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Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: loudoun on Wednesday,May 07, 2025, 07:24:41 PM

Title: Renault Crank and Rods
Post by: loudoun on Wednesday,May 07, 2025, 07:24:41 PM
All, forgive my ignorance here. I recently picked up a basket case S2 with a non Lotus spec Renault motor. The PO purchased a Lotus spec cam and pistons from R&D for a rebuild. However, before I reassemble, does the Lotus spec Renault use a standard Renault R16 crank and rods?
Title: Re: Renault Crank and Rods
Post by: Bryan Boyle on Wednesday,May 07, 2025, 07:26:31 PM
Quote from: loudoun on Wednesday,May 07, 2025, 07:24:41 PM
All, forgive my ignorance here. I recently picked up a basket case S2 with a non Lotus spec Renault motor. The PO purchased a Lotus spec cam and pistons from R&D for a rebuild. However, before I reassemble, does the Lotus spec Renault use a standard Renault R16 crank and rods?

Short answer: yes.
Title: Re: Renault Crank and Rods
Post by: dakazman on Friday,May 09, 2025, 02:29:11 PM
 Loudoun,
   Welcome to the Renault side.\
  Here is some good reading for you. 
 https://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=1748.0
  Dakazman
 
Title: Re: Renault Crank and Rods
Post by: loudoun on Sunday,May 11, 2025, 02:29:32 PM
Thank you to you both. I have the crank at the machine shop to get balanced and polished. Do you think there is any issue with reusing old rods, or are there sources for new?
Title: Re: Renault Crank and Rods
Post by: dakazman on Sunday,May 11, 2025, 05:20:53 PM
Renault16shop has many parts and then some.
Dakazman
Title: Re: Renault Crank and Rods
Post by: Richard48Y on Sunday,May 11, 2025, 05:37:18 PM
I have a set of later/stronger type rods I would let go cheap.
Title: Re: Renault Crank and Rods
Post by: jbcollier on Monday,May 12, 2025, 07:45:50 AM
Rods can be reused bit need to be checked by a good machine shop.  Very common to have the big ends resized.
Title: Re: Renault Crank and Rods
Post by: dakazman on Monday,May 12, 2025, 03:46:52 PM
The Alpine A110 parts can also be used but have a higher price.
Dakazman
Title: Re: Renault Crank and Rods
Post by: jbcollier on Monday,May 12, 2025, 08:52:35 PM
I bought some hi-zoot rods out of Australia.  Had minor clearance issues, just the usual fettling issues when fitting HP parts.

Make a difference?

For a stock-ish engine?  No.  Just get your old rods checked properly and straightened, resized, and/or rebushed as required.

For a warmed up engine that is going to live in the 5k to 7k range?  It is one of the usual mods to strengthen the bottom end.  It won’t make any more power but it will be less likely to put a rod through the block at very high rpm.
Title: Re: Renault Crank and Rods
Post by: GavinT on Monday,May 12, 2025, 09:57:31 PM
Quote from: dakazman on Today at 03:46:52 PM
The Alpine A110 parts can also be used but have a higher price.
Dakazman

Just a note here.
The higher HP Alpine/Gordini engines used 21mm fully floating gudgeon pins. (pic below)
The cooking varieties of the Renault R16 engines used 20mm press fit pins and a bolt/nut fastener for the bearing cap as did the Lotus versions.