jbanker Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Hey Robert, You got one heck of a deal..!!! Don't fret over it. I purchased a spare 3.4L motor 2 years ago and it is still sitting in the corner of my garage. It was also on Ebay and I got a terrific deal, so I bought it. Picked it up in Cincinnati, Ohio and managed to be able to visit some old friends in the process. One of these days I will be jumping for joy that I have it when it comes time to replace my 2.8L whether I break it or just want more HP. Can't have too many spare parts. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjslutz Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I see you found a fix for low oil press. Great way to go. Now that you have the base, TBI's, Cams, Adjustable cam gears, head work, ECU, Exhaust, light Flyweel & clutch, Raceline watter rail, and softer rubber and you will be set. If you can hide about $10K from Mary you will be all set. I think I need to press off a dark Suit! Knowing Mary, she will likely buy you forced induction for X-Mas. She could also let you drive it a few times when it rains, she will have it the rest of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southwind25 Posted June 25, 2008 Author Share Posted June 25, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southwind25 Posted June 25, 2008 Author Share Posted June 25, 2008 yeah...the hard detailed questions will start flowing soon... Mike..you wanted to help right?..hehehe..yeah we need to have a few beers over this. Gary ok,,,i hope your engine compartment is available for some measurements and photos.. thanks guys..i appreciate the help ahead of time. first the basics...then we will do fun-performance stuff as time progresses.. first big question..variable timing cam....ok, am i stuck with making this system work? or...is there an alternative using the same head? diffrent intake cam and cam wheel/gear/sprocket? or..do i need to now go scrounge up a escort electrical system to plug into this with the rest of the engine to follow? Right now (unless the above statement wont allow them) we will be keeping the webers, and either buying or fabbing a manifold and rejetting them as needed (any specs for 40's on a zetec appreciated).. yes i would MUCH rather go with FI...but theres a reason i bought the engine for 100 bucks. FI comes later.. starter motor..use what i have? i have the typical sierra 5 speed.. do i need to change bell housings? flywheel?.(.i have no clue what i am getting yet..) looks like theres none. I am thinking this is one item i can go performance with right off.. go with a nice aluminum/steel face deal if it's not more than we can possibly afford. clutch and throw out bearing setup? and nice pressure plate/clutch but not neccissarily high buck competition. needs water pump and front accessories (back to ebay we go). stainless headers to match up to my existing system? birkin part probably? ignition..can i reuse my crank trigger? (doubtful)... raceline water rail...whats this all about? altenator...oh this cant be too hard right? engine mounts. another birkin part..or...fab my own, the original x-flow wont work i am guessing.. i know i opened the can of worms here.. and the project wont start till the weather turns cold..but Mike your right i need to start looking at scrounging-gathering parts. and as well, we will have a nice (but low oil PSI) x-flow we can get a few dollars for maybe? OH..Mary didnt kill me for this!!...but i want to stay above ground during the process as well.. :hurray: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southwind25 Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 (edited) It's getting to be that time!! Well, we have been very busy here at the Southwind garage this winter. No,,sadly not a new engine..the budget wouldnt allow that. But we got our flywheel redone and all new seals and clutch. A bit of spit and polish and she's going back together now!! WOO HOO!! some pics of the latest.. Edited April 15, 2009 by southwind25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHKflyer52 Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 A bit of spit and polish and she's going back together now!! WOO HOO!! Looks like a lot of spit and polish......Looks real good. Wish I had that drive to keep the shine on things that rarely get seen but I guess long cold winters will make you do things like that......snickering out here in the warm sunny climate of Southern California. PS: Just finished putting the third new engine (1800cc BMC...Ok rebuilt engine) back in my car and it has been running great with no leaks or overheating or bad things. Have just over 300 miles on it now and it seems that it is getting stronger every time I drive it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southwind25 Posted April 29, 2009 Author Share Posted April 29, 2009 (edited) Those fancy LED replacement tailight bulbs, are only about 2/3 as bright as the old filament type! We tried a set of them on the se7en, and they were not so great. And i am getting scared... the car has yet to have any oil leaks after i replaced the seals. what did i do wrong? it's british, it needs oil leaks.. Edited April 29, 2009 by southwind25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rohaley Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Relax, you are just that good a mechanic. Few of us will ever get there (typing with busted knuckles). