Introducing the Stig Special

[wheeledhorseman 573]

Bravo!! :greetings-clapyellow: :greetings-clapyellow: :greetings-clapyellow:

Well done mate - a milestone achieved!

Andy

[Anglo Traction 759]

:woohoo: It Lives. Ok so you've got some Teething Troubles !. Getting things to work first time without adjustments is rare. Great Vid Editing Ian and a good bunch of Helpers.

.......... Look's like you were lucky with the weather there..... Cheers :beer:

[AMC RULES 36,945]

:happy-wavemulticolor: Simply AWESOME IAN!

[varosd 1,185]

Congrates Ian!

I just switched computers so no sound, which I was able to ad lib

"Ian, pass me that crowbar thingy"

"On Rappel!! On Belay!!"

"Heave Ho!! Heave Ho!!"

"Look Ma! No Seat!!" (Ouch)

"Ian, Let me stand in front of her, since there isnt any steering and I will stop it from running me over with me bare hands"

"Always carry a big stick, my grandmum always give anything mechanical a good whack!" (freely paraphrased from the Longest Day)

"Whew, a well deserved rest...Ian, do we really need to add floation devices? The big WH show in the states is a bit far on one tank of petrol"

[bowtiebutler956 649]

Congratulations Lan! I really got a kick out of watching you guys get that monster off the bench. A little more work, and I'm sure you'll have it sorted out in no time!

Matt :flags-texas:

[Ole MN 11]

:text-bravo:

Ian, Spot on fantastic 1st test drive. I know you will get it steering. Take a much desevered break than go at it again. :bow-blue:

[COMMANDO6 20]

Ian, Spot on fantastic 1st test drive. I know you will get it steering. Take a much desevered break than go at it again.

and make me wait!

Jk, It's great that you've made it to this point. Congrats!

Can't wait to see more of this and this :auto-layrubber:

[Steve B. 30]

Bollocks! I kid, of course.. I'm a kidder. That was great!!

Ian you truly are an Imagineer! :bow-blue:

[chesbaycruiser 82]

I raise a Guinness to you sir!!! Your video skills are surpassed only by your technical wizardry.

(Which makes me wonder....you didn't happen to go to school on a train from Kings Cross Station, platform 9 3/4 did you?)

:bow-blue:

[Stigian 1,234]

Evening all, Wow so many cool reply's, best start with page 18 first.

I stayed up all night for this.... Well done ! A bit o'fettling and it'll be spot on!

Thought for a minute with that run up that you might go straight thought the shack!

Anyway congrats, and look forward to the next update - I'll be down in a couple of weeks for a go, so it better be sorted!!!

Mark

Howdo Mark, sorry to of kept you up half the night, by the time I had finished editing it was late Sunday night. I just set it uploading and hit the sack.

Your not the only one to wonder if I was going to drive straight through the back wall of the shack, I'm not sure if Pete was about to try and push me up the ramp or try and stop me er.. not stopping

A couple of weeks eh??? It should be very much sorted by then..

Ive been sat up all night waiting to see this , Its 6.38 in the morning , and just watched the vid

Congratulations Ian

that thing looks a real beast

im sure the teething problems will soon be overcome

Now too get that thing back on the workbench needs you to build a wheelhorse Crane

Hi Neil, don't you have anything better to do than sit up all night watching YouTube?

The teething problems are just that, nothing that can't be sorted..

The beast isn't going back on the bench for now, it kinda makes it easier for the next test drive. Also I'm thinking of giving the bench a revamp with a serious lowering job, although it's a nice working height I kept having to stand on a wheel rim to reach the beast!

Congratulations to you and your crew Ian for getting to this point in the build. I am certain you will have the bugs worked out in due time and will be enjoying all of you hard labor.

Thanks Massey, yep the crew certainly worked hard that day.. Thanks Guy's.

I'm busy working on the bugs at the mo, but I feel "enjoyment" is imminent :)

[Stigian 1,234]

And now for all you fine chaps on page 19.

Bravo!! :greetings-clapyellow:

Well done mate - a milestone achieved!

Andy

Thanks Andy, yep the big milestone has been hit, it would of been driven over if I could of pointed the beast in the right direction.

It Lives. Ok so you've got some Teething Troubles !. Getting things to work first time without adjustments is rare. Great Vid Editing Ian and a good bunch of Helpers.

