BB January 2

A (belated) happy new year to you all. I am still alive and able to update my site again. The lack of updates hasn't
been due to lack of activity, but because my web host has had problems. These are now sorted so we can get on with
telling the story.

After the last update I suspected a fuel pressure problem was causing the high emissions. I had put a Filter King
combined regulator/filter in the fuel line, but it made no difference. I wasn't convinced about this as a solution as I
didn't have any instructions with the unit and wasn't sure if I had set it up right. It turned out that I had, but by this
point was doubting my own ability to even turn on a light switch. So, I rigged up a temporary spill line to rpove the
point but still the emissions wouldn't come down. By this point I was depressed about the whole thing - it's fine when
you have ideas and leads to follow, but when the ideas begin to run out..........

In the end, the problem wasn't really there. Dave asked what reading other cars were giving, so I tried it on my
wife's car (mine runs on diesel), and hers gave a reading almost identical to the Brooklands. Now, hers is injected and
catalysed and had just passed an MOT - either her car was wrong or the analyser was duff. Everything about the
analyser rang true, it zeroed properly, and acted in the way that you would expect.

So, on 6th Jan I took the Brooklands back into the garage for a re-test (having re-built it all) and it passed. Even
better, the CO emissions were 0.2 and 0.3 (limit is 3.5) and the HC emissions were 20 and 40 (limit 1500). All of the
work that I did on the carbs etc. has reaped rewards in the efficiency department. The depressing bit is that I
probably had it right for the first SVA test!

Driving it to and from the MOT reminded me what a hoot it is to drive, although very different from "modern" cars
and I'll have to take some time to get confident in it. That is real driving I guess.

As it stands, the speedo is now working although I need to check it against another car, and the SVA is re-booked for
2nd February.

I am really now just waiting for the SVA, but spent some time in the garage today tinkering. First up was to lubricate
the choke cable inners and fit stronger return springs as I noticed that the chokes sometimes stay open after I've
pushed the choke lever home. I also fiddled with the fuel gauge whihc now shows a reading but it isn't right. I know
that the sender I have ranges between 10 - 180 Ohms, and I guess that the gauge is the 5 - 360 ohm version. Cock-up
on my part but not serious.

Last thing was a look over with the SVA manual. On Thursday I rang the Norwich SVA station to ask about their
interpretation of cycle wing rules. They said that they are only interested in the outside of the car, and:

- when a vertical line is dropped down from the edge of the wing, it should clear the wheel rim. If the tyre stands
proud it doesn't matter provided the rim is within the vertical line. This surprised me s I can't see how they can test it
easily.

- The leding edge of the wing must be forward of the point on the wheel rim that is furthest forward, and the trailing
edge of the wing must be further back than the rearmost point on the wheel rim

It looks as though I won't have a problem here as I meet those restrictions.

I found that the wire which runs to the brake switch underneath the dash needed a P clip, so I fitted that and apart
form a polish, that is about it. Oh, and I had to give it a quick run around the block - naughty but nice!

I've attached latest pictures below, including a closeup of the rear exhaust clips.

Spent a couple of hours in the garage last night, really just titivating. I'd noticed that one of the earth wires
wasn't run very cleverly so re-ran it with the rest of the loom, changed a seatbelt bolt where the amount of
thread appearing past the nyloc could have been questioned, and added some edge trim and nut covers.

I also decided that I had beeter add some heat wrap to the exhausts by the cockpit - I guess that if the tester
got burn't it wouldn't really help my cause.

So, the trailer's booked (call me a wimp if you like) and we seem to be set for Monday.