Locost ''Eleanor'' Rebuild

[greenwoo]

see Rich, you do need to rev them more

[locost220]

So over the past weeks I have cleaned and painted the block, refitted the pistons with new rings, refitted the crank and got it all torqued up, stripped, cleaned the head including making the diy ported and polished bits look nice again, lapped the valves, new stem seals as I rebuilt it, painted the cast areas to match the block, last night refitted the head and belt.
Might fire up the media blaster and powder coater to treat the cam and belt covers to a nice contrasting blue.

[Wingco]

Another great piece Richard.
If you haven't cured that oil problem now I don't think you ever will
Hope it all starts and runs nicely Richard, looking forward to getting on a run with you.

[nelmo]

This thread is approaching its 5 year anniversary Great dedication Rich...

[locost220]

So I got to a position with the pinto engines that I need bits to carry on overhauling or building up the ones I have in bits at present, mainly missing pistons where they have come with dud ones.
So I decide to swap my attention to the Locost to tackle the two main reasons I have not completed many miles in it including both of the tours I have been involved with this year, that being the harsh suspension since the rebuild and the less than perfect engine that still has low compression on two cylinders and misbehaved itself in the nightmare Q for the BHP show and subsequent trip home.
Head gasket checks and other investigation proved no reason for it rougher than usual load less rough running between 1500 and 2500 rpm.
So I decided to get hold of a identical engine via Facebook market place ideally that I could hear or get running to check oil and compression pressures before giving it a clean and brush up, gasket renewals and swap over the rear wheel drive kit car stuff but not mess with the head at all.
So once I got an engine from a bloke who breaks, races ST and a loan of a basic ECU from Matt, my old bike carbs, plastic inlet manifold and super long silicon hoses to get the carbs to fit, oil pressure gauge from the Leader, some petrol, battery and daughter to man the I phone I had the engine splutter and run a few times on the floor to give me the thumbs up ( on my u tube channel ).
So pinto /St170 engines were swapped over on the stand and bits stripped off with videos and pics to remind me how this new modern stuff bolts together, block cleaned and painted and front wheel drive sump removed, full gasket set, water pump and cam belt kit waiting.
So last week/ weekend I set about positioning the car where I wanted it in the garage after draining the radiator outside.
Off with the nose cone, radiator, exhaust, the remainder of the water system, inlet side including throttle cables complete, alternator to allow the engine only to clear where as the pinto was that bit longer I had to do gearbox as well.
Sump guard off that is pretty badly bashed up given the miles it has done.
Onto the following evening when I manage to get the engine out without hassle, onto the floor and remove the clutch and flywheel with a fight, oil filter, oil pressure sensor, back up in the air to get the sump, oil pick up and the baffle off, had to swap over the mounting bolts for the baffle from one engine to the other as they are special main cap bolts.
Next evening clean up the sump, oil pick up and baffle in the washbox and a spray down with brake cleaner, box up the ex Locost engine with rwd sump to keep it air tight as may well live again.
Fit the clean bits to the newly painted engine to make that air tight as well.
Spin it back right way up in the stand and try to crack the crankshaft bolt to allow the cam belt to be changed, o dear bit tight and my locking methods prove a failure, so round to mates house tonight to get his home made locking tool that worked a treat and had pulley and plastic cover off in a few mins.
No idea where that pic came from

[locost220]

Last weekend I managed to change over the cam belt, tensioners, set up the timing and cranked it over by hand many times to check the marks, water pump and all the covers on, then take the engine off the stand onto the floor, the flat bottom sump should help to keep it upright for the test run I want to do again so I have bolted on the flex plate, starter motor, flywheel, ignition box, oil pressure gauge, exhaust and induction side so with the oil it is ready for oil filter when it arrives.
Meanwhile now seemed the ideal time to get the shocks off for investigation as to what poundage they are and a way forwards.
Getting the rear shocks off was the big dread as I thought I would have to remove the lower flat floor, rear tub, seats, seat belts, scuttle, all side panels to get to hidden bolts to get the arches off
Turns out I had the forethought when I was rebuilding the car to secure parts of the arches with rivnut and screws vice Bolts and nuts.
That and deciding to drill access hole in the back piece of the side panel to allow the top shock out ( vice removing all I said ) meant once the bolt was out I could drop the shock out, getting the packing washers back in I’ll be fun. But at least I can out a grommet over the hole and most will be covered by the arch.
The fronts proved a bit of a challenge as well but now managed to get the three off that I will send to GAZ shocks for spring assessment.
I have measured their approx height settings so I can hopefully get a basic set up when refitting.

[locost220]

So a couple weeks back I got the engine running on the floor for a few seconds each time till I was as happy as I could be, then managed to get the correct flywheel and clutch set up back in the engine all lined up with the input shaft of a gearbox that has been my go to when ever I can over a clutch aligning tool ( that I have as well ).
I usually prefer to fit and remove engine and gearbox as one but had not in this case so when the opportunity arose I had a go one evening at putting the engine back in and with a bit of faffing got the planets aligned and the bolts connecting the block and bell housing and on it mounts.
Over the next couple days I used any spare time away from a welding project to refit most the ancillaries.
When trying to fit the drive belt connecting the water pump, alternator and crank pulley I realise the middle front cover that covers the cam belt and usually holds one half of the FWD engine mount is a different height on this engine as was fouling the line of sight between water pump and alternator.
So back off with the bits required and swap over from the old engine and refit all.
Carried on with refitting the radiator and nose cone this evening and got to a stage now I need to leave the exhaust off as reffing the shocks when the new springs arrive will be far easier as is.