.......... Look's like you were lucky with the weather there..... Cheers

Thanks Richard, first time working for a project like this was always a bit on the slim side, and as much as I would of liked everything to of worked "straight out the box" (or shack) I knew the chances were not that high.

We almost got away with the weather, only half hour of rain and hail to cope with.

Simply AWESOME IAN!

Ta muchly Sir.

Congrates Ian!

I just switched computers so no sound, which I was able to ad lib

"Ian, pass me that crowbar thingy"

"On Rappel!! On Belay!!"

"Heave Ho!! Heave Ho!!"

"Look Ma! No Seat!!" (Ouch)

"Ian, Let me stand in front of her, since there isnt any steering and I will stop it from running me over with me bare hands"

"Always carry a big stick, my grandmum always give anything mechanical a good whack!" (freely paraphrased from the Longest Day)

"Whew, a well deserved rest...Ian, do we really need to add floation devices? The big WH show in the states is a bit far on one tank of petrol"

I'd lay off smoking those banana skins if I were you

If you want a laugh turn on the YouTube subtitles (Beta version), I think they just randomly guess the words it thinks I am saying!! It makes for very funny reading.

[Stigian 1,234]

Congratulations Lan! I really got a kick out of watching you guys get that monster off the bench. A little more work, and I'm sure you'll have it sorted out in no time!

Matt

Thanks Matt, getting the beast off the bench was actually the easiest part of the day, lowering her down the ramps (with the odd bit of help from the crowbar) went very smoothly!

Ian, Spot on fantastic 1st test drive. I know you will get it steering. Take a much desevered break than go at it again.

Ta muchly Sir, no time for a break I'm impatient and need to get it steering... And then take it for a nice long drive

Ian, Spot on fantastic 1st test drive. I know you will get it steering. Take a much desevered break than go at it again.

and make me wait!

Jk, It's great that you've made it to this point. Congrats!

Can't wait to see more of this and this

Don't panic... If all goes to plan you won't have to wait for test drive 2.

Bollocks! I kid, of course.. I'm a kidder. That was great!!

Ian you truly are an Imagineer!

Lol, thank you.

I raise a Guinness to you sir!!! Your video skills are surpassed only by your technical wizardry.

(Which makes me wonder....you didn't happen to go to school on a train from Kings Cross Station, platform 9 3/4 did you?)

Could you make it a bottle of ale instead please?

Errr.. No to Kings Cross station

[Raider10 3]

:woohoo: Sorry I've not really followed this awesome project much but i struggle to find the time for doing my own projects. By the time i come in from the pig sty (garage) and get cleaned up i just can't be bothered.

Just watched your last few vids tonight though. Well cool!!!! Superb videos and editting etc. Aint got a clue how to do any of that stuff. Any way Mark keeps us up to date with your project and is always talking about it.

Cant wait for Ardingly (apart from the trip down)

Cheers, Ian. :banana-guitar:

[Stigian 1,234]

Welcome to the mess in the shack that greeted me Monday morning

The beast tucked away in a nice safe black and white environment.

If you hadn't noticed on the video the beast was lowered by rope wrapped a few times around this bolted down wheel rim, an easy system that worked very well. Pete could of lowered the machine using only one hand!

After a very busy but very enjoyable weekend I was feeling rather on the tired side Monday, so not much got done on this project, the first job was to weld part of the right lever back on after Rob somehow managed to break it off!!

Followed by some steering brake thinking and a discovery!!

I discovered that if the slider is disconnected from the little lever thingy (the red-ish bit that links the slider to the brake cylinder), I can use the little lever thingy to pump up some quite good pressure in the brakes.... I fear the point of having steering is getting somewhat closer

Then I had a play with the calipers and found that by using only one per side I could get some serious braking pressure up..

The right brake only has one caliper connected.. Not too much lever travel.

The left side still had both calipers!

A very BIG to Andy (WheeledHorseman) for donating this gas tank which arrived this morning for the project, it should fit just right where the current temporary fuel can/tank is.

Cheers Andy your a star.

And that chaps is where I'm going to have to wrap this update up for the night, I'm too knackered to continue..

Sleep well chaps. I know I'm going too :)

[wheeledhorseman 573]

Happy to have been able to offer something useful for the project.

p.s. For total authenticity try to make the fuel shut off valve as inaccesible as possible.

