Where have all the King K Engines gone?

The Oily Bits S1 Specific Topics
1

Everything seems to have gone quiet on the Kink K Engine front in the past few months, I know of a couple of people who have ordered engines from him, has anyone actually received one yet, well one that works anyway.

The reason I am posting is that after all the abuse and attempted riduculing of several respected engine builders who took their time in a logical, honest and evidence provided manner to defend themselves,and that since all the chaos has subsided I have seen evidence of some K series engines producing excellent figures yet none from king k.

Now I have a Honda plus supercharger in my car and I wouldnt change it back even if a super reliable high power K surfaced from somewhere, I really enjoy my car its proven to be very reliable has lots of miles under its belt has some results to back it up to, and is bloody fast as anyone who has been out in it either with me or someone else driving will attest to.

Still I heard recently that after all this time in waiting, and knowing of only a couple of engines being done by king k that one recently was tested on rolling road/dyno and seized up after only 20 minutes, ive no idea on the supposed spec on it but after all this time im guessing it might have been one of the supposed higher spec ones.

Now apparently this was in an Exige so its also likely that it is someones on exiges.com, I may be wrong, and if i am I apologise, but if it is why has everything been kept so quiet.
After all the abuse a lot of people have had to suffer I think its only fair that this is aired so everyone can judge the results before spending their money, wether it be on a high power K, or Honda/Audi conversion.

Also I heard recently that a king K engine suffered from HGF and after reading this statement from himself some time ago,
‘The vast majority of people with problems with K have HGF, which at worst is a couple of hundred quid to deck block , replace liners and gasket.But I tell you I feel totally confident to promise all the engines of mine going out now will not suffer HGF - ever , provided the are installed and maintained properly’
I wondered if this is completely true, again if I am wrong in this I apologise, but if its right why has nothing been said about it.
Also if there have been failures who is footing the bill for replacement parts/engines I thought these were going to be bullet proof so were they offered with a warranty.

Again, im sorry if it seems like im stirring things, I do not post very often but I made the Fatal mistake of giving Joe Mccarthy at prototype racing �2000 of my hard earned money never to receive a thing from him and I would not want to see anyone else be out of pocket, making the same kind of mistake.

Im not trying to start an arguement, just trying to find out the truth.

Christian

2

It certainly looks like you’re trying to start an argument, posting things like you heard them.

No doubt that you have a powerful engine, better than the K (enough ego massage?) but it didn’t come out cheap.
Simon’s idea was that you don’t really need to spend that much to have a reliable K.

But anyway, for the grapevine, I also heard something about the engine at Emeralds, but I heard that it started making some noise, was stopped and it never turned again.
Spoke with Simon and he said that he found a bolt somewhere in the timing gear (around the cam pulleys if I’m not mistaken).
No idea on how that got there, but of course there was no damage to the engine.

Never heard about a HGF and I speak often with him.

No complaints of people giving him money and not receiving stuff. Either they got their engines back or they are still being built.

BUT remember that all this engine building started as he took on the challenge of making them, challenge some guys shouted when he said it could be done.
Respect to him on doing that.

I have to be one of the first to say his handling of the posts has not been the best one. When slagged he got vocal (and should have taken it in the chin, right?), and he has been poor to follow up posts.
I don’t blame him for that as you lose a lot of time posting, when he has to make this engines he took the challenge for.

As you point out, some K’s have produced excellent results. Regardless of who makes them, it means to me that the point has been proven, K’s can give good power.

I can see this as two teams, and of course you’re on the other side I am, but Joe is a very different case to Simon.
BTW, do you follow football? (because it looks like pub talk)


Regardsless, even though I run a K, I have a problem: I’m wearing my synchro mesh rings quickly, and… they’re not made anymore!
Other than going for a Quaife box (�4500) this brings in a Honda conversion into a different perspective…

3

David Harvey, who races a 340R in the Mid Engined Series, has a KingK engine.I’ve no idea what spec it is, but David was certainly very quick in this year’s first round race at Brands, & the engine sounded very sweet too. As to the cost of David’s engine, is anyone prepared to tell? Reliability -it’s going to be hard to judge, as David’s car is purely a race car, doing about 20 miles per race.

4

Not trying to start an arguement at all.

Merely wondered what was going on.

Mine cost quite alot but im not stopping or telling people how to spend their money, just spend it wisely is all im trying to point out.

And football, to be honest I can’t stand it, England maybe as its actually does have some english people in, other than that, not at all.

im not accusing anything either, things have been quiet, im guessing a lot of people are waiting to see one of simons engines and if he produces the goods, well good luck to him.

Pub Talk is rubbish anyway and I dont have time for it either, also I said I apologise if any of the facts were incorrect it is mearly what I heard.

Anyway off to find some football on sky sports(NOT!)

Christian

5

I heard similiar to Uldis on the engine that stopped front.

He has got a few engines out there now and everyone that I have spoke to is more than happy.

Pesky, just to throw a bit of light on the Dave Harvey front. Dave had a Scholar 1.9 engine in his car at Brands. Dave also has a Scholar 2.0 engine, that Simon is currently doing some work on, but not much, I don’t think it would be classed as an Erland engine. Dave had issues with his 1.9 recently (I will leave the details out as its none of my business to post them) that will see his car at Snett with his quickly reasembled 2.0ltr engine in it.

I was informed by Simon about 10 days ago, the he now finally has all of the parts for the full monty 2.0 ltr engines and he is putting them together as we type. Obviouly we still have a lot of dyno work and exhaust tuning and inlet stuff to do, but they are getting there.

