Redtop sprint

[iandollysprint]

Great stuff, now lets see a video of it in action . .

Will do, going for MOT on Sat then new exhaust manifold to replace my crap effort in a couple of weeks.
Ian

[iandollysprint]

Been watching your progress with great interest and am pleased you are now mobile.
Now you have reached this point, I have a couple of questions to ask, if I may.

Front subframe - I think eightiesflamer(?) redtop conversion does not use any replacement. I think it would be relatively straight forward to use the original sprint mounting holes and fabricate with box section a replacement for the bit I have chopped out. I will probably do this.

Did you do anything about replacing the member from the front subframe you removed?
If not, how does the car drive?


How is the gearbox mount?
It looks to me like you used a Dolomite o/d one?
A Sierra mount is very similar but a bit bigger. I have adapted a Dolomite o/d crossmember to accept one and am hopeful it
will be an improvement.

I haven't replace the member but this should be straightforward to either weld in either a tube section to link the hole or use box section and the original sprint subframe mount holes. Taking the car for a quick run or private roads of course the car behaved exactly the same as I remember it did prior to removing said section. It's something I will do once I have an MOT on the car. I haven't bounced it off the rev limit of 7750 rpm yet though!

Gearbox mount seems OK, it's an overdrive sprint mount turned through 180 degress with holes elongated to use the original 4 mounting holes to the body. Seems rigid enough but I will know more when I have some more miles on it.

MOT Sat, proper exhaust manifold in a couple of weeks, Megajolt ECU next couple of weeks then get some miles on it.

For the few miles I have driven here is my first impression.

Power wise (even to 3k rpm) is completely different than the sprint engine. Seems to have some great pull from low down.
Noise is mental with the R1 carbs and indivdual air filters - i might have to fit a suitable air box to keep the neighbours happy.
Gearbox is tricky as it has a bespoke shortshift, needs more practice!

Ian

[iandollysprint]

MOT'd! Update laters

Right, passed it's MOT with no advisory's, expected that the bit I chopped out of the sump might be an issue but it wasn't. No emissions test either as it is pre 75.

The R1 carbs were giving me trouble at idle, it felt like it was missing on one cylinder. So i did the old hose in ear method and sure enough number 3 was sucking like a good un and number 4 wasn't sucking at all. Ended up taking the carbs off and setting them up by blowing into the inlets and getting them about right! Seems to have worked as idle is much improved. The sync screws are just so difficult to get too when fitted.

Also sorted a quote for my exhaust manifold - Hayward and Scott in Basildon. £700 plus VAT! not cheap but this will be the achilles heal of the engine if it is to make the 200+bhp I am hoping for. Have put some miles on the car now. Torque is amazing, sound is amazing but I have only loaded it up to about 3500rpm. No point going much higher with the present debarcle I have for an exhaust manifold!

Just nice to get it on the road.

Ian

[mbellinger]

Congratulations Ian - just reward for all the hard work.

Wait until you do rev it out - it will stand your hair on end I can assure you.

You are correct that the exhaust manifold is pivotal with these engines (and also can make them sound like a Ferrari!!).

Delighted you have got the car on the road at last.

[Toledo Man]

£700 seems a bit steep even for a custom made exhaust. Get some more quotes if you haven't already. Can't anyone else recommend somebody who doesn't charge the Earth?

[eightiesflamer]

You have got to be joking Toledoman I paid nearly double that for mine.

[Carledo]

This is the main reason why my car has an 8v engine ,not a Redtop! A properly made bespoke 4 branch is a thing of beauty but it is not easy or cheap to make. I'm still hoping to find one for a Carlton which may be cheaper but i'm not holding my breath! One is available for the 8v Cavalier for about £125 but it's the wrong way round! I would assume there are similar ones for the Redtop but whether one could be modded for our cars is questionable. Steve

[iandollysprint]

£700 seems a bit steep even for a custom made exhaust. Get some more quotes if you haven't already. Can't anyone else recommend somebody who doesn't charge the Earth?

It's £700 for the manifold, not the complete exhaust plus vat

I have another quote - "at least" £900

I always knew this would be the tricky bit...

If I want 200+ bhp though I will need one

Ian

[mbellinger]

Steve (Carledo)

Keep your eyes out on eBay's Germany site - all sorts of nice tuning goodies pop up on there....

[iandollysprint]

Congratulations Ian - just reward for all the hard work.

Wait until you do rev it out - it will stand your hair on end I can assure you.

You are correct that the exhaust manifold is pivotal with these engines (and also can make them sound like a Ferrari!!).

Delighted you have got the car on the road at last.

Kind words, thanks
Ian

[iandollysprint]

Short clip of a run I had today.

It now has the megajolt ecu fitted. Running a very basic map at the moment as I cant communicate with my laptop - need an adaptor.

Also wired in the tacho from the ECU to the original tacho. It worked! I'm amazed.

Engine idles at 1000 rpm, fairly happily. It has 276 degree cams in it so I expected it to be lumpy but it's actually very smooth.

Only been up to 4000rpm in it (including the vid). To be honest the torque is daft from low down, just pulls clean. God knows what it will be like past 7000rpm! But I will have to wait until the manifold is done to test that.

[Carledo]

Congrats Ian, GLORIOUS NOISE!!!! And you're right, the torque from these engines is massive and seamless! Steve

[james_r_lucas]

Sounds gorgeous

[iandollysprint]

Now fitted a triumph temp sender instead of the vauxhall one that I thought was reading too low for the triumph gauge. I took a sprint sender at 5/8's unf thread and turned it down and re threaded for a M12 1.5 thread. This was then fitted into the temp switch position on the engine side of the vauxhall thermostat housing. Also replaced the thermostat which I think was fully open all the time.

Engine now runs just above middle on the temp gauge with the kenlowe keeping things in check.

I can now also communicate with the Megajolt ECU. Having trouble with the load points as it doesn't want to see above 50% open on the throttle. Other than that though the car is running really well now.

Ian

[Carledo]

Now that's what I call a really elegant solution to the temp sender dilemma, well done, I wouldn't have believed you could remove that much metal and still have it work! Steve