RS Motorsport :: Classic Speed Restored

Some of you may have seen how our weekend at Historic Warwick came to a premature end, #2 plug ended up looking like:



Now, this was the effect, not the cause of the failure, we think. I haven't got any pictures of #2 exhaust valve yet, but it ended up looking like somone took a gas axe to it, the hot molten bits off it was part of what set the infield ablaze.

Turns out the head was cracked from the seat and up thru #2 plug which in turn let the valve go and then presumably this torched the plug also. Long story short, head r00ted along with one exhaust valve, everything else OK.

So the rebuild begins. We're also upgrading from the standard Repco clutch which was put in the car when I was still driving it to work over 10 years ago. Unless we're told otherwise, the block and the crank are OK to reuse. The cam is ground for 7000rpm only so there's nothing special about the bottom end. This time it'll be receiving a new set of pistons and a balance, but that's about it.

#2 piston has only a couple of minor marks on it. the one on the exhaust side has peened the top of the piston slightly and has made the top ring a tight fit. The rods and pistons look as good as they did when they went in the engine 10 or so years ago so we'll keep them as a set for another engine we have lying around. New pistons are on the cards although I'm still trying to talk dad into some L16 rods as well.



Apart from the new clutch that's about all for the rebuild sofar.

Scott really need to see the plug and valve but have never done any good with those plugs with poor heat range choices and they tend to drop the earth terminal but you should also be looking up the exhaust manifold runner as well and the carburettor throat. While you're at take more weight out of the flywheel and clutch if you can if you're going to look L16 rods you'll need forgings and then you may as well put a decent flywheel on

We've got these 2 sets of extractors, both of poor design no doubt. Primaries on the black ones are about 42mm OD and the white/rusty ones are about 38mm OD.

Opinions on which one is better?