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scannon Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 And i am getting scared... the car has yet to have any oil leaks after i replaced the seals. what did i do wrong? it's british, it needs oil leaks.. Might I suggest drilling a very small hole in the drain plug to allow the proper amount of oil to deposit itself on your garage floor? You could also do the same to the brake fluid reservoir, the transmission & differential drain plugs and the lower radiator hose, just to make it a complete set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southwind25 Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 That magic Moment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowflyer Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 It's getting to be that time!! Well, we have been very busy here at the Southwind garage this winter. No,,sadly not a new engine..the budget wouldnt allow that. But we got our flywheel redone and all new seals and clutch. A bit of spit and polish and she's going back together now!! WOO HOO!! some pics of the latest.. Hey Southwind, I like your flywheel, but thought you might like to see a "lightweight one". This is milled from billet steel and weighed 5.5 lbs! I put it into a formula car which ran in B/mod in SCCA Solo events with a Ford Crossflow engine. It wouldn't work in a "heavy" car like a 7 since there was no stored inertia in the spinning weight of a normal flywheel to help launch the car, but it reved like a motorcycle and pulled off of corners like scalded cat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southwind25 Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southwind25 Posted November 30, 2009 Author Share Posted November 30, 2009 Well my first attempt at the brooklands style didnt go so well. the cowl piece looked awesome till i tried to bend it.. i had welded it up instead of using a single piece of sheet to cut out. good try,,but it failed. i need a laser cutter and a slip roller to handle the thickness.. cant get a nice radius with my hands and a pipe..the welds failed which i could have expected but,,,the winter has just begun, i dont give up so easily.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rohaley Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Bob, I have a roller available to you here at work (in Willoughby). Since you will not have the scuttle to match up to in the shop, you can make a template so you can avoid 8 trips back and forth before you get the shape just right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southwind25 Posted December 4, 2009 Author Share Posted December 4, 2009 Mike...you have access to a roller i can use? AWESOME!! That would be great, that was my next stumbling block. I am getting the single piece of Aluminum this weekend and should have it cut out in a few days afterwards. Actually, making the windsheilds should be easy compared to this main cowl piece. Thanks Mike!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 Once you have the cowl piece made, think about putting something between it and the cowl to cushion it where it touches the cowl. My Caterham Brooklands piece rubbed all the paint off the cowl where it actually touched (about 6" in the middle of the cowl). Didn't notice it until I remounted the regular wind shield last week. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rohaley Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 Nice tip from Kitcat Bob. To keep metal to paint contact to a minimum stop by your local craft store and pick up some adhesive-backed foam sheets. They come in 8.5" x 11" sheets in multiple colors (you will most likely use black though) and cost only a buck or so. They are about 1/16" thick and are the best solution I have found to eliminate vibration and rubbing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rohaley Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 If you look closely in the attached link you can see how it buffers the bracket against the scuttle tightly so that debris cannot get between them and mutilate the scuttle surface. http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/650/3861/26624430026_large.jpg This is the foam sheet material: http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=search&flag=true&PRODID=prd51960 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southwind25 Posted December 7, 2009 Author Share Posted December 7, 2009 (edited) I had planned on putting some kind of foam gasketing sandwiched between. i wasnt going to drill the mounting holes till i did that to make sure i had a good fit as well. But yes thanks for the advice! Mike..just a quick question, have you noticed a diffrence (besides it just looks awesome) in the fact you dont have that big slab of glass there anymore? no need to explain the occasional rocks and bugs.. wondering more about if the car seems to punch through the air the slightest bit better? feel anything diffrent? Edited December 7, 2009 by southwind25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rohaley Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 My experience is somewhat limited as I have not focused on any A-B comparisons in performance at speed so until I get back to the dragstrip next year I will reserve information until then. It does 'feel' quicker since you are absolutely exposed and the car pretty much disappears around you. With the standard windscreen I ran 13.94 @ 96.41mph in the 1/4 mile back in October and after comparing times at 1/8 mile (8.88 @ 79.65mph) versus standard cars it is clear that I am hitting an aerodynamic wall after the 1/8th that could be minimized with the removal of the barn door windscreen. Graphing it out showed a solid plateu when I overlayed the times to distance with my friends Nissan 300ZX timeslips. His #'s kept climbing nicely after the 1/8th while my line was showing less gain over time. If I could cut down the .68 drag coefficient down about ten points I would expect to see maybe 3/10ths or so less in the 1/4, but that is only a guess until I can prove it out......are you up for a trip to the strip in spring? In regards to comfort; Wind management is much better with the Brookland screens because they provide a calm pocket around your head with the wind coming from only one direction versus the multi-directional onslaught of wind buffeting that the standard windscreen provides. The chance of a rock to the face is very real with the screens so protection beyond sunglasses may be in order unless you feel lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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