FF1600 Engine Rebuilds

[Chris Horton]

A few quick questions for the FF1600 community (and please bear with my ignorance!)....

1) Are annual rebuilds the norm?
2) Are the rebuilds mainly to combat perfomance degradation or for reliability?
3) What major components are replaced by default during the rebuild?

Also, are there any respected FF chassis setup gurus in the Midlands area?

Thanks in advance,



Chris

[rookie2006]

Guru of all things ff1600 is Dave Morgan at Mallory Park. He's been setting them up for years and knows them better than any one else, plus he's a top bloke. He's on 07718 277554. All the best.

[Chris Horton]

Originally Posted by rookie2006

Guru of all things ff1600 is Dave Morgan at Mallory Park. He's been setting them up for years and knows them better than any one else, plus he's a top bloke. He's on 07718 277554. All the best.

Ah yes, I remember Dave from my previous running but I had mislaid his name/details.

Thanks!

[GlenF]

Hi,
We tend to take the head off on a regular basis and regrind the valves. We also check the timing and do the usual oil filter change but it depends on how big your pockets are and also if you want to win or just have fun.
Keep a log of how many miles/hours your engine has run and speak to the good engine builders for advice. Neil Bold is just about the best you can get and he'll give you as much info as you'll need.
Hope this helps.

[GolddustMini]

1)id say its not so much "annual" rebuild but more along the lines of a certain mileage.
have a word with one of the engine builders who specialise in FF1600 engines who will be able to tell you what may need replacing in a general rebuild and also other parts which may require replacing dependant on wear. and costs for such a rebuild

2)over time components wear and this as you mention does cause a performance loss and as such an increased chance of reliability problems, ensuring your engine is in the best of health through routine maintenance, oil/filter changes etc and rebuilds when required will ensure your engine is performaning as close to optimum as possible.


3)as a general engine rebuild list of items that should be replaced on an engine at rebuild-
main and big end bearings
pistonrings
head gasket
valvestem seals
flywheel bolts
seals + gaskets
honing/grinding of bores, crank, bigends,mainline dependant on rquirement
timing tensioner
sparkplugs
(this list is completely from memory so i might have missed out one or two items, i havent built a ff engine in a few years now!)

however other items that may need replacement or machining subject to damage/wear
pistons
crank (wear or cracking)
valveguides
seats
valves
springs + retainers
timing chain and pulleys

when getting a racing engine rebuilt you are paying for there expertees and time as well as parts, it is more than simply bolting a pile of standard components together to blueprint an engine.


my recommendation (unsuprisingly) is neil bold in manchester he can be found on 01204 704011


hope this helps

[flockofseagulls]

Bernard Baxter in Sandbach Cheshire is also worth taking a look at, he's been in the business for years. His engines powered John Hutchinson to win the NW (A+B) championship in 2006. He provides a good all round service. If you need his number just PM me. Bernard, if your reading this can I have a discount next time???

[Chris Horton]

Thanks for all those replies (and the previous ones lost in the forum crash) - I'll have a good think and contact some builders.

Cheers,



Chris

[kartingdad]

Originally Posted by flockofseagulls

Bernard Baxter in Sandbach Cheshire is also worth taking a look at, he's been in the business for years. His engines powered John Hutchinson to win the NW (A+B) championship in 2006. He provides a good all round service. If you need his number just PM me. Bernard, if your reading this can I have a discount next time???

He's also built our engine for a couple of seasons. He's a top bloke and nothing is too much trouble for him.
He also attends most of the NWFF meetings which is a nice touch.

[Redracer77]

Originally Posted by kartingdad

He's also built our engine for a couple of seasons. He's a top bloke and nothing is too much trouble for him.
He also attends most of the NWFF meetings which is a nice touch.

he also rebuilt my zetec which has won 4 rounds out of 6 this season in F4 so he is not limited to kent engines.