Availability of grommet around the air intake pipe

[dapinky]

Depending on how good you are at 'bodgery' there is another way......

If you can figure some way of by-passing the intercooler by using pipework and jubilee clips from the turbo to the throttle body.

Just for a short 'test flight' to see if your times improve significantly, if so - you have a leak.

If you have a go at this, don't try and make it all fit together by cutting any of the standard hoses - They're bloody expensive to replace!

The proper way is to get the arch liner off and have a butchers at what you actually have! (and buy some new fasteners as well, at least you'll have something to show for the agravation).

PS - The gauge going to 0.5 isn't necessarily a symptom of the leak, the guage takes its reading from a vacuum in the plenum, so it is after the 'posible leaky bit' in the system.
[NB - this is only my opinion, not necessarily correct, but I'm sure Alan or Geoff will be along in a minute to tell you the whole story]

[ailwyn]

I would have thought that there would be no more than atmospheric pressure if the plenum were disconnected from the turbo, or is the vacuum created by the exhaust enough to raise the pressure?

A.

[dapinky]

I would have thought that there would be no more than atmospheric pressure if the plenum were disconnected from the turbo, or is the vacuum created by the exhaust enough to raise the pressure?

A.

Not quite sure what you're getting at Ailwyn?

Air passing through a 'Naturally Aspirated' engine will still cause a partial vacuum in the inlet tract, purely because of pressure differentials with moving air.

In a Turbo application, there is 'positive pressure' in the inlet tract, but still a diffferential across the ports in the engine.

The whole thing works like a N/A system but at ~1.6 bar instead of 1.0 bar

[ailwyn]

Mick's boost gauge is reading 0.5 bar. How is it getting a reading of 0.5 bar if the turbo compressor is effectively disconnected from the engine air inlet (the plenum)? Is it that the exhaust side of the turbo is compensating?

Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree (again) but it sounds like the engine would be drawing in air directly rather than through the turbo.

[RayD]

My question caused a bit of a stir.

On the strength of Dave’s comment about the quality of the SJS grommet we could do with seeing what it looks like, fitted. I don’t want stringing up at Donington for starting it all off.

Unlike the picture Ailwyn has provided where the pipe seems to be emerging from the hole vertically, mine is at a sharp angle. To fit a flat grommet the tube would need centralising. It would seem to need a telescopic type where the inner hole would be an inch or so away from the outer.

Removed a photo from here as the same one appears further on in the form of an insert.
Ray

[paza1]

IIRC, the SJ type is solid but has a lip/slot in the stiff rubber that will locate into the hole quite snuggly. The pipe can be jiggled around to fit the hole. Plenty of opportunities for comments there methinks
Mark

[dapinky]

Mick's boost gauge is reading 0.5 bar. How is it getting a reading of 0.5 bar if the turbo compressor is effectively disconnected from the engine air inlet (the plenum)? Is it that the exhaust side of the turbo is compensating?

Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree (again) but it sounds like the engine would be drawing in air directly rather than through the turbo.

No, I think you're right in that the air is going directly in and not through the 'compressor' first.

My understanding is that the boost guage is just a simple vacuum guage, and I was thinking that it just took its readings from the pressure differential (vacuum) in the plenum, but i could be (inadvertantly) talking bull$41t

[DeeAitch]

My question caused a bit of a stir.

On the strength of Dave’s comment about the quality of the SJS grommet we could do with seeing what it looks like, fitted. I don’t want stringing up at Donington for starting it all off.

Unlike the picture Ailwyn has provided where the pipe seems to be emerging from the hole vertically, mine is at a sharp angle. To fit a flat grommet the tube would need centralising. It would seem to need a telescopic type where the inner hole would be an inch or so away from the outer.
Ray

Mine also sits at an angle to the inner wing as I'm sure they all do - I reckon the angle of the pic gives a false perspective - Ailwyn please confirm
Anyway the real problem is that the intersection between tube and inner wing is right on the bend, making it hard to get a stiffer grommet to fit. I wish I could remember who I gave it to but I'm pretty sure they had to carve it with a scalpel to get it to fit OK and I recall they were quite happy. Another concern I had was possible crazing to the gel coat due to the stiffness and rock 'n roll transmitted by the engine.
I priced the Lotus part and decided that at £20.66 inc. it was a better bet. After all the original had probably lasted over 10 years!
Please note that even the OE part sits skew wif, but it does take up the differential in angles.

Mick, the gauge is a pressure gauge and is not very accurate. Try a temporary fit of a calibrated gauge if you can. Certainly if you have 0.5 bar then the pipe is connected, although you may have a leak or a blower low on puff. Do you have a mountain chip fitted? If so you should get up to about 0.9 bar, otherwise it will be 0.65 IIRC.
Also Elanscan can be innacurate on 0-60 times, for example if you get wheel spin. Far better try say 40 - 60, 50 - 70 and compare those figures as it takes out any errors.