Sean…

6

Dave had a Scholar 1.9 engine in his car at Brands. Dave also has a Scholar 2.0 engine, that Simon is currently doing some work on, but not much, I don’t think it would be classed as an Erland engine.

Err, it was your goodself who told me it was an “Erland Engine”, when we were all at Brands We discussed the mounting position of the alternator, if you recall

Anyway, not to worry, mate, my earlier comments still stand viz it’s speed at Brands, cost, & reliability

Look forward to seeing you, Quo & everyone else at Snett this weekend

7

This was my Exige,and for those interested these are the facts.I fitted the Simon Erland built K into my car and after some fuel pump problems it was running and was sweet(although still on axle stands and minus rear clam)just as I was about to fit the clam I couldnt help but want to hear the engine again.....it was running pretty badly,explosions and flames out of the exhaust.After talking with Simon we agreed that the best course of action was to take the car to Emerald since Dave could probably sort the problem and at the same time put a running in map into the ECU. With the car on the rollers,it was started...bad missfire,after a brief discussion and a bit of chin rubbing Dave swapped the plugs and hey presto....it was running. After 10/15 mins mapping dave shut the engine down being unhappy with the noise he was hearing......engine didnt want to turn off the key or rocking the rear wheels! also Dave noticed grass' inside the timing pulley cover,which turned out to be a small amount of shredded belt. Basically something had got behind the oil pump pulley and minced up.Thankfully the only damage was the pully.as regards what got in behind it,well thats a mystery…no bolts were missing,Dave definately hadnt left or moved anything in there.Mystery. Anyhow my engine should be back in soon,and once run in back down to Emerald. As regards HGF...it wasnt me and AFAIA no Simon Erland engines hafe suffered from it.
hope that clears things,
Jonny

8

Err, it was your goodself who told me it was an “Erland Engine”, when we were all at Brands We discussed the mounting position of the alternator, if you recall

Anyway, not to worry, mate, my earlier comments still stand viz it’s speed at Brands, cost, & reliability

Are you sure you had your earing aid plugged in matey?? lol. I know the alternator being driven from the cam shaft was developed by Dave and his good friend and fellow 340R owner Alan Maple.

Sean…

9

Since it has now been mentioned, I too have heard from an unimpeachable source that one of Simon’s engines has suffered from HGF at very low mileage.

I don’t see this as a reason to rub hands together in glee, but rather to give a resigned shrug of the shoulders at the gap between rhetoric and reality. Given my experiences of HGF (around 3%) it wasn’t entirely unexpected although I fancy that the %age figure is a bit higher for poor Simon who’s engine count is a lot lower.

Quote from Brian Drought…

The Earth turns, we die, engines go bang.

Ho-hum.

Dave

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Quote from Brian Drought…

The Earth turns, we die, engines go bang.

In that order Dave?

11

Would you prefer engine goes bang and you die?

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It’s in the line of the old quote about the only certainties in life, ‘Death and taxes’.

Dave

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Would you prefer engine goes bang and you die?

Simultaneously might be a suitably dramatic way to go!

(Although hopefully not at Silverstone on 3rd of August - I’ve a few plans for later in the year that I’d like to be around for!)

15

Please calm down, Simon!

You really don’t do yourself any favours taking this approach.I genuinely,& personally wish you & your customers well in developing a sound/reliable VHPD (or whatever you now want to call it), but coming on here with your aggressive attitude is not helpful to the wider audience’s knowledge, nor your own cause.

Your comments relating to the 1st Mid Engined Race of this season, are extremely misleading/inaccurate, & anyone who who was at Brands will know what I mean in that respect. I prefer not to go into detail here, but would be happy to discuss it face to face with the parties involved - Snett this Saturday, you & Dean going to be there?

Once again, I ask you to please calm down, & take a few deep breaths before posting - it would help everyone, honestly

16

I’m glad you are progressing with your engines Simon rather than playing keyboard games with alternate personalities as over on Seloc. I look forward to seeing some powerful and reliable engines.

The information about HGF came from some ex-Rover engineers who you have been speaking to over the 'phone recently regarding a pretty near instantaneous failure on an engine. Perhaps the engine wasn’t one of yours. In any event as I said, I take no great pleasure from hearing of any failure.

You’d do well the take Mr Pesky’s advice.

Dave

17

I notice scuffhams supercharged honda couldn’t keep up with a pair of knackered scholars and Seans dilapidated VHPD in the midengined series!!

  • oh and a message to scuffham from Dean Lanzanti - who beat scuffhams sc honda well and truely in the first midengined series race, the reason he was so slow was that everyone was tippytoeing around the track because scuffham’s car had dropped oil all over the track -
    simon

So it was not me being crap, it was the car all along - wohooooooooooooo!

I am a driving God after all, whew, was worried for a while there, what with my extensive race experience and having been to Brands once before, surely I should have whupped the entire field.

Thanks Simon, I can sleep at night again now, knowing it was the car all along.

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Don’t worry! rest assured you’re an excellent driver!

…you’re an excellent driver!

…you’re an excellent driver!

[image]http://www.humanillnesses.com/images/hdc_0000_0001_0_img0022.jpg[/image]



BTW, I agree with Dave and Pesky here, you could have phrased that post to be sooo much easier on the eye Simon!.

19

Just to make this simple -

I have 7 engines built and running around, 2 fully built and just going into cars, and another 7 engines going togeather in the next month.

Presumably, because you haven’t given the numbers for these engines they are nothing special in terms of power output ?

Bernard

20

Don’t forget the rain excuse too Russ!

And you have that Noble to thank or Dean could have lapped you, then imagine the chest beating!

Ian