History of a Lola T492 Sports 2000 chassis?

[sebring115]

I had that on my 911, then realised plug leads were swapped over, ran much better!!!

[911thillclimber]

I will check the leads AGAIN!
Must be something stupid I've done.

[spd(john)]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

I will check the leads AGAIN!
Must be something stupid I've done.

Keep going Graham, at least yours is going together.

[911thillclimber]

Thanks John, hard work aren't they?

However:

Happy to report it is on 6 cylinders!

Didn't start the evening that way mind.
Put the RH carb back together, ran on 4.
Changed the leads over on #4 and #5 ran on 4.

Took the inlet rocker covers off and went through the cam timing by checking the inlet rockers were 4 thou clear at their respective TDC, all were.

Took a look at the distributor......

Reset the rotor arm to match the dist mark @ #1 TDC. Would not dream of starting, expected 'strain' to turn over.
Checked the points (hands up who remembers points?) to find them at 8 thou!
Opened them to 15 thou, set the dist back to Bob Watson marks.

Turned it over, and met with a full 6 pots running, nearly puring!

Time now for balancing and mixture setting all DIY.

Will then consider taking it to bob's for running in on the rollers.

[sebring115]

Yes, great news, sure we are all happy, will be great to see what it does on the rollers

[911thillclimber]

Ha!
A gazillion bhp and the same in torque of course.

I just want it to run and stay together, so where it was will be fine, 257 bhp and 220 lbft.
I will be fitting a BIG rev limit indicator soon as it gets to the red line very quickly.

Gearbox now needs sorting.

Race cars never end.
Nobody told me that but I suspect Clive did a long time ago.

[Clive Brown]

Just a thought, but to ensure that the ignition is spot-on, you should really check that the points gap is the same on all six lobes of the distributor cam.

If not, it is likely that the shaft is bent.

[911thillclimber]

good point as ever Clive, also thinking about re-fitting the solid state Hall effect device and coil instead.

[911thillclimber]

Got everything tuned-up now with a synchrometer, colour tune and a screwdriver, what more do you need?

Surprising what effect the balancing of the chokes makes to this engine, very sensitive.

All working anyway, nice throttle response etc, so I'll leave well alone now.

Gearbox next...

[MGDavid]

I sense you've cheered up a lot compared with a few weeks back...
next season is going to be brilliant
:-)

[911thillclimber]

True indeed.
I can tear this engine down in 3 milliseconds and rebuild it now in 4....

Feel capable to fight it no matter what, guess practice makes perfect.

I lost 60% of the season in 2012, never before have I lost a season in 20 years of hillclimbing, so 2013 must be better.

Will get the box done (taller CW&P) to allow a longer run between the corners in one gear, saving several ponderous gear changes, clean it and keep the battered body for now.
If I keep the car then a re-body is on the cards.

I'm not too far from retiring from work, might happen before I plan it to, so that will draw things to a close maybe. (cost not attitude)

T492 in burnt orange for £2200 or a Ghia.....

[911thillclimber]

Gearbox goes off to MB Engineering for a taller CW&P in a week or so allowing me to get the 911 apart to have its gearbox done by MB straight after the Lola's.

Classic car show tomorrow, and I can then start getting into a better trimmer shape for the Lola next year, all at my tender age too.
If i shed a stone or two, how many bhp does that 'give' me?

Mind you with the shape of the saddle here other bits will be more tender.

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

Gearbox goes off to MB Engineering for a taller CW&P in a week or so allowing me to get the 911 apart to have its gearbox done by MB straight after the Lola's.

Classic car show tomorrow, and I can then start getting into a better trimmer shape for the Lola next year, all at my tender age too.
If i shed a stone or two, how many bhp does that 'give' me?

Mind you with the shape of the saddle here other bits will be more tender.

Now, you be careful with that instrument of the devil, look what happened to Bradley Wiggins... ;-)

[911thillclimber]

I've always loved a good bike ride out on a fresh morning, but that saddle will cause some 'discomfort'. A nice Brookes saddle will do; more distractions.

This will start to drag now, the gearboxes going away but the plan now is to be hillclimb-ready for the end of Jan 2013, the first practice day is end of march.

I might just have a go at the fuel injection route over this time...

I get bored very quickly!

[kimbo]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

I might just have a go at the fuel injection route over this time...

I get bored very quickly!

I should have thought that with the problems you've faced, the old rule should apply - IF IT AINT BROKE, DONT FIX IT!!

Best of luck, whatever you decide to.

Kim

[911thillclimber]

The plan was/is to make the thing run on dizzy/carbs (done) and then remove as a 'kit' so re-fitting is easy.

Injection to be all bolt-on except for the fuel pump.

