Author Topic: new  (Read 2361 times)

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Offline jbcollier

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Re: new
« Reply #15 on: Monday,October 29, 2018, 08:14:31 AM »
The engine number plate is attached to the block on the exhaust side, close to the water pump.

 https://jbcollier.smugmug.com/Lotus-Europa/i-GgcP3z9/A

May you be so lucky to find such a plate!

Keep in mind that it's just riveted on so easily lost.

Offline bill

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Re: new
« Reply #16 on: Tuesday,October 30, 2018, 02:21:17 AM »
thanks for that

have found it but still no nearer what it is

Offline jbcollier

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Re: new
« Reply #17 on: Tuesday,October 30, 2018, 06:29:58 AM »
Post a photo of the plate.

Offline jbcollier

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Re: new
« Reply #18 on: Tuesday,October 30, 2018, 06:31:38 AM »
PS:  We have already identified the engine as a Renault crossflow from a late 70s/early 80s Renault.  What else do you want to know?

Offline bill

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Re: new
« Reply #19 on: Tuesday,October 30, 2018, 07:36:22 AM »
just trying to confirm engine size without pulling it apart and if it is  a Gordini head

Offline jbcollier

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Re: new
« Reply #20 on: Tuesday,October 30, 2018, 11:07:39 AM »
Gordini was a "natural" tuner that went big.  He took normal cooking engines and made them produce much, much more power.  However, he was not a trained engineer and had some distinctly odd ideas.  For example, true "Gordini" heads have the spark plugs hidden in a chamber with passages to either side of the combustion chamber.  You can see them in this photo:

http://r1135gordinirestoration.blogspot.com/2014/04/engine-rebuild.html

Poor man's dual plugs??  Who knows? Not a good idea.

All was well and good while very little was actually known about what was going on in a combustion chamber.  Come the 60s with carefully-researched, purpose-built racing engines, and "natural" talent just didn't cut it anymore.  Gordini's engines stopped being competitive.  Renault had long since owned the company.  They retired Gordini and kept the name but they took over development of the engines.

So, is a 70s/80s crossflow head a "Gordini" head?  No, and thank goodness for that.

Your engine started out as a 1647cc engine.  Probably from an R18.  What's in there now is hard to say without looking.  Stock crossflows vary from 85 to 140 hp depending on spec.  They can be enlarged to 1800cc or so and over 200 hp though they don't last long in that state.

Offline bill

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Re: new
« Reply #21 on: Tuesday,October 30, 2018, 12:19:04 PM »
Many thanks