Plus the Lotus is in the barn, as the racer is taking up all the space in the garage, which means more leg work.
To recap, I'm fitting a Getrag 6 speed from a BMW M3. I've already fitted a Trutrac diff with a 3.4:1 4Runner ring on it.
Starting with an S4s from a Esprit chopped in two by a snow plough.
The engine is from a S4s, crank has been bladed, head is fully gas flowed and waiting for SS extra large exhaust valves. Most of the engine is sold off, didn't need the turbo, ecu, loom etc.
I can't tell you how good it feels to slide your fingers in here! Everyone walking into the workshop did!
The crank only needs a little blading to make it aerodynamic, you can take off more material, but then you need to go for lighter pistons and rods.
I don't like oily bits.
The parts for Truetrac LSD and 3.4 gear/pinion from 1990 4 Runner:
Rusty rear crossmember needs replacing.
The two bellhousings were decked, the old Excel engine's spigot was a perfect match for the Getrag, so square and centered, using gravity, stitched with mig before removing and oven heating before tig welding. Because of the die cast gearbox case, the weld was a bit aero chocolate bar, penetrated fine, just that the zinc levels are quite high and they don't take to welding happily.
I'm fitting an Opcon blower, running Omex ecu, custom charge cooler with water injection, custom cams.
Ally rads are half done, sat in the workshop.
I'm looking to fit a custom ally flywheel, to run a uprated BMW clutch, since the thrust bearing is flat as opposed to Esprit round front. It makes replacement in somewhere like Kazakhstan easier too!
Later adjustable coilovers and 6 pot brakes.
So to get things going, I've decided to hook up the bare block to the gear box, so I can make up the new gearbox mounting, and machine the gear stick to take an ally handle.
It doesn't help when you've 'misplaced' the bellhousing bolts!
The engine crane wont go up enough, so I'll need a hand from a friend to get the eng box in. Once in I can measure up for the new prop.
That brings me to the first job on the restart, and boy did I not enjoy it. the original M3 stick is too long and is damped with a rubber handle that needs cutting off. Angle grinder and rubber makes a nasty mess, I was covered head to toe in melted goo, I'm still finding bits of black tar in the workshop. for some reason it doesn't set, weeks go by and it's still sticky!
Once I have an idea of box placement I can get the stick threaded.
The great thing about the Getrag is that it has an external shifter rail, so it's easy to cut and shut to a new shifter position.
I welded the old Excel bellhousing to the Getrag, but have found that the Esprit mounting is different, the starter motor has only two bolts, so there's a spare bolt position on the box. It all pulls up tight so I'm not worried.
I'm not plating the eng mounts yet, as one will probably have a bracket welded on for the rear of the Supercharger, that was the way it looked with Eatons offered up.
Well that's about it for now. I'll update maybe this week once the engine and box are in, then maybe another long pause.... What with summer coming up, I'm not sure how much time I'm going to be here, but it'll get done when it gets done!
