Milwaukee Midget

[Milwaukee Midget]

Most people and ECU's are using high impedance injectors, though some can do both, now that high flow (not your issue) are available. But easy to measure or find out and be sure when he picks his system

And I just happen to have an impedance bridge meter. 

[manta22]

All you need is an ohmmeter. But you knew that already, Chris. 

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Milwaukee Midget]

Pom Rod is SLOWLY coming along.

Radiator came today.  It's going to require some customization to mount it, and an angled lower bung, but it's about twice the size of the original, and I'm expecting it should keep up with the 215, provided I can properly shroud it and open up the mouth of the Frog behind the fascia.  It's looking doable.

I didn't get any pictures of the radiator - my new Nikon went to the Bahamas.  It was a Christmas gift from Kate, and low and behold, she kept the receipt, so I'll be heading back to Best Buy this week for a replacement.

I was able to pull pics off of the card and download them, but the radiator detail will have to wait.

Gas tank is installed, along with the fuel pump, which I pirated from the Midget - I'm changing that out to EFI, anyway . . .



It actually FITS, although I expect a header wrap and a heat blanket on the inside will be necessary to keep the interior from becoming an Easy Bake oven . . .



Crafty guy, that Podunk fella - snaking the steering shaft through the headers . . .



Repurposing the dual master cylinder out of the Midget - which used to have discs and drums, but now just has rear drums.  The early Sprites had drums all around, but this one is set up for discs.  The old piece will go into the Midget . . .



Did I say it fit?  Well, it sorta fits.  Despite my best efforts to maintain stock body lines, even with the modified low-profile stock 4 barrel manifold, I still had to perforate the hood.  After passing on Chevy style cowl scoops, teardrop Thunderbolt hickeys and an inverted Mopar 6-Pack repop, and discovering a Cobra scoop wasn't tall enough, I stumbled across this '55-'57 T-Bird styled piece.  Stylistically, it's period correct, but I would have preferred to have found something similar to a Healey 3000.

[Jack Gifford]

The 'fit' looks good. What are the headers? Maybe you said earlier and I forgot??...

As for hood fit- your second photo must be an illusion, looking like the brake master reservoirs sit higher than the air cleaner top? Would hood fit sans air cleaner?

[Milwaukee Midget]

Hey, Jack -

Yeah, it is an illusion.  The master cylinder sits about equal with the height of the valve covers.

Terry Mourer made the headers.  Did a super job.  They're shorty 4 into 1s, and the collector bolts onto a 90 that exits right where they're supposed to.  Flanges on both ends of the 90, and the header mufflers bolt right up.  Need to come up with some turn-outs, but that's no biggy.

The radiator has me a bit befuddled.  Unfortunately, my camera was sent back to Nikon for repairs, so I've got nothing for photos.

It's a dual pass aluminum cross flow, and I feel I need to build some sort of rubber isolated frame to isolate it from vibration and possible - read that as "likely" - twisting of the chassis.

It looks like I should be able to fab up some channel, tag it to the front horns and tie it into the inside fender wings, which would also give me something to use to frame up a shroud.

Picked up a used Moroso overflow tank with cap to maintain water level.

Knocked out some body work on the bonnet last night and tonight.

[Stainless1]

Chris, if you build it with 2x4 HD square tube it won't flex.... 
Ok, maybe not, that would help keep the front wheels on the ground if you ever get traction with that thing.   If you mount HD grommets in the frame to bolt through it should allow a little movement without killing the radiator. 
looking good 

[Milwaukee Midget]

Chris, if you build it with 2x4 HD square tube it won't flex.... 
Ok, maybe not, that would help keep the front wheels on the ground if you ever get traction with that thing.   If you mount HD grommets in the frame to bolt through it should allow a little movement without killing the radiator. 
looking good 

Advice I used . . . 



Made a lot of headway today, and borrowed Kate’s camera.

