Aloha from Honolulu

[roverV8man]

1st post and a cry for help. I picked up a poor neglected 1969 type 65 Europa fitted with a 807 motor.http://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/Smileys/default/newhere.gif
The car was sitting for 12 years and in real poor shape: faded out paint, stuck engine, surface rust/corrosion.
I soaked the bores with a mix of acetone and atf for a week and freed up the engine. Changed oil/filer and with
fresh fuel and a carb clean got it to fire up. Quite a smokescreen, lets look deeper-comp test got 145-80-145-25.http://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/Smileys/default/WTF.gif
Pulled out engine/trans and removed pistons, the 25 lbs hole had a broken 2nd ring along with a broken ring land.
Perhaps this is why it was parked up for 12 years. So I am hoping someone has a extra 77.8 mm piston/ring set
they would like to sell. Pistons are marked P520 on top of domes and A1 next to direction arrow. Hoping to get it
back together as cheap as possible, as I am still only halfway thru the resurrection of my 66 Lotus Cortina that Ive had
since 1974. Just one piston will get this going as the bores all look okay. The 80 lb hole had stuck rings with the
end gaps lined up and I was able to free them up. Thanks for looking/reading this far, Steve.

[BDA]

  Steve!!

Sorry I can't help with a piston/ring set but I wanted to wish you luck with your baby!

I would check out your cylinder liners, but it sounds like you know what you're doing.

Please keep us up to date on your progress and post pictures!

[TurboFource]

Welcome! My Dad was in the Air Force and I went to high school at Radford! I am sure things have changed since I left.....great memories! Good luck with your project!

[dakazman]

Welcome! My Dad was in the Air Force and I went to high school at Radford! I am sure things have changed since I left.....great memories! Good luck with your project!

   Must be your lucky year , I came across a set of 77 mm pistons On eBay. I believe R&D has ring sets.

   https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lotus-europa-pistons-new-in-box-/284001381321

I would ask seller for dimensions and wrist pin diameter.

BTW 
Dakazman

[roverV8man]

BDA, Thank you for the welcome, yup not the first rodeo. Got started in high school working at a shop that prepared SCCA cars.
Turbofource, small world, I graduated from Radford in 73, pops was Navy.
Dakazman,I took a look those, they were 76mm + .5 but thank you for checking in.
If I have to I will TIG the broken land area and remachine. Not sure how strong it would end up
and I want to track this car when done. Aloha, Steve.

[Grumblebuns]

Steve, another 

With Oahu being such a small place, do you by chance know Patrick Casey. He's a  long time fellow Europa TC owner living in Honolulu. I've corresponded with him over the years, a real nice guy.
Sorry, also can't help you with your Renault piston/ring issue.

Joji Tokumoto
Fallbrook, Ca

[lotusfanatic]

Hello Steve,

 

I can't offer any help but good luck with your projects!
(please do post any photographs of the projects too)

Mark 

[TurboFource]

My future father in law was in the Navy! I worked at Honda of Hawaii in high school, I had my Honda 400 Hawk shipped to San Diego on a Navy destroyer and then rode it to New Orleans and then to Dover Delaware and then back and forth to New Orleans numerous times. So I rode across country on a Honda 400 when I was 18😊

[dakazman]

  Have you looked here?

https://www.franzose.de/en/Renault/R16/Kurbel-Nockenwelle-Kolben/

Dakazman

[jbcollier]

The ebay link is to incorrect pistons.  Not for a crossflow.  Might be very useful to someone rebuilding a 1565 wedge though as they have the right, high compression ratio.

77.8mm bore is for a 1596cc engine.  The usual Europa/Renault suppliers will not have parts.  These were used in Alpine engines in order to qualify for the 1600cc racing class.  They also did a 78mm for a 1605cc and 79mm for a 1647cc.  Finding a single matching piston is not very likely.  You can buy sets of four from Mecaparts.

If it has to be cheap, take the piston to a really good machine shop and see if they can repair it.  I have had specialized pistons welded up and repaired in the past.  Though, by your description, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Another long shot is to contact Salv Sacco out of the UK.  He is "the" Renault crossflow chap and may be able to help you with cast off parts.  I don't have current contact info but he does trade on ebay.  Here's a link to a current auction:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm//254308226596

[roverV8man]

JB, thank you for the link. I got ahold of Salv and purchased a set of 78 mm liners and new wossner forged popup pistons.
It turned out the old pistons were cut to fit the stock head. Salv sent a shot of a Gordini head so I could recut the combustion
chambers and its going back together now.

[jbcollier]

Salv is the crossflow guru.  I always listen to his advice.