Andy

[Stigian 1,234]

Morning all, I'm feeling a bit more awake (not by much, only had one coffee so far!) so here's the rest of last night update.

But first....

Sorry I've not really followed this awesome project much but i struggle to find the time for doing my own projects. By the time i come in from the pig sty (garage) and get cleaned up i just can't be bothered.

Just watched your last few vids tonight though. Well cool!!!! Superb videos and editting etc. Aint got a clue how to do any of that stuff. Any way Mark keeps us up to date with your project and is always talking about it.

Cant wait for Ardingly (apart from the trip down)

Cheers, Ian.

Howdo Ian, don't worry about not keeping up with this build, I know the "knackered/can't be bothered" feeling in the evenings too well..

Thanks for watching a few of my vid's, the editing lark is quite fun, a lot of work, but enjoyable none the less.

Yep, roll on Ardingly.

Happy to have been able to offer something useful for the project.

p.s. For total authenticity try to make the fuel shut off valve as inaccesible as possible.

Andy

Lol, authentic the as tank will be, I've just worked out the fuel shut off valve will be in an inaccessible place just inside the front left side wheel.. Turning the tap will involve groveling on the ground!! Hhmm. I fell a remote gas tap coming on

First on the "hit list" yesterday was to order yet more dive belts!! As you can see (Just, sorry about the naff photo) the belt tensioners are at full er.. tension, but the belts still slipped a bit!! Anyway, belts ordered, I even paid a bit extra on the postage so they would get here today... Looking outside I should of saved the money as it persisting it down, no weather for a test drive!

The rest of yesterday was spent mostly at the lathe removing some weight from this "gearbox pulley adapter type thing" that will be going on a friends racing mower.

Have a macro shot of some swarf.

But I did find time to have a play with the beasts brakes.. One of the master cylinder pipes was weeping slightly, of course the only weeping had to be in one of the most inaccessible places!!

The Workshack has been a bit dark of late, with lot's of blown light bulbs and me not remembering to buy some more

Yesterday I had had enough, and decided to add a touch of "warm summer evening, sitting outside with a beer" to the shack..

Although I have got loads of brake pressure now using one caliper each side, I was still wondering if only the one caliper would be up to the job

The problem (I think) with running two calipers each side is all the extra pipework is taking away a lot of the pressure!!

It was only when I was locking up for the day yesterday and happened to glance at the calipers that it hit me!!!!

"Why didn't you think of this a long time ago, it's so simple, you fecking idjet", I asked myself?

The way the two calipers were plumbed in was, long hoses from the master cylinder to a splitter. One long hose to the rear caliper, and another slightly less long hose to the front caliper.

That's a lot of hose!!

Now, if I run a long hose from the cylinder to the front caliper and then straight to the rear caliper, I have halved the amount of hose and in theory doubled (of near as dam it) the braking grip using two caliper!!

A quick dig later and I had found two very short hoses

Can you guess what my first job of the day is?

[meadowfield 2,545]

test drive !!!!!!!!

[COMMANDO6 20]

Doesn't it feel great when you realize "Duh! Thats why it didn't work!" and then you are like and then you fix it and you are like :D

[Anglo Traction 759]

It was only when I was locking up for the day yesterday and happened to glance at the calipers that it hit me!!!!

"Why didn't you think of this a long time ago, it's so simple, you fecking idjet", I asked myself?

The way the two calipers were plumbed in was, long hoses from the master cylinder to a splitter. One long hose to the rear caliper, and another slightly less long hose to the front caliper.

That's a lot of hose!!

Now, if I run a long hose from the cylinder to the front caliper and then straight to the rear caliper, I have halved the amount of hose and in theory doubled (of near as dam it) the braking grip using two caliper!!

A quick dig later and I had found two very short hoses

Can you guess what my first job of the day is?

Err, Make a Coffee and have a Smoke ?.

Watch another episode of Father Ted?..... Drink!

Find the shortest distance between 2 (hose) points?.

Change the Lights in the workshack to UV and get a Sun Tan while doing the above?.

No , let me guess!. Set up for another Super Stig Vid.

Either way , we're still itching for the next update.

[bowtiebutler956 649]

Glad you found the problem Lan! Can't wait for round two.

Matt :flags-texas:

[Rollerman 290]

Ian hope you get everything worked out.

Looking forward to seeing a successfull test drive of your 6X6 monster.

My only concern would be the driveing axle speeding up as the diff unloads with one side braked for steering.

