Finishing A 914-6 GT Conversion Project, Great Start, But The Devil Is In The Details! Options

[Lucky9146]

Thought I would show what I came up with as a battery clamp for my Optima.
Took a stock battery clamp and welded a piece of metal that I sculpted to fit around the center cell.
The gas tank awaits!.
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[Larmo63]

To be on the safe side, you only need to put a gallon or so of gas in, just enough to start it...... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)

[bbrock]

Thought I would show what I came up with as a battery clamp for my Optima.
Took a stock battery clamp and welded a piece of metal that I sculpted to fit around the center cell.

I like it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif) Curious though. Every Optima I've bought (for other cars) came with a kit of plastic pieces that snap to the base to accommodate a variety of mounting styles. Do none of those work on the 914?

[pete000]

Thought I would show what I came up with as a battery clamp for my Optima.
Took a stock battery clamp and welded a piece of metal that I sculpted to fit around the center cell.
The gas tank awaits!.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/white914.jpg)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/first.gif) That is sweet, yo should market that I would buy one. Maybe 914 Rubber can make them.

[Larmo63]

I modified a clutch pedal stop for a battery hold down.......

[Lucky9146]

Thought I would show what I came up with as a battery clamp for my Optima.
Took a stock battery clamp and welded a piece of metal that I sculpted to fit around the center cell.

I like it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif) Curious though. Every Optima I've bought (for other cars) came with a kit of plastic pieces that snap to the base to accommodate a variety of mounting styles. Do none of those work on the 914?

You know what that is an interesting point. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) This batt came with the car project and I do recall seeing a red plastic thing but it was cracked or broke and I just tossed it. Meant to try to look at a new Optima today to see what they come with but was tied up all day fixing my gas leak. Oh well my clamp is done now. I apparently like doing things the hard way. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
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[Lucky9146]

To be on the safe side, you only need to put a gallon or so of gas in, just enough to start it...... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)

True True True! But the thing is, it was that last gallon in the tank that made the biggest mess. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)
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[Lucky9146]

I modified a clutch pedal stop for a battery hold down.......

Looks good but I wanted more clamp, kinda like more cow bell. Ya just can't have enough! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)
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[Lucky9146]

Thought I would show what I came up with as a battery clamp for my Optima.
Took a stock battery clamp and welded a piece of metal that I sculpted to fit around the center cell.
The gas tank awaits!.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/white914.jpg)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/first.gif) That is sweet, yo should market that I would buy one. Maybe 914 Rubber can make them.

Thank you very much! Afraid it's a bit too labor intensive to make and sell, at least for me. I'd have to get like $120 for it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) Slow welder with limited skills and lots and lots of grinding. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
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[Lucky9146]

Premature Dejackulation (when you take your car off jack stands a little too soon) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Not a good thing with fuel coming out under your car and not being able to figure out where it is coming from. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Well here we go it was a simple bad flare on the aluminum tubing on this part of the fuel line coming from the front trunk right after the fuel pump. Blue line runs back to the engine.







I’ve had the day to think about this, along with struggling with a fix myself.

Rob my PO did the fuel lines on this car and throughout the day I have checked many of the other flares he did and they are all good. So why did this one fail? Well I think I figured it out. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

On this section of hard line, 10 inches total, the flare for the fuel pump end was done first, not on the car, easy. It was done first because it is so low on the bulkhead in the trunk and it would be impossible to do a flare in place in that location, just no room. With that good flare on the one end he then had to fight the line through the bulkhead hole back and miraculously bending it to come up vertically through the hole in the channel.

Then he somehow flared that very short end, only 3 inches showing, of tube coming up out of the hole and way in the cavern. I seriously don’t know how he even did it. So even though this caused me some grief I say hats off to Rob for all the good flares and getting a flare at all in that difficult location. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) I do not think I could have done any better with it and that’s the truth.

It took a lot of thinking and considering options before I headed to my tubing shop 25 minutes away. Nothing in my town. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)
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[Lucky9146]

This is how short this line actually is and how it runs from the fuel pump through the bulkhead.
Yes that is one picture. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)



Back from the tube shop with a solution! Convert that 10 inch section to 250 PSI rubber hose. I get having a hard line from the fuel pump to almost the engine, but I simply could not see making that line again with any better results. And we couldn’t come up with a good hard line solution. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

Now it was time to remove the old line. It was then I saw there was a pretty tight bend in the line. So good call to replace.



