Was Bloody car. Becoming "do it once.."

[pete]

P.S. Pete, for 275 I would probably stump up the cash and buy it ... you can always sell it on if you end up doing something more drastic to the car? In fact I would probably buy it off you for whatever it cost (you never know when you're going to need a head!).

The only thing is, I would arrange for the head to be purchased, shipped to DVA for inspection/hardness testing (this doesn't cost very much) and then returned under his 7-day guarantee if it's pants. Will cost you maybe 30 quid in courier charges, but not a lot more than that ... you would probably want to agree this course of action with the seller, but he seems genuine bloke and there is no reason why he ought to care.

Cheers,
Robin

Fair point. Good idea. DVA over Sabre though? (I chatted to Kiwirog on the phone whilst thinking about options last time and he was very generous of his time - especially considering I didn't buy anything).

Suzy (aka Cassandra* aka Mrs Pete) who is normally pro Lotus is currently very much anti K series - possibly down to my "well they all do that" oft repeated statement so getting money to pay for K related stuff is meeting some resistance. Although I am also meeting resistance to the Honda route which I think you'll agree seems slightly contradictory.

My understanding was a Kiwirog breathed upon head would give me significant gains, 180ish, but having seen DVA's prices I think I may have underestimated the cost slightly. This all falls to the amount of time and research to devote to it, if for 500 quid (plus a new head plus labour) I can get more power then woohoo. If we are talking 2k+ then forget it, I'd rather spend the money elsewhere**.

Pete

(off to think and contemplate. Too late to phone Ali right?)

*3 pseud points for reference to Greek mythology.
**ie that 2k and the MX5 = most of a scabby S1 to play with and footle with myself. Although Cassandra keeps saying thing like "new bathroom"***.

***Look if the wall is wet you have to hack a hole in it - you have no choice! It's a feature it doesn't mean we need a whole new bathroom!

[robin]

Actually, that's not quite what I meant.

If you decide to get the head fettled, you can choose to send it to DVA or kiwirog or wherever else based on price/performance/availability/personal choice.

I meant only that DVA offers a hardness testing service - i.e. you send him the head and he hardness tests it using a LEEB rebound tester and sends it back to you. He's seen as many of these heads as anybody and would probably spot any other problems with it (obviously he's not going to dismantle it, but he'll have a look at the head face and perhaps spot any other problems).

Cheers,
Robin

[hiscot]

Are you sure?

Oh well ... next step head off then and see what's actually gone wrong.

Cheers,
Robin

And the answer is.... Soft head.

Anyone got a spare VVC head knocking around?

bloke in falkirk selling these
vvc head - bare £100

vvc head - complete £200

[robin]

That seems like VFM and more local than the ebay item.

Cheers,
Robin

[ABZ-Elise]

[Suzy (aka Cassandra* aka Mrs Pete) who is normally pro Lotus is currently very much anti K series - possibly down to my "well they all do that" oft repeated statement so getting money to pay for K related stuff is meeting some resistance. Although I am also meeting resistance to the Honda route which I think you'll agree seems slightly contradictory.

If shes not game for a Honda engine, what you should do is suprise her and get an Audi 1.8T engine put in it. If I know women as well as I think do, she'll love it

[mwmackenzie]

Are you sure?

Oh well ... next step head off then and see what's actually gone wrong.

Cheers,
Robin

And the answer is.... Soft head.

Anyone got a spare VVC head knocking around?

bloke in falkirk selling these
vvc head - bare £100

vvc head - complete £200

Any details would be great as I could maybe do with one to send away for porting so my car isn't off the road for months....

Mark

[pete]

Actually, that's not quite what I meant.

If you decide to get the head fettled, you can choose to send it to DVA or kiwirog or wherever else based on price/performance/availability/personal choice.

