Failed pre SVA MOT

[kevchard]

Managed to drive the viper legally to the MOT centre (15 miles away) to bed the brakes in and do a shakedown of the car before SVA.
What can i say, blowing a gale in Donny, but it was t-shirt weather at least.
Tickover has now become a luxury as you come up to junctions . The brakes appear to pull to one side, and exhausts and stereo are equally matched in volume.
Got to MOT centre nice and early, parked up spoke to MOT man and explained the situation (unregistered etc). He was OK, showed me the process for entering a new car on the MOT computer, then let me be be his assistant whilst testing the car.
I guessed headlamp adjustment, but appeared to get it spot on, electrics all worked fine, brakes were balanced and passed all tests and visual inspection was fine. We then got to the emmissions, offside bank was miles out on all readings (too rich and hydrocarbons through the roof), near side readings were borderline. Black smoke from offside, so conclusion drawn was that hego sensor is muffed. Tickover is OK, but sometimes stalls for no reason.
So to recap, only failure was emmissions, whereas i thought brakes were going to fail, but were 'more than adequite for the weight of the car'.
I have a couple of spare hegos, so i will fit one tommorrow and see if black smoke subsides.
Quite a nice drive, but no ABS, does mean braking is a black art. Only 2 hairy moments were accelerating 'more than necessary' then over rich bank of cylinders kicked in and started wheelspinning and knocking foot off throttle didn't stop it snaking that well. Is that why they call em Cobras, cos of the snaking rear end?
Cheers
Kevin
PS List of jobs to do is increasing again now .

[Deck]

Sound like you're very, very nearly there Kevin (and Helen!).
There's no need to rub it in with all that burning rubber and white knuckles and stuff thou...well ok, I hope be the same if the time ever comes...

I'm assuming, as you're this close, you don't need encouragement, more like a bit of "take a break for a minute guys! it'll get there, no need to over do it!! Don't forget to sit back and admire every now and again! etc"

I hope everything else all fall into place and I'm looking forward to hearing about the big day.

I'm definately taking heart that yet another Viper has been legally driven!

Cheers
Dec

[rich]

Well done Kev, keep up the good work and you'll soon be there

[steamyrotter]

Poser.




Well done mate.
Was it worth the wait?

[kevchard]

Thanks Dec, Rich and Dean
The SVA is 06/08/2007 so am spending a bit of time doing odds and ends now.
The exhaust noise is still too loud, so i have packed lots of loft insulation in. The exhausts are near silent now, but are blowing at other end of the side pipes . I am not sure how much room the tester needs to stuff the sniffer probe up the exhaust outlet either. I have had to make a perforated metal plate up to hold the wadding in, so not sure if MOT/SVA person will get moody with this as it limits the amount of space to place probe into.
I have MOT rebooked for this Friday morning.
The drive was interesting and it was worth the 4 years (and approx 2000hours) of build time.
I just hope it doesn't fail on something like 'wheels too fat for arches' or if i cant get the emmissions down far enough.
I am looking into chemicals to stuff in petrol tank to get emissions as low as poss. The nearside 'healthier' hego sensor was still borderline with aftermarket cats installed. If i cant get emissions any lower i will have to rethink exhausts completely.
All your efforts will be rewarded, and rest assured that as soon as it is legal it will be off the road to have granada back end installed, windscreen installed, soft top fitted, hard top manufactured and blower fitted .
Cheers
Kevin

[Dek]

Keep on going-you'll get there as I did.
My Viper is posted on Bob Busbridge's web site. Have a look at it on:
http://www.cobrettiviperv8.com/cobrettiviperowners.html
Dek

[Purple AK]

What a Fine Choice of colour Dek

[hfbradley01]

Well done Kev....and Helen of course.

I don't think I'm going to get mine finished this year so let me know what it's like to drive the damn thing.

All the best

[john cohen]

Hi Dek , Car looks magic m8 Love the colour. I have to ask were did you get your side pipes from????? they are just what im looking for??



John