3500EI
- Thread starter KiwiRover
- Start date
Righto, progress! I've been snatching a few spare moments when I could and the manifold is now fitted to the car. I installed the distributor with the trigger assembly while it was still running on carbs to make sure it worked and then bit the bullet and swapped the rest over. A few thing are needing some fettling; the rhs heater hose (AC remember) fouled the fuel pressure regulator so the heater pipe has been modified. I discovered the vacuum controlled heater tap was seized a while back and the heater was permanently on so the tap has been replaced with a new one and new hoses fitted where required. I have mounted the relay and fuse box in what i'm certain is the right place but i'm not sure about the placement of the ECU. Every bit of info i've got suggests that it should go under the front of the passenger seat but there is nowhere near enough loom for that. It looks like it will need to go under the glovebox or maybe on the bottom of the A pillar.
Jobs still to do include fitting the scoop (probably do that tonight) fitting the pump/filter, making and fitting the swirl pot, securing the ecu, replacing the fuel lines, making a throttle linkage etc, etc. Lots to keep me busy but I feel a lot more enthusiastic now that i've started.
I need to find a few parts. I need a decent Triumph PI fuel pump and inertia switch. I had an offer from someone but i've lost his number... But I have a dead PI pump which I can use in the mean time to figure out where to put it and such.
Jobs still to do include fitting the scoop (probably do that tonight) fitting the pump/filter, making and fitting the swirl pot, securing the ecu, replacing the fuel lines, making a throttle linkage etc, etc. Lots to keep me busy but I feel a lot more enthusiastic now that i've started.
I need to find a few parts. I need a decent Triumph PI fuel pump and inertia switch. I had an offer from someone but i've lost his number... But I have a dead PI pump which I can use in the mean time to figure out where to put it and such.
Wow, that is really different. The air canister assembly looks amazing.
Where the pipe came out of the L/H rocker cover that would normally have seen a flame trap hose fitted, that will be plugged KR?
Ron.
Where the pipe came out of the L/H rocker cover that would normally have seen a flame trap hose fitted, that will be plugged KR?
Ron.
Yes, the flame trap holes will be plugged as soon as I figure out the best way to do it. The air box was made from scratch (and a 2200TC air cleaner) based on the one picture in JT's book. It seems to work but there isn't much room to move between it and the AC unit. Much more space with a regular heater. I will be making holes in the bonnet for the scoop shortly and i've been spending my evening trying to figure out the wiring...
Taking advantage of the forum's newly restored picture posting facility...
I'm not sure if I've posted this before. It's the only known exterior photos of a 3500EI. You can see that it is clearly a series 2 and what you can see of the scoop is quite different to the NADA scoops and a little like the scoop on the remaining P8. Flat and wide. There's a good chance that this is the same car of which there is an engine bay picture in the James Taylor book as both are clearly on their last trip to meet the great concrete block at the gates to solihull in the sky.
Chris
I'm not sure if I've posted this before. It's the only known exterior photos of a 3500EI. You can see that it is clearly a series 2 and what you can see of the scoop is quite different to the NADA scoops and a little like the scoop on the remaining P8. Flat and wide. There's a good chance that this is the same car of which there is an engine bay picture in the James Taylor book as both are clearly on their last trip to meet the great concrete block at the gates to solihull in the sky.
Chris
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The Rovering Member
Well-Known Member
KiwiRover said:
Thought so.....it's all looking very interesting. Nicely done sir.
That seems likely, the grey grille is a giveaway. The odd thing about the engine bay pic of that car is that there are no electrics on the motor- no loom and no sign of the extra relay and fuse box on the wing. So I wonder if it ever ran with the EI. It was possibly just used to trial fit the manifold, play with the scoop, things like that. Otherwise it appears to be a very early (prototype?) series 2 with the engine bay fuse box, series 1 uprights by the rad but a later cable drive wiper motor.
Still, I suspect that it wasn't more than a test mule and I don't see why they wouldn't have used the NADA scoop so that's what i've fitted. Even if I have to go back to carbs, it's not entirely incorrect to have a scoop on an air con'd car.
I like your theory on it being an executive model though Chris, so I am adding options and borrowing from the NADA catalogue a little bit too.
unstable load
Well-Known Member
I'd have a billet plug turned out that matches up dimensionally with the top of the cover and has a groove or two for an o-ring to seal in the cover and a washer inside the cover with a machine screw to hold it in place.KiwiRover said:
Alternatively, the same without the groove/s and a squirt of RTV to seal it all.
Been having a bit of a play over the last couple of days. Most significant bit of progress was the installing of the scoop.
