Rick Bosak's Journal

I debated for some time about putting the Sprite emblem on the boot lid. The holes were filled during paint but that emblem was still rattling around in the parts box. I had wanted the rear of the car to look uncluttered but I finally gave in. I mounted it with 3M emblem tape so I guess I can always change my mind. Now fewer folks will ask what kind of car it is.

During the build we used a chain and some bolts as lifting points to install the engine. This summer I took a little time out from just driving the Sprite to fabricate and install two engine lift hooks.

The back hook is black and was cut on my nephew's CNC plasma cutter. The front hook I made from a U-bolt that I heated and re-bent to fit the engine mount that was left over from when this engine was a transverse mounted FWD in a Japanese Corolla.

My plan is to eventually move my water connections from the back by the fire wall up to the front near the water pump. Then I can get rid of the water pipes that run so close to my header. I may have to pull the engine to do this, but I won't know till I get into it so I want to be prepared with these new lift hooks.

I finally got around to adding a side view mirror to the 66. At first I hesitated because I was not happy with the mirrors I was finding. Also the shed the car is kept in does not have much clearance at the door, but measurements proved I would still be able to park there. Then I was afraid to drill holes in my new paint job, but finally I decided that safety comes first. I chose a mounting arm from Holden but didn't use their rectangular mirror. Instead I wanted a round mirror head that I think looks more appropriate to the age of the car. I had to grind a little off of the arm base to match the curve of the door. The plastic mounting plate needed a little heat and re-bend also but it mounted up very solid.

I'm enjoying the rear view now and I'm happy with the look as well.

Just as my summer driving season got going the Sprite started to experience a miss at 50 - 60 mph. This never happened during the first 10 minutes of driving the car ran like a champ when cold. It seemed to be a spark issue but I changed the fuel filter just in case. I next suspected the igniter because the Tach would jump like crazy when the miss happened and the tach takes it's signal from igniter. I was able to find a spare at the salvage yard and it was an easy swap but that didn't help either. Next I swapped in a spare ECU i had, Nope. Then I thought I should check the simple stuff DUH, so new plugs, wires and then I looked at the distributor cap. What a mess it was, I had never loopked into the wire ports before. After seeing this bad corrosion I was sure I had found the problem, but no. I then checked the coil and found it read fine on the multimeter when cold but when hot it was out of spec, That coil finally solved the problem. I suspect the coil's demise was caused by a bad ground on the alternator. It seems some idiot had painted up all of the mounting brackets so well that it was not grounding to the block. Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy. If it ain't broke I'll fix it till it is. It is nice to know that my entire ignition system is in top shape now.

After the hard stuff was done I decided to put the soft top on to be sure I would be protected if I ever got caught in the rain. I had never had the top on since I bought the car in 1980. I tried every way I could but the top would not fit right. I discovered that the previous owner had sold it to me with the wrong top frame, it was a Bugeye frame. I was able with the help of eBay to sell the Bugeye frame and buy a correct Sprite frame. Now I can take the top along in the boot on long drives and be protected. But wait, now I cannot fit the top into the boot because of the new boot lid struts I installed and all of the space now taken up by my coil-over-shock suspension and the battery. I can't stash the top behind the seats either because of the roll bar. I'll figure something out before next Spring. I had time for one last drive of the season.

Next on my priority list was my roll bar. If not padded a roll bar can be more of a danger than a help. If rear-ended things can get nasty without a helmet. I bought padding from Summit i but still need to get a nice vinyl wrap made to cover it.

Then I was finally ready to start the interior. I needed my windows put back into the newly painted doors. What a nasty job it is. They must have used elves at the MG factory. I found it was necessary to tape one critical bolt into place on the bottom of the vent window before working it into the door where I would not be able to hold the bolt in place. I bought new rubber all around from McGregor and clips to hold the window fur strips in place. I don't want to ever have to do that job again but if I do I might try taking the door off and laying it flat on a table.

After getting the guts all put back in place I was able to pop on the door panels that I had purchased in my enthusiasm 20 years earlier when I first bought the car. They fit well and look great. Next i built and installed the panel between the cockpit and the trunk, now I don't hear the fuel pump as much and can secure items from thieves in the boot. I have a remote release behind the drivers seat (from a Honda civic) for the boot lid as I deleted the outside boot handle completely.

My next issue was the annoying sound coming from my Mazda RX7 rear axle. Although super beefy and having LSD and big rear disc brakes the whine was unbearable. Kind of like going to the dentist for a filling. It was fine under load or off accelerator but on cruising it was horrible. I had bought the axle used as it was already narrowed but the PO had set up the backlash and pre-load wrong and permanently damaged the ring and pinon gears. I had a hard time finding used gears (3.909) at a reasonable cost. When I did find some I then found a shop that specialized in swapping rear-end gears and removed the pumpkin and took it into them to do the delicate work. I supplied them with a new crush sleeve, all new bearings, and seals. They finished their work in one day.

I had never replaced pumpkin gears before and had no idea how hard it is to remove and re-insert that 50 pounds of metal. The housing mating surfaces are machined to a very tight tolerance, and with liquid gasket drying and me laying on my back, I worked up a sweat going from side to side to seat it home with bolts before my sealant dried. My first drive with the new gears proved it was all worth it. What a relief to cruise along with just the sweet sound of the muffler. Thanks to Proven Force in Osseo Minnesota for the gear swap.