:: Diary - February 2014 ::

:: Saturday, February 1, 2014 ::

I thought that finding lambda sensors would be easy. It’s a Ford Granada fer chrissakes! But no… There are countless variations, and no clear relationship between engine size and year of manufacture. So I decide to take mine out, and get the part number. Getting them out turns out to be easy - just one electrical connector then a 21mm open ended spanner to loosen them. Getting them out of the stainless manifolds is a lot easier than the hassle I had loosening them from the original steel manifolds, years ago!

My sensors are Bosch, part number 3122. A quick google shows that part number appears to be discontinued, and a “replacement” is specified, but it is a 4-wire model, (i.e. one black sensor wire, one grey earth, and two white heater wires that get the sensor working quicker from cold). As you can see from the photo, mine only has 3 wires, i.e. a black and two whites - it must earth through the sensor and exhaust. So I could use a 4-wire model if I could be bothered to run an extra earth wire to each connector.

OK, let’s try another google for “Granada 2.9” - that shows up a choice of millions, but again, they are mostly 4-wire models.

Ok then, we’ll specify 3-wire options only. That cuts down the options a lot, but most of those that are left are “Universal” sensors, and the tuning man advised me that those are crap and don’t last. So I go through the non-universal options, but none of them have the right connector on the wires - mine has the 3 wires in a row, in a Ford-style white loom connector, as you can see in the photo. All the ones I see have the wires in a triangular or square connector.

However, the Bosch LS3294 is specified for the early (pre-92) catalyst Granadas, and looks the same as the ones I have, only the connector is different. So I order 2 of those, for delivery on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Too late for the TVR meeting tomorrow. Seeing as it’s currently blowing a gale, and pishing down (well, pishing sideways to be accurate), and threatening to snow, I don’t think that having no TVR is going to be a major setback. In any case, I’ve probably been driving it with knackered lambdas for ages, so another one trip wouldn’t have made a difference.

:: Sunday, February 2, 2014 ::

It’s TVR Car Club day. Dave isn’t coming, it’s raining with a forecast of rain, interspersed with periods of rain, interrupted briefly by showers. So Jim and I decide to go in one car. One with a heater and window seals that work.

There are a lot of people there, but only 4 TVRs. Wimps.

The conversation covers the usual wide range of subjects, but with slightly less emphasis on trophies. We discuss how water seems to be getting into Hugh’s exhaust (well, his car’s), we discuss courts and jury service (can’t remember how we got on to that), chassis repairs, holiday reservations, car tuners, holiday breakdowns, car breakdowns, and hospitals (but not in that order).

Of course, it’s not the same without… erm… whatsisname though.

:: Thursday, February 6, 2014 ::

The nice man from UPS brought my shiny new lambda sensors yesterday - only problem is, as I said, that both of them have cables that are far too long, and they have the wrong connectors on. So today, boys and girls, we’re going to cut the cables to length and put the right connectors on. There will be questions afterwards so pay attention if you want your Blue Peter badge.

The cables are 3 separate wires inside a loose sleeve. So the first step is to chop the connectors off the old lambdas, leaving a 4 inch “tail”, and then to cut the connectors of the new one. I need to “stagger” the new connections so that the sleeve will still slip over - if all the wires are the same length then the soldered connections will make a “lump” that won’t fit the sleeve. So the next bit is important.

First I cut a bit of the new sleeving to the right length, and then push it all up to the lambda end and put a clip on it to hold it in place. I’ve marked the length of the old cable on my bench, so with the new lambda and the old connector the right distance apart, I cut the two black cables, leaving about a 10mm overlap. Then slip a bit of heat sleeve over the longer bit, strip the overlapping 10mm, twist the two cables together and solder. Then pull the heat shrink over, and shrink it.

Then repeat on the first white wire, again overlapping the two ends, but staggering the joint by about an inch. Then the second white wire, again staggering by about an inch.

That leaves it looking like this. Note the stagger between the three joints. Then unclip the sleeve and slide it over the joints.

Repeat for the other lambda on the other side. Note that the cables are a different length!

Then it’s a relatively simple matter of screwing the lambdas into the manifolds and tightening them up, and reconnecting the wires.

Right. Moment of truth. I start the car up and leave it to warm up on idle. Then I have a very quick (i.e. short, not fast, officer) blast to the end of my street and back, just to check the pick-up for any hesitancy as it speeds up from idle, but it seems fine.

I’ll have another go when I have more time and the roads are dry (maybe in about June).