Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

[Zetecalex]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

I was wondering where you bought the rear water take off from? I need a slimline one for my 1.4 morris minor project

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

I was wondering where you bought the rear water take off from? I need a slimline one for my 1.4 morris minor project

I bought it from Paul Jackson @ BPj services.

Ypu can reachh Paul at bpjsvs@googlemail.com

[Zetecalex]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Thankyou, will post up some build pics when i start properly. Your car looks amazing and great complete engine build and modification.

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Thank you for the compliment

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

The cylinder head is now ready. I'll make a trip up north next weekend to collect it and to bend the rear axle as I'm up there. The tensioner pulley has had a fresh set of bearings so its ready for some beating aswell.
The new hoses arriwed a few days ago and I made the engine sides ready still need to fit the filter side fittings once the lump is in place.
Tha new exhaust manifold flange can be finished too once the head arrives. I need to match the flange with the new exhaust ports.
At thursday I need to modify the loom for the new alternator position.
Orderd a set of 40mm airhorns. With my current trumpets and spacers I can try out the 40,60,70 and 90mm lenght ram pipes. And then figure out what to do with the airfilter.

oooh shiny...

[Tristan]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

if it goes like it looks , it'll be awesome!

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

if it goes like it looks , it'll be awesome!

I sure hope it will! But as annoying as it is I'll just need to wait and see.

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Right. Just came back from the north. I picked up the head and we adjusted the rear tracking.
The head had everythig checked over and the ports were opened a bit more. Especially the exhaust side has had some work done on it. It looks more open now.
Now I can start the final assembly on the engine and hopefully install it over the weekend. I still have stuff to do before I can install it though. I need to modify the manifold flange to go with the new exhaust ports. And the inlet vernier needs a new hole for the locking pin. Hope to accoplish these before the weekend.

As for the rear end business.
The axle was put on stands and the tracking was measured. After calibration the result was that the axle was far from ideal. gauges showed toe out and some positive camber. So this bending operation was badly needed. This also explained why the insides of the rear wheels had seen so little contact on tarmac.
The tiny american proved to be a tough nut to crack. Or bend in this case. We had to heat it up sevelar times and in different places to get it moving. The axle tubes were heated up and the cooled with compressed air and water. The science behind this is When heated and cooled rapidly it retracts shorter than its original length thus bendig the axle toward the heated area.
The final result after a lot of heating and cooling was one degree of negative camber and one mm toe in.
We kinda hoped for more camber but we got it a lot better than it was. The metal just did not retract anymore so it is what it is.....and its good. Now it needs a fresh lick of paint and the cars tracking adjusted.

[Tristan]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

looks scary! and this doesn't cause the shaft to distort , or harm the bearings? is the shaft mounted in just one bearing , at the outside? and the inner end splined into the Diff?

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Yes the half shaft is supported by the wheel bearing at the outer end and the spider gears in the diff.
And yes It most certainly puts alot of stress to the bearing the shaft and propably to the splines in the diff and the shaft.
No the shaft it self will not bend only the axle tube. This pretty much takes away all the play / clearance in the bearings and splines.
I only gor half a degree per side. The Group A volvos had degrees of negative camber per side.

[exboyracer]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Nice work there

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Thanks for the compliment.
I'm convinced it was worth the effort too.

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Started putting the engine back together today.
Spent most of the evening grinding the hadgasket to clear the combustion chamber. Really slows putting the head on, but theres no way around it. Can't have the gasket breaching to the chamber and causing detonation. Only it just needs to be done soo carefully not to ruin the gasket.

Started to have second thoughts on using the "old" (only done the RR and one event) front crank seal. There was no damage on it and it slid on perfectly with ease. But as I'm pretty much in point of no return now I started to doubt myself. Is there any sence in changing it just in case? Any insight would be appreciated.

[Graham]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Started to have second thoughts on using the "old" (only done the RR and one event) front crank seal.

no need, i've often reused oil seals on my race motor

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Good that saves me the the trouble of changing it and ordering one since we did not have one in shelf at work. Saves me time too to get this thing built by weekend.