These cars handle real good!!!!
Discussion
Boy oh boy had another club track day yesterday and I would just like to say for those of you who have a four pot like mine that there is nothing to be ashamed of in comparison to the mighty V8's for handling and speed. In fact over the 2.3km curcuit I was only three secs slower than a 97V8 TT running street tyres incl exp driver.
Cleaned up most of the lises as well. The only secrets I have are Mintex pads, K&N, Toyo RA1's and body mods, other than that the hp is stock std. Am really proud of myself and taking a long time to wind down am still hyped
Anyone else had similar experiences against early V8's?
Kylie
89 Esp Turbo non SE
Cleaned up most of the lises as well. The only secrets I have are Mintex pads, K&N, Toyo RA1's and body mods, other than that the hp is stock std. Am really proud of myself and taking a long time to wind down am still hyped
Anyone else had similar experiences against early V8's?
Kylie
89 Esp Turbo non SE
Yep, at Road Atlanta a while back there was a new V8 (back then it was new - 1997 I think) and a friend with a straigt 4 was running about the same times. I thought the V8 was "cool", but for the price I stuck to the in line 4 whan my turn came to be a lucky (crazy) owner! I love the 4's and personally, I think they sound a hell of a lot better! The v8 Lotus just did not produce that throaty rumble that I expected. Too much time spent around 70's V8 TransAms and other 'American Muscle Cars' (although they are not my passion by any standard)...
Kylie, if you "wound down" fast from a good track day... I think a few of us might be worried about you! Hahaha...
Drive Topless!!!
Cameron
Kylie, if you "wound down" fast from a good track day... I think a few of us might be worried about you! Hahaha...
Drive Topless!!!
Cameron
kylie said:
Yeah its always tempting to get more mods to the engine. But with modding it, you cant expect it to run 100% all the time. So don't know if its a wise move or not.
Kylie,
I'm not so sure I agree with you. The basic mods on my car are Euro Cam Timing, 104 Cam (slightly higher lift street cam - 0.412" vs 0.378" 'stock', both with a 272° duration, this cam was used in both the Elite and the Eclat 9XX engines), pretty mild cam upgrade, much more so than say the DS1 or DS2 Cams which are really race cams and barely streetable, if at all. Rejetted carbs, but again only the idle jets not the mains. And finally recalibrated wastegate allowing 10PSI boost over the stock 7.5PSI. Additionally, I did raise my CR from 7.5:1 to 8.5:1, but this was merely a consequence of using the JE Forged Alloy Pistons in my rebuild. Stock CR in the HCI motor is 8.0:1, so the other mods won't raise that motor as close to a detonation threshold as mine is and I have no problems whatever with detonation.
As far as running, I have, in some of our Club's (LOONs - Lotus Owners Oftha North) very spirited drives, had the car in the upper third of the tach for hours on end with no ill results. These are very well thought out mods, using parts used by Lotus in other itinerations. Factors such as emissions legislation prevented Lotus from working these mods into stock production on the Esprit. After 7,000 mi., including track time, the engine has the same compression as measured just after the break-in period, a bore scope inspection of the pistons shows the cermaic faced pistons are in like new shape and the oil shows no ill effects. These are sound, moderate upgrades which produce noticeable results, the biggest bang for the $ if you have the earlier analogue 4 pot motor. Happy Motoring!... Jim'85TE
kylie said:
Hi, I was thinking more like a bigger turbo, adding a massive intercooler and the other mods to support such upgrades. But am very pleased with what you say and will be speaking to my mechanic about them.
Jim so my 910 engine is basically the same as yours?
Cheers
K
Kylie,
The only difference between my engine and yours is the Nikasil coated alloy liners you have and a different exhaust manifold (yours is more prone to failure than mine).
Now if we're talking fuel systems, mine is an old analogue carburettor driven while you have an Engine Management system. This also does away with the distributor found on mine. Our Turbo setup differs in the wastegate, but the turbo is the same Garrett/airesearch T3 although I believe the packaging differs somewhat. Plus you have the intercooler and acomodating plenum setup.
But, same Head, Cam Towers, Cams, Conrods, Crank, Waterpump, Oil pump, different oil sump, but very similar. Different Cam Pulleys, exactly the same except for the HTD profile on yours accomodating the HTD belt while mine is the Trapezoidal profile. Different belt tensioners. In yours, eccentric tensioner, semi-automatic on mine.
In short we are much more similar than dissimilar. Happy Motoring!... Jim'85TE
PatHeald said:
Jim, re your engine.
Is the porting in the head standard, or has it been opened out and blended at all?
Cheers
Pat,,
Pat,
The one thing I didn't do was port/polish the head. Was getting close to topping my budget and so I passed on it. It is the only regret I have and next time the opportunity presents itself (leaky head gasket, etc.) I'll have it done. This more than anything really wakes up the engine. Happy Motoring!... Jim'85TE
lotusguy said:
Rejetted carbs, but again only the idle jets not the mains.
