion it was a design fault in the bonnet latch bracket mounted in front of the radiater. It's rather weak and held together with two old school pop rivets.

I wonder if you welded this up if it would solve the problem?

Has anyone try this?

#22 _devilsadvocate_

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 11:36 PM

1 thing I have noticed is the oil pressure guage reads very high...like on the high side of normal, and beyond.
I'm using the sender from the orig 202....could there be a discrepancy between it and the black block?
Oil pump looks standard, dunno if high volume pumps are just different internally, if it is a HV pump, would this explain the higher reading?

Just took this in:
I take it the sender is the same as fitted to the original 202 as came with the uc. Where did the pressure sit on the gauge with the old motor.
The sender should only react to absolute oil pressure, what type of pump or motor shouldnt effect it how it works. The max oil pressure(relief spring setting) ought to be just inside of the solid line on the gauge at about the 1 oclock position, where is it going now? In comparison to the standard pump, a high vol pump should show the same max pressure when the oil is cold, and a slightly higher pressure(lower than the max when the oil is cold) when the oil is hot

Edited by devilsadvocate, 30 October 2006 - 11:41 PM.


#23 TerrA LX

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Posted 30 October 2006 - 11:37 PM

I run at about 40psi oil pressure at any given time and about 20psi at idle...

Cheers
Keith

id be seriously checking the accuracy of your guages as you should have about 10psi for every 1000rpm. with a max of about 75psi for 6cyl and about 65psi for V8 (holden).

#24 _Keithy's_UC_

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Posted 31 October 2006 - 05:44 PM

I run high viscosity oil and have a hv oil pump. The relief valve kicks in around 50psi by memory... With my standard 202 i ran an average of 25psi and 13psi respectively...

You should put up some of your spreadsheets devils... I'd be really interested to see them! Studes show that my steering column is collapsable where my steering wheel would rather i hit my head on the emblem...

Cracker!!
Keith

Edited by Keithy's_UC, 31 October 2006 - 05:45 PM.


#25 knoath

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Posted 31 October 2006 - 08:05 PM

Ahhhh, although a bit sheepish, I think I fixed the problem

Oh, you're gunna love this!!!! :rolleyes:

I was at home all day with the rug rats today, and while knoath jnr II was having a kip, I took knoath jnr out to the grudge.
Popped the bonnet and what's the first thing i see?

Two bolts missing from where the orig fan sheild USED to be....I hadn't replaced them after removing the sheild. :furious: :fool: :rolleyes:
So the bonnet catch plate (?) wasn't fixed to the radiator support. :fool:

So all should be fine now.




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