Running my Esprit S4 down the 1/4 this weekend!
Discussion
Well I know this probably sounds crazy to you guys. I Lotus Esprit staged at a drag strip, but I think its going to run damn good. My roomates Trans Am runs 13.4's@104 and my S4 Esprit is dead even with him, the Esprit pulling down low and the TA pulling back up top slightly.
Jamie Guffaux my mechanic is coming over tomorrow and were rebuilding the charge cooler pump, changing the oil, fixing a brake problem, and then it goes to the car show and the track on staurday.
The Event is put on by my old Eastern F Body association club. We usually have tons of fast camaros, and trans am's as well as some fast vettes that show up as well. They all want to see the Lotus, and they just cant beleive how well it runs for only having 4 cylinders.
It should be great! So say a prayer for my tranny, and motor and wish me luck.
Cheers,(as Rob Ellis would say)
Andy Wheeler
www.azzkicker.net
Jamie Guffaux my mechanic is coming over tomorrow and were rebuilding the charge cooler pump, changing the oil, fixing a brake problem, and then it goes to the car show and the track on staurday.
The Event is put on by my old Eastern F Body association club. We usually have tons of fast camaros, and trans am's as well as some fast vettes that show up as well. They all want to see the Lotus, and they just cant beleive how well it runs for only having 4 cylinders.
It should be great! So say a prayer for my tranny, and motor and wish me luck.
Cheers,(as Rob Ellis would say)
Andy Wheeler
www.azzkicker.net
Well hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.............. Wear do I start with what I am about to say
The car ran decent at the track with a best of 13.8@104 which for an S4 is really decent. THe bad news is
The motor self destructed on the way home
This was in no way because the car made a pass down the track. I was cruising along at about 70 mph on the way home, and wham I heard something let go. I knew immediatly that it was very serious. The car started loosing power like crazy, and then I heard soemthing snapp, and then I shut it down at about 50 mph and coasted to a stop. I had the car flat bedded home and Jamie came over sunday morning to look at it.
I broke a valve spring The motor is completely seazed up I garuntee the valve fell into the chamber and possibly took that thin piston with it The plug from that cylinder was beat to shit I mean it was destroyed.
We are not sure why this happened. The car was shifted at 7,000 all day and never got near the rev limit of 7,500 rpm's. Jamie thinks its possible that the Timing belt might have skipped a tooth some how.
All I know is that I am now looking for a new motor Depending on what we find when the head comes off will depend on wether it will be cheaper to buy a new motor, or to fix this one. The head could be all gouged up , as well as the valve pushed through the piston head, we just dont know yet.
Anyways the car will be down for sometime now since I have know where near the kind of money for a new motor. I had money saved up for regular things to break but not this
Being 24 and owning one of these cars is great but trying to replace this motor is going to be extremely hard on me.
Once again I want everyone to know that this did not happen at the track, and even my mechanic said that this was a freak thing and that he would not have blamed it on abuse either.
The car ran decent at the track with a best of 13.8@104 which for an S4 is really decent. THe bad news is
The motor self destructed on the way home
This was in no way because the car made a pass down the track. I was cruising along at about 70 mph on the way home, and wham I heard something let go. I knew immediatly that it was very serious. The car started loosing power like crazy, and then I heard soemthing snapp, and then I shut it down at about 50 mph and coasted to a stop. I had the car flat bedded home and Jamie came over sunday morning to look at it.
I broke a valve spring
The motor is completely seazed up I garuntee the valve fell into the chamber and possibly took that thin piston with it The plug from that cylinder was beat to shit I mean it was destroyed. We are not sure why this happened. The car was shifted at 7,000 all day and never got near the rev limit of 7,500 rpm's. Jamie thinks its possible that the Timing belt might have skipped a tooth some how.
All I know is that I am now looking for a new motor
Depending on what we find when the head comes off will depend on wether it will be cheaper to buy a new motor, or to fix this one. The head could be all gouged up , as well as the valve pushed through the piston head, we just dont know yet. Anyways the car will be down for sometime now since I have know where near the kind of money for a new motor. I had money saved up for regular things to break but not this
Being 24 and owning one of these cars is great but trying to replace this motor is going to be extremely hard on me.
