Anybody EXPERIENCED in building up an engine ?

[simonbuk]

Hi everybody - is anybody experienced in building up an engine ? Either previous/current trade or just good DIY experience of these engines.

PLEASE lets not get into the reasons why i can't or should do it - due to VARIOUS reasons i can't. I would love to have the time/space/know how/be able to learn, etc,etc to build it up myself but i just can't at the moment.

I will be paying somebody for their time.

I have had a short engine rebuilt and a head rebuilt (by what i believe to be an established well thought of engine/machine shop). All machining is done so its gaskets, bolts, timing......(famous last words...!)

So i need the engine 'built up' and put together. This would preferably be by somebody in the south east.

Would anybody be interested in doing this ?

Cheers,

Simon

[Saltire]

Simon

A former Touring Car Championship-winning race mechanic did mine - but he’s in the South-West. Drop me an email if you want to know more.

[simonbuk]

Ok thanks for the heads up.
I may ask for details if I don't get somebody more locally - cheers.

[simonbuk]

Anybody interested ?!

[TorqueHorse]

Hopefully you can find someone more local to you, but if not, and you can get me a plane ticket and a roof over my head, I'll do it

[Saltire]

Anybody interested ?!

My chap is still around! (Although he’s a sailor, so will probably have swanned off to his boat at the slightest opportunity )

[Tuga2112]

Hopefully you can find someone more local to you, but if not, and you can get me a plane ticket and a roof over my head, I'll do it

this gives me an idea... but timeframes to achieve such would probably require many months or even years to setup

[Saltire]

Hopefully you can find someone more local to you, but if not, and you can get me a plane ticket and a roof over my head, I'll do it

I commuted from LHR to Houston for work at one stage (although not on a daily basis), so it’s not out of the question

[HJ2]

I'm not in the south-east

[Giniw]

I'm not in the south-east

Well, you kind of are! (unless you moved abroad)

[dapinky]

I'm not in the south-east

You're still closer than I am!

[alan e]

I'm not in the south-east

You're still closer than I am!

I live in Worthing so you can't get much closer then that.

[HJ2]

[TorqueHorse]

I commuted from LHR to Houston for work at one stage (although not on a daily basis), so it’s not out of the question

Plane tickets are only $600 right now "Have torquewrench; will travel"

I live in Worthing so you can't get much closer then that.

Sweet, another place for me to couch surf while I'm playing travelling repairman there.

[Simon_P]

Simon, the trouble is that few engine builders will want to take on a half done job. No matter how good a job you assure them the previous builder did, they will likely want to strip and rebuild.

Another problem is that it's not a common engine and it's in pieces - if you don't know what came out and how it came apart it's harder to rebuild correctly.

Is this one complete engine or a head and a block and you think that you have the rest of the bits?

You don't say to what state you want it built up?

[simonbuk]

Anybody interested ?!

My chap is still around! (Although he’s a sailor, so will probably have swanned off to his boat at the slightest opportunity )

Thanks for your reply earlier - tried to respond but the website was throwing a tantrum on the private messages !!

[Saltire]

Anybody interested ?!

My chap is still around! (Although he’s a sailor, so will probably have swanned off to his boat at the slightest opportunity )

Thanks for your reply earlier - tried to respond but the website was throwing a tantrum on the private messages !!

No problem Simon; thanks for letting me know

[simonbuk]

Is this one complete engine or a head and a block and you think that you have the rest of the bits?

You don't say to what state you want it built up?

Well is not complete as i bought a second hand block and had it rebuilt , and then a bit later a second hand head and did the same. The ancillaries will be coming off the engine currently in my car, so 'part built up' - which i know doesn't help !!

I know people talk about these engines being 'specialist' engines and being Lotus et al, but they very much look like a generic GM engine of the 90's so surely a competent mechanic should be able to bolt it together and add the ancillaries back on ? Would you really have to have an experienced Lotus guy to do it ?

[dapinky]

Simon,

Suffice to say that I am NOT a 'Lotus trained engine re-builder'....... but then again, neither were the guys who first assembled them for the cars when new.

Clearly, it is a more technical engine than even the same unit used in other applications (mainly down to very fine tolerances) - none of which are difficult to meet by someone who takes enough care, and can read the instructions!!!

I started off (engine wise) with a Morris Marina 1.3 (A-Series), then various Ford units, then Lotus TC, then Lotus 907, Triumph 16v Sprints, Vauxhall, Mazda, Nissan and Elans...

The earlier ones were fairly basic, but once I progressed to the 907 it started to get a bit more tricky, same when I started modifying Sprints..... however, for me the worst one to work on was the Nissan Bluebird - it was designed so that nowt was straightforward (even with the engine out of the car it was hard to do some bits).

My point being that the "techniques" for selecting parts are the same for any engine really (engineering blue for checking clearances etc), and it is far more about the bloke doing the work than it is about the original manufacturer.

I would trust any 'good' engine builder to work on an Elan unit - especially one who deals with a lot of competition cars more so than 'production' cars.

I used to have to balance every single part of a competition engine, and have exact tolerances on fitted parts - spending many hours with a grinder, file and scales whilst my mate got all the exciting work on the flow-bench.

If someone can build up a Cosworth YB for a rally car, they will do your Elan with their eyes closed (except for reading the exact specs, and they are all in the Workshop Manual).

[Simon_P]

I know people talk about these engines being 'specialist' engines and being Lotus et al, but they very much look like a generic GM engine of the 90's so surely a competent mechanic should be able to bolt it together and add the ancillaries back on ? Would you really have to have an experienced Lotus guy to do it ?

As Dave says - an experienced engine guy rather than an experienced Lotus engine guy. someone who will notice that: there is no regrind permissible on the crank, there are no graded bearings available and Turbo main bearings aren't available. Of course you could regrind the crank and use the bearings in the catalogue and that might work..... your engine builder did tell you that he drilled the extra hole in the mains for the Turbo piston cooling jets right? or does whoever's building it need to know enough to disassemble it and check. (the aftermarket bearings, although listed for the Turbo are N/A bearings with only 1 oil hole). Of course not everyone will agree and some will say it will be fine.

What is wrong with the existing engine ? you may have more luck taking the car and having that rebuilt - and you'll get a warranty.