Blatman Posted June 4, 2002 Share Posted June 4, 2002 Top man. See if you can get a picture of the clutch plate and cover part numbers, and the clutch release bearing, there's a good chap..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juansolo Posted June 4, 2002 Share Posted June 4, 2002 Somehow I think that may be a problem Steve: John, why is my car in bits? John: Errrm.... *runs away* Some piccage of the external bits shouldn't be a prob though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juansolo Posted June 4, 2002 Share Posted June 4, 2002 Some piccies of the Vx. Prolly not that much use though... Ah well. Bellhousing Engine rear Engine side Engine top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russbif Posted June 4, 2002 Share Posted June 4, 2002 Sump courtesy of A-frame eng I assume ?? Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juansolo Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 Once again, dunno, we didn't build it. We bought it with a view to altering it to our requirements. Not being brilliant mechanically, we got one where the engine was pretty much spot on and required nothing doing to it 'Tis a nice sump though. Does dangle a bit lower than I'd have liked though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidC Posted June 6, 2002 Author Share Posted June 6, 2002 Right, [cheeky newbie mode on] anyone in the Bham area with a Blade engined car fancy giving me a demo? I really wanna see what these are like on the roads [cheeky newbie mode off]. I'm gonna test the new Westie demo car (it's got a new engine option, but they wouldn't say what it is) once it's ready in a few weeks, but I'd love a rough idea of how a BEC goes to compare it with. Cheers DC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidC Posted June 6, 2002 Author Share Posted June 6, 2002 One more (or should I say, yet another) question. With a BEC is it worth the extra money for the SEiW rather than the SEW? I just ask because I've read that the c******m blade cars use a Live axle. Cheers DC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu999 Posted June 6, 2002 Share Posted June 6, 2002 Difficult one that. This may surprise you but there are pros and cons to both. I think (but not sure) that the SEW works out slightly lighter than the SEiW. The independent rear suspension gives a superior ride quality and utilises new or recent running gear (Sierra hubs, Sierra or Landrover diff etc) whereas live axles are getting harder to source (although not impossible). Indy suspension needs careful setting up to obtain the best out of it (allows you to alter the toe and camber), the live axle is a case of just bolt it up and drive away. One last thing, one of the fastest Westys on the track at the moment has a live axle. This should make your choice even more difficult........... Stu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidC Posted June 7, 2002 Author Share Posted June 7, 2002 On the Westfield site, for the SEW starter kits it says that you have to "PROVIDE AN ESCORT MK.2 REAR AXLE FOR MODIFICATION. THIS ITEM SHOULD BE STRIPPED OF ALL INTERNALS, I.E. HALF SHAFTS AND DIFFERENTIAL REMOVED" Does this mean that it's not a case of get an axle and bolt it in? Is this modification included in the Starter Kit price, and does anyone know what they modifiy? Cheers DC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomo Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 I'll just add my twopenneth to this if no one minds. If you want something that offers a half way house between car and bike engine look at the Toyota 4AGE. Its much smaller and lighter than VX's and rev's very freely. You can easily get up to 200 bhp and formula Atlantic engines go up to 300 bhp but only for serious money ..... and all from 1600 cc so insurance is cheaper. Mine has uprated cams and TB's. Its being rolling roaded on Tuesday so I'll let you know what it produces. I'm expecting 160 bhp. All the bits are available to mate to a type 9 gbox and install in a Westfield. Its the engine of choice in 7 type cars in Australia. The easy way to 200 bhp is with the supercharged version which also produces 200 lb ft of torque and all from a bog standard engine. Or you can go 20valve and throttle bodies come with the package but they are much harder to modify. You really have to drive one to experience the difference between a free reving engine and one that isn't (Zetec). I tried various engined cars include a blade. As soon as I drove a 4AGE engined car it became a no brainer. Well that's my opinion anyway. Tomo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 With the live axle casing they cut off the leaf spring mounts and weld on trailing arm mounting points. The later BEC chassis are IRS with freelander diffs which are lighter than the Sierra ones. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu999 Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 Sorry David might of mislead you slightly there. As John rightly says, the axle needs to be stripped so it can be modified by the factory. What I meant is that once you have the axle back, it is just a case of bolting it up-no set-up required. The problem is Mk2 Escorts are a bit thin on the ground now, especially since the Locost boys are buying them willy-nilly. A bit like Cortina uprights really. With the IRS set-up, parts supply is not an issue. Freelander diffs are lighter, but a lot more expensive than a Sierra LSD as the Freelander diff is not an LSD as standard-if you want that then you will have to shell out some more beer tokens. Alternatively I believe the option to have a BEC frame made with the Sierra mounts is still available. Mind boggling innit? Think of all that trouble the missus has trying to find the right pair of shoes-they just dont appreciate how easy life is......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidC Posted June 7, 2002 Author Share Posted June 7, 2002 Hmm....well it's definitely narrowed down to a Blade or a Vx XE. If Blade then I s'pose I'll go for Live axle to keep costs down (looks like Andy-spares has some sort of supply of them). If XE then def IRS chassis. Now if only I could decided between these 2, anyone wanna gimmie a demonstrate ride in thier Blade/VX XE Westie? Please? DC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidC Posted June 7, 2002 Author Share Posted June 7, 2002 Another Engine Question, If I go the VX route............................................... Carbs or Injection? Cheers DC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Yupright Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 The diff mounts in the BEC chassis are for the sierra, they're not different for the freelander diff. The freelander diff kit from Westfield comes with a big adapter plate so that it bolts into the sierra diff mountings. I've weighed a freelander diff, and it weighs pretty much exactly the same as the corresponding Quaife ATB sierra diff. However, the freelander diff uses tripod driveshafts, whereas the sierra uses lobros, and thats where there is some weight saving. You mentionned the freelander diff was significantly more expensive than the Sierra LSD. Aye, but they're very different diffs. The sierra one is just the viscous one from an XR4*4, whereas the freelander one is a Quaife ATB. To get a Quaife ATB sierra diff would cost about a grand anyway. Cheers, Al (pictures of fitting a freelander diff: http://cdslash.rm-rfstar.org/orange) FWIW, I think a live axled blade engined car, with no reverse, would be a very quick and great value Westy. A lot of the 750MC bike engined racers are live axled. My blade weighs 405kgs, if it was identical albeit live axled I'm sure it'd be 395 or less. cheers, Al David, you're welcome to a ride in mine, cept I live down south. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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