Ok... looking for some guidance on what i need to make my 1600 xflow work...

Let me tell you what i have, and leave it open for discussion...

what i have;

- kent 224 cam (bought in 224K kit, so have stems, double springs, retainers, cam followers and lube)
- rekitted 45 dellorto on manifold to suit cam (linkages, etc all sorted)
- double chain cam sprocket and chain and tensioner
- taller rocker cover
- stock-as-a-rock 1600 711M cross flow

what i think i need;

- because of the cam lift, i need to modify pistons (?) to get valve clearance
- new pistons, new rings, new rods, etc (pretty much full bottom end re-build)
- car off the road for a week or more
- money (idea on approx cost would be fantastic)

Note; i dont want a highly modified beast, but am happy to spend the money for a rebuild with the correct parts if needed. please give me your opinion of what parts i would need.

Have you thought about getting a second motor so you can keep the car on the road and take your time over the rebuild. Worked well for me and someone on the forum would have one for cheap.

For a road going car on a budget i went with a bottom end rebuild so:

Block cleaned and crack tested
Replace core/welch plugs & cam bearings
Bore and hone to next oversize, i went up 0.03" to give a capacity of around 1660cc and used pistons from the 1300 to get a little more compression.
HP oil pump
Steel crank pulley
You will need to have the valve reliefs cut for clearance (I didn't but was using a BCF3 camshaft)
Crankshaft crack tested and ground to next undersize
I used the old rods with new bearings all round

The trick is until you have had the machining done it may not be all that easy to determine what size the bearings and pistons need to be unless you know the full history of the motor or have a decent workshop.

To get the full benefit of the cam upgrade and bottom end work i guess you will be looking at larger valves, port matching on the head and probably some work on the ignition side of things either electronic ignition or get the dissy re-calibrated

When i got my block done it was around $500 but i didn't shop around. Pistons from Burtons in the UK would be about $100 each once you factor in the postage. 'MK1 Lotus' on this forum seems to have a huge amount of experience and a workshop that specialises in this sort of thing.

Cheers

thanks Boot-on, excellent info. its the engine work / grinding i wasn't too sure of.

i forgot to mention that i already have a steel pulley, HP oil pump and electonic ignition kit... :)

I had thought of an extra engine to do this to... its a good idea, because the esky is my daily...

But, if i had to put it in the shop - how long would i be without a car if i got someone else to do the other bits?

The cleaning and machining would only take a day or two depending on how busy the workshop is. If you plan on putting it back together yourself it's well worth taking your time checking bearing clearances; a bit of care on the rebuild can save you big time and $$$ later.

thanks again BootOn.

burtons has a bit of a deal on 0.30" AE pistons at the moment... gunna ask them a few questions before i go shopping...


what type of bottom end bearings did you end up gettting?
or is this again a case of - get the machining done, then get some that fit?


i want to have as much as i can prepared before i ask an engine builder (to avoid their mark-up)... :)

You are not going to know what bearings and the like you need until you strip the engine down and have everything property measured (preferably by someone who knows what they are doing). 0.030" pistons will not give you 1660. Buy some decent 0.090" over pistons and take it up to 1700. You'll really notice a difference. Buy the best quality parts you can afford.

Its going to take you a lot longer than a week because you really need to strip it down first to find out what you need before warming up the credit card.

For example your cylinders might only need a hone, saving big $ on pistons. Also from memory you have a low compression engine? most of your upgrades will be worthless unless you get that sorted to high compression.

thanks guys - much appreciated.

yeah low comp engine... upping the compression with 1300 pistons is also a valid option...

just wanted to know if my assumptions were in the ballpark...

anyone have a spare good condition high compression 1600xflow motor lying around in WA?

got a quote to entirely rebuild my 1600 for $3350 plus balancing... WTF

hmmm... i dont think so

I paid $2,000 just to balance, drill holes, supply bearings, gasket set and install unleaded valve seats. I supplied all other parts; that was just the machining cost.

In addition to your list you will need a second 45 carb (1 is just a waste of time) but I would go 40's on a motor you sound like you will have.
.050" steel oversize rocker posts.
You do not need new rods but you should get ARP rod bolts.
New clutch
ARP flywheel bolts

I spent well over $5,000 on my motor and that was buying the stuff wholesale and getting some bargains (like a Larner head for $500!). I actually stopped counting as it was too depressing [xx(]

It comes down to how much money do you have, and how fast do you want to go?

If I were to do it again, I'd probably stuff a Duratec in there. More power, better reliability and plug it in to a laptop to tune it