cast iron Posted April 2, 2008 Posted April 2, 2008 why not get an old engine from a scrapyard? send the damaged bits away for repair and at least have some fun with a Std motor whilst the original motor gets sorted without a rush? Quote
Asterix Posted April 2, 2008 Author Posted April 2, 2008 why not get an old engine from a scrapyard? send the damaged bits away for repair and at least have some fun with a Std motor whilst the original motor gets sorted without a rush? You and several others are thinking alike. Am hoping to get the car back to my own garage by the weekend so that I can move on this. Quote
Asterix Posted April 2, 2008 Author Posted April 2, 2008 A small light somewhere down the tunnel appeared today. Have made contact with a vx1600 specialist in my local. Just got to get engine out (strip it to save some moolah if I can) and get it to him. Quote
MartinH Posted April 3, 2008 Posted April 3, 2008 A small light somewhere down the tunnel appeared today. Have made contact with a vx1600 specialist in my local. Just got to get engine out (strip it to save some moolah if I can) and get it to him. Peter Pleased to hear you have a way ahead but if not I can add another vote for Nigel at Cougar Engineering. He built David Hussey's new 1600 VX and and last season sorted out some long running issues with the 4 AGE, at least I hope he did. Quote
brianm Posted April 4, 2008 Posted April 4, 2008 Steer clear of the ex caterham dealer in Chesterfield. Name escapes me but he's no longer with the company. Someone will know who I'm rattling on about. That would be John Noble then? John was true gent, very approachable and honest. His workshops are 100mtrs from were I worked in Chesterfield and he helped me when were doing stuff with Mk11 cavaliers back in the late 80's. John has now retired and sold on the buissiness but it still trdes in his name. Aithough I used there services for 2 rollong road sessions on the XE Cyclone, and they did a dam good job, I would not recomend them either. Any other detail would have to be by PM. Quote
Asterix Posted July 26, 2008 Author Posted July 26, 2008 And now, for the news. On the upside, none of our family are terminally ill, we all have our limbs, even my 78yo mum is (now) recovering well from a hip replacement. Also, I'm not bankrupt, yet. On the downside, have got the engine back in the car, having followed the startup routines recommended both by the engine builder and the previous owner meticulously. Did the bottom end running in process today, kept it at 3krpm as recommended (no pistons or rings replaced here). First 15 minutes no problems whatsoever except for a ticking sound that I ended up thinking was the hydraulic followers reacting badly to the gloopy running in mineral oil. Tapping went away after a while. Next 30 minutes followed uneventfully (how boring is 3krpm between roundabouts?). All t's and p's good at this stage and as recommended by both engine builder and SBD. Then, at about the hour mark (when my paranoia had, I thought, truly subsided), engine note suddenly changed, noticed oil pressure warning light and gauge reading -12psi (which means "0"), I hit the killswitch and coasted for the next half a mile into a layby just off M1 J27. Engine note change to kill switch occurred in about 3 seconds, all at low revs. No leaks, no disengaged belts or pipes, no heatspots on freshly repainted block, no smell of untowardly hot engine, fill tank remained at proper level. Only outstanding symptom was the catch tank full to bursting (and weeping over the passenger bulhead). So, options: - Faulty sender or gauge...I doubt this alone somehow given the accompanying change in engine note Oilway blockage...would find this odd given we cleaned all the oilways before reinstalling fully-rebuilt-by-professional engine Oil pump failure...hmmm, still odd given it works when driven manually (and not by the crank) Anything else? Upshot is end of Westfielding this year for me, will have to cancel remaining events and Mallory trackday, hoping to get a refund for as much as I can. Shows what a gravel trap can do. Maybe I should take up running instead. Quote
Scottish Bloke Posted July 27, 2008 Posted July 27, 2008 And now, for the news. On the upside, none of our family are terminally ill, we all have our limbs, even my 78yo mum is (now) recovering well from a hip replacement. Also, I'm not bankrupt, yet. On the downside, have got the engine back in the car, having followed the startup routines recommended both by the engine builder and the previous owner meticulously. Did the bottom end running in process today, kept it at 3krpm as recommended (no pistons or rings replaced here). First 15 minutes no problems whatsoever except for a ticking sound that I ended up thinking was the hydraulic followers reacting badly to the gloopy running in mineral oil. Tapping went away after a while. Next 30 minutes followed uneventfully (how boring is 3krpm between roundabouts?). All t's and p's good at this stage and as recommended by both engine builder and SBD. Then, at about the hour mark (when my paranoia had, I thought, truly subsided), engine note suddenly changed, noticed oil pressure warning light and gauge reading -12psi (which means "0"), I hit the killswitch and coasted for the next half a mile into a layby just off M1 J27. Engine note change to kill switch occurred in about 3 seconds, all at low revs. No leaks, no disengaged belts or pipes, no heatspots on freshly repainted block, no smell of untowardly hot engine, fill tank remained at proper level. Only outstanding symptom was the catch tank full to bursting (and weeping over the passenger bulhead). So, options: - Faulty sender or gauge...I doubt this alone somehow given the accompanying change in engine note Oilway blockage...would find this odd given we cleaned all the oilways before reinstalling fully-rebuilt-by-professional engine Oil pump failure...hmmm, still odd given it works when driven manually (and not by the crank) Anything else? Upshot is end of Westfielding this year for me, will have to cancel remaining events and Mallory trackday, hoping to get a refund for as much as I can. Shows what a gravel trap can do. Maybe I should take up running instead. Hopefully it's something simple Pete, I know how you feel, but stick in mate and hopefully all will come good. Rich Quote
Mark Stanton Posted July 27, 2008 Posted July 27, 2008 Gutted for ya not a good year hope it's something simple and cheap Quote
a4gom Posted July 27, 2008 Posted July 27, 2008 k****l bet yer well pi$$ed off. Hope its something simple (and cheap) Quote
Pilot Pete Posted July 27, 2008 Posted July 27, 2008 k****l bet yer well pi$$ed off. Hope its something simple (and cheap) Twas oil pump failure that killed mine, unfortunatly I didn't see any of the gauges and didn't have me big light like I do now but the engine note did change with a sudden loss of power and then Seeeeeeeize! If you killed the engine before anything happened you never know, might have got away with it. Quote
perksy Posted July 27, 2008 Posted July 27, 2008 b****r 12 psi ain't much for a VX If it's gone noisy it kind of rules out oil sender/gauge *Might* be lucky and caught it Worth dropping the sump and checking the Main bearing and Big end bearing furthest away from the oil pump before pulling it all out... Quote
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