Jim.. Arent the idle jets more for idle and "transition management". I am surprised with all the improved volumentric efficiency, boost and CR that the mains didnt need upsizing or at least the airs downsized. I have been in contact with a fellow in the US that put a T3-T04 upgrade on his 85 and needed to go from 160 to 200 mains to get results. Maybe he was pushing 300hp, mind you yours must be up there.
Jan '83ET 237 of 334
>> Edited by f1karting on Saturday 13th March 11:49
f1karting said:
lotusguy said:
Rejetted carbs, but again only the idle jets not the mains.
Jim.. Arent the idle jets more for idle and "transition management". I am surprised with all the improved volumentric efficiency, boost and CR that the mains didnt need upsizing or at least the airs downsized. I have been in contact with a fellow in the US that put a T3-T04 upgrade on his 85 and needed to go from 160 to 200 mains to get results. Maybe he was pushing 300hp, mind you yours must be up there.
Jan '83ET 237 of 334
>> Edited by f1karting on Saturday 13th March 11:49
Jan,
On Dellorto DHLAs there is no distinct idle circuit or rather there is but, the idle circuit does not cut out once off idle as in many carburettors.
The idle jets remain through the transition or progression to the mains and are never really cut off. If trying to cope with a need for increased fuel, this is one way to go. Often preferred since the idle jets are available in 0.001 increments whereas the mains are limited to 0.005 increments. You can dial it in much more precisely. I went from stock 0.058 idle jets (58's) to 0.065 (65's). This effectively brings my mains to 192's (combining the idle jet increase with the existing mains).
I'm not sure about your friend w/ 160 mains, because mine are 185 stock which are more than adequate for proper A/F mixture through the tach range as evidenced by both Carb Tune evidence as well as very very slightly sooty plugs, unless the car is allowed to return to idle. Besides, a Turbo should run a little rich in order that it be adequate through the entire power range.
As far as HP, I am in the 235-38 range with the mods I've done, a far cry from 300.Happy Motoring!... Jim'85TE
>> Edited by lotusguy on Saturday 13th March 17:56
f1carting,
That is true on the head flow but, due to the volume of multivalve engines on the market there are a lot of reputable multivalve head workers that can do a good job. I've talked to a couple, haven't done anything yet, but there isn't anything I see in the Lotus head that is particularily difficult.
But, I do agree you don't want bubba going wild with the die grinder in the back shed! ;-) I've ported SB Ford heads but I feel comfortable doing common things that need to be done (exhaust ports, bowl work) and then had access to a bench to check it. With the Lotus head I'd not feel comfortable.
That is true on the head flow but, due to the volume of multivalve engines on the market there are a lot of reputable multivalve head workers that can do a good job. I've talked to a couple, haven't done anything yet, but there isn't anything I see in the Lotus head that is particularily difficult.
But, I do agree you don't want bubba going wild with the die grinder in the back shed! ;-) I've ported SB Ford heads but I feel comfortable doing common things that need to be done (exhaust ports, bowl work) and then had access to a bench to check it. With the Lotus head I'd not feel comfortable.
rlearp said:
That is true on the head flow but, due to the volume of multivalve engines on the market there are a lot of reputable multivalve head workers that can do a good job. I've talked to a couple, haven't done anything yet, but there isn't anything I see in the Lotus head that is particularily difficult.....
To be honest.. the 9-series heads are pretty nicely finished. Id be curious to know what mods actually make the greatest flow improvements. My guess is the valve throat and general edge smoothing. Jan
lotusguy said:
.... On Dellorto DHLAs there is no distinct idle circuit or rather there is but, the idle circuit does not cut out once off idle as in many carburettors.
...The idle jets remain through the transition or progression to the mains and are never really cut off. If trying to cope with a need for increased fuel, this is one way to go. Often preferred since the idle jets are available in 0.001 increments whereas the mains are limited to 0.005 increments.....
I'm not sure about your friend w/ 160 mains, because mine are 185 stock which are more than adequate for proper A/F mixture through the tach range... Besides, a Turbo should run a little rich in order that it be adequate through the entire power range.
I suppose the idles would bleed fuel similar to Weber pump jets. Do DHLA pumps work in this manner as well?
I have a tuned 1500 TC in my Lotus Cortina, and tried the incremental upsize in the idle jet to increase the fuel map, but only mananged to turn the low speed all muddy and destroy the fuel economy. The idle jet method (for me) did increase the fuel map but the bias was WAY too rich in the part throttle range. I wound up playing with main/air combinations and now I have it sorted (and got my fuel economy back)
I may have gotten the 160 main number wrong, apologies, however, the point was the main jet size worked for the other guy.
I suppose there may be some benefit to slightly rich fuel map settings on a turbo.. especially if you like to work it
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