Looking for Feedback

General General Lotus Talk
1

Howdy,

Mr. Andrews has built me a new motor for my Exige. I have posted the specs he e-mailed to me below and was looking for feedback on anything else that I should do while I’m in there…

Thanks
Roy

Airbox that goes with the Jenvey TBs.

EBD Ultrabore stepped manifold.

There are a number of things you will need from your existing engine.

The fuel rail and injectors which should mount straight on to the DTH bodies
The water outlet elbow from the rear of the head
The thermostat housing with hosework and the dipstick & tube.
The alternator

I have listed below the spec. of the engine

Bottom end

Doug Kiddie superlight crankshaft in EN40B billet steel… nitrided and cross drilled
Arrow Precision steel rods, fully floating small ends
Oemga forged pistons, fully floating with Nippon rings
Piston crowns machined for larger valves
Grade ‘A’ liners machined to install at 4 thou liner protrusion
Lightweight steel flywheel
New ported oil pump with hardened steel rotor
AP uprated clutch and thrust bearing
All reciprocating parts fully balanced.
Block crack tested and machined for perfect liner protrusion.
Uprated Vandervell VP2 Lead/Bronze/Indium bearings fitted
ARP rod bolts fitted
Later type mains and thrust bearings fitted
New flywheel bolts fitted

Head
Latest selected 2002 spec. VVC head casting
Larger REC 32.5mm 214N inlet valves… tufftrided.
Larger REC 28.3mm 214N exhaust valves… tufftrided
Colsibro bronze guides
Piper 1227 VVC cams fitted new solid follwers
Steel spring caps and double springs
Piper VVC blanking kit
Head fully ported to 135CFM (good for 250BHP+)

Head fitted with competion head gasket and uprated bolts with steel dowels.
Piper uprated cam belt fitted
Piper verniers fitted with timing set to 130/115 thou lift at TDC.

Jenvey direct to head throttle bodies fitted, port matched
Bernard scouse airbox and trumpets fitted.

I will be sending an ECU with a map which will get you up and running and should be pretty damn close to your requirements, its from an Exige I did last year, identical head/cams/TBs but stock bottom end, this made 228BHP. There will also be a wiring diagram toi install the ECU onto your loom and an appropriate mems connector.

2

Roy

Excellento, sounds fantastic

Remote thermostat, & baffled sump perhaps? Also, limited slip diff per the Elise Motorsport cars?

Look forward to your reading your report once it’s fitted, & you’ve been out on track.

3

How about some chassis/suspension mods to be able to exploit the new HP?
(remember, you’re not competing with the 'vettes here, your main strength is still going to be the corners)

Uldis

4

Don’t forget the brakes - the spec of the engine is very similar to mine, also done by Dave, but excepting the bottom end strengthening - and you will find it harder to stop…

Usual route is to fit stainless steel braided hoses, castrol SRF racing fluid, Pagid RS14 pads, and if you can get them lightweight aluminium bells with steel drilled and grooved rotors - try Geary at eliseparts.com

Let us know how she goes (and stops)

5

Mike

Take a look at Roy’s site here, as you will see, he’s already upgraded the brakes

When I grow up, I want a garage like Roy’s

6

out of interest, how much is this lot going to set you back?

Reason I ask is that I am dumping an engine soon, (one of them) that is a much higher spec complete with G/Box(+LSD), loom, ECU, airbox, dry sump,etc etc. (basically everything to fit).

7

Mr. Pesky,

Thanks I’ll check into the themostat and baffled sump. Did the UCR and Quaife ATB… Thanks for the complement on the garage, I’m about to make a change, I’ll post pics when the new car gets here (Dec).

Uldis,

Have the Dynamic Suspension but may move to something stiffer like the Motorsport stuff. Don’t know of any chassis mods; do you have any suggestions in that area?? Thanks!

Mike Lane,

Did the Motorsport brakes… I hope they will work:)

Simon S,

I’ll give you a rundown shortly. I don’t have the final amount from Dave yet; I just added a few things to the list…

Thanks for everyones feedback. Not a lot of experiance in the US with these cars, you guys are great!!

Roy

8

Roy,

as far as I know, the Dynamics one IS the motorsports one.
You can’t go really stiffer than the 600# springs it has. No point.
But you will need to increase the strength of the connections. You have the rear toe link installed already, right?

Apart from that, you seem to have a good car.
Now, as I mentioned before, the strength is on the corners. You will have to make a good database of the suspension settings, since even with 230 HP you won’t pass the Vipers and Vettes in the straights.

Have fun!

And Pesky,
why not wait until the Judd-developed K2000 engine comes out?
See High Performance Engine Development | Judd Power

I for one, am going to do the head with Dave and next… K2000

Uldis

9

Roy

Sounds great… i’m jealous.

What about the fuel pump…?? can you supply enough juice to get the horsepower the engine looks like it will be capable of? I have been told that the fuel pump will strangle things at 240bhp ish. but presume it will depend on tolerances and therefore could be somewhat lower than this.

I am also a huge fan (like Uldis) of handling and braking, so you got yer brakes sorted and you have the Racing Dynamics suspension so I guess you need to ‘footer’ around and get the car really well planted for max cornering speeds, and then use your bhp/tonne to get some mega-exit speeds.

I’m droolin a bit here… all the best and keep us posted.

10

Roy,

as far as I know, the Dynamics one IS the motorsports one.
You can’t go really stiffer than the 600# springs it has. No point.
But you will need to increase the strength of the connections. You have the rear toe link installed already, right?

