1958 LOTUS SEVEN

[lotus 30]

Anyone now anything about tuning the ford 100E engine. i have just acquired an Elva OHIV head with a 100e for my MKV11 Lotus it all looks to be there usual six or seven boxes of bits i should know better but its in my DNA. getting all the bits together i decided to put it all on the block so a quick clean and found the block has cracked from the stud hole to water jacket i recon wellseal will seal it please feel free to comment as this is an engine i have never worked on before.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I'd get the cracks properly repaired now rather than risk them causing probloms in the future

 

[500e]

Had a trials car with the 100e & Willment head remember cracks from water to stud holes we used to fit studs with Silver Hermatite & hope that sealed the thread.
What about the external crack on distributor hole, also what happened on No.2 cyl
The crack off No 4 Cyl to stud is the worry, is it a crack of No4 valve seat to weldment as well.
Nice find & rare though

Would lash out on a spray crack detector kit first
https://www.lasaero.com/products/article/W02JBOW5X
LAS are really good firm with fast delivery

 

[frank horton]

there are several products u can use to save welding and maching.....
one is called Steel something available in the UK might be steel headgasket ...
it does work....I used it to seal a leaky head gasket on a VW Diesel....
not my call but thats what the client wanted....
the other is an American product called Block Rock.....well thats what it was called 40 odd years ago.....
we used it for pourus cyl blocks...think it was a Ford big block.....that and some sealant down the threads...
is that a crack on no 4 valve seat area...
interesting project.....

 

[lotus 30]

Had a trials car with the 100e & Willment head remember cracks from water to stud holes we used to fit studs with Silver Hermatite & hope that sealed the thread.
What about the external crack on distributor hole, also what happened on No.2 cyl
The crack off No 4 Cyl to stud is the worry, is it a crack of No4 valve seat to weldment as well.
Nice find & rare though

Would lash out on a spray crack detector kit first
https://www.lasaero.com/products/article/W02JBOW5X
LAS are really good firm with fast delivery

Not to worried i have 2 other blocks yes the head must have dropped a valve or something new seat and guide in there already done when i bought it no crack on the dissy hole think its a timing mark. inlet valve plug is fine just a scratch when i cleaned it up. thanks for the comments

 

[lotus 30]

I'd get the cracks properly repaired now rather than risk them causing probloms in the future

I have time to think about it just getting information at this time but good advice all the same thank you

 

[Cobbler]

I see it’s had a inlet over exhaust conversion done, how have they filled the old inlets? Many years ago I built up a Ford special with a tubular chassis that fitted all e93a bits which had a 100e engine in. I fitted an Aquaplane alloy head on it & gas flowed the block. I cut away & radiused the block in the valve area down to just above the top ring. This was a standard tuning mod. on those engines, very similar to how yours is relieved in the exhaust valve area.

Edit. Can you get head gaskets for the conversion easily, or will you have to get them specially made?

 

[lotus 30]

I see it’s had a inlet over exhaust conversion done, how have they filled the old inlets? Many years ago I built up a Ford special with a tubular chassis that fitted all e93a bits which had a 100e engine in. I fitted an Aquaplane alloy head on it & gas flowed the block. I cut away & radiused the block in the valve area down to just above the top ring. This was a standard tuning mod. on those engines, very similar to how yours is relieved in the exhaust valve area.

Edit. Can you get head gaskets for the conversion easily, or will you have to get them specially made?

I believe they just press plugs in and seal yes small ford spares have elva head gaskets

 

[lotus 30]

A couple of pictures of the OHIV head and side plate for remote oil filter

 

[KemppiFrog]

I will show this to a local friend who has bought a Ginetta G 2. I am waiting for things to calm down a bit before I have the chassis over for checking out, but he says it is not too bad. Seems it has all 100e running gear.
The G4 tubular one I rebuilt for him was very rusty and I had to swop out over a third of the tubes, not to mention straighten it out, as it had been it a prang and never properly done.
He has also done a later L7 and rebuilt an Elan on a galv chassis. The G4 has a 1500 Ford with twin Webers and a 4 into1 manifold that I made for him out of a kit of bits, very tight down the side of the engine, which is off-set and angled. Passenger has to put one foot over the other in the narrow footwell
The G2 might be one of 8, but numbers were always vague with Ginetta. I had a 15 way back and it was supposed to have been 900 odd, except that it is unlikely that there were more than 700 and a few. I have learned far more about Ginettas from him, than I ever did when owning one..
Looking forward to this..
KF

 

[lotus 30]

I will show this to a local friend who has bought a Ginetta G 2. I am waiting for things to calm down a bit before I have the chassis over for checking out, but he says it is not too bad. Seems it has all 100e running gear.
The G4 tubular one I rebuilt for him was very rusty and I had to swop out over a third of the tubes, not to mention straighten it out, as it had been it a prang and never properly done.
He has also done a later L7 and rebuilt an Elan on a galv chassis. The G4 has a 1500 Ford with twin Webers and a 4 into1 manifold that I made for him out of a kit of bits, very tight down the side of the engine, which is off-set and angled. Passenger has to put one foot over the other in the narrow footwell
The G2 might be one of 8, but numbers were always vague with Ginetta. I had a 15 way back and it was supposed to have been 900 odd, except that it is unlikely that there were more than 700 and a few. I have learned far more about Ginettas from him, than I ever did when owning one..
Looking forward to this..
KF

I Cannot believe how expensive the 100E turning parts are i am still in the age of £15 for a !00E LOL. Don't wait to long i think things are calm now it is going to get worse just get it done. I am running around like a head less chicken just now getting set up for the winter at home in the garage.

 

[KemppiFrog]

I would really like a look in your garage!

 

[stuvy]

Out of interest what model was the elva, mk1,2 etc?

 

[jsf55]

I've always recommended Kalimex, worked on a rover V8 i run up and down the drag strip and had a 300 mile round trip, never lost a drop of water !

 

[minimutly]

I think I'd be looking at brazing or silver solder?