I meant only that DVA offers a hardness testing service - i.e. you send him the head and he hardness tests it using a LEEB rebound tester and sends it back to you. He's seen as many of these heads as anybody and would probably spot any other problems with it (obviously he's not going to dismantle it, but he'll have a look at the head face and perhaps spot any other problems).

Cheers,
Robin

Emailed the ebay guy - no reply (keeping optinos open). Mine's going to DVA for a second opinion... Thanks!!

Away now so not worrying about car/boiler/stove/new bathroom/work.

[campbell]

Pete,

Reassure the missus on the K series thing. At the end of the day the Honda is surely a GBP 10k route (sorry, pound symbol is coming out as # at mo!!].

Even with a full HGF repair you are never going to get near that figure for the K.

Campbell

[pete]

Pete,

Reassure the missus on the K series thing. At the end of the day the Honda is surely a GBP 10k route (sorry, pound symbol is coming out as # at mo!!].

Even with a full HGF repair you are never going to get near that figure for the K.

Campbell

I am basically tight and there is no way I could spend 10k on a Honda unless we were in a much better financial position than we are but sometimes (normally late at night after browsing the internet for much too long and finding there is no-one else to talk to but my favourite internet forum) I do half convince myself that I should for once just splurge money on something that isn't house related...

Suzy has kind of switched off to any conversations that are car related (I have to start on bathrooms then segue seemlessly into the benefits of 220 bhp Honda engines. It's not easy.)

You're right the engine will be fixed and I will get my car back, but I still have daydreams - imagine Mr Toad - a faraway look in my eye as I remember N3 TUT going by me like I was standing still, flames licking from it's exhausts...

[campbell]

I confess I've always had a soft spot for the Honda conversion since I got a shottie of Kelvin's literally a few years back now. But I'm not talented enough to use it, and won't have the time to devote to trying to develop such talent for some years yet I reckon

I like my 149PS Sabre Head just fine thankyouverymuch

[pete]

So the view seems to be my liner heights may be slightly out, DVA reckon the head is fine.

So Plan A - have the block skimmed.
Plan B - use an original gasket to repair the engine. Apparently they are less critical for line heights than the upgraded ones...

[robin]

I think the issue is more that the newer MLS gaskets are said to be less tolerant of mismatched liner heights than the old elastomer gaskets; assuming your engine was originally built with the elastomer gasket, I don't see it getting better with an MLS gasket, anyway - though maybe I have my wires crossed on this one ...

I would be inclined to get the block decked. It's failed once and you've got away with it - if you put it back together and it fails again, then you may be faced with a damaged head after all ...

Stu can do the work I believe.

If you've got the engine out, you can swap for my C/R box at the same time

Cheers,
Robin

[pete]

Cheers Robin,

I'll chat to ALi (when I can get hold of him) and get the block skimmed I think.

(S'only been off the road for 2 and a half months).

[roadboy]

And the answer is.... Soft head.

DVA reckon the head is fine.

So the head wasn't soft then? Can't say I'm surprised. Good job you got a second opinion. Could've been expensive.

So the view seems to be my liner heights may be slightly out

What did your liner heights measure at? Surely they are either ok or they are not, can't see how it is a grey area? I would ask for exact measurements of all 4 liner heights.

Robin, you are correct that the MLS gasket is not as tolerant of uneven/low liner heights as the elastomer gasket. To be honest, I still prefer to use the elastomer gasket over the MLS unless I have reason to believe the head may be soft.

/2p

Dan

[pete]

For my own understanding how does one actually go about measuring liner height. Flat edge and some feeler gauges? Verniers?
In what instance would you replace liners, indeed can you?
So i get the block "decked" (which I presume is the same as getting the head skimmed) does this guarantee success, seems I'd need to know tolerances on the liners now and what they should be to know if this is to be worthwhile.

There is a theory the liners can become tilted (like the funnels of a ship), surely then to correct this they need to be replaced?
Does anyone run a remote thermostat, is there any validity in the theory that this can obviate future failures?


P