Thursday 31st July 2014

Lotus Elise Sport 135: PH Fleet

With the handling sorted Danny is pondering engine work for the Elise

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"Your Elise will never get used again". Those were the words of a friend upon my receipt of the PH Fleet Clio Renaultsport 200 EDC back in April. And I'm ashamed to say, save for a few dawn raids on the Turner's Hill Dream Drive route, his prediction has proven fairly accurate. Still, this is a man who has recently sold his own lovely S1 Elise and replaced it with an MGF, so I think it's pretty obvious who is battling the bigger issue here.

It could soon be a Sport 160...

With little actual driving going on, thoughts have turned to fettling. Top of the to-do list are a few mundane jobs such as removing and refurbing the grilles and headlight covers, fixing the speedo and getting the steering wheel centred. But dark thoughts about tickling the engine have also been brewing in the back of my mind. I suppose it was inevitable that, somewhere along the line, I'd be seeking to put a bit more lead in its pencil. Indeed, the biggest surprise is probably that I've been content with a stock powerplant for so long. Does it need it? Of course not, but when does logic ever enter these decision making processes? And ultimately, if it doesn't detract from the character of the car, why not?

Obviously Honda K20s are the transplant of choice for Elises, followed some way behind by Duratecs, but I'm firmly of the mind that I should leave the K-Series in my car and subject it to some mild tweaking and tuning instead. As one of the first 50 Sport 135s I really want to keep the original beating heart, so intrinsic is it to the character of the car. And, touch wood, mine seems to be a good 'un too, so I don't see the point in abandoning it when it's never let me down.

Top still on in this weather?

I guess numerically I'd be aiming for around 160hp accompanied, more importantly, with some much needed extra mid-range torque. Increasing power by 15-20 per cent, I'm led to believe, is something that's possible with verniers and more aggressive cams. All told, it should set me back between £1,000-£1,500, providing the fitting is straightforward, which I reckon is pretty good value considering the difference it should make. Best of all, though, lift the engine cover and it will look completely original.

I'm prepared to be swayed though, and I'd love to hear from anyone who's had this done - or even meet up for a ride to experience it - before deciding on the final direction to take.

My one reservation is that there are a couple of ticking time bombs lurking beneath the clamshells. Both are fairly major components that are well into their twilight years, and this makes me a little wary of committing to expensive engine work knowing that, sod's law, they'll both pack up as soon as it's all done. The parts in question are the radiator - still the original model with the plastic end caps - and the fuel pump, which has been whining incessantly for at least the last three and a half years. So, go for the upgrades and deal with any failures as they happen, or bite the bullet and get everything done at once?

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Fact sheet
Car: 1998 Lotus Elise Sport 135
Run by: Danny Milner
Bought: October 2010
Purchase price: £9,500
This month at a glance: Sort the problems or add more power? Decisions, decisions...

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Previous reports
For speed add lightness, to wallet in this case
Suspension fettling brings results, just in time for the alternator to go pop
Scottish road trip answers 'should I sell?' dilemma
Is it time for the Elise to go?
A cry of alarm from the Lotus - just drive me!
To Goodwood in the Elise
Why is the Elise slower on its new suspension then?
Nitron suspension upgrade for Danny's Elise
Elise shows its displeasure at winter weather
Pilgrimage to Hethel and a lap with handling guru Matt Becker
New wheels on and roof off; to Spa!

[900T-R]

Eh? Radiator and fuel pump 'fairly major components'? Not on my planet...

[AER]

Best mod for a street S1 is converting to VVC

[Henry Fiddleton]

Stick to the K series...

[Qwert1e]

Henry Fiddleton said:

Stick to the K series...

.... or chop it in for a different Elise.

[Vee12V]

AER said:

Best mod for a street S1 is converting to VVC

Some beg to differ..

[Watchman]

Scholar 1900cc block, bit of headwork from the Maestro (DVA) and some fettling of the inlet. Bigger but road-oriented cams, and you'll be at 200 with a nice and flat torque curve.