I also made myself a wiring diagram. After noting all the bits and colours, I spent an evening scratching my head trying to figure it out with not much luck. But tonight I busted out the multimeter and got it all sorted in short order. Everything is traced and I know exactly where it needs to be connected. Except... There are two rather thick wires coming out of the ECU in one of the plugs that disappear into the loom towards the engine and don't appear to come out anywhere. Can't figure it out. I might have to peel back some of the insulation and see where they go.
I have also spent a bit of time up-speccing the car for it's executive position. It has gained a reco'd 8 track player with ipod input
Some retrimmed ET headrests
A passenger grab handle
and a recovered NADA console.
I guess the next job is to properly mount the ecu and start hooking up some wiring. Then it's throttle linkage and fuel pump.
I also made myself a wiring diagram. After noting all the bits and colours, I spent an evening scratching my head trying to figure it out with not much luck. But tonight I busted out the multimeter and got it all sorted in short order. Everything is traced and I know exactly where it needs to be connected. Except... There are two rather thick wires coming out of the ECU in one of the plugs that disappear into the loom towards the engine and don't appear to come out anywhere. Can't figure it out. I might have to peel back some of the insulation and see where they go.
I have also spent a bit of time up-speccing the car for it's executive position. It has gained a reco'd 8 track player with ipod input
Some retrimmed ET headrests
A passenger grab handle
and a recovered NADA console.
I guess the next job is to properly mount the ecu and start hooking up some wiring. Then it's throttle linkage and fuel pump.
That looks really nice, Al.
This link:
http://www.classicroverforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=14709&hilit=gaydon&start=15
Is to one of the P8 pages. Bearing in mind that both cars were cancelled at the same time, I think that the shape of the scoop on P8 (if not the quality) resemble the apparent scoop on the "J9" car on it's way to the concrete block. The engine bay view of P8 also seems to allow of the EI set up instead of the carbs fitted on this one.
SO I do think Rover were intending a much flatter wider bonnet intake. Perhaps one of the wizz's with photoshop could mug something up for us to see?
That all said, appearance wise I prefer the NADA scoop on the P6!
Chris
This link:
http://www.classicroverforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=14709&hilit=gaydon&start=15
Is to one of the P8 pages. Bearing in mind that both cars were cancelled at the same time, I think that the shape of the scoop on P8 (if not the quality) resemble the apparent scoop on the "J9" car on it's way to the concrete block. The engine bay view of P8 also seems to allow of the EI set up instead of the carbs fitted on this one.
SO I do think Rover were intending a much flatter wider bonnet intake. Perhaps one of the wizz's with photoshop could mug something up for us to see?
That all said, appearance wise I prefer the NADA scoop on the P6!
Chris
Progress has been a bit slow of late, due to a major reshuffle at work which will result in a promotion of sorts but currently means that I'm the only one that knows whats going on and am consequently working far too many hours and training newbies. :roll:
Still, I have managed to make a throttle bracket:
This is made mostly from the original bracket with a few bits chopped off and turned around and a couple of nice bronze top hat bushes added for smoothness. The pushrod was shortened by using one from an SC with the V8 end, the nut for the kickdown cable was relocated and the spindle has been rearranged to operate the throttle lever on the manifold which pulls back towards the firewall. It took a few trial goes but it works!
Also made a bracket to hold the ECU in place:
A pretty straightforward bit of steel with a large 'O' ring to serve as a rubber band to hold it down. Using the factory tool kit retainer as inspiration. The ECU position has been settled. It will have to be strapped under the passenger glovebox on the flat panel, next to the foot vents. This is about the only place the wiring loom will let it sit, even though all the literature I've got suggests that it should be under the front of the seat. Oh well, it fits and should be fairly well hidden.
Not much other progress to speak of though I will hopefully be getting a Triumph fuel pump and inertia switch tomorrow, thanks to a contact in the Rover club.
Still, I have managed to make a throttle bracket:
This is made mostly from the original bracket with a few bits chopped off and turned around and a couple of nice bronze top hat bushes added for smoothness. The pushrod was shortened by using one from an SC with the V8 end, the nut for the kickdown cable was relocated and the spindle has been rearranged to operate the throttle lever on the manifold which pulls back towards the firewall. It took a few trial goes but it works!
Also made a bracket to hold the ECU in place:
A pretty straightforward bit of steel with a large 'O' ring to serve as a rubber band to hold it down. Using the factory tool kit retainer as inspiration. The ECU position has been settled. It will have to be strapped under the passenger glovebox on the flat panel, next to the foot vents. This is about the only place the wiring loom will let it sit, even though all the literature I've got suggests that it should be under the front of the seat. Oh well, it fits and should be fairly well hidden.
