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Sparco karting shoes. Had two types. Not at home to check models but would buy again.

I'll get you some tomorrow and send you them.

So I'm not the only weather geek on here then! We do get mammatus here in the UK but not as frequent or well formed.

Since its not quite the weekend, I've squeezed a bit more garage time in under the pretense of tiding up. After all, isn't the most logical place to tidy an engine to the engine bay?! The first task, carried out across the weekend just gone, was to notch the crank pulley for TDC. This involves the first bit of careful measuring of the day: With TDC marked, and a pointer in place, it was time to fit the new cam shims and then double check all the measurements, including the valve to piston clearance which is arguably the most important one, as well as timing the cam. I had my small helper on hand too, so got to teach him a bit more about what we're doing and why. He finds measuring things down to a single thou of an inch a very peculiar thing. Timing the cam was actually pretty simple, as the stock cam set up and dowel put it on the same split as the cam I'm using. This was something of a win, as an adjustable pulley is not cheap for this engine and I didn't want to start using offset dowels. With everything set as far as I could tell it was time for the first roll over of the built (for now) engine with lumps of blu-tac in the piston cutouts. I was a little nervous of having missed some vital detail, but I need not have worried as the blu-tac hardly compressed at all showing a good 5mm or so of clearance. The recommended minimum is 2mm-ish, so I've got plenty and nothing to worry about should I miss a gear. There was one more task to do before I could mate the engine and box together for good: I needed a spigot bearing. It will come as no surpise that mating an engine from the 50's, to a gearbox from the mid-70's required a one off bearing. I like oilite for tasks like this, as it's softer than the steel components and self lubricating. Being softer is important, as it alos the bearing to become a sacrificial part if things go wrong. Unfortunately, I hadn't appreciated how soft it is. So when I clamped the bearing I had into my drill vice I didn't notice that I'd squashed it a little. All looked well from above: But less so from the bottom. The hole wasn't central or straight, and the bush was oval. I had one other piece of oilite. It was bought to replace the spherical bearing in the Watt's linkage pivot, but I figured that upgrade could wait. So it was off to my friends at ArcTech again, to see what they could do for me. There's nothing quite like bowling up to a general fabricating company first thing on a Monday morning and saying can you get this chunk of brass down for me, only I need it done to the nearest 1/10mm and I've only got this one piece! It's not their usual type of work, but they managed it for me anyway. The new bush is a better fit in the crank than the original was, and is a lovely sliding fit on the gearbox nose. It does stick out a bit more than you might usually see but that's to allow for the thickness of the adapter plate. And with the bearing in place I could finally get the adapter plate, crank seal and flywheel on for the last time. Whilst I don't have a centering tool for the pressure plate, it is also 1mm smaller in diameter than the cover plate so centering it is fairly simple in practice. The last task was to get the engine back in the car. This involves a fair bit of fiddling, as many of the bolts are quite hidden and best fitted off the car, but I'd already got the box back in place. So it is now in the car, and hopefully for good! As a side point, the engine as it is, ie a short engine with back plate, flywheel, clutch and starter weighs a mere 62.5kgs. I didn't even bother getting the engine hoist out!

We have been here a few times, but darn'd if I can find the threads again. My cheapskate deck shoes are falling to pieces and I now need some new shoes for the car, what are you using , how much are they and would you buy the same again?.

Not sure why 2004 is posted again, must have been a good year.

First thing I thought of, but video from 2004.

I found on my sump sbd that the threaded holes in the block had some thread lock residue in the hole ,and even though the bolts where torqued up the gasket wasn't squashed properly, one I cleaned the holes out it didn't leak, Haynes manual says to seal the join on the main cap and the join to the oil pump.

You've met me, I'd never be able to get into the car with the hood up 🤣

Hope you enjoyed the weekend Marcus, I did watch the live stream and wished I was there.

If the leak is anywhere near the back of the engine then chances are that it will be the rear mains cap (not the rear seal). If it is the sump gasket then a smear of oil resistant RTV sealant won't go amiss. Only apply it lightly and to the outside of the joint so that when it squidges out (and it will) it doesn't go inside the pan. Let it dry for at least 24hours before adding oil etc. This stuff is as good as it gets: GM part number 90485251

Have you got the link pipe from Westfield? The bit that goes from the manifold, out through the bodywork and towards the silencer? If so, you'll need a mk1 manifold yes. Reason being the mk2/mk2.5 is a 4-2 manifold, with the downpipe going from 2-1. On a mk1, the manifold is 4-1 and so just a single downpipe. I might still have my old mk1 manifold, I'll have a dig through the garage this week. I know where it should be, in the deepest and darkest corner

Hylomar That was it.

I can only comment on a wet sumped Xflow, but I always now use what Burton Power call the competition sump gasket. This basically is made from a material that expands if it gets oil on it - thus sealing the leak. Used where the two mating surfaces are perhaps not 100% true. Prior to that , yes I was using the blue stuff, of which the name escapes me. ( the one rolls royce used)

After a bit of advice. My QED dry sump pan appears to be leaking at the gasket somewhere so I’ve ordered another one up. Whats the verdict on applying sump sealer to the new gasket? Is that something I should do or should it bolt up dry? If the verdict is to use some sealing compound of some description, please give advice on the best one to use.

Sorry about this one, its in my collection and I don't know why.. Who Loves Ya Baby.....

Doh, Dave beat me with another one.

I thought it was the Thriller vid when I saw YT photo 😁 anyway

To those that were wondering, 450km is 280 miles in old money Love from a 1971 year of decimalisation baby

If you’re going to load the parts canon, don’t forget a crank position sensor.

One of their more musical ones 🤪

I should be at the Trackday on Friday from about 0800hrs and am willing to provide free help to anyone with Westfield tech problems including advice on set up etc as well as the correct lines through the corners etc. Hope you have a great day.