1991 Santana Samurai

[tomcat]

Plan to add a High Level Tail & Brake light into the rear of the hardtop. Part of the upgrade to lighting on the vehicle.

Addition:- Sorted wiring out. Red is Brake light; Black is Tail light and White is the Earth.

[tomcat]

After looking at SU and Weber alternatives to the standard carb, I decided to go with a SU HIF44.
Obtained a manifold to be converted by Rockwatt Engineering. Monies duly paid and then Richard informed me that my manifold had cracks in it.

Another manifold was then sourced, posted to Richard and modified to suit the SU.

I am having the SU carb refurbished with suitable needle and spring by Carburettor Exchange at Leighton Buzzard. Hopefully will be sorted by the end of February as they are running with a 9 week build period. Have used them, over the years, for all carb work I have had done.

[tomcat]

Can anyone tell me the purpose of the small angle bracket in the top left of the picture please? Thanks.

[tomcat]

My existing fuel tank does not have a drain point to coincide with the circular hole in the tank guard.

Intend to add one to my new one. Planned on using a Suzuki sump drain fitment and welding a suitable nut to the base of the tank.

Any better suggestions on offer?

[tomcat]

A picture showing different sender units on Samurai fuel tanks.
Spanish with quarter turn on left against japanese with screw down fitment.

[tomcat]

I had a pair of Lucas Girling calipers refurbished at Bigg Red at Worcester. Found them very efficient and quality, to me, is first class. Recommended.

For the rear disc conversion I will be using Aisin calipers. My original thought was to use the existing Lucas Girlings from the front refurbished. However a set of Aisin's came up and so I got them. Bigg Red did well again.

[ScottieJ]

If you intend to use front callipers on the rear would it not make sense to use the same callipers on all 4 corners so you use the same pads all round. The Aisin callipers are no better or worse than the Girling callipers and they both have their bad points.

However, if you do want to use different callipers front and rear then you want the Aisin callipers at the front as they have bigger pistons than the Girling callipers.

Running SJ front callipers on the rear causes the rear end to be over braked and easy to lock up as it is. With bigger callipers on the rear than on the front it will be very dangerous if you need to brake hard as brake bias will be the wrong way around.

[tomcat]

ScottieJ,
Your comments noted and will switch calipers as you suggest.
Was planning to use a pressure valve arrangement to compensate for the bias.

[tomcat]

Managed to locate a secondhand X-Eng handbrake set-up for the Samurai at a reasonable price.

Also found fitting instructions in PDF format at Foundry 4x4.

[tomcat]

More pictures of the X-Eng handbrake.