engine builder wanted

[james Rudland]

hi guys......i have purchased a kva mk3 a while back and to say progress is slow is a understatement!!!!!!to help move things on, i have decided to lift the engine out of the car and get it rebuilt....... basically the car has sat in a wet garage for the last 8 years(not mine)....... i have had the carbs totally rebuilt.... new trumpets, seal etc.... but the rest of the engine looks like water has got inside and will need to be striped back......and rebuilt..... the engine is a 302 marine engine......(what ever this is) i am happy to admit i am know mechanic!!!!!

basically i am after a good engine builder in the uk........ any surgestions then please let me know

cheers

james

 

[Fred/Belgium]

James,

If you are serious about refurbishing your engine and ensure long time lifecycle with power whilst prepared to put some pound into it, Frank Catt is the person.

You can find his ctcs trough the site or send me a mail.

An expert for GT40s.

Rgds
Fred

 

[james Rudland]

hi fred... is he based in the states..... i was hoping to find a builder in the uk to keep the shipping costa down???


james

 

[Dave Bilyk]

Hi James, Frank is in uk Sussex,

http://www.wealdenengineer.com/

Dave

 

[Mike Pass]

It would be useful to know what year the block is. The number to look for is under the ledge at the bottom right of the engine as seen from the clutch end. Post the number on here for a decode of the year. It would also be useful to pull the heads off and check the bores for condition and size. If they are standard they should be exactly 4.000". Borrow a decent micrometer and check them out. Also look to see if there is a wear ridge at the top of the bore. The engines are very easy to pull apart. Make a note and take pics of where it all goes and lay the parts out so they remain in order if you plan to reuse them. Particularly the tappets must go back exactly where they came from. Also the engine will be a LOT easier to move when in bits - the block alone weighs about 150 lbs.
Once you know what is reusable you can get things checked out. If the bores are good you might get away with having the bores honed and use new rings. If the bores are shot then have the block/caps line bored/honed, the decks skimmed in line/at 90deg with the mains and then rebored and honed +30th using a deck plate. A good clean up/hot tank of the block and oil galleries, new screw in oil gallery plugs and new brass core plugs will give you a sound foundation. An old block in the UK will mean that the emissions need only be no visible smoke!
What you want from the motor will determine what you do and what it will cost. If the crank is bad you might consider a stroker kit to go to 347 ci. For us in the UK parts from the US are still very cheap.

On builders I suggest Kenny Coleman at Engine Data Analysis in Castleford. He has been building road and race V8s for 25 years and you can see your engine run up on the dyno and look for yourself on your graph exactly what it gives out.
Engine Data Analysis "Specialist Engine Building & Tuning"
Cheers
Mike

 

[james Rudland]

cheers mike......wow you know your stuff , thanks for the help...will let you know how it goes....james

 

[John W]

I'd suggest having a word with Dave Millam. Frank and Dave know each other well.

Contacting She Devil Racing
As his web site says he is in Crowborough, West Sussex.

This is a first hand recommendation as he is building my big block engine.