Once again I want everyone to know that this did not happen at the track, and even my mechanic said that this was a freak thing and that he would not have blamed it on abuse either.
Great ideas guys!
I really want to stick with a lotus motor though. I really am enjoying not having a car that is peiced together just to go fast for a change. I have done motor swaps in the past and get tired of the head aches
What I would love to do is get a custom set of pistons, and rods for this motor. My mechanic seems to act like this will be difficult. I dont see how since a piston is a piston.
Anyways let me know if you think it would be cheaper to rebuild and possibly machince that cylinder clean, or to just buy a used turbo 2.2 motor to go back in.
We are going to be tearing down the motor next week and I will have plenty of pictures for you guys.
I still cant beleive I dont have my lotus for the summer
Oh well! Thanks for all of your help guys!
Thanks Dindo!
I really want to stick with a lotus motor though. I really am enjoying not having a car that is peiced together just to go fast for a change. I have done motor swaps in the past and get tired of the head aches
What I would love to do is get a custom set of pistons, and rods for this motor. My mechanic seems to act like this will be difficult. I dont see how since a piston is a piston.
Anyways let me know if you think it would be cheaper to rebuild and possibly machince that cylinder clean, or to just buy a used turbo 2.2 motor to go back in.
We are going to be tearing down the motor next week and I will have plenty of pictures for you guys.
I still cant beleive I dont have my lotus for the summer
Oh well! Thanks for all of your help guys!
Thanks Dindo!
Ok once again awesome info.
Thanks a ton for the contact info for the pistons!
O.K. just so everyone knows what I am trying to do here. This might help with the direction of your posts.
I want to get my car running again as quickly and inexpensivly as possible without getting any shoddy parts.
Just so you all know. I am only replacing what needs to be replaced. We have not pulled off the head yet so I am not sure what it looks like in there. The spark plug was beat to shit so I think the valve might have dropped since the engine wont turn over. Also I am sure the keepers fell as well and might have banged things up.
I might just need a new head, valve, spring, keepers, and a retainer. I am not sure yet. Worst case senario would be that the valve might have shot right through the top of the piston and thats why the motor is seized up. If this is the case then things might be really bad.
I am not concerned with the strength of the bottom end of this engine. I am not trying to build a race motor. I am just trying to get the car fixed the best way that I can. In some cases aftermarket rods, and pistons might even be cheaper then the lotus parts thats why I was asking about the forged parts.
Anyways I hope this helps.
Thanks for all of your help I check this site daily to read what everyone contributes. Hopefully it wont need all of this work. But I am just preparing myself for the worst case scenario.
Anyways thanks again fellas,
Andy Wheeler
Thanks a ton for the contact info for the pistons!
O.K. just so everyone knows what I am trying to do here. This might help with the direction of your posts.
I want to get my car running again as quickly and inexpensivly as possible without getting any shoddy parts.
Just so you all know. I am only replacing what needs to be replaced. We have not pulled off the head yet so I am not sure what it looks like in there. The spark plug was beat to shit so I think the valve might have dropped since the engine wont turn over. Also I am sure the keepers fell as well and might have banged things up.
I might just need a new head, valve, spring, keepers, and a retainer. I am not sure yet. Worst case senario would be that the valve might have shot right through the top of the piston and thats why the motor is seized up. If this is the case then things might be really bad.
I am not concerned with the strength of the bottom end of this engine. I am not trying to build a race motor. I am just trying to get the car fixed the best way that I can. In some cases aftermarket rods, and pistons might even be cheaper then the lotus parts thats why I was asking about the forged parts.
Anyways I hope this helps.
Thanks for all of your help I check this site daily to read what everyone contributes. Hopefully it wont need all of this work. But I am just preparing myself for the worst case scenario.
Anyways thanks again fellas,
Andy Wheeler
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