Chillidoggy

Yes, honing is the done thing, and no, you're not being old-fashioned!

Yes, I'm replacing them with cast-iron liners.

Having done some Internet legwork, and received a message from Dave Lisle, mine isn't the only strainer to have failed. Whilst mine has indeed stayed in place for 25 years, the next bump in the road could have caused it to fall off, because as I said, it fell off in my hand without any real pressure. To secure a critical engine part like this in in my opinion is not good engineering practice. It should have something positive to secure it as well. Moving on, Dave's suggested a repair method which I like the look of, so I'll be cleaning off all the old resin/glue ready for the fix. The wife is finding that despite the super-duper paint strip gel from Frosts, the red wrinkle is proving to be a lot more difficult to remove than first thought. She's getting there, but it's taking far more applications than expected. The red paint looks to be original finish, except the plenum nozzle, which has red/yellow/red on it. Weird. The next challenge is removing the alloy Lotus name plate from the charge cooler. I haven't had a go as yet, but I'm thinking of using an old guitar string like a cheese wire if it doesn't want to play ball. I'm in parts cleaning and measuring mode now. I think I can reuse the pistons, but won't know until I've checked them. If so, it'll save me a few hundred quid. I'm hoping to hear about the crank next week, again I think it can be polished and reused with the standard sized bearings.

The bottom plate of the oil pump pick-up suction strainer fell off in my hand this afternoon. Looks like the factory glued, or resin-bonded, the strainer gauze in to the top plate, then did the same for the bottom. Which is fine as long as it stays there, but this one didn't. I suspect that if my engine has suffered like this, then it's highly likely there'll be others, too. I'm now mulling a fix which has to be a more permanent solution to the crappy Lotus idea. Still, I suppose it's better to find it when the engine's in bits than have it fall off in the sump when it's back together.

With one that works? Get outta here.

Sounds good to me, Martyn. I just need a working engine.

That’s because us southerners are well posh, innit.

Finally got the cylinder liners out, and set the wife to work stripping the old wrinkle finish paint off the castings with her new strip gel. I've degreased all the last bits so they’re not dripping oil everywhere, and the vapour blasting guy is coming round to give me a quote next week. The carbon on the piston crowns took a bit of elbow grease, but they're all clean now. Garry Kemp is out of stock of some parts, but I’m hoping it’s not going to hold me up too much. I’ll fit whichever gasket he recommends and supplies.

Just given the wife her Valentine’s Day present. I know how to treat a girl.

Thanks Jon, I'll bear that in mind. I'm trying to solve the problem another way first but we'll see. Meanwhile, as it was like a wind tunnel outside, I took the crank up to Connaught Competition Engines this afternoon for a measure up, and if it looks to be within spec, a polish. I've caved in and told them to skim the head, and so stump up for the Vernier sprockets to time the cams properly. I've also spoken to Garry Kemp, taken his advice regards cylinder liners, and I'll be ordering up the required parts from him once I know what the crank is like.

Yes, it’s the usual suspect. All that load from the accessory drives has to go somewhere, eh? Dragan @Hornsey Boy- I’m going to use VHT Wrinkle Plus red.

The weather did indeed brighten up, and I managed to degrease the cam housings, sump, and sump baffle. I then progressed to strip the remainder of the engine, which went smoothly. The only things left are the liners, and those things are in there pretty solidly, so I’m going to have to manufacture some kind of puller to break the seal. Considering the high performance nature of the engine, and 75,000 miles, I have to say it’s in remarkably good condition. I would estimate that it had another 20 - 30,000 miles in the bottom end before it really would need a rebuild. I’ve rebuilt engines with less mileage on them and they’ve not been anything like as good. As I said before, as far as I know it’s the original engine, and has never been apart before, and if so, it’s a tribute to Lotus. The cylinder head is a different matter however, but I could have just refinished it, and had done with it, So, I reckon the original Mahle forged pistons will go again with new rings, the crank has almost no markings on it, and apart from one bearing shell which is showing copper, the remainder are still grey. So, a light polish and that can go back in with standard bearings. The Nikasil liners still have some of the original honing pattern too, but I shall probably be replacing them with ductile iron liners. The remaining degreasing will have to wait until there’s another weather window, hopefully Monday, because by all reports it’s going to be a tad windy tomorrow and I’m supposed to be taking my old mum out for her birthday. That’ll be fun.

The wife is on standby for that job as soon as the paint stripper and paint arrives.

Frankly, I don’t care whether the exhaust valves are filled with sodium, custard, or the wife’s shampoo. I’m not passing comment on any others, but as far as my own cylinder head is concerned, it’s in the best professional hands, and I’m leaving to those who have a proven track record and know exactly what they’re doing. As for the weather, well it’s a bit warmer today, so I might be able to make up some lost ground in the degreasing. Well, apart from the bloody rain, that is.