The radiator has well over twice the area of the original Sprite radiator.  I’ve had to carve back some of the structure from under the bonnet, but by golly, it fits.  It’s made from angled steel, the uprights are tied into the inner wheel arches, and I intend to put threaded rod to the uprights to have something other than the radiator stabilizing it side to side.  I want the radiator to hang, as it is NOT something I would want as a stressed member.  I also set up the angles facing forward to build a shroud up to the grill -



The radiator is laid back to clear the steering boots and water pump pulley -



So now I’ve got to pull the fan out of the Midget, which I’ll hit tonight.

[Dr Goggles]

There's something particular about a motor painted metallic brown........

[manta22]

Chris;

That is an awfully big radiator for such a small car. 

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Milwaukee Midget]

There's something particular about a motor painted metallic brown........

Turd polish.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Chris;

That is an awfully big radiator for such a small car. 

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Go big or stay home.

Neil, I've read numerous articles and build diaries on V8 conversions into MGBs, Spitfires, 320i's, Volvos, etc., and the one constant is cooling issues.

Now a lot of it has to do with ineptitude on the part of builders.  They'll start to shoehorning the wrong motor into the wrong space, and thinking they'll cut a corner on the cooling system, then wind up backing up traffic on the "I" amidst a plume of steam and curse words, thus creating a side show for the snotty nosed Yuppie spawn staring out the windows of their parent's minivans and looking at the kook who made his own car. 

And before anybody starts to think I'm getting too big for my britches, talking about the ineptitude of others, I'll be the first to say I'm not immune to ineptitude.  I'VE BEEN THE SIDE SHOW, AND I'M NOT GOING BACK. 

Some people learn from other people's mistakes - the rest of us are "the other people."

So is this radiator too big?  Given the air constriction of the nose of a Sprite - a car which has a history of overheating with a 948 in traffic - and the fact that the early Buick's had cooling issues - my questions remains, IS IT BIG ENOUGH?

For comparison, here are TWO Sprite radiators sitting on the frame of the radiator in question -



The test will be heading east through the Wasatch out of SLC with a tail wind, and making it to the top without overheating.  The Dodge always needed a breather - but I was pulling a trailer.

[MattGuzzetta]

I run SCCA Solo with a Datsun 510 Ford 302 combo. I use a Griffin sprint car radiator and had overheating problems when sitting in traffic with a stock 302.  After installing a new 302 with about 310 hp the cooling problem was scary so I use a 17 inch fan and made a close fit fiberglass shroud and that made the difference. I can now run through town without overheating.  Your radiator should be fine with that motor, just be sure to get the airflow through it.  You can't cool without enough air to transfer the heat.   Love your builds!

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Matt Guzzetta

[Milwaukee Midget]

Thanks, Matt.

I used to just LOVE the BRE Datsun 510s.  I imagine that a well sorted 510 chassis with a SBF would be a killer combination on the street.

It clearly seems to be working for you around the pylons! 

A shroud is going to be tough, but I can shroud from the opening to the radiator, and it's my hope that in slow going traffic, the scoop will remain ineffective enough to vent air up and out the top.

Let me see what I can fit for a fan - or two . . .

[Jack Gifford]

Chris- something you may already know, or not, that I learned from my 215 Skylark: The first time it overheated I was surprised that the 'temp' idiot light didn't illuminate. The second time I was even more surprised at no idiot light, with the bulb checked and a new sensor. I eventually learned that the sensor was designed to switch at some ridiculous temperature- 230 F or so!
So with the lower-pressure cap I was using, the light could never come on. I drew two conclusions:
1> Add a reliable temperature guage and 'normal' pressure cap.
2> Why no warning until 230 F- did Buick know from the get-go of an inherent overheating problem?

[Buickguy3]

  Back in the 70's I worked for Buick Motor Division and most of the cars built back then had two temp lights/sensors. Under pressure when the first temp warning [advisory] light came on at about 230 it merely meant that things were going the wrong way and to keep an eye on things. The second one was a "STOP" engine light that came on at about 270, and that one meant severe engine damage was about to occur. We had "Tempil" sticks made of wax material that melted at different temperatures so that we could zero in on exactly where and at what temps things were happening. Today's non-contact guns would do a better job easier.
  Doug