OH NO! another bike carb thread, 1800 small block

[tom reid]

It's been a while and a busy while too.
I finished off the 1400 8v head, the engine got built and then the deal was cancelled.
So new deal was 1400 8v head onto the same guy's 1200 Corsa, Iv'e done one of these before on a Nova and it worked well, so this should be just as good?
It turned into a fing disaster.
Before strip down
[IMG][/IMG],
Inside cam box, this hasn't been looked after too well in the past, if you look closely at the last lobe it is almost non existant.
[IMG][/IMG]
New parts for the head and head built and on,
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
Cam box was skimmed by 0.25mm, to take account of the reground cam, an Autosprint 270
[IMG][/IMG]
Carbs ready for cleaning, they were really filthy, all the brass parts had a thick layer of verdigris, blocking all the holes in the idle jets and emulsion tubes.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
Carbs cleaned it was the fuel system and exhaust to look at.
The std down pipe and manifold were removed, a 4 branch is being fitted, but, i needed to mod the downpipe to fit the 4 branch as his new middle section from Ashley hasn't arrived yet.
How do you make a piece of exhaust pipe move down and turn right and left?
I'll admit this isn't the most elegant of mods, but it'll do for a short while.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]
Flange removed from the std down pipe and test fitted to the 4 branch
[IMG][/IMG]
Pipe, ahem, modded
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
And flange finished.
[IMG][/IMG]
Removed the swirl pot and pump, modded it, fitted the pump and pipes.
[IMG][/IMG]
Iv'e kept the std fuel filter and the new pump is pre filtered along with the filter in the Filter King, there should be no crap in the carbs,
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
Tapped the temp sensor into the thermostat housing, fabbed an alternater bracket.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG
I turned down the trigger wheel off of a std multi ribbed pulley and welded the 36-1 tooth trigger wheel to it, fitted it up along with the std smallblock 16v crank sensor bracket and Ford crank sensor.[IMG][/IMG]

[tom reid]

Prey, our electronic and flocking guru, made the loom and fitted it and the MJ to the car, and managed to get the std rev counter working as well.
Engine was all ready to go, looked like this, got oil pressure up
[IMG][/IMG]
Tried to start it, and it fired and died, it did this a few times and then it started, but not running on 4 cylinders, it would rev up and then on 4, but wouldn't idle nicely.
So checked the fuel pressure, ok, checked the leads and plugs for a spark, ok, it was getting fuel as the plugs were wet, so then started the engine and removed each plug lead in turn, the engine cut out when No 4 was removed, but ran, only just, when 3 or 2 was removed, very strange, it cut out when No 1 was removed.
Checked the compression, on No 2 and 3 = 100psi on both, 'AH', i thought, where's all the compression gone?, so checked No's 1 and 4, just to be thorough, and got 100 psi, I was confused at this, all 100 psi, but only really running on two cylinders, it had to be a fuelling issue, surely?, so swapped the carbs for my ones off the rally car, and got the same result, one particular issue was the engine refused to fire if the throttle was opened when cranking, even a little, very confused now.
I had Prey come back and double check everything, it all seemed ok, he was talking about making another loom if needed, so we swapped the coil pack, crank sensor, edis unit, still nothing.
So I spent the evening thinking about it, and couldn't come to any surefire conclusion, I had thoughts about giving him the engine out of the rally car, so he could get to work on the 3rd Jan in the New Year, if all else failed.
Next morning, Friday, last week I was in the garage at 6am, tried for a start and the same, so I took the head off and found this.
[IMG][/IMG]
Nothing happening on 2 or 3, or very little, the head gasket looked ok on both sides, good fire ring impressions on both the head and block, no valve contact, I was at
a loss, but I knew I needed to do something to get this car running for matey, so he could get to work.
There was no way I was going to use the 1400 head, cam box or cam again, not until I'd figured out what was wrong, I mean, I knew the compression was low, but it should have ran on four cylinders, all things being equal, I thought to myself then , this would make a good turbo engine.
My options were, put his own head back on, but I couldn't:get a square port inlet made in time, put it all back to standard or give him a loan of the engine out of the rally car, it's a 1400 16v, more funking about with the exhaust, and a few pipework changes, but at least the car would run.
Then it came to me, the bodges of all bodges!, I put an se inlet manifold gasket onto the inlet face of his own 1200 head and it looked as if it could be done, 'no harm in trying' I thought, I'd have the rest of the day to try this, and
the weekend to change engines over if this didn't work, so here's what happened next.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
I managed to make his square port head accept a round port inlet manifold, There's plenty of meat in the chambers too, didn't break through once, I even ported the inlet tracts a little, I spent the whole afternoon cleaning up the head and cambox, the local factors had one head gasket left in stock, so nabbed that, measured up and fitted an SR cam and got the head on, with one of my own manifolds, there's also a story later on about another se inlet manifold for R1's.
[IMG][/IMG]
everything connected by half five and it fired up first go, I was out of jail
Finished off connecting everything up.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
For the servo pipe, I used this and some tigerseal around the outside to ensure a nice tight connection

