Elite restoration begins!

[Pete Boole]

Thanks guys!

Pete

[Pete Boole]

So - more extreme project creep!

The early cam housing covers are renowned for there capacity to leak so, as usual, I've gone for an extreme solution

This is a casting I've had made which I hope will permanently cure the problem:





After machining I've bonded it to the original cam housing:





Clearly I've copied the SE's approach to providing a flat surface to seal against. Time will tell how good the one-pack heat-cure epoxy is!

The eagle-eyed will also have noticed my new oil pump design:



The oil pressure relief valve (prv) doesn't work as well as I'd like - oil bypasses it even at 20psi, so I'm running an external, adjustable prv with bypassed oil returning to the sump - not the inlet of the oil pump.

Feel like I'm making a bit of progress at last

Pete

[Excel SA]

Crikey Pete - you're going to a lot of effort to ensure your chassis doesn't get covered in oil like Stu's - you do know that your chassis will now rust and all bolts will seize in place?

Neil.

[Pete Boole]

Crikey Pete - you're going to a lot of effort to ensure your chassis doesn't get covered in oil like Stu's - you do know that your chassis will now rust and all bolts will seize in place?

Neil.

Pete

[bash]

Superb engineering as usual.

Bash

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Amazing stuff. Especially interested in the oil pump mods. Most of us worry about oil pressure and flow. Can't wait to hear more once up and running.

[Pete Boole]

Cheers! I've tested several oil pumps and the only one to work as I would expect was an early Jensen Healey pump. These early pumps didn't have the loose-fitting steel sleeve in them. Because the sleeve is held in place by the spring-loaded shuttle the minute the shuttle leaves its seat oil starts bypassing the assembly - this happens at about 10 - 15 psi and because it's easier to pull oil from the relief valve than the sump it's my belief that that is what happens - oil is pulled from the bypass by the suction of the pump inlet side. By letting bypassed oil return to the sump this won't happen. Well that's my theory

I'll post up a picture of the external prv/thermostatic remote oil filter head assembly.

Next up - cam position sensor to allow sequential fuelling/ignition.

Pete

[Hawaiis0]

Is that a little over spill of sealing compound on oil pump housing?

Gash as F.....

[Pete Boole]

Shoddy!

Pete

[Pete Boole]

Hope it fits!!



Engine ready to install for the restoration show

Still lots of work to do.

Pete

[bash]

Belting Pete, just belting !

Bash

[Excel SA]

Very tidy looking Pete! Even your workshop

Great work.

Neil.

[rbgosling]

That looks splendid! Fascinating to see something so familiar yet with such major changes, and yet it all looks perfectly integrated - if you weren't familiar with the engine, you wouldn't know it wasn't factory, apart from possibly the serpentine belt being a more modern touch than is seen on an engine of this vintage. Beautifully engineered. Looking forward to seeing it in the metal tomorrow!

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Engineering master piece.

I'd love to hear it screaming on a Dyno at 7000rpm. What's the expected output? Hopefully you'll post the numbers / curves on here at some point. Brilliant as ever.

[Pete Boole]

Thanks guys! I'm using conservative cams (factory 107s) and the supercharger will not produce much boost, but I'm hoping for about 250hp and with useable torque from about 2k rpm. The gearbox will restrict rpm to about 6k - sorry Peter! I will post up some data when I finally get it on a rolling road for mapping.

I'll get a photo of it in the engine bay later.

Pete