Scaffolding poles + old VW bits + Rotary engine....

Scaffolding poles + old VW bits + Rotary engine....

Author
Discussion

bazking69

8,620 posts

189 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
Mad and brilliant. Superb write up too!

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Monday 21st June 2010
quotequote all
Well, after thinking we'd cured the misfire it's now back with a vengance, but in a different spot - at a guess we've been unlucky and had two problems, not one, which is why it's seemed so random! Anyway, we've stripped it all back down for a check over and I've just dropped the injectors off at a local garage for checking and cleaning - hopefully it's one of those - if not I'm stumped!

Anyway, we have had some good news in that the generous lads at Opie Oils have offered us some sponsorship by way of a lovely discount on oil/fluids/spark plugs, etc, which is much appreciated, being on a shoestring budget a little help on the consumables should hopefully go a long way towards modifications for more speed out of the old girl, so I'd like to say a big thanks to them smile
You never know, we might be able to afford a bacon butty each at the weekends shortly! hehe


Edited by PhillipM on Monday 21st June 21:28

Google [bot]

6,682 posts

180 months

Tuesday 22nd June 2010
quotequote all
Just as an aside, there is a whole host of information on rotary engines here http://www.ausrotary.com/ - the rotary scene is a lot bigger here than the UK so amongst all the kids and retards you will find some very knowledgable folk.

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Tuesday 22nd June 2010
quotequote all
Thanks, I'm on a fair few rotary sites already so one more to add to the reading list won't hurt biggrin

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Monday 28th June 2010
quotequote all
Apparently, ripping one front wheel and the associated suspension components off the car on the first laps isn't actually the fantastic weight saving scheme it appears to be initially.

Whoops!

t11ner

5,224 posts

194 months

Tuesday 29th June 2010
quotequote all
Busy weekend then Phil?

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Tuesday 29th June 2010
quotequote all
Just a bit, we got it fixed at the side of the track after lugging tools out from service, but by the time it was sorted it wasn't worth risking the car without a good check over as there wasn't enough time left to class as a finisher anyway.

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Tuesday 29th June 2010
quotequote all


Slight problem with the tracking.

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Tuesday 27th July 2010
quotequote all
Slight problem with the engine too, either the impact or the previous misfires that we drove through in order to finish Baden Hall has killed a seal in one rotor of the engine, so it's lost compression and is down about 100bhp or so frown

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Sunday 8th August 2010
quotequote all
Right, new engine sorted with only 1000 miles on the clock, it's a 2009 model which has a lot of changes to the sump and oil system, so we need to tweak the rear chassis to get it in and alter a lot of the oil lines/blanks, but we're doing it with adapators so the car can then take either engine if need be.
That's because the plan is to rebuild the new engine with a bridgeported intake and possibly a peripheral port exhaust (it's only cracked a side seal so it's fixable, just going to take a lot of time and effort) - which should hopefully push her up to about 300bhp or so, albeit a bit higher up the range @ around 9.5/10krpm or so.

It'll be fun*!










  • The kind of fun that involves learning new curse words.

t11ner

5,224 posts

194 months

Sunday 8th August 2010
quotequote all
We are running a Trackaction day at Oulton again in November if you fancy it Phil, I've got to get a ride in that thing this time if you do come along laugh

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Sunday 8th August 2010
quotequote all
What day?
We've got the new V10 beastie to test too, going to one early november already as a shakedown but another won't hurt biggrin

t11ner

5,224 posts

194 months

Monday 9th August 2010
quotequote all
Friday 12th, hope you can make it with the V10 silly

Ranger 6

7,040 posts

248 months

Monday 9th August 2010
quotequote all
PhillipM said:
....We've got the new V10 beastie to test too......
type more please?

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Monday 9th August 2010
quotequote all
Ranger 6 said:
PhillipM said:
....We've got the new V10 beastie to test too......
type more please?
Guys beastie on the previous page.

Edited by PhillipM on Monday 9th August 22:45

Ranger 6

7,040 posts

248 months

Tuesday 10th August 2010
quotequote all
Ah right, I did wonder if there were more than one of those - are you building that with/for him?