Almost ready for a road test.

[tom reid]

Iv'e a blanking plate to make that replaces the dizzy, I cut this dizzy up to get the bottom section, it will be filled in with weld in the middle and then turned down.
[IMG][/IMG]
This pic shows the differences between the 1400se and the c12nz heads, the chambers are a lot smaller on the 1200 head, so thats explains the lack of compression.
Iv'e rechecked the compression levels with the 1200 head back on, all 160.
[IMG][/IMG]
I mentioned an inlet manifold earlier for an se head and R1's, it looks like this trial fitted to a head.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
I got this a while ago in a deal with Draper, from png, I'd like to make it clear that I don't think Draper sold me this knowing that it was no use, I assume he bought it in good faith and didn't check it either, but anway it's useless, another item for the wall of shame.

[tom reid]

Prey has also been busy converting the MFD from matey's 1200 Corsa, it now works as an oil pressure warning light, it'll be flocked then fitted.
[IMG][/IMG]
This pic is the pistons of the 1200 Nova I put on bike carbs a few years ago, anyone identify them, could they be ST ones?
[IMG][/IMG]

[tom reid]

Prey has finished another MFD for me, this one is a shift light, he flocked it too, thanks mate, looks good fitted.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

[GaryVaux]

Very interesting read, although a bit hard to follow with all the different engines and projects

[tom reid]

I'm glad your'e enjoying it, although if you think it's difficult to follow you'll understand how I feel then, I sometimes don't know my ar se from my elbow.

[tom reid]

Do you remember the young lad that drove his Corsa C with the oil light on, destroying the head of his Z14?, well he got a replacement engine off of Ebay for 350 quid, we took the top off and all looked good, nice and clean with regular oil changes, we found this when the spark plugs were removed.
[IMG][/IMG]
Not good!, to be fair though, the seller has offered to supply a new piston, as he doesen't have another engine to swap over, the head needs a look at too, but I think it'll be fine, so the total so far for the young lad is 1850 quid and the car's still not running.

Picked this wee gem up, genuine 62K, it had been serviced and a few days later the oil filter fell off, the driver drove with the oil light on until a rod made it's bid for escape, why do people do this?
So it's future is set for another x14xe on bike carbs, MJ etc, paintwork and plastic has suffered though.
[IMG][/IMG]
Wing polished
[IMG][/IMG]
Whole car mopped and polished, thanks to KevSRI16vsuperduperpainter or what ever his name is on here.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
Faded plastics now satin black, I prefer this to grey anyway.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

[8valve-craig]

I do like those early sports. Had a black K reg SRi 8v when i was 17 and loved the basic look, with the red stripe.

[tom reid]

Iv'e never had a sport before, or even looked at them too closely, so can't say I like or dislike yet.

[nova_kev]

the corsa will look even better when it has the second coat of polish

[tom reid]

the corsa will look even better when it has the second coat of polish

Best get polishing on Friday then!

