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Lotus in the Peak
28th - 30th June 2024

Nlc - Lister Bell Stratos Build Thread


Dr H

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Get it booked in for IVA, give you something to aim for!

Looking really good Leigh. I actually drove past the end of your road this morning, picked up a really nice cover for my Exige from DaveB, if I'd known your car was back at home I would have called in for a look.

Keep up the outstanding work, I'm sure it'll be worth it.

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Hi Nick

Will be while before IVA....

Needs remapping before then and the guy who's doing it it a bit difficult to get hold to at the moment due to a recent family bereavement. 

Also going to take a bit of time for the windows to be sorted out, will need new (slightly different) door cars as the glass windows have a slightly different pivot point than the previous plastic ones. Not sure when they will be available yet.

After a very quite few months at work (too quite in terms of trying to earn money) it all seems to have kicked off massively and I'm going to struggle to find time to much work on the car.....

You're welcome to pop in whenever. Where you in the Exige? Would have been good to see it.

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I pulled it all to bits today...

Removed exhaust, exhaust manifold, had to remove starter motor to get to some wiring, then drained the engine oil, removed the filter and disconnected the oil cooler lines.


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Why? Well I'm not convinced the oil cooler thermostat is working properly as got super high oil temps during the first run inn / mapping. No one seems to know exactly how it works and whether all or just some of the oil is routed out of the valve when it opens.

So the plan is to block off the inbuilt outlet and return and put in a simple take off to the cooler that will route all the oil all of the time.

So it gave me chance to check the oil and filter. Millers running in oil used to run the car whilst setting it up and then a couple of hours on the dyno, freshley rebuilt engine with new shells, bearings etc.

So the oil was this colour:


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Cut the filter open and found this.....


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But......

Nothing at all in the filter element itself


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And I did cut it open with an angle grinder tsk.gif so thinking this might be the cause!

Nothing at all in the oil either. Hopefully all OK.

Currently trying to find a sandwich plate that will fit but might not be be possible due to it fouling on the mount which is quite a complex shape. So might have to find a take off and go for a remote filter.

Light pod looks so much better with a black front face.


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Haven't managed to get any decent pics of the interior trim but here's a bit of detail. Complex junction of roll cages bars close to rear window. Dome really well ).gif. Mind you it should be, I just got the billo.gif


48802749572_d4df8ed880_c.jpg

 

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6 hours ago, Steve J said:

You will not know what to do with yourself once this is finished. :)

Good point, certainly won;t want to actually drive the bloody thing!

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1 hour ago, The Cakes said:

What oil temps were you getting? I had a similar worry with the Integrale at 105-110 degs but apparently it’s normal. 

Was seeing about 120 ish, which is high for the Alfa by all accounts. I guess rear engine positioning doesn't help. Anyway it's in bit now....

Have had further opinions on the bits in the filter so pulled the filter pleats out. Found this:

I pulled the oil filter to bits and found this in the filter pleats once they were completely unfolded:

live_staticfkr_com_65535_48838614631_15a7839f55_c.jpg

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Only small bits but shinier than the ones in the base of the oil filter. Not magnetic.

I washed out the filter with a bit of white spirit (only thing I had) and filtered it through some kitchen towel. Nothing in it apart from 2 tiny bits. I could see some 'sludge' still in the casing so wiped round it with a cotton bud and it's a very fine grey 'dust'. This is what I did expect to see on a newly built engine as stuff wears in. Like very fine iron filings. Not sure if they are magnetic

So all the bits in the canister of the filter were in that pic on my finger it seems.

I have put a magnet in some of the oil I drained but gets nothing. Will try again. Plan to try and filter the whole lot.

There is no way of getting the sump of without lifting the engine. At a push I might be able to remove the bolts from the mounts and lift it vertically enough the remove it.

Not feeling very optimistic about this.....:unsure:

Could just be normal bits being flushed out of a rebuild and machined engine but not sure how much machining was done. So I either bung in some clean oil and run it again for a bit and check again or try and drop the sump. Have sent pics to the engine builder for his opinion. If I hadn't cracked open the filter I would never have known about this. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.....:crybaby:

 

 

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I'd flush and refill then check again Leigh. Cut the filter with snips rather than an angle grinder.

Not sure what the bits will be if not metallic. Aluminium isn't magnetic so maybe residue from head work which got into the oil ways?

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Leigh you may have been seeing high oil temps due to running on the dyno, the fans can never replicate the ram air from driving. 

There is bound to be some swarf in a newly built engine, the filter is doing it's job :)

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I know this doesn’t really help as you need firm evidence but I would say it’s pretty normal after a re-build. Surely there has to be some form of debris in there, fingers crossed that’s all it is.

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On 04/10/2019 at 10:59, timbo said:

Leigh - if you wish I can take a look at the debris under one of our microscopes? Should help to identify and alleviate (hopefully!) any concerns.

Very kind of you, thanks. I've had a offer from someone else for the same thing when I visit them for something else (non-car related) so I'll see how that goes and if I doesn't happen I'll drop you a line.

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On 04/10/2019 at 20:06, The Cakes said:

I know this doesn’t really help as you need firm evidence but I would say it’s pretty normal after a re-build. Surely there has to be some form of debris in there, fingers crossed that’s all it is.

Drage, had a few others have suggested the same. Had another look and think and will probably put in some new oil in, add a new filter and run it again.

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21 hours ago, Dr H said:

Drage, had a few others have suggested the same. Had another look and think and will probably put in some new oil in, add a new filter and run it again.

Everything will be fine I’m sure. Good to have it confirmed though, fingers crossed for you.

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