Inlet manifold swop

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BiggestNizzy
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Inlet manifold swop

Post by BiggestNizzy » Sun Jun 07, 2020 7:28 pm

Back to getting my car running again, I have an aluminium inlet manifold and plenum chamber to put in the car.

Does anyone know if its just a case of unbolting the old one, sopping the injectors and fuel rail, new gaskets and bolt the new on on or do I need to do other things?
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UncleRon
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Re: Inlet manifold swop

Post by UncleRon » Sun Jun 07, 2020 11:06 pm

I think that's probably about it - If you need any more bits from an aluminium plenum I could probably give them to you ok.....

I have 2 aluminium plenums in the garage but have left my K running on the standard plastic plenum after Kiwi Rog reckoned that after rolling road tests standard K's tended to show a slight drop in BHP and more so torque when swapping from the plastic to aluminium plenums. Kiwi reckons that K's and their ECU's originally designed to run a plastic plenum are best left on that unless tuned to over 150bhp.

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Stephen
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Re: Inlet manifold swop

Post by Stephen » Mon Jun 08, 2020 8:06 am

I love the way that most things Elise come back to "lotus actually got it right first time."
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BiggestNizzy
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Re: Inlet manifold swop

Post by BiggestNizzy » Mon Jun 08, 2020 9:57 am

Where it is true that car manufacturers and Engineers really know what they are doing I have engraved mine and painted it in red crinkle paint and that has to be worth an extra 2hp :D
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BiggestNizzy
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Re: Inlet manifold swop

Post by BiggestNizzy » Tue Jun 09, 2020 9:11 am

After a bit of reading I need to change the 'O' rings on the injectors and fuel rail but otherwise it's a bolt on.

Does anyone know if I can use standard 'o' rings or are they made of something different so they don't get eaten by the fuel. The last thing I want is a fuel leak over the exhaust.
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Victor Meldrew
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Re: Inlet manifold swop

Post by Victor Meldrew » Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:50 pm

This may not be an issue for you but it wiped out an engine on Vicky.

Check that the manifold flange face is completely true. Turns out my manifold face had a slight warp on it allowing rain water to leak into the inlet of cylinder no3. Engine hydraulic locked and wiped itself out after I had the car sitting outside in the rain for a few days.

Craig had the plenum flange face skimmed and I've never had any issues since. I doubt that you would get the warping issue with a plastic plenum.
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Stephen
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Re: Inlet manifold swop

Post by Stephen » Tue Jun 09, 2020 3:22 pm

I had the same issue with my inlet manifold. Bent the con rod on No4
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Stephen
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Re: Inlet manifold swop

Post by Stephen » Tue Jun 09, 2020 3:22 pm

Mine is alloy on the 160
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UncleRon
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Re: Inlet manifold swop

Post by UncleRon » Tue Jun 09, 2020 11:17 pm

BiggestNizzy wrote:
Tue Jun 09, 2020 9:11 am
After a bit of reading I need to change the 'O' rings on the injectors and fuel rail but otherwise it's a bolt on.

Does anyone know if I can use standard 'o' rings or are they made of something different so they don't get eaten by the fuel. The last thing I want is a fuel leak over the exhaust.
I would probably try and get the proper injector and fuel rail seals made to do the job and call somewhere like Rimmer Bros or Bearmach to see if they already supply these seals for 1.8 K Series Freelander 1's or MGF's.

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Victor Meldrew
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Re: Inlet manifold swop

Post by Victor Meldrew » Wed Jun 10, 2020 12:32 pm

UncleRon wrote:
BiggestNizzy wrote:
Tue Jun 09, 2020 9:11 am
After a bit of reading I need to change the 'O' rings on the injectors and fuel rail but otherwise it's a bolt on.

Does anyone know if I can use standard 'o' rings or are they made of something different so they don't get eaten by the fuel. The last thing I want is a fuel leak over the exhaust.
I would probably try and get the proper injector and fuel rail seals made to do the job and call somewhere like Rimmer Bros or Bearmach to see if they already supply these seals for 1.8 K Series Freelander 1's or MGF's.
Need to check first as the Lotus alloy plenum is not the same as the MGF alloy plenum. For an S1 at least, don’t know much about the S2 spec inlets


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Mikie711
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Re: Inlet manifold swop

Post by Mikie711 » Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:22 am

Definitely get the proper O rings for the injectors and fuel rail or you might end up like Jam. I had one leak on AU55 at KH which we repaired with superglue. It held but I changed all of them anyway as if one of the fuel rail ones go then it'll atomise the petrol under pressure and....... it wouldn't end well.

Edit: had a quick look and they are a £5 each on rimmer bros.
Pretty sure these are the right ones.
Elise S2 260
GR Yaris
BMW M2 Comp
RRS HST
VW Caddy
Mk1 Escort (bare shell)

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