It wasn’t exactly a picnic to run the rubber line either. Tight, Tight, Tight. About 4 hours just that part and I still got to put the tank back!
A glass of wine is in order. Took the whole day.

The finished project.
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[moparrob]

Nicely done.

[defianty]

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[Lucky9146]

To be on the safe side, you only need to put a gallon or so of gas in, just enough to start it...... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) Gave this some thought today and had I only put in a gallon, the level in the tank would not have been high enough to find this leak. It would not be until the fuel pump fired up and then the leaking fitting would have sprayed everywhere. The fitting was leaking like a sieve with only gravity! I can't say if 5 gal would have found the leak with gravity or not.

Tank in now back in and I created a longer drain tube rather than just having the cap that was way up there (see pic) so it now has easy access and could be drained quickly and cleanly.

In the situation I was in I pulled the fuel line hose off the red tube, which may not have been the best choice, but with the amount of gas present and coming down on me, it's what I did. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

As I was almost finished writing this I decided to check the PET and realized there is suppose to be a strainer. None was there, none installed. Guess what I will be looking for next. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)
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This is how the drain was with a cap, Red tube is the fuel line.



And now (I wanted to flip this pic but couldn't, it's upside down)

[defianty]

I guessing with your lack of updates the car's finished and you haven't stopped driving it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[914forme]

Strainer can be found on Tangerine Racing's website towards the bottom on the right hand side.

Wow I must know that site to darn well (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[moparrob]

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[Lucky9146]

Thanks for reaching out guys and the strainer tip. I sure wish "lack of updates the car's finished and you haven't stopped driving" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I would not deny the start up after all this and Moparrob has promised a special brew! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif) I'm going to hold him to it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

It has been a combination of things that seemingly ground my project to a near halt or slo-mo progress. Had several urgent priorities come up that took my complete attention. Family member surgery. And out of state guests in for a few days.

But I also kinda ran out of steam when I hit all the gas tank stuff. Here I was thinking I was very close by putting gas in, first the leak, then I find something so simple missing, the in tank strainer sock and nipple. And it makes perfect sense they should be there, but it made me wonder what else I could have over looked. Ever heard the expression “You don’t know what you don’t know”? Well it happened twice in quick succession, read on. I had not thought of the need for a strainer in the tank and I believe the fuel system having been converted to AN at the tank by the PO led me to just overlook it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) At first, I considered just moving forward and letting the external fuel filter catch anything, but having had the tank cleaned out and sealed convinced me an extra layer of protection was absolutely necessary.

Now I was on the hunt (IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif) for parts and in the process got yet another education. Some of this stuff of course is getting harder to find. The strainer is fairly easy to get, but the nipple and the nut are not. The nut can be gotten new at AA for what I considered a pretty reasonable price. Then it was the waiting game for the various parts to arrive.

So, I made a trip to my 914 buddies house, toolguy, and was looking at his perfectly restored, newly installed, original front suspension, when I asked about some bolts I noticed on my car and that I couldn’t figure out what they were for. I then learned they are for the steering rack cover that I now realize I am missing. A WTB (IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif) was posted here with good response. Ended up getting a great steering rack cover and a re-plated fuel nipple from Bruce Stone and at very good prices. Thanks Bruce! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) He also offered a couple of tips! Been cleaning up and painting the cover in the mean time.

Turns out there are 2 nipple sizes and Bruce is now sending me the larger one re-plated to replace this rusted one. The larger one will work fine with the hose I have and will then make the transition to AN from there.
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[defianty]

I hope your family member is recovering well Jim.

Good to see you're moving along with it.

It's often the missing small parts that make you stall, especially nearing the end of a project when those parts are vital.

Looking at that nice plated fuel nipple I've added mine to my small pile for plating, thanks.

[Lucky9146]

I hope your family member is recovering well Jim.

Good to see you're moving along with it.

It's often the missing small parts that make you stall, especially nearing the end of a project when those parts are vital.

Looking at that nice plated fuel nipple I've added mine to my small pile for plating, thanks.

Glad I could shine some light on that little nipple. I can see how easily it could be overlooked. Can't wait for the re-plated one from Bruce! Thanks for looking in. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)
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