Building a high performance engine.
Turbo Mini Forums

I know a few people on this site have some highly tuned engines in their minis.

I am starting to plan my next engine, most likey a k-headed turbo screamer. I am fairly new to engine building and though I built the current engine in the car, n/a though but still turning 7000rpm. I am having reservations in that I may well overlook details for an engine that I will be looking to turn to 8000rpm with about 200 ponies.

I am more concerned that I will not know the tricks that the likes of carl austin and others will have in making the engine hold together with those riduculous levels of power and revs. I wouldn't want to destroy would be a lot of very expensive components.

On the other hand by building it myself I know nothing would be left to chance.

Is the main trick to getting such an engine to hold together, to ensure absolutely spot on clearences and nothing is left to chance? or are there more specific things that only people who have been playing with mini engines for 30 years know, or a bit of both?

Thoughts please

Cleanliness!

On 5th Sep, 2011 Vegard said:
I stand corrected. You should know

WWW.FORCE-RACING.CO.UK PLEASE CLICK HERE

Yes, don't build an engine in a garage that you share with a dog like I did.

HAHA, make sure you brush your teeth too!

I actually bathed my engine first! Then built it in the kitchen!

The Missus was p!ssed!

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

if he mentions pebbles or scatter cusions thats a yes

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

hmm that might explain the cracking pair of moobs i used to have...

Either that or uve been sniffing the bostik!

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

Sleeping with your new componants can also help. but make sure you use protection. Some of the machining burr can do some damage. Trust me I know!!!

So, can I take the lack of warnings as a go for it then?

I will turn the kitchen into a hive of clenliness and sweet smells when building it.

as above, cleanliness is really important, make sure you bag the gingine if you are building it peice meal between sessions.

also, check everything, dont assume that just because something hase come from a reputable machine shop/engine specialist its right,

a couple of other tips i use are...
sand the back of the thrusts to level the stamping in them (on a FLAT surface),
run a fine needle file across the outside parting edge of the bearings so they slip into the block/rod/cap better,
give all threaded holes a quick go with a couter sink so stop thread pulling(esp head stud holes)
lap the flywheel on and heat the flywheel in the oven 150c and torque it up hot.

one other thing that springs to mind is having the mains align honed, if i were building a race/high reving lump, i would get theblock &caps skimmed & the mains honed to size. the reason being, if you look at the machining it is quite "chippy" so the beaing and block/cap dont make 100% contact and therefore not 100% of the possible heat conductivety into the block. (think that was a smokey yunick tip)

Screw it, I'm gonna do it.

I just need to find a k1100rs head to play with now.

I felt the same way about building a high reving engine, basicaly shit my self with the thought of it letting go at 8k, lol. Thats all done with now and buzz it regularly to 8k.

The only real advice I would give is to bore the cylinders with a little more piston to skirt clearance ( its all in TBASE), dry build the engine to make sure all your tollerencies are good. 3 thou for the bearings, 5 thou for the crank thrust, and trial build the engine with oil, without rings, before the final assembly. That way when you fit the crank one bearing cap at a time, you will highlight any tight spots, cranks can be bent with a run out of only 3 thou, that would obviously take up any clearance. If you are happy the crank is ok, fit a rod and piston, 1 at a time checking that the whole thing turns without any binding.

Cleanliness as discussed is the most important thing in the whole build. Make sure you obsesively clean the oil galleries with compressed air, a parafin gun, and a tube brush.

Edited by Sprocket on 9th May, 2009.

Get down the supermarket and get yourself some kitchen roll. Its very handy to have!

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

Whats TBASE?



The only real advice I would give is to bore the cylinders with a little more piston to skirt clearance ( its all in TBASE),

TBASE, its a book by Dave Visard, im sure you have a copy, and if you dont, go and invest - Tuning British Leyland A Series Engine. The third edition has changed its name though lol. some call it the yellow bible

ah yes got that! Why didnt you just say so? Thought I was missing out on something!

Its easier to type TBASE compared to either, the yellow bible, or Tuning BLs A Series Engine.

lots of folk round here call it TBASE, how is it my fault that you did not know this?

Edited by Sprocket on 9th May, 2009.

Thanks for the advise, I am glad to have thought of most of it alrady apart from crank issues. It is nice to know most of the thought has gone into my current engine.

Edit: Damn alcohol.

Edited by minimole23 on 10th May, 2009.

oh and don't forget to put the kettle on first !!!!!!

Don't go slow !!! Go Turbo :))))))

I think if I was going to build another engine I would take a lot more time to do it. The one I've just done wasn't exactly rushed but I could have done a better job if I wasn't so impatent!

Yellow Bible. Read it all about 5 times before even thinking about anything.

Bugger off, I'm getting there.