Strip down and inspection of engine internals. This was carried out in March/April 2022 so well behind the current timeline. #lotus #esprit #projectgt2
What a great video to show us. A wonderful reference for me with so much great information. Seeing the crankshaft makes me wonder if having it knife edged and balanced will add some measurable improvement. The engine archeology of the t-belt letting go was both fun and not so fun to watch. I also realized one tool I don’t have and need to get - an aluminum punch set. Please keep sharing the progress with us. Thank you!
I dunno what the figures are - from what you see inside the engine, Lotus clearly put a lot of effort into its performance, it is an impressive lump for sure. If the crank was fully counter weighted it could be knife edged but I doubt this one can be modified. I've seen people put oil scrapers on the block and so on, I've also seen conversions to 2.6 litres using a custom fully counterweighted crank for much higher RPM, but I want to keep it as intended. Yup, couple the nyloc head fixing, the little dents in the head face and the marks on the pistons suggest it dropped a belt or slipped tooth. Looking forward to your car being worked on soon!
Hello, I would advise you to use your original alloy liners as it's an important part of the engine dev. I know people are installing iron ones sometimes but I would suggest you have a look at the topic named "Clean Power - Lotus 2.2 Lt Chargecooled Engine" on the lotus forums. In the last post an interesting document about our engines is linked for free, where it's stated "heat transfer properties of the line are a major contribution to the performance of the engine". It reduces the tendency to detonation, and so on. I am sure you will find it very interesting, and that you will keep your alloy liners instead.
Not read that paper - thanks for the heads up! Nothing is set in stone right now. I spoke to a few well respected 910 developers who recommended cast iron due to the increased strength and resistance to 'breathing' under power. That said the alloy ones do conduct heat much better and also have the same thermal expansion rate.... and lighter. I believe the were used in the Le Mans cars which suffered HGF. I've kept the liners in case, and stored them correctly, the main issue I have had was getting the nikasil inspected as there is wear. These are the things I wanted to discuss with engine builders but about May 2021 all discussions on the engine development just stopped - I asked and asked but no-body came back to me, so this aspect of the project is shelved until someone who wants to do business wants to come back to me.
@@JonHimself To me when I read that the alloy heat dissipation allows for 3 to 5 more crank degree it's a no-brainer, I will never put any cast iron liners in my engine. I usually stick to the official data as I am pretty sure the motorists at Lotus knew better than any so called specialist who couldn't tell you why cast iron would be good enough. Of course as most people won't drive the car very hard it's probably better than no liner at all but it's clearly a downgrade compared to the alloy ones. It's such a shame they are NLA ... I don't really a set right now but it still annoys me to know it's not produced anymore. Apparently swlc have bought the last batch and won't sell them to anyone, they just offer to rebuild the engines ... Apparently sometimes there is a distinctive little wear step at the top of where the cylindre goes and it's not very easy to address. A new nikasil coating is supposed to be fine if that step is not too bad. I have never done it so I am not too sure.
@@freemoniker one of the things I wanted to do with this car is produce something which is backed up with data and can be fully justified, so nothing will be done until then - which is why this project is dragging on a bit as info is not exactly as forthcoming as I'd like, even if I offer to pay for it. I've had people turn down my offers to pay them for their expert knowledge so, its been an uphill struggle and why the engine is still sat in boxes. I have had some interesting conversations regarding proven engines using cast iron though, so I'm certainly not discounting them. The weakness in the 910 is the liner deck and head gasket moving, spending a lot of time getting the nip right between the liner and gasket seems to key to not having HGF. Whilst alloy seems a good choice, cast iron is better for lubrication = less friction = less heat. It's aledgedly less prone to breathing under high pressure. Nakasil can be hit and miss in my experience as well (seen engines peel it off leading to catastrophic failure if done wrong). Bundle this all up with the fact I only want to do this expensive job once, and the reliability of having a cast liner might be more beneficial than the alternatives. So one might ask why they don't make the alloy liners any longer? Could it be that cast iron is just more cost effective? I can understand SWLC position if they are maintaining their reputation for engine builders, I doubt I will be selling mine either. Personally I would love to have these technical conversations to increase my knowledge but again it's finding people to share. Trying to find anything out about the GT cars has been a decade long pass time of mine and I still have only one image of the engine bay! Rest assured I will try and do this properly and all the info I can will be public.
I am looking into installing a Model X Tesla small rear drive unit into an Esprit, would you be up for being hired to model this for fit? The 3d file of the SRDU is readily available. As the motor / transmission is in a trailing position on this unit, it may not fit and I do not want to modify the frame. It can be installed in reverse and run in reverse with an external oil pump, but this is not optimal. Thanks!
Depends what's involved - I've looked at the drive unit but not familiar with them - I am an out and out petrol head I'm afraid. Can you email a sketch / proposal?
Another great Video. Great to see the progress
What a great video to show us. A wonderful reference for me with so much great information. Seeing the crankshaft makes me wonder if having it knife edged and balanced will add some measurable improvement. The engine archeology of the t-belt letting go was both fun and not so fun to watch. I also realized one tool I don’t have and need to get - an aluminum punch set. Please keep sharing the progress with us. Thank you!
