Leg
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| posted on 22/6/11 at 10:37 AM |
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Not sure what to do, advice needed please.
Hi everyone.
I bought Jack tait's red/black Indy R in March.
Those of you who know the car will probably back me up when I say it was a quality build. Being a car nut but non mechanical that was the point for me
of upping my budget and buying this car.
I've been having a few problems though. It started after a track day at Oulton Park in April which was great fun but resulted in the car
developing an oil leak. A trip to MK revealed that the metal near one of the bolts that hold the "Cap" on the engine had been shaved flat
(likely when the original bike crashed) and there was only around 1-2mm of metal left where the thread was on the cap and the main block. The clutch
cap was also leaking slightly through an area that had been welded.
The engine is from Yorkshire Engines but was supplied 2 years ago although the car is a 10 plate.
Those repairs, including new caps and some time to try and fix the gear indicator (still only shows N, 1, 2 and 3 accurately) cost me £400.
Anyway, that was repaired although obviously the main block still suffers from the shaved metal although the leak seems to have been stemmed.
So, I went to Mallory the Saturday before last. Again had a great day but around 3pm going round Gerrards the car boiled its coolant which went
everywhere. I came back to the paddock and packed up for the day as rain was impending and given the coolant boil I thought I would cut my losses.
After a couple of days I drained the coolant, realised the coolant bottle wasnt quite above the highest point in the coolant system and raised it a
bit, a simple job, refilled it and started the engine. All seemed well, she ticked over nicely, there were a few glugs where it seemed an air pocket
was being flushed out and the fan came on (I had noticed it wasnt after Mallory and I guess hadnt on the day) as it should.
Sorted? No.
The car ticked over fine for 5 minutes twice so I felt comfortable taking it for a gentle run up the road. I changed to third at around 6000 revs and
accelerated but there was no power and then the engine died. Coolant boiled again. The car wouldnt start.
When it had cooled down it would start and tick over (although I turned it off immediately).
I drained the oil. It seemed fine to me, no bits in it, pure.
Now I'm at a bit of a loss what to do.
I have spoken to Andy at AB and given the costs of finding the fault and then not being sure the engine will be solid afterwards Andy has recommended
he supplies a new engine. But thats £1300 + VAT plus fitting, a fairly hefty investment especially after investing so much in the car.
Iw ould hate to spend all that if the fault is minor but I cant work out what the fault is myself. Arrgh. Im in a bit of a tizzy to be honest so any
guidance would be hugely welcome.
Pictures of the oil, car in Complete Kit Car Magazine and at Mallory.
[Edited on 22/6/11 by Leg]
[Edited on 22/6/11 by Leg]
[Edited on 22/6/11 by Leg]
[Edited on 22/6/11 by Leg]
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Strontium Dog
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| posted on 22/6/11 at 10:56 AM |
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Firstly, hello!
Now, where do you live? We need to know then someone local to you might be able to help. If you have overheated your engine then thats not good but at
least you stopped it before it seized so you could be in luck! I would definitely get someone to have a look at the coolant plumbing to start with as
it sounds like something is not quite right. It would be worth doing a hydro carbons test on the coolant to make sure the head gasket is not at
fault.
The best advice I can give you without seeing the car is to get someone local that knows there stuff to take a look for you. If you are not
mechanically minded then someone with some experience may well spot something you have not noticed!
Good luck and I hope you get it sorted, Si.
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danny keenan
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| posted on 22/6/11 at 11:17 AM |
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sent u2u
thanks danny
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RACER101
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| posted on 22/6/11 at 11:39 AM |
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Hello Leg.
Sorry to hear about your problems.
It is always difficult to diagnose problems based on a written description and, as Strontium Dog suggests, the best intial course of action would be
to get a helpful Locostbuilder in your area to take a quick look (always helps if your forum postings show your location btw......Control
Panel>>Edit Profile).
From what you describe, the coolant problem hadn't manifested itself at your Oulton track day and you had also been running around Mallory for
almost a full day before it went pop. For me, this tends to rule out fundamentally bad plumbing because it would only have taken one or two laps of
circuit running for this kind of problem to reveal itself whereas you have had many hours of trouble free circuit time.
This in turns suggest that something suddenly failed at Mallory and my suspicions lie in two directions. If you are lucky the bike water pump has
failed (I had this happen on a ZX10 engined race car with exactly the same symptoms as you describe). More likely though is head gasket failure
causing the coolant system to pressurize. Easy enough to check with a compression tester (pretty cheaply purchased from a motor factor/ebay/bike shop
but make sure it comes with a suitable adaptor for the small size spark plug hole on your bike engine).
Neither of these problems are hugely expensive to repair but if it turns out to be the head gasket you would be wise to try and established why it
happened (poor plumbing, cooling fan failure, water pump in its death throes, radiator too small or blocked, poor air ducting to the radiator etc
etc).
Good luck.
John
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Leg
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| posted on 22/6/11 at 01:49 PM |
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Thanks guys. Really helpful replies making me feel better already. You cant beat community spirit eh!
I am based just south of York, near Selby. Anyone willing to come give me some advice would be hugely welcome!
Real name is Richard by the way.
[Edited on 22/6/11 by Leg]
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Leg
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| posted on 24/6/11 at 12:19 PM |
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friend of mine came round today. He races Midgets and builds his own engines etc.
We filtered the oil, it does indeed have little brass/copper flakes at the bottom. He said the compression was "all over the shop" too. We
let it tick over and it was making a worrying knocking noise so we switched it straight off.
He's coming back on Monday to help me (rather me help him!) take the engine out and he, me and a chap he knows who races bikes and builds bike
engines are going to strip the engine and find the problem.
Then its a question of deciding whether to rebuild this one so it is robust (his preference he tells me as he says how do you know the next one wont
do the same, I can see his point) or buy a new engine.
Looks like Ill know what Im doing within the week.
On another note, a big thanks to circuit days who have credited my fee for Donington on Monday, which Ill never make, for use against a future track
day.
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norm007
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| posted on 24/6/11 at 12:31 PM |
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Hi.
What engine is it?
Something about this, so very wrong.....I have to laugh out loud, I wish I didn`t like this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Leg
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| posted on 24/6/11 at 12:44 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by norm007
Hi.
What engine is it?
carbed R1, 2002 I think.
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r1_pete
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| posted on 24/6/11 at 01:16 PM |
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I have a mate with a 99 R1 which hasn't been T&T'd for over a year, which may be for sale, if you want me to make enquiries let me
know.
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Leg
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| posted on 24/6/11 at 01:32 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by r1_pete
I have a mate with a 99 R1 which hasn't been T&T'd for over a year, which may be for sale, if you want me to make enquiries let me
know.
Thanks, appreciate the offer but if thsi isnt repairable I'll probably buy one from Yorkshire Engines or AB. I want it to be reliable and if
that means spending some cash, so be it.
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Leg
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| posted on 27/6/11 at 10:15 PM |
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Well the engine is out and we took the bottom end off. Loads of bits of metal in there. Full strip tomorrow.
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