Hi All, I've just added to my V8 a MK3 Phaeton with a 2L pinto Engine of E-Bay via another member of the forum. After driving the 30 miles home I wish I had got into kitcars years ago. Really good fun even keeping to the speed limits and a well set up car.

Anyway it seems that the owner who put the pinto in (about 2000) fitted an RS2000 sump and mounted the engine with the front of the sump pan squarely resting on the front chassis cross-member (no clearance at all)

My intention is to take the engine out and weld in a lower cross member, cutting the original out to give some room for the engine to move on its mounts.

However, given that the car would appear to have done the last 8K miles like this is this overkill?

Given that lowering the cross member will restrict ground clearance I plan to limit the sump to cross member clearance to 10mm does this sound acceptable?

Thanks

Barry

Does it have a 5 speed box? because this often happens when someone does the lazymans Type 9 installation using the original Type E gearbox position that moves the engine forward 3"

Normally the engine misses the front crossmember using the 4 speed box so no issues like this happen.

Clearance is a clearance so as long as the 10mm takes into account any engine movement it should be fine.

Andrew

Reply from - Monkeyhanger - who needs to use the add reply button and NOT the report post button.... :blink: :rolleyes:

Not overkill, but have you thought of modifying the sum instead? - check the clearances inside and 'notch' the sump to suit - Wouldn't damage your ground clearance then.

Hi its got a type 9 5 Speed box fitted so I guess its was an easy fitting job. Shame cos most otherthings appear to be well sorted.

I will have a look when the engines out I dont know how much clearence the crank needs. If I fit a modified cross member I may just make it wider (perhaps two box sections with some 3mm steel sheet welded between) to add to the rigidity of the chassis? Either way the main limit on ground clearence will be the rear of the sump.

Should I expect many problems getting the engine out given that its 3" forward?

Barry

Hi, just started stripping down engine to find out the drivers side engine mounting bracket has failed :o and has moved down and slightly forward. Hence the motor sitting lower and hitting the cross member(must have been pretty marginal anyway). When the motors jacked up theres about 5mm gap under the sump.

Not too big a job to fix as the engine will be coming out anyway. :)

From other posts it seems also worthwile strengthening the steering rack barckets at the same time?

Barry

Oops. :o :o :o

May have to remove the water pump etc. from the front of the engine to get clearance.

I seem to recall mine being tight and that was with a relocated gearbox mounting and the engine back as far as it will go - about 3/4" from a cut back bulkhead.

Some quite clear pictures on my website in the completed S4 section

Andrew

Any news on the builds and works Barry?

Not much the S1 is in bits with the chassis stored outside under some tarps and the engine is now also in bits!

I have had a sort out of the bits over xmas in response to a need to sell up the S1 rolling shell bits but still in two minds and I guess I want too much for the bits. The Capri MK1 atlas axle on it would probally sell for more than the "never seen the road" glassfibre and chassis!

I will see how things go in the summer, Im taking early retirment in July so will have more time but less money never get the two together!

The V8 is in good nick, will need to sell (give?) the 4 speed gearbox away as I have a nice recon 5 speed. One small end is tight, the rocker shafts need replacing, valves OK but the bores still show a honed finished and the mains and big ends are new not bad for five years storage in a field! Must have had the bottom end rebuilt not sure why the rocker shafts were never replaced camshaft, followers, cam chain ... all look like new.

Ive just replaced the rear wheel bearing, Diff cover and LSD oil in the S3 having been playing arround changing the springs (300lbs front and rear!!) noticed an oil leak from the off side wheel bearing and a leak from a small hole in the diff cover. Next job is to fit a nice alloy petrol tank and get rid of the petrol smell in the boot for summer. Ive fitted 100lb springs on the back and will be fitting 180 - 200 on the front when I get them so should be good for summer.

My friend who helps me weld is a wizz with autocad so I will ask him to put together a cad image of the S1 chassis. He now wants to make up his own chassis "based on sound engineering principals" god knows what licensing issues are hiding around that corner!

Cheers

Barry

Shame the S1 looks like it will broke up or sold on in one or other fashion but I think I said before that an unregistered Dutton is a difficult to justify project from a economical standpoint.

Bodywork is always a tough sell and more often than not its the transportation issue - so unless you are lucky enough to find a few people locally desperate to have some body work its the usual 0.99p to £50 on E-Bay

Unregistered chassis is only good for weighing in or unless you have an unfeasibly large pile of paper......

As you say the running gear has the most value and the box if complete with bellhousing and remote should get a good price especially if its a V8 box as most of the ones out there are 2600/2300 or Sherpa on V8 bellhousings

Have you driven the S3 on the 100's? - I would have thought they would be a bit too soft - I have 90's on the back of my weighs F all westfield at present and they are very soft ( predominately understeer )- 175's on the S4 were firm but offered a reasonable balance I estimated 150's as a good compromise.


Cheers

Andrew

Hi Andy,
Only been out down the road and back with the new springs (the shocks are AVO Pro Race). I had two sets of 1.8" 100lbs springs with the car so I tried fitting them. The front (7" on 7" shock) fully compressed even with preload adjusted so not meaty enough! The rear 10" spring on 9" shock (so already has some preload) seemed OK for the short distance driven so far.

Its a 2l pinto Im afraid that going to 150 on the front will be to soft. A previous owner suggested using an adjustable trackcontrol arm as he felt it turned in a bit too quick so thats a future area that might get done.

Cheers

Barry

Sorry mate I should have made it clearer - I was only talking about the backs with 150 not the fronts.

I found 250/175 to be good on my S4 - not a bad balance - But I did not have the front anti-roll bar to mess things up.

A bit softer would be 225/150 - just would have thought 100 to be a bit too far.

The front roll bar messes things up as you try to go softer on the springs as its too stiff. and the balance goes to pieces they need to be stiffly sprung to keep in proportion with it.

Gotta wonder if the car was fitted with 300/300 what the previous owners interpretation of turn in was - as if as you say its fitted with an LSD then its drift heaven because it will just oversteer everywhere.

Cheers

Andrew