[WH Raider10 17]

Great it's driving Ian! Amazing to see what you can build!

P-J

[Stigian 1,234]

test drive !!!!!!!!

Nope, it was bucketing it down with rain, mo chance of getting the beast wet until it's been painted fully.. Oh, and the drive belts hadn't turned up!

Doesn't it feel great when you realize "Duh! Thats why it didn't work!" and then you are like and then you fix it and you are like

Lol, it did feel great until my "super fix it solution" didn't work!!

It was only when I was locking up for the day yesterday and happened to glance at the calipers that it hit me!!!!

"Why didn't you think of this a long time ago, it's so simple, you fecking idjet", I asked myself?

The way the two calipers were plumbed in was, long hoses from the master cylinder to a splitter. One long hose to the rear caliper, and another slightly less long hose to the front caliper.

That's a lot of hose!!

Now, if I run a long hose from the cylinder to the front caliper and then straight to the rear caliper, I have halved the amount of hose and in theory doubled (of near as dam it) the braking grip using two caliper!!

A quick dig later and I had found two very short hoses

Can you guess what my first job of the day is?

Err, Make a Coffee and have a Smoke ?.

Watch another episode of Father Ted?..... Drink!

Find the shortest distance between 2 (hose) points?.

Change the Lights in the workshack to UV and get a Sun Tan while doing the above?.

No , let me guess!. Set up for another Super Stig Vid.

Either way , we're still itching for the next update.

None of the above.. Well apart from a coffee and a smoke first thing in the morning.. And again 20 min's later.. etc

Glad you found the problem Lan! Can't wait for round two.

Matt

Thanks Matt, not quite got the problem sorted yet but it's looking hopeful.

Ian hope you get everything worked out.

Looking forward to seeing a successfull test drive of your 6X6 monster.

My only concern would be the driveing axle speeding up as the diff unloads with one side braked for steering.

Thanks Stephen, everything will be worked out in time.

I get what your saying about the driving axle speeding up, I guess the way around it is careful use of the steering brakes and motion lever at the same time.

Not much of an update I'm afraid... The answer to the "first thing in the morning question" was... Re-plumb the brakes joining the two calipers with that small hose..

This made no difference to the brakes which still refused to do their job!!

I have been nattering by email with Andy (Wheeledhorseman) about the steering brake problem, and one of Andy's many good ideas was to give the system more leverage into the master cylinder..

So out with the old and in with the slightly longer..

One of the two quickly cobbled together brackets that link the longer levers to the slider thingys.

Yesterday the new drive belts arrived, they were quickly put on, a much better fit.

A quick test drive later showed the steering brake were still not playing ball, or even gripping the discs!!

I even tried extending the levers, but to no avail!!

Out of interest I even tried a Kawasaki front master cylinder.... A bit more pressure but no extra braking action.

A new day (today) and a fresh brain to try and tackle the problem.

I had checked the caliper on the right side a couple of days ago, so this morning the left side came off for checking. Pleased to report all was good.

No photo's of the next stage because bleeding the brakes for over an hour is very boring, but somehow I managed to squeeze out some air that had been hiding in the system!

I guess I caught it off guard and it didn't have time to go and hide anywhere

The result of all this bleeding was quite a bit of brake pressure...

Another quick test drive later showed up another problem that can't of helped anything..

Guess which muppet forgot to weld up part of the rear axle extensions

These had been shrunk fit but I was going to weld them for the "just in case" factor!

Some rapid welding later and it was time for yet another test drive, not quite right yet but there was some definite "turning" going on..

I hope to get the video edited and up on YouTube this weekend.

[Rollerman 290]

Ian have you considered a power boost system for your brakes.

It would likely be to large to fit to power boosted mater cylinders in place & not sure where you could supply the vacume to run them, just a thought though.

Looking forward to the latest video!

[Stigian 1,234]

Morning Stephen, I have been thinking about a kinda "power boost" system, one that's adds extra pumping pressure to my lever set-up rather than a vacume system..

I'm hoping it won't been needed though..

I am seriously thinking of ordering a couple of bigger master cylinders, with 5/8" bores rather than the current 1/2" set-up. They should shift a bit more fluid

However, the maths says my current system should be more than up to the job, so I'm going to have a play with the levering situation today to see if I can get it working..

To tide you over until the next update, here's Episode 27 to keep you going.