Author Topic: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini  (Read 29963 times)

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Offline SwiftDB4

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #45 on: Thursday,July 30, 2020, 07:14:45 PM »
Attached are photos of the snorkel. It bolts to the rear deck over one of the vent holes. A fiberglass airbox was molded that bolts to the Webers and has a foam seal that touches the underside of the rear deck. The photo of the airbox is only the plaster mold, not the airbox itself.
By the way Mecky I see you have CV halfshafts. What did you use for stub axles and hub carriers?
« Last Edit: Thursday,July 30, 2020, 07:34:09 PM by SwiftDB4 »

Offline Mecky

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #46 on: Friday,July 31, 2020, 12:07:43 AM »
That's pretty close.

After you've smacked it with a rubber hammer  :)) . . . perhaps a longer term idea would be to move the tank to the other side.
That way, you've got room to install a cold air intake of some sort.
Hi Gavin,
I used to have two tanks for the 3h and 4h races of the past. But in the future, I'm going to race only for 30 mins and that's why I just removed the left-hand tank to improve the car's balance.
But I guess, a lower tank would be a very good thing. For a sprint race, I won't need more than 20 litres and this one can take about 40. Maybe a little smack with the rubber hammer will help a bit. But the car used to have power in the past, even with the tank so close to the intake funnels.

But this snorkel idea seems to fit my car very well. Nice execution, @SwiftDB4 :beerchug: But may I ask: Why is it that the snorkels, only go down to one of the holes in the engine cover? I have seen this also at the Type 47 snorkel car. It's because of the air box, right? I guess, as long as this tank stays in place, I will not built an air box, just the snorkel for the start. When I install a smaller tank, I will try and install a nice air box. Thus, without air box, I will try and feed both holes in the engine cover by the snorkel.
Unfortunately the air intakes on the side of my car are just dummies, which a previous owner placed completely wrong (to far at the back) just for looks :blowup:
At ther Type 47 they start right behind the door and go up after the fuel filler cap.

I have changed almost the complete rear suspension. The stub axles, bearing carriers (just the tube, which carries the bearings) and rear drum brakes are from a BMW 2002 ti. Around the BMW hub carriers, we welded a custom-built hub carrier according to the original suspension mounting points of the Europa. The half shafts are taken from a VW, I guess from a beetle.

Offline SwiftDB4

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #47 on: Friday,July 31, 2020, 01:01:50 PM »
Hi Mecky,
If you are only using the snorkel to cool the engine bay more than one vent hole could be used. Some 47's ran 2 snorkels. You will only get a power increase with a sealed airbox to snorkel. It's the air ram effect that gives me 500 rpm more on long straights. I tried the same thing with a side NACA duct instead of the snorkel and it didn't work.

Offline GavinT

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #48 on: Friday,July 31, 2020, 08:54:52 PM »

Hi Gavin,
I used to have two tanks for the 3h and 4h races of the past. But in the future, I'm going to race only for 30 mins and that's why I just removed the left-hand tank to improve the car's balance.
But I guess, a lower tank would be a very good thing. For a sprint race, I won't need more than 20 litres and this one can take about 40. Maybe a little smack with the rubber hammer will help a bit. But the car used to have power in the past, even with the tank so close to the intake funnels.
Hi Stefan,

Whoa . . 3 and 4 hour races are very long, so can understand the need for a larger tank/s . . and I forgot your's is left hand drive regarding balance.
Of course, in an ideal world, we'd have a bladder tank in the chassis central box section.

Offline GavinT

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #49 on: Friday,July 31, 2020, 08:57:30 PM »
This is the exact reason why I´m running twin tanks with 25 liter each. That way I can even run a proper airbox.
Yes, for a road car, I've often thought 2 x 5 gallon tanks would overall be better than one or two 7 gallon tanks.
As you say, the advantage of smaller tanks is they can be installed lower down and leave enough room for a cold air box above.

Do you have a pic of your 2 x 25 litre tanks, Nero?

Offline Mecky

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #50 on: Sunday,August 02, 2020, 11:20:03 PM »
Hi Mecky,
If you are only using the snorkel to cool the engine bay more than one vent hole could be used. Some 47's ran 2 snorkels. You will only get a power increase with a sealed airbox to snorkel. It's the air ram effect that gives me 500 rpm more on long straights. I tried the same thing with a side NACA duct instead of the snorkel and it didn't work.
Yes, I understand what you are saying. A well-designed air box with snorkel works a little bit like a turbo-charger, because the air can flow into the combustion chamber with higher speed and pressure, while the valve opens. With more air, it may be possible to slightly incease the amount of fuel to be burned and with that the power output of the engine at high revs. But just cooling the engine bay is not what I'm intending to do. Thus, I will have to replace the tank first, before I will install a snorkel.

Here are some pics of my finally complete cooling upgrade:

Offline Chuck Nukem

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #51 on: Monday,August 03, 2020, 07:24:18 AM »
Looks great Mecky!

How is your search for the 16v engine going?

Offline jbcollier

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #52 on: Monday,August 03, 2020, 08:42:02 PM »
I would appreciate updates on how the electric water pump works out.

Offline Mecky

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #53 on: Tuesday,August 04, 2020, 01:30:28 AM »
Looks great Mecky!

How is your search for the 16v engine going?
Hi Chuck,

in the moment my focus is on getting the car going again with a reasonable performance (around 160 HP). Once I have sorted out all the technical gremlins of the car, made it reliable and improved some it at more areas (brakes, rear suspension etc.), I will try and search for a 16V power house to reach the 200+ HP.

@jb
I think I will not get the engine running before mid/end of August, because I have to make a new smaller alternator wheel for the V-belt in order to keep the speed of the alternator at the same level as before.

Offline dakazman

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #54 on: Tuesday,August 04, 2020, 02:59:38 PM »
    Hi Mecky, As I said before, clean install.
   I really don't see the need for a smaller pulley just add the water pump pulley as a adjustable idler. Just a thought, fabricating a smaller pulley would only increase the alternator speed. the cam set the speed.

     Dakazman

Offline Valerio Leone

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #55 on: Thursday,August 06, 2020, 06:42:54 AM »
If this can help.
I have installed this type of air intake.



Offline jbcollier

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #56 on: Thursday,August 06, 2020, 09:08:28 AM »
Did you make your own up?  Or source them from an Alfa?  I have made them up on occasion.

Offline Valerio Leone

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #57 on: Friday,August 07, 2020, 02:19:21 AM »
No Alfa. This comes from the original Alpine A110 1600S group4 setup.
Weber 45 DCOE 62/63
I had the chance to buy one few kilometres from my place.
« Last Edit: Friday,August 07, 2020, 02:21:20 AM by Valerio Leone »

Offline jbcollier

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #58 on: Friday,August 07, 2020, 06:54:00 AM »
Very nice.

The only thing Alpine close to me are meadows three hours away.

Offline dakazman

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Re: Lotus Europa 16V Gordini
« Reply #59 on: Friday,August 07, 2020, 11:14:26 AM »
No Alfa. This comes from the original Alpine A110 1600S group4 setup.
Weber 45 DCOE 62/63
I had the chance to buy one few kilometres from my place.

   If you find any others a few kilometers further let me know.
Dakazman