Winter Projects

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Old gearboxes. It's counter intuitive but you really need to feed the change slowly (gently) especially when going from third to second. That said, my old Capri box was pretty robust, can't say the same for the MGB or the LT77 gearboxes.

Ford boxes are better than most, we both know. In the Crustina I always go from 4-3-2, and say @ the bus stop 1st . . . . 4-2 is difficult to execute smoothly at high revs, lots of people snatch reverse trying.

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by Duddha

Well, well, well, keep me posted.

On the top mounts and axle location, we have documentation and we made it available to scrutineers. Now it's up to people to check.

Good to know my efforts haven'y gone to waste

[Peter Mallett]

[Mod]Guitar and other stringy subjects sent to Delta's Twentee break.[/Mod]

[grantp]

Just wondering if this should now include Summer Projects or does that deserve a separate thread?

Can't imagine that the current officially promoted panic and the soon to be "rushed" through (never a good sign) legal regulations in the UK will not come up with some utterly hopeless rules that effectively shut down everything.

[Gerard C]

Do you think I could find a very good specialist to refurbish a Mazda maf/ débitmètre ? Must be fully compliant to the strict regulation after that…

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Do you think I could find a very good specialist to refurbish a Mazda maf/ débitmètre ? Must be fully compliant to the strict regulation after that…

Hehehe I have heard Ferrari F1 are pretty handy with getting good results from their flow meters.

[Gerard C]

Yes but in the Miata case its not an italian job we need!

[zefarelly]

One of my little winter projects was modifying a 225 Lambretta cylinder with a boost port and piston window, then adding a reed block to the induction. also a 62 stroke 110mmm rod crank so 238cc, a packing plate under the cylinder to get the port timing and squish right . . . . add a 28mm Dellorto and big bore exhaust. changed the drive sprockets from 15/46 to 17/47 to get 4.7 overall ratio ( so 72mph @7000 rpm.) and fitted a 5 plate composite clutch.

[Gerard C]

Nice way to check the squish, may be better than modeling clay. Together with the reed valve, the boost port will give both torque and power and will probably make the engine more user friendly. I guess its impossible to adapt a mobile exhaust valve like the ones we had on the Yam' RDLCs. At 70 more mph, all you need are… bullet proof pants! Eeer, what about the braking system? Tail parachute may be…

[zefarelly]

Hydraulic disc brake on the front like this. . . .

[Gerard C]

Nice! Does you Dell'Orto have a power jet? All the front end is home made I guess.

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

One of my little winter projects was modifying a 225 Lambretta cylinder with a boost port and piston window, then adding a reed block to the induction. also a 62 stroke 110mmm rod crank so 238cc, a packing plate under the cylinder to get the port timing and squish right . . . . add a 28mm Dellorto and big bore exhaust. changed the drive sprockets from 15/46 to 17/47 to get 4.7 overall ratio ( so 72mph @7000 rpm.) and fitted a 5 plate composite clutch.

Two Stroke engine tuning .
Takes me back to when I was a boy . Raced gearbox class Karts on the big circuits . Did all my own tuning .
Found a technical paper by Narmuru & Niteo ? Sp , who were race engineers at Yamaha . Very complicated , required logarithms to work out port timings etc .
But it did work , built an engine using their calculations & was quite successful
with wins & lap records at Lydden , Brands , several other circuits and was overall champion at Cadwell park one year .

[zefarelly]

Historic kat racing is probably just about affordable!

The LAmbretta engine is piston ported, so pretty simple and a very well trodden path . . . we all did silly experiments when we were kids, now its all sensible compromise for ridability, and some sort of fuel economy.

Even the hydraulic disc conversions are off the shelf now. THe Italians have some bonkers race bikes, double front disc and 60 BHP!

20ish is plenty enough for touring and 50+ MPG

[Gerard C]

What do you think about using Loctite 3020 with Cometic head gaskets, V6 engine, bloc and heads being cast iron? Stupid or not? Other sealant to recommend?

[andy97]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

Historic kat racing is probably just about affordable!

Don’t think my old cat is up to being raced. RSPCA may object, too!

[Gerard C]

Loctite, anyone?

[zefarelly]

I gave up with multi shim head gaskets years ago, just us a good quality composite.

The muliti shims are extremely in tollerant of any movement/warpage, ie heavily skimmed heads on old engines. If they're burning and failing its ignition/fuel related preignition.

a good old PAyen AH760 will work as well as anything on an FJ or 1500 Ford race engine.

[Gerard C]

Thanks for your answer. Agreed. Just have to check the equivalent thickness. Already knew some issues with the brand I named not all the products are flawless.

[delta]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

I gave up with multi shim head gaskets years ago, just us a good quality composite.

The muliti shims are extremely in tollerant of any movement/warpage, ie heavily skimmed heads on old engines. If they're burning and failing its ignition/fuel related preignition.

a good old PAyen AH760 will work as well as anything on an FJ or 1500 Ford race engine.

I have used a multi shim gasket with a smear of well-seal several times over.Current engine in Lotus 22 Cometec Gasket has been reused 4 times now.I did the whole NZ tour and South Africa and all ran well.I am sure your correct Joe, each to his own I guess.

[zefarelly]

I have used multishim reliably and repeatedly in the past, I keep a second hand one in my spares box . . . . a long time ago I blew a gasket @ Lydenn. fitted a new one, AND a multi shim, started at the back and was on the tail of 3rd at the end. 4th from 22nd in 20 minutes was great fun!

I suppose if you get 2 or 3 uses from one it offsets the extra cost!

[Gerard C]

Just discovering now there's a Cometic multi layer for my application…*Till now was using the std ones which are really painful to clean after use! Just have to check what happens when switching from a std one supposed to be 1,5 mm before tightening to a multilayer being 0,40'' new… The valves heads are far away from the pistons but what about the CR I dunno.

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Just discovering now there's a Cometic multi layer for my application…*Till now was using the std ones which are really painful to clean after use! Just have to check what happens when switching from a std one supposed to be 1,5 mm before tightening to a multilayer being 0,40'' new… The valves heads are far away from the pistons but what about the CR I dunno.

CR is an easy calc . . . pm me. 3cc is the difference in head gasket, a useful hike if its std piston bowls.

composite gaskets are often only 1mm . . .but vary quite a lot. you should be able to find thinner Essx ones.

I'd never use a composite twice.

[Gerard C]

Thanks a lot Joe. I think using a composite more than once is impossible, seeing how much material you have to remove from heads and bloc surface after… I remember composite Cometic for the V6 Essex is 1,5 mm thick but have to check. Thanks again.

[zefarelly]

cometic usually have a range of thickness. and you could order/request specials here, its just a lod of bits rivetted together! THe Italian company that made my FJ head gaskes some years ago now had, 1, 1.2, 1.3. 1.4 and 1.5mm thick as options. At a price!

[Gerard C]

Your next summer/winter/summer job could be a Panhard, then…