Brakes and exhaust

First job was to install the brake hoses and put some brake fluid in.   To begin I installed the new hoses for the front calipers.  These new hoses were needed due to the Wilwood Powerlites having a 3/8-27NPT thread - a tapered thread.  Rally design supplied an adapter for 3/8NPT to M10x1.0mm so I needed new hoses with a male bulkhead at one end and a female swivel at the other.  Another £45 I didnt know I had to spend!!

Once these hoses were installed I double checked everything was tight and fille the master cylender with fluid.  I am using Motul fully synthetic Dot 5.1.  I needed my dads help to operate the pedal while I opened the bleed nipples on the calipers, starting with the furthest away - NSR.

After a while some fluid was seen at the nipple so it tightened it back up and repeated for the other 3 callipers.  The Wilwoods had two bleed nipples as they are 4 pot with pistons on both sides.

To bleed the rear sierra calipers I needed to remove from the cradle and clamp in a position so that the bleed nipple was at the top.  This is because on the MK Indy, the calipers are mounted upside down so the handbrake cable doesnt touch the floor, which means air gets trapped when trying to bleed them in their upside down position.

Once all 4 were bled I opened each one up and allowed more fluid to escape to get any last remaining bubbles out.  By this point the brake pedal would only press half way down as opposed to hitting the bulkhead as it did when empty.

I put the wheels on and had a quick test outside while pushing the car - they seemed to work.  They will get a better test once the car is running properly.

One other issue is that the standard MK hoses on the rear sierra calipers rub the inside of the wheels!!!  Looks like I am going to need to buy some new rear hoses now - an angled banjo will solve the issue as it will send the hose immediately out, not down onto the wheel.

Wilwood adapter and new hoses

Hoses are about 20mm too long but better to be long than short!

Rear caliper clamped so bleed nipple is at the top

Mintex pads installed - Antivibration rubbers stuck to brake pads

Brake hose clash with wheel

Second job for the day was the exhaust.  I fully bolted the manifold in position and tried to fit the silencer but there wasnt enough room - it was clashing against the rear arch.  I cut 30mm off the 4-1 section of the manifold, cut 60mm off the angled connection piece and then cut 30mm out of the silencer.  To do this I undid the 4no bolts holding it together, and cut 30mm off of the outside and inside parts.  I then drilled the holes for the bolts and bolted it back together.

Ground clearance is still an issue - the silencer sits about 40mm below the bottom of the chassis!!