The Lotus Grand Tourers

alanbell wrote:i would be surprised if shell , esso, bp et al would ignore such a simple improvement to their petrol as adding a drop of lubricating oil. even it is used on babies' bottoms. if it was my car i would take mike taylor's advice, i think that he knows rather more about 912 engines than those of us of offering what may be disastrous advice.
LB cost of a engine rebuild to oe standard about £3500. to stage 1 200 to 220 bhp 4500.

Mike Taylor's advice is to be taken. If there were no risk of damage , such as that pointed out in this case by Mike, and the engine was suffering from general wear, then continuing to use the engine (which is the real issue here) together with my heretical suggestion would be something I would try as I have had success on other engines. It would be no riskier than running it with unadulterated oil.

richardW, you miss the point, the engine will be at risk whatever is in the sump due to the wear in a cylinder and if the worst happens it will be destroyed beyond redemption, remember "if a bad thing can happen it will."

@Farmer Richard: what is involved to change between the 912 engines from the start of the Excels to the HC? I would have thought, it is all plugnplay? Sure the emissions details are different when comparing with the MY89. But are there some more details beside cam carrier and airbox which are all interchangeable?

IMHO the power output depends only on how healthy the engines and carbs are. My 912 Eclat is beside weighing less not that slower than the MY89 (The Lady in Red) was. Sure at the Top End the Lady will bite... But this is on normal occasions only 2 times the day the case... and with a new performance exhaust the gap will melt some day

This thread has been moderated, heavily.

Please keep your personal arguments OFF the board in future.

I don't care who started it, or what it is. A public forum is NOT the place to argue about it.

Consider this a final warning.

Now, back to solving RG's engine problems, please.

I went this way and brought a second hand bottom end for mine from a running car that had recently been rebuilt and it was scrap. Your taking a real risk buying a second hand one I would consider anything you buy as needing a rebuild unless its been recently done by someoen that knows what they are doing