Apart from that, you seem to have a good car.
Now, as I mentioned before, the strength is on the corners. You will have to make a good database of the suspension settings, since even with 230 HP you won’t pass the Vipers and Vettes in the straights.

Have fun!

And Pesky,
why not wait until the Judd-developed K2000 engine comes out?
See > High Performance Engine Development | Judd Power

I for one, am going to do the head with Dave and next… K2000

Uldis

So many thinks that I can pick you up on here…

What are you on about RE: Dynamics and 600Lb Springs??? (setup, tyres, wieghts, etc have a shed load more to do with spring rates etc)

and as for the so called K2000 engine, why hanker for something that currently does not exsist and even if/when it does, will be even more tenuous than the VHPD ones are now, and probably fearsomly expencive…

11

What are you on about RE: Dynamics and 600Lb Springs??? (setup, tyres, wieghts, etc have a shed load more to do with spring rates etc)

My point exactly, he’s wondering if he should go stiffer and I say that what he has is already the best. Other than that he just needs to play.
The 600 number just came to my mind, may not be exactly 600 front/rear. I think the front was softer. But you know, right?.


and as for the so called K2000 engine, why hanker for something that currently does not exsist and even if/when it does, will be even more tenuous than the VHPD ones are now, and probably fearsomly expencive…

As you say, the engine is not out yet, so why worry? It cannot cost more than the outrageously expensive Honda conversion, and you just can’t have a negative opinion yet.
I for one am looking forward to see one.
It’s going to be British and lighter than the Honda one.



Uldis

12

My point exactly, he’s wondering if he should go stiffer and I say that what he has is already the best. Other than that he just needs to play.
The 600 number just came to my mind, may not be exactly 600 front/rear. I think the front was softer. But you know, right?.



As you say, the engine is not out yet, so why worry? It cannot cost more than the outrageously expensive Honda conversion, and you just can’t have a negative opinion yet.
I for one am looking forward to see one.
It’s going to be British and lighter than the Honda one.



Uldis

Uldis,

my personal opinion is that Dynamics are far from the best, that asside, spring rates should be based on the speciffics of the car/tyres/setup/driver, there is no such thing as ‘the’ perfect rates.

Engine wise, I bet this engine never makes the light of day, it will just be way too expencive (as in over �10K for a bare engine) and will have all the issues the current 1.8K has now.

I know �10K for a Honda conversion sounds a lot, but your not really comapring like with like, for starters, the �10K includes the 6 speed box, all the additional parts needed, full turn-key install and VAT, to put this in perspective, just ask how much a new Exige engine costs…

13

Right, I was talking about the standard springs Dynamics comes with. I’m sure you can order different spring rates, but I’m referring to the standsrd ones they sell the Dynamics with.
And Ok, you don’t like them, may I know then which ones do you like?
They are personally too expensive for me, so I was thinking on getting the Nitron 3 way ones. Same adjustability as the Dynamics, different brand.

Regarding the K2000, you’ve been longer in the industry than I have so, you may be right. And if it was so expensive, I wouldn’t go for it.
Let’s see.

Uldis

14

Uldis

Remember Lord Scuffam now??

15

It cannot cost more than the outrageously expensive Honda conversion…

Uldis, I understand the 230bhp(ish?) K-series in the R500 is over �20k!

Ian

16

Uldis

Remember Lord Scuffam now??

I know education standards are dropping, but please don’t drop you 'H’s - it’s Scuffham!

17

Too late for him, Simon, he’s your same generation!

By the way, you didn’t reply, if you don’t like Dynamics, which shocks do you lke? Nitrons 3 way ok with you?

Uldis

18

Yes Si - spill the beans - I am in the market too and would appreciate guidance

19

OK, I’ll start this by saying this is my personal opinions, based on what I have tried/used/etc.

Personally, I cannot see the point in 3/4 way dampers, unless you are a formula car team with a shed load of money and technical expertise with �20K worth of data logging, and a man that can understand it, you just wasting money.

Just remember, F1 cars don’t have adjustable dampers…the test cars do, but not the race cars, the point is, that once you have them valved right, you should not need to make adjustments.

Like most things in the world, damper makers have good stuff as well as cheap crap, Koni are a classic example of this, their racing dampers are excellent, the after-market stuff is just shite.

The important thing with dampers is to get the right spec for the car and the use you want out of it, also, you need to remember what the job of a damper is, it’s not there to substitute for the springs!

Most of the problems with the ones for sale at the moment is that they are adapted for something else, and whist they may fit OK, the lengths and valving are less than ideal, for example, I have spend some considerable time playing with 3 way dynamics, and I personally just could not get them to work right, apart from the basic length’s being less than ideal in the first place, the valving is just not ideal (for an Elise), you can have all the adjustments in the world, but if the basic valving is wrong, you pissing in the wind!

I have just spend a weekend playing with a single way set of Nitrons, and I have to say that I was/am very impressed with not only the build quality etc. but they are EXACLY the right sizes, and the valving appears to be absolutely spot on. (This was on Blink’s Honda-powered Elise at Spa, running at sensible ride hight’s). What particularly impressed me was that they maintain good chassis control without any discernable harshness, even when attacking 3" saw-tooth kerbs, and felt a lot more comfortable on road-driving without having to change the settings at all. (I have not tried their 2 way yet, but will have a set to play with soon.)

Lastly, I run on Koni 3011’s, (2 way)

20

Simon,

What are “3/4 way dampers”? In addition, what spring rates do you run and is this on an Exige? Finally, what allignment and ride height do you run on the car?

I must admit, I have only adjusted the DS a few times just playing around. Other than that I just set them to the factory spec and left them there:)

Roy