You'll want to drive it a lot then.

[Ian974]

Whether the rad is a big job depends entirely on whether the front clam fixings are siezed or not. If the clam is going to be a nightmare, leave it be for now. Its not expensive to DIY when it does need done, grinding out all the bolts just isnt fun though!

[Scott_Mac]

Go and See Roger at Sabre-Heads and get a quick head port done. Add a Janspeed small bore 4-2-1 manifold and a sports cat and you're not affecting the overall drivability, in fact you're hugely improving it. Much more low down torque and it flies round the rev counter.

Personally i found that cams etc change the characteristics too much, factor in an Emerald ECU and you've spent a fortune and possibly ruined the drivability.

[Shnozz]

As fantastic as they are, not sure I could justify spending £10k on an NA Honda conversion on a car that cost £9500.

And even then I would probably hanker after the £13k or so for the supercharged conversion.

Then brakes/suspension and subsidiaries that require upgrading to handle the power.

But, but, but, they are flipping awesome and the characteristics of the engine suit the car but take it to a new level.

[skint_driver]

The Honda NA conversion transforms the Elise. It's awesome. I've used mine a lot (yellow S1 in the classifieds).
The supercharger does add a lot more power still, but for anything other than pure hooliganism it's a diminishing return.

[anonymous-user]

I'd say the following:

1) Original "nice" Elises are starting to get rare. So don't be sticking another engine in there!

2) "mild" engine upgrades won't hurt the value, as long as they are done properly (cams, head work etc)

3) Definitely FIX any potential issues while you can BEFORE they bite you (assuming you can afford it) Rad and Fuel pump, both easy (but time consuming) DIY jobs are well worth doing



If it were mine, i'd be going VVC with a std VVC ecu to match (to keep the OEM driveability intact). A std VVC head with a decent exhaust and inlet system makes good power and fits in with the character of the car imo.

[Fishy Dave]

Check which pistons you have, if standard then do consider a change for 'Trophy' or forged, particularly if you intend to use the upper rev ranges. Standard pistons are the weak link at this level of power if used on track.

Dave, new owner of an Elise with Audi conversion.

[lukefreeman]

VVC head, solid cams, verniers and an ECU for £2k I reckon.


Wouldn't be doing a VVC conversion though, too much work!

[atl]

As someone who recently fallen foul of not replacing the rad on a Sport 160 whilst the front clam was off I would recommend you replace the rad before doing anything else. Its a miracle its lasted this long if its a plastic ended job.

Oh and if you do don't opt for a triple pass pro-alloy radiator - it doesn't flow below 4000 rpm...

[ghibbett]

http://www.dvapower.co.uk/

/Job done

[scottos]

Stick with the standard engine, they are plenty good enough! We've modified quite a few rover k-series, they free up well!

[Lione1 Richie]

I'm going for the 'all at once' approach this winter my logic being that it can be taken off the road to be done and then when completed it should be shiny and new.

Current to do list is: full re-spray, suspension refresh, new rad, wheel refurb, steering rack refurb and any other preventative maintenance required.

It's going to be a horrific bill but once taken care of it should be good for a while

Well, until the C Service is due early summer next year

Also, keep that engine as is!

[HeMightBeBanned]

I echo the other comments - don't change the engine. If it wasn't a 135, then yes by all means but the 135 is a rare beast and should be kept as close to original spec as possible.

Sticking cams in the car won't help your quest for torque. It'll make it more powerful at high revs but the delivery will become more peaky - less low down torque. Not what you want. Mate it to a good 4-2-1 manifold for a slug of torque to help. Some fettling of the head by Dave Andrews may also be in order. However, as you get to 160bhp or more the ECU will start to limit your ability to fuel the car properly so you need an Emerald ECU. See how the costs are starting to stack up?

[Oli748]

...

Edited by indiana748 on Wednesday 8th February 22:36

[suffolk009]

I'd leave it alone.

I spoke to a highly respected engine builder about doing the K-series in my BRM (now sadly departed; electrics). He said, "Just leave it alone."