Rebuilt Engine installed tomorrow

[Mark]

My London Roadster should soon be back on the road. The engine has been rebuilt and should get installed tomorrow. It’s now a 1776 cc VW engine.

[Toller]

Mark, Any details on the build? I am having an 1835 built with dual Kadrons and Pertronix II igniter ignition.

David B Dixon
Port Perry ON CA
Sabine

[Mark]

I tried to fit those dual Kadrons, yet there wasn’t enough room in my engine bay without cutting into the body. So I went with a Delorto carb. Now that carb sits too high and I cannot fit an air cleaner on top of it to fit with the lid closed. Parts are ordered for a remote air cleaner.

[Mark]

It turns out that my fan housing and engine tins were in pretty bad shape. I’m going to replace all of those.

[Mark]

Finally the car was delivered to its garage yesterday. I’m busy at work and haven’t been able to see it. Maybe I can see it this weekend.
The engine builder says it will have 100 to 120 hp, which is more than enough for this car. About 3 weeks ago, we thought it was going to be ready, except that the brakes failed on a test drive. We went with an entire new brake system, replacing everything.

I can’t wait to drive it.

[edward ericson]

Fingers crossed for you.

[Mark]

Thanks people, the London Roadster has since had a fuel cell installed so I need to raise the bonnet at each fuel stop. Gone are the days of the fuel inlet neck squeezing down to one-inch and causing back-flow fuel spillage every time at fuel stops.

• This reply was modified 6 months ago by Mark.

[Mark]

That Carburetor really likes to drink the fuel. I am not used to such a gas hog. The engine is about a 1776cc VW. If I go back to a Solex Carb, I have s few questions

First, which Solex carb would be correct for a 1776 VW engine?

Will I lose power by going to a less thirsty carburetor?

[edward ericson]

You could run it with a 34PICT3 on a stock manifold but you’d probably do better to tune the Delorto, unless it’s icing up.

What Dell do you have? What idle jets are in it?

What is your current overall mileage? I get about 25-26mpg overall with my 120-hp 1914 in a 1500 lb Spyder replica. Your engine should be giving you something similar—but only if it’s tuned and times and jetted right.

What is your engine’s static compression ratio, and what camshaft and rockers and heads are in it? If it’s a 1776 cc, in order to put out over 100 horses as your builder claims, it would need to be running at least something like an Engle W120 with stock ratio rockers. And I’d think the 1.25s would get it closer to the advertised mark with that grind.

Here’s the specs for the CB “Builder’s Choice” kit of parts for a 105 hp 1776.

That would be a serious engine, static balanced, 8.0-1 compression, Panchito 044 heads with 40 x 35.5mm valves running dual 40mm IDF Webers and a merged header with 1.5-inch primaries. That cam with those rockers would yield .486-in lift at the valves. That’s a lumpy cam; that’s gonna be a thirsty engine compared to stock.

By comparison, my 1914 came with similar heads and valves, 8.5-1 compression and a w-125 cam with stock ratio rockers, My engine’s valve lift is about .460—also pretty lumpy, with a little less lift and a little more duration to get it to 120 hp @ 5,500 RPM.

If I were you I’d ask the engine builder for all the specifications of all the parts, plus advice on how to make the engine work the way you want it and fit in the space you have.

 

[Author]

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