Yep, if it an't broke, don't fix it is a good maxim.
But I like long cold winters in the garage....I mess with old Porsches so you get used to it.

[911thillclimber]

Cripes, nearly a month without a post!

The box is finally at MB Engineering for it's taller diff installation. Might be ready by the end of this week as it is a 'simple' swap.
Mike is a gearbox expert and has been with the Lola trans from the start.

Oil dropped out clean and the mag drain plug was nearly as clean.

He also has the gearbox from my long suffering 911 hillclimb/road car.

And guess what, that box has ALL the same faults as the Lola's had...(it is a 915 design after all)

Just what did I do wrong to someone in the past!

The gearbox case will need the main bearing bore machine round again (bearing has been spinning in the housing making it oval) and then a steel sleeve shrinking in place and the bore trued to the slight interference fit required for the bearing.

It has to go to the USA to be done....

It's only money.

At least the Lola can go back together over Xmas, be tidied up (never ending job) and be ready for I hope a crackin' season in 2013.

TBH the 911 is also being readied for the hills again in case the Lola sells. I think I may be facing retirement early in my current employer's ageist management system. You need to be 40 something like the CEO is.
Doubt I can find the pension to keep the Lola in the way she has become accustomed to...

We'll see.

The 911 is as cheap as chips to hillclimb and so dependable the opposite to the Lola.

[911thillclimber]

Got the gearbox back today from MB Engineering. A quick spray with satin black and it can all go back together, add oil and I'm almost ready for the first practice day in the end of March...

The road going 911 box is another story....

Seems to be a bit of a stir over Skoda bodied on another hillclimb forum, especially the body on John Meredith's hillclimb special.

There is of course the white Graham Hickman body for sale but so ugly and not even recognisable as a Skoda.

And the Davrian I fancy has come up for sale....mine only if I sell the Lola.

As if I'd think of such a thing.

for Xmas I've decided to write the full detailed story of finding the chassis number on the Lola before I forget it all.

Will have to be proof-read by Clive.

[Tim Barry]

Graham

A lot of us on here who have followed your quest from day one will be glad of an abbreviated summary of all your hard work!

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Successful New Year!

Tim

[911thillclimber]

I feel a full story is required with all those tricky details, but keen to set all the names in stone.
I'm the Editor for my motor club's Magazine, and in Jan there is very little to put into print, so this is my secret weapon!

As the car has persistently been miserable and me very grumpy at times, the real highlight was getting to the magic chassis number and for a short time it running on all 6!

I want to credit the people who made it all so possible too on this fab web site.

Very soon I will have two other sports racers with flat 6's in the middle in my class, hope they don't have the same grief as me!

Hope they are slower too.....

[911thillclimber]

The box is back, back in the car, and just a few bits n bobs and the car is ready for next season!

I've said it all before i know, but it really does have to come good in 2013.

In preparation for the event that it all fails then the road going 911 is also having it's box done now that the bearing housing has been fixed and that means the 911 can take the hillclimbing chores as it did when I started!

Don't realy want to go backwards but it was all so very easy with the 911.

It has been quite a mixed year with this car, the highlights being getting the chassis number at very very long last and without 10/10ths I would not have done it.

Getting the engine on all 6 was good too!

Lows were 3 engine rebuilds, the last killing the 2012 season so dead.

Never mind, that is behind me now, and we have to move forward!

Happy Xmas to you all, and a very healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Graham.

[911thillclimber]

I'm still here!

2 months without a post on here says just one thing: I've been busy posting elsewhere and still getting dirty hands....

The Lola is getting readied for the off.

First track test is 30 March at Loton Park hillclimb.
It needs a polish, some details on the battered body and the brakes bleeding to refresh the fluid.

This is the make or break year for the combo of me, the chassis and this drivetrain.
If this fails it will be gone/split and I'll return to my 911 which is where I've been busy.

The 911 has been through a tedious gearbox rebuild and a few mods to improve things, and the heaters re-installed so Mrs Hillclimber will be happy.

I would love to try a Davrian if the Lola goes but I think I have all of 3 years left before I retire from motorsport competition, so it would have to be 'on the button'.

We shall see.

Just incase you have forgotten what it looks like naked:

[Andy Clegg]

Strange, I was thinking about you today.

[911thillclimber]

Do I owe you money??

Midland Championship entered now, and I need to get some serious thinking under way and get the mechanical gremlins of the past where they belong, under 'deleted'.

The gear change needs a bit of a tweek but I'm hoping the taller final drive will help kill the wheelspin a touch and give me longer legs between bends and even reduce the number of gearchanges needed over a run.

It should have about 115 mph in 4th (cannot select fifth which is blanked off anyway)

Easter will soon be here along with my 61st birthday...

[911thillclimber]

double post....