Not much other progress to speak of though I will hopefully be getting a Triumph fuel pump and inertia switch tomorrow, thanks to a contact in the Rover club.
The Rovering Member
Well-Known Member
Coming along nicely, good work. Can you not extend the loom, maybe using a plug/socket arrangement from a modern car & suitable wire? It must be quite do-able if you're keen to shadow the Rover plans as much as possible.
That would be possible I guess, but this is the original Rover loom presumably so it's gotta fit. There are some detail differences (wiring colours etc) that don't match the book so it's probably likely that things evolved a bit. I do suspect that mine is a late incarnation.
Of course it is entirely possible that mine has a loom that was designed to fit a Morgan plus 8, or Range Rover. Or maybe a P8. Who knows. Actually i'm fairly certain it is a P6 part. I'm fairly happy with the location of the ECU, it makes sense. She'll be right, as they say.
Of course it is entirely possible that mine has a loom that was designed to fit a Morgan plus 8, or Range Rover. Or maybe a P8. Who knows. Actually i'm fairly certain it is a P6 part. I'm fairly happy with the location of the ECU, it makes sense. She'll be right, as they say.
The Fettler
New Member
KiwiRover said:That would be possible I guess, but this is the original Rover loom presumably so it's gotta fit. There are some detail differences (wiring colours etc) that don't match the book so it's probably likely that things evolved a bit. I do suspect that mine is a late incarnation.
Of course it is entirely possible that mine has a loom that was designed to fit a Morgan plus 8, or Range Rover. Or maybe a P8. Who knows. Actually i'm fairly certain it is a P6 part. I'm fairly happy with the location of the ECU, it makes sense. She'll be right, as they say.
Hi KiwiRover
From memory (but it is over 40 years ago now) you do have the correct loom in the car. Whatever the literature says, the ECU for the AE Brico EFI was located beneath the passenger glove box, or at least it was on the prototype and development cars. It may be that once production started, it was going to be re-located to under the passenger seat.
Have you managed to source a suitable fuel pump yet? If not PM me as I have a complete original AE Brico fuel pump in the box of parts that Dad finally dug out after much prompting - not checked if it's working however there is also a spare motor. The pump itself is a gear wheel type and is therefore almost bomb proof
Hello Mr Fettler, very good to hear from you again. I think the placement under the glovebox makes more sense than under the seat, even though the 2000pi manual shows it mounted there. The risk of it being repeatedly trodden on by hefty boots would've been great. It is currently fitted under the dash and it seems to fit fine.
I was trying to fit a Triumph/Lucas PI pump to the car. I got as far as mounting it under the rear parcel shelf (like it says in the manual) but haven't got any of the plumbing sorted yet. It is supposed to have an alloy surge tank mounted under the car and I haven't worked out a proper solution for this yet. Obviously having the right pump would be fantastic so a PM has been sent.
Look forward to hearing from you. Cheers, Al...
I was trying to fit a Triumph/Lucas PI pump to the car. I got as far as mounting it under the rear parcel shelf (like it says in the manual) but haven't got any of the plumbing sorted yet. It is supposed to have an alloy surge tank mounted under the car and I haven't worked out a proper solution for this yet. Obviously having the right pump would be fantastic so a PM has been sent.
Look forward to hearing from you. Cheers, Al...
mikecoombs
Active Member
just a thought, the SD1 has its ECU stuck under the passenger footwell up against the firewall in the space which is normally occupied by the foam block on a P6. It is mounted to the covering sheet from memory. David Burnard in is little book on the Rover GAs Turbines mentions that Leyland had decreed that all development work had to be done as production items.. A pretty expensive way of doing things really but it does mean that what you are doing is going to be close to what they were planning for the production car if you can get everything to fit without alteration.
None at all I'm afraid. I have spent most of the last year building myself a garage which is now essentially done (another 'building my garage' post coming soon) so the beasty is nicely covered and protected but there have been many complications, emptying my storage unit (and the damaged car within) and a back injury amongst them . But I have had some helpful input from Andries Griede which will serve me well. I still have a lot of tidying in the garage to do and will probably have to achieve something with the car out of storage (watch this space for something unexpected :wink: ) before I can get back to the EI unfortunately. But as soon as I do, it will be posted on here.
. But I have had some helpful input from Andries Griede which will serve me well. I still have a lot of tidying in the garage to do and will probably have to achieve something with the car out of storage (watch this space for something unexpected :wink: ) before I can get back to the EI unfortunately. But as soon as I do, it will be posted on here.