I dunno what the figures are - from what you see inside the engine, Lotus clearly put a lot of effort into its performance, it is an impressive lump for sure.
If the crank was fully counter weighted it could be knife edged but I doubt this one can be modified. I've seen people put oil scrapers on the block and so on, I've also seen conversions to 2.6 litres using a custom fully counterweighted crank for much higher RPM, but I want to keep it as intended.
Yup, couple the nyloc head fixing, the little dents in the head face and the marks on the pistons suggest it dropped a belt or slipped tooth. Looking forward to your car being worked on soon!
@@JonHimself “Looking forward to your car being workers on soon!” - Me too!
Good job you weren't working in your socks like the last video!!
Oh hell no, usually I am in my bare feet ;)
Perhaps dry ice blasting would have been better for the heads. Any residue left behind simply evaporates!
Hello,
I would advise you to use your original alloy liners as it's an important part of the engine dev. I know people are installing iron ones sometimes but I would suggest you have a look at the topic named "Clean Power - Lotus 2.2 Lt Chargecooled Engine" on the lotus forums.
In the last post an interesting document about our engines is linked for free, where it's stated "heat transfer properties of the line are a major contribution to the performance of the engine". It reduces the tendency to detonation, and so on.
I am sure you will find it very interesting, and that you will keep your alloy liners instead.
Not read that paper - thanks for the heads up!
Nothing is set in stone right now. I spoke to a few well respected 910 developers who recommended cast iron due to the increased strength and resistance to 'breathing' under power. That said the alloy ones do conduct heat much better and also have the same thermal expansion rate.... and lighter. I believe the were used in the Le Mans cars which suffered HGF.
I've kept the liners in case, and stored them correctly, the main issue I have had was getting the nikasil inspected as there is wear.
These are the things I wanted to discuss with engine builders but about May 2021 all discussions on the engine development just stopped - I asked and asked but no-body came back to me, so this aspect of the project is shelved until someone who wants to do business wants to come back to me.
@@JonHimself To me when I read that the alloy heat dissipation allows for 3 to 5 more crank degree it's a no-brainer, I will never put any cast iron liners in my engine. I usually stick to the official data as I am pretty sure the motorists at Lotus knew better than any so called specialist who couldn't tell you why cast iron would be good enough. Of course as most people won't drive the car very hard it's probably better than no liner at all but it's clearly a downgrade compared to the alloy ones.
It's such a shame they are NLA ... I don't really a set right now but it still annoys me to know it's not produced anymore. Apparently swlc have bought the last batch and won't sell them to anyone, they just offer to rebuild the engines ...
Apparently sometimes there is a distinctive little wear step at the top of where the cylindre goes and it's not very easy to address. A new nikasil coating is supposed to be fine if that step is not too bad. I have never done it so I am not too sure.
BTW: your chassis FEA is _amazing_
@@freemoniker one of the things I wanted to do with this car is produce something which is backed up with data and can be fully justified, so nothing will be done until then - which is why this project is dragging on a bit as info is not exactly as forthcoming as I'd like, even if I offer to pay for it. I've had people turn down my offers to pay them for their expert knowledge so, its been an uphill struggle and why the engine is still sat in boxes.
I have had some interesting conversations regarding proven engines using cast iron though, so I'm certainly not discounting them.
The weakness in the 910 is the liner deck and head gasket moving, spending a lot of time getting the nip right between the liner and gasket seems to key to not having HGF.
Whilst alloy seems a good choice, cast iron is better for lubrication = less friction = less heat. It's aledgedly less prone to breathing under high pressure. Nakasil can be hit and miss in my experience as well (seen engines peel it off leading to catastrophic failure if done wrong).
Bundle this all up with the fact I only want to do this expensive job once, and the reliability of having a cast liner might be more beneficial than the alternatives.
So one might ask why they don't make the alloy liners any longer? Could it be that cast iron is just more cost effective? I can understand SWLC position if they are maintaining their reputation for engine builders, I doubt I will be selling mine either.
Personally I would love to have these technical conversations to increase my knowledge but again it's finding people to share. Trying to find anything out about the GT cars has been a decade long pass time of mine and I still have only one image of the engine bay!
Rest assured I will try and do this properly and all the info I can will be public.
@@freemoniker Thanks - I had a good teacher for this - roll cage is coming soon, as well as some structural changes.
Is it me or is the playlist upside down?
I am looking into installing a Model X Tesla small rear drive unit into an Esprit, would you be up for being hired to model this for fit? The 3d file of the SRDU is readily available. As the motor / transmission is in a trailing position on this unit, it may not fit and I do not want to modify the frame. It can be installed in reverse and run in reverse with an external oil pump, but this is not optimal.
Thanks!
Depends what's involved - I've looked at the drive unit but not familiar with them - I am an out and out petrol head I'm afraid. Can you email a sketch / proposal?