[tom reid]

Back to the Corsa C with the holed piston in the engine, the seller sent us a new piston, so he was as good as his word, except......it was the wrong piston, this despite me offering to send him pics of the original piston, ' nah, I know what these pistons look like' he said, so that was about six weeks waiting wasted.
I ordered the correct one and had it the following day, good old Nevlock.The engine seller wanted nothing more to do with us, he informed the owner that if we had told him about the piston first, he would have replaced it, but as we had bought it ourselves he was finished with us, I was tempted to name and shame, but I won't, but I also won't be recommending him to anyone soon.
Old and 'new' piston
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
Correct new piston
[IMG][/IMG]
I stripped the head to check for valve damage on No 1 chamber, no damage, but the valve seats are pitted on the exhaust valves, so a recon on the head is needed.

Had the blanking plate for the Corsa B 1200 on R1's welded up, so a quick go on the lathe should see that sorted. I had a go at the welding, not too bad I think, for a novice at tig?
[IMG][/IMG]

I dragged the xe'd Nova out and modded the chassis leg for the alternator, it had been bashed in with a hammer, but it wasn't enough, so had a go at improving this, manifold off and some bashing and welding later.
[IMG][/IMG]


I also dug out the engine for the wee red Corsa Sport and fitted a lighter flywheel, I was looking for one at about 6kg, but could only find this one which is 4kg.
[IMG][/IMG]

Also had this RS6 beast in last week, needed new pads, what a car!
It's been remapped by MRC in Banbury and has a Milltek exhaust and custom intercoolers, runs ITG air filters which needed cleaning.
It now makes 540 HP and 750 NM, the performance is stunning, but very quiet and refined inside, probably due to the double glazing, so it's difficult to get any sense of the speed this car makes.
I WANT ONE OF THESE!
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
The discs are 14 1/4 in in diameter, in other words f'ing big, and 4 pads per caliper.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
It's fitted with an XLR8 multipoint sequential dual fuel lpg sytem, the lpg can supply enough fuel for about 250 HP alone.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

[nova_kev]

can you update this please

[8valve-craig]

I cant for the life of me work out what this thread is about anymore. The title would suggest some sort of 1800 small block bike carb project, but the posts would appear to just be the average days of the thread starters life.

Very confusing. Is the 1800 engine still the plan? and whats it going in?

[tom reid]

The thread has gone 'off topic' I agree with you, there are two 1800 engines built, one for a Nova, it's an 8 valve 1800 smallblock that has the shell in an unfinished state so the engine can't be fitted yet and the other is a twin cam waiting to be fitted to a Corsa when the owner has the funds to continue with the project.
There is a third engine in the offing, that will be fitted to the wee red Corsa sport.
The rest of the thread is what's going on in between these projects, I know it's confusing , but hey ho, its my thread.

And so the confusion continue's
The holey piston Corsa C needed the rod removing from the old piston and refitting on the new one, you can't just remove a circlip knock the gudgeon pin out on these, the pin is an interference fit in the rod.
[IMG][/IMG]
the old piston is used to set the pin depth on the pin installer, then heat the small end, remove the pin and fit it to the new one.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
Checking side clearance and ring gap before honing and installing
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
Rod cleaned up and bearings are good to use again
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
I checked no 1 cyl on the head for damage as there was slight burning marks around the valves, so strip , clean and inspect the head all the valves turned out to be fine, although the exhaust valve faces were badly pitted, so these were refaced along with the seats, the guides were fine too, so just a lap in on the inlet valves were needed
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
Going back together
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
The engine runs sweetly, although the total cost for the owner has gone way beyond the original £1500, he bought the car for.

The wee red Corsa, will be getting a twin cam 1800 smallblock eventually, but for now Iv'e fitted a 1400 xe on R1's.
The crank pully had the original trigger points machined off and a new trigger wheel tack welded on, the lathe was then used to rotate the pulley to check for run out on the new wheel, it was fine so that was welded on properly.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
My fabricated inlet manifolds were made without water or vacuum take offs, i'm not too bothered with a hard brake pedal, so didn't fit a vacuum take off, but I do want heaters so fitted an air line fitting into the water jacket.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
An 8mm hole was drilled and tapped beside the original hole for the engine lifting bracket, and modified the original alternater bracket.[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
The rear spoiler had faded and needed painting, but superdupernovakev had a black one, he donated it to the car, thanks mate, I like it.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
And decatted the exhaust
[IMG][/IMG]
It fetched 20 quid at the scrappies
[IMG][/IMG]