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Sunday 12th September 2010
quotequote all
Give him a hand with bits.

Anyway, got the new engine finally installed, oil system changed, electrics altered and sat down and alter the timing in the map.
And she fired first time on the button, spot on.

Unfortuatly the DTA software showed the throttle pot reading was jumping so we need to sort a new throttle pot, little oil leak from one of the fabricated fittings and sort a new oil gauge out (this engine runs at 150psi of pressure instead of 90), but hopefully we should be at sweetlamb this weekend.

I'll do a full writeup with pictures the week after on the alterations hopefully.


IT'S ALIVE!

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Sunday 3rd October 2010
quotequote all
Unfortunately the new TPS didn't arrive (obviously the Royal Mail vans need some remapping, and a bigger turbo, and slicks, and someone awake at the wheel).
Anyway, we managed to get hold of one this week and replaced the knackered one, spent this morning refining the mapping (bit conservative on the timing and fuel up top originally until we'd got all our issues with cooling sorted, so altered that).
The new engine seems to run a lot smoother, might be me imagining it, or it's down to the extra oil pressure (80PSI at idle!) and better water pump, and she gets to peak power earlier now and holds it for longer (there's 90%+ of peak power now from 7500-9400rpm), feels much quicker up top.
Runs even cooler too now with the new water pump + extra oil flow.
Apart from a little oil weep that we expected from a temporary fitting, all seems well, so we're gonna get some milage in to bed the engine in (it's a little down on the old one 261bhp vs 268bhp, according to the rollers, but you know how good they are on different days), as it's done under 1000 miles and it's definately a bit tight.
Might just crack over 270bhp once she's done some miles, hopefully.

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Monday 25th October 2010
quotequote all
Well, despite not being able to sort the slight oil weep from a fitting we went to the last event at Ebbw Vale this weekend anyway, and apart from a bit of a heat problem (long slog uphill through some peat bog, horrible stuff, the car sunk in about half a foot when you hit it), and knackering the sidewall on a tyre after a little overexuberance through the final chicane - which was made of rock, so not very forgiving - we kept going all day.
As it was, we were the only 2wd car to get around the whole event, it was slippery and very rough and rocky in places, the new floorpan looks like it's been shot peened underneath from the rougher bits...
Anyway, other than that, we managed to slug around, it was never going to be a course that favoured 2wd vehicles as the uphill slogs were on mud or peat bog, but we made some time up early on with a bit of gravel track and ended up tenth overall anyway, obviously 1st in class.
Which means we've finally won the 2wd Championship class biggrin with over 100 points to spare, and we've now got 3 months to make some more bits to bolt on wink
Obviously a big thanks to the few suppliers who've helped us out with a bit of discount and a lot of technical help - Carbotech Europe, Gtechniq, Opie Oils and McGill Motorsports in particular, when you're racing on a budget it's a hell of a help even to have a little discount, and the service and support from all of them has been flawless.


Watch this space for the upgrade program hehe
First step is to shift the oil cooler and make some high-flow endcaps for the radiator just to help out with the cooling - it's been perfect everywhere else but a long uphill slog in peat saw it climb to 105*c so a few tweaks should help a bit with engine life and, more importantly, stop the driver from looking at the gauge instead of where he's going hehe
Then onto some damper work again and perhaps rework the front end for better geo. and travel, see if we can sort a cheap digi-dash to loose some wiring from behind the dashboard and hopefully sort out some sort of limited slip diff so we're not struggling so much in the really wet stuff.




Edited by PhillipM on Monday 25th October 23:29

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Monday 8th November 2010
quotequote all
Had a day at Curborough on Saturday for a bit more seat time, took my nephew for a spin in it too hehe (he also took the first couple of pictures, and a lot more of the floor, grass, the track behind a passing car, his thumbs...)
Few pictures:

















And a couple of the nephew in the car with Ed:











Edited by PhillipM on Monday 8th November 13:31