CHRIS CLARK Posted December 23, 2000 Share Posted December 23, 2000 I am in the process of pricing up the K 1800 conversion. Anyone got any hints/tips etc to be wary of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Walker Posted December 24, 2000 Share Posted December 24, 2000 QED sell a complete package all steel 1.8K bottom end. Or try Caterham they are selling off standard bits that are surplus to requirement when they build the R500 engines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Martyr Posted December 24, 2000 Share Posted December 24, 2000 I'm sure I will be corrected if wrong but I think converting from 1400 to 1800 is a much bigger job than 1600 to 1800 because the bores are different, in the former the stroke is longer but the bore is the same. I think that I would search around for a crashed 1800 donor and spend time and money in doing it up while keeping the 1400 going, then swapping. I was tempted with this scheme as I have spent 3 months on a substancial rebuild but luckily for me it has coincided with most of Worcestershire being under water so it hasn't mattered too much. Good luck with the enterprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS CLARK Posted December 24, 2000 Author Share Posted December 24, 2000 Tony. Yes, the idea is to stay with the 1400SS while getting a 'road' car 1800 and fitting asr2 (ArrowStar Racing) cams, programmable ecu etc. The sump pan can come sraight off the 1400. There goes the cheap tax!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadership Team SLR No.77 Posted December 27, 2000 Leadership Team Share Posted December 27, 2000 Hi Chris, Mine's not converted yet but things are coming together with the detail. I'm going to "crate" the 1400 engine to go back in the car when I sell it (or to go with the car when I sell it) because the chasis and engine numbers match. I hopefully have an engine lined up which is currently in a 7 being modified to a guicker spec. Bigger valves, cams etc, etc. The only area in question is whether the injectors from my 1400 will flow enough fuel for a modified 1800. Are they the same? Can anybody help on this one? They're going to be used with Jenvey DTH throttle boddies. I've also been advised to obtain the engine loom for an 1800, although possibly once you change the injection and the Mems unit this may be less relevant. Keep us all posted! Stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS CLARK Posted December 28, 2000 Author Share Posted December 28, 2000 Stu. I thought you'd have converted your machine to at least 1800vvc spec by now with a the trick bits fitted! If you're like me then it's that money/time thing-------- no money or time!!!!!! I'll let you know how my proposed eng.mods go so watch this space!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Day Posted December 31, 2000 Share Posted December 31, 2000 Anything can be converted, it just depends on how much knowledge & patience you have. Firstly the 1.4K block, as supplied by Caterham, was the old "wet" linered version which cannot be upgraded with a simple liner/piston/crank change. So unless Arrowstar have come up with a "fix" you will need a new "damp" linered block. Secondly quite a bit of machining needs to be done to the doner block to make the starter motor fit (taking away the engine number; think on that!). Thirdly there is an issue on which flywheel to use with the 1.8 engine (probably wont fit Caterham bell housing but can't remember exact detail); no problem with the 1.6. Thankfully the cylinder head is common with 1.4, 1.6 & 1.8. However if you can get a VVC head this is the route to go minus the VVC bits. I assume you're ditching the Rover MEMS in which case you can forget about the Rover immobiliser. I went down this route last Winter in changing from 1.4 to 1.6. Biggest problem (apart from the crank breaking on the doner engine)was the coil. The 1.4 uses a conventional coil whilst the 1.6 & 1.8 use a more modern electronic coil. It took ages for this to dawn on us. No problem in sourcing the coil but try getting the plug on its own! Initially Caterham wanted to sell a new loom but after a bit of arm twisting supplied the plug. The loom had to be modified (done by Southern Carbs) to link up to the injection along with a new crank sensor. I'm using the Piper BP270H (hydraulic)cams in a standard head with Jenvey throttle bodies controlled by a GEMS ECU, although the Emerald is flavour of the month. Both these ECU's are plug compatable with the Rover MEMS. On the subject of injectors, I don't think there are any problems in using 1.4 injectors in a 1.8 engine. If you do everthing yourself then look on a budget of about £3000 for engine, cams, ECU & throttle bodies. Good luck. Mick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS CLARK Posted January 1, 2001 Author Share Posted January 1, 2001 Mick. Thanks for the info. very imformative. I have come to some of the same conclusions myself re. ecu's etc. This wasn't the Jim Whiting 'project' job was it? If so, I have heard some of the horror stories already. Would make a good article for Low Flying.(I'm doing my best Mr Roger G !!!) I may try and stay with some head work and retain the injection side. We'll see what transpires in the near future! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Walker Posted January 1, 2001 Share Posted January 1, 2001 Chris, You should be ok with the standard injectors up to about 200 bhp. Rob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS CLARK Posted January 1, 2001 Author Share Posted January 1, 2001 Thanks Rob, that's made my day 'cos I wasn't sure if the TB's were de rigeur or not! It would save a lot more expense as I'm not in the money no object league!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Green Posted January 1, 2001 Share Posted January 1, 2001 Mick, whilst reading your posting I came to very same conclusion as Chris. Fancy putting some words together for LF? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Walker Posted January 2, 2001 Share Posted January 2, 2001 Chris, I think you have missunderstood me. I said the injectors would be OK for 200Bhp you would still need to change the induction to TB`s to get that kind a power. I have done an article for Low Flying on my 186 BHP K read that, it should be in the next issue "Mr Green ????" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS CLARK Posted January 2, 2001 Author Share Posted January 2, 2001 Rob. I guessed that was what you meant, but as I'm only looking to go to about 155/160 I don't think it's a problem! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Day Posted January 2, 2001 Share Posted January 2, 2001 Chris The project was mine I just conned JW into doing the mechanical work! He did a great job but was let down by circumstances i.e. **** happens!! Roger Barry has already dropped the hint of a LF article; I'll think on it. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murph7355 Posted January 3, 2001 Share Posted January 3, 2001 I've also just gone through a similar upgrade path to Mick, only the mechanicals were done by Ratrace and I think I've gone a bit more "extreme". I've been promising to get details up to a few people for a month or so now (here and on the se7ens list) and will try and get something down in writing this week. I've finally taken photos of the whole installation which I'll also aim to get scanned in this week and possibly sent to SimonS if he's willing to take them... Long and short of it is that I now have an 1800K that gave 194bhp on Emerald's rolling road (for comparison with the Sevens in January's CCC article). However as the target was 200+ I'm not yet finished! Mr Walker reckons that some changes to the timing should see further gains so I'm going to look at doing this over the next month or so too. If anyone wants specifics I'm more than happy for you to mail me. I have all the invoices for the work carried out so can give pretty good indicative pricing of parts (and labour if you're mechanically as inept as I am)...we also had a number of problemettes, the solutions for which I will be eternally grateful to Dave Andrews for, in addition to all the info, help and advice he, Mike Bees and PeterC gave. With any luck I'll be at the next Surrey meeting and hopefully the North Kent one too (house duties last night unfortunately). C7 AJM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Day Posted January 3, 2001 Share Posted January 3, 2001 Andy >>I've also just gone through a similar upgrade path >>to Mick, only the mechanicals were done by Ratrace >>and I think I've gone a bit more "extreme". You certainly have! Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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