[Paul.P]

Dave, i had an original £20 lotus grommit about 14 mnths ago, it has split all the way round now, so am willing to try the SJ one at £7.50 to see if it lasts any longer ?

[paza1]

Dave,
I was the grateful recipient (Sept 2005). It fitted great (don't recall cutting), is very sturdy and hasn't damaged the body. Just the job. It was from SJs wasn't it?
Cheers
Mark

[DeeAitch]

Dave,
I was the grateful recipient (Sept 2005). It fitted great (don't recall cutting), is very sturdy and hasn't damaged the body. Just the job. It was from SJs wasn't it?
Cheers
Mark

Yes Mark, it was from SJ's

There you go folks, you can get on with your group buy with confidence

[Doug]

Dave, i had an original £20 lotus grommit about 14 mnths ago, it has split all the way round now, so am willing to try the SJ one at £7.50 to see if it lasts any longer ?

not surprised to hear a story like that

I do think the SJS is not the best but I do believe it is durable and won't crumble/crack/disintigrate -- which is what matters to infinity and beyond.

PS did "Gromit" get in on this buy yet

[donsladek]

1. Ray D ?
2. Dapinky
3. Dave big Ed
4. Christy
5. mickmick
6. Clown feet
7. notright
8. Elvis
9. Sheprob
10. Dico
11. paulwatkins
12. Algirdas
13. Algirdas
14. Ailwyn
15. roger_fewtrell
16. theelanman
17. Paul P
18. Donsladek

[Paul.P]

1. Ray D ?
2. Dapinky
3. Dave big Ed
4. Christy
5. mickmick
6. Paul.P
7. notright
8. Elvis
9. Sheprob
10. Dico
11. paulwatkins
12. Algirdas
13. Algirdas
14. Ailwyn
15. roger_fewtrell
16. theelanman
17. Donsladek [/quote]

As somepeople are getting confused by northern monkey's nicknames ,ive put the list right .

[Enright]

No you haven't.

[woody]

1. Ray D ?
2. Dapinky
3. Dave big Ed
4. Christy
5. mickmick
6. Paul.P
7. notright
8. Elvis
9. Sheprob
10. Dico
11. paulwatkins
12. Algirdas
13. Algirdas
14. Ailwyn
15. roger_fewtrell
16. theelanman
17. Donsladek [/quote]
18.Woody
Cheers,

[techlectic]

1. Ray D ?
2. Dapinky
3. Dave big Ed
4. Christy
5. mickmick
6. Paul.P
7. notright
8. Elvis
9. Sheprob
10. Dico
11. paulwatkins
12. Algirdas
13. Algirdas
14. Ailwyn
15. roger_fewtrell
16. theelanman
17. Donsladek [/quote]
18.Woody
19. Andrew (assuming someone could ship to me in the US)
thanks

[dapinky]

Okay, then, you've all heard what has been said about these items, some like it, some dont, but at the price, I'm sure it'll be as good as (if not better than) the Lotus one for 20 quid!

I've heard back from Steve at SJs and this is his reply:-

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your interest. I am sure you will be surprised to find that I pay
£6.25 for the grommets and that I have to buy five at a time to get that
price. So, no, sorry no discount for orders below quantites of 10. I will
offer a price of £7 each if you can get more than ten orders. Don't forget
the cost of sending them to you and the vat!

Steve

As such, The unit price will be £8.22 inc VAT, plus your share of the shipping from him to me, plus shipping from me to you (unless you want it to go to Donny with my artic-load of other stuff!)
I expect It'll go in a normal envelope with a standard stamp, so you're looking at about ~£9 to your door.

I will be placing an order at the weekend, so will you each please indicate if you're in or out of this one, and I'll take it from there,

1. Ray D ?
2. Dapinky - Confirmed
3. Dave Ed
4. Chris.t - Confirmed
5. mickmick
6. Paul.P
7. notright
8. SBK
9. Sheprob
10. Dico
11. paulwatkins
12. Algirdas
13. Algirdas
14. Ailwyn
15. roger_fewtrell
16. theelanman
17. Donsladek
18.Woody - confirmed
19. Andrew (ship to the US)

[woody]

Confirmed for me Dave,
Cheers,
Woody

[chris.t]

i'm in dave. I'll collect at Dony if thats ok. PM me details if you want me to paypal you.

Thanks for this Dave, you've done more than your fair share of errands. Prepare to have many pints thrust in your direction at Dony