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| Joined: | 05-01-2005 |
| Location: | Minneapolis, Minnesota USA |
| Posts: | 573 |
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In the meantime, Dave is a Lotus guy and knows the engine. And he's kind of a 'dog with a bone' about projects. He couldn't just walk by the J-H without popping the hood and taking a look.
The Dellortos were tuned by someone who didn't know what they were doing... and they're correct now. The Idle Jets might be a step or two rich, but they run well as is. Gas mileage just might not be all it could be.
The ignition timing was set wrong (not enough static advance), and more importantly, the vacuum retard capsule was connected to a manifold vacuum source instead of ported vacuum on a carburetor... so 'full time' retard. Vac retard is an emissions thing you don't need or necessarily want, so the hose was removed and the ports plugged... that really woke the engine up.
The black timing belt was way too tight... stupid tight! That has been corrected, however the black belts have to be replaced on a rather short time interval, considering that Ray hasn't found a shop that can do it for him. So he's agreed to replace the black belt with a Gates Racing Blue belt, which has a 'years' longer change interval. That will give him more trouble free drive time before has to find a shop to work on the car. The ordered blue belt arrived yesterday.
The cams are stock, and pulleys are still installed for emissions timing. When the new belt is installed, the pulleys will be re-timed for best performance... 110 Int / 110 Exh.
Last night Dave noticed the fluid level in the brake reservoir was low. Further inspection showed that it was leaking. That was about 11:00PM, and he was trying to get out of there and go home... so the rest of that tale is yet to be told.
The suspension bushings are old and dried out, but all there. However, the car has aftermarket front & rear anti-roll bars. The rear is fully connected, but the rubber bushings were totally missing from the front drop-link. Almost as if someone wanted to disconnect it without fully removing it. The drop link looked like off-the-shelf Energy Suspension bits, so Dave ran to O'Reilly Auto Parts and picked up new bushings. Perfect fit. Installing them took care of a previous vague wander feeling at the front.
The engine has an occassional mis-fire, stutter at low speeds/ throttle changes, and the tach needle jumps around when that happens. It's equipped with an electronic ignition system, and I suspect the amplifier inside the distributor, or the wiring to it may have a problem. But early Pertronix Ignitors had a history of such issues, and the fix was replacement. No specific diagnosis/ plan yet, just making note of something else on the list.
An autocrosser owned the car in the past, and much of the tuning is for performance and handling, not low-end torque and driveability, and not for a comfortable ride. There are adjustable SPAX shocks that were set hard, the anti-roll bars, and the Dellortos. Autocrosser stuff, and it works well for what it is.
Dave has adjusted the SPAX shocks for a softer ride. Firm, but softer than it was. The front end should really have an alignment.
While the stock Dellortos had 40 throats and 35 chokes, and while many J-H owners swap in smaller 33 or 32 chokes, these Dellortos are 45 throats with 37 chokes. They're go-fast carbs, not cruise comfortably carbs. Dave & I would love 'em. And now that they're tuned properly, and Dave has test driven the car, he really likes how the engine pulls with them.
There's no fix for 'size' other to replace them with a set of smaller "J-H" DHLA40 carbs ($$). I'm not making a judgement (actually, I'd prefer the bigger carbs), I'm just making note of what is. With the cams properly timed (not emissions timed), added ignition advance, and tuned carbs, it pulls well for a 2.0 Liter.
That's where it stands for now. Fixing the brake leak is first on the list, then installing the blue timing belt/ re-timing the cams. I've suggested ordering a set of 35 Idle Jets to replace the current 38's. But jetting changes are a 'try it and see' proposition, and 35's may turn out to be too lean, and a waste of money... go back to the 38s, or something in between.
All the above is Dave's work, because me and my lifetime problematic lungs are taking Covid-19 seriously, and I've not yet ventured over to the shop. Dave's effort is not bad for a guy who didn't have a horse in this race; he just couldn't stand to walk by the car without opening the bonnet.
The valve clearances are tight, and one of the things I'd volunteered to do was re-shim them. Dave says I can have that job, he'd prefer not to mess with it. So, I'm sorry to say, it will probably be the end of May before Minnesota fully lifts the Covid-19 restrictions. Patience.
Regards,
Tim Engel
PS... Dave's starting to like that car... he may not want to let it go.
Last edited on 05-07-2020 02:33 am by Esprit2