Your fleet running reports

[Simon]

They felt really deflated by the whole experience.

[Coaster1]

That is utterly beautiful Dan. The way the counterweights widen further out so the balancing weight is where it has most effect is lovely.

Do other people make cranks this nice? And did you design it yourself?

Not many companies are making aftermarket cranks that look this nice, for a few reasons, the most obvious being cost. The usual suspects, Arrow, Farndon etc all make pretty standard looking offerings and don’t push the design side because if it ain’t broke….

This was made a friend of mine that owns a large engineering firm, has been an engine builder for nearly 40 years and has decided to get into crank manufacturing in a big way. He’s employed an ex cosworrh F1 / ex major oem crank designer and between them they’re really pushing the boundaries. There’s no way I have even a tenth of the knowledge required to design something like this….especially when he starts explaining primary and secondary balance, dynamic couple, centre of mass blah blah blah….it’s fascinating stuff though.

Given this engine is likely to make peak power at over 9000 revs it needs to be properly sorted.

Awesome stuff.

Normal K-swapped Elise is plenty quick for me.

[dan]

You soon get used to that and want more. Then you do one with 440hp per tonne and immediately find you still need more, so you go insane.

[jamcg]

You soon get used to that and want more. Then you do one with 440hp per tonne and immediately find you still need more, so you go insane.

What’s your estimate for this build?

[dan]

500hp per tonne minimum.

[Matty]

That is utterly beautiful Dan. The way the counterweights widen further out so the balancing weight is where it has most effect is lovely.

Do other people make cranks this nice? And did you design it yourself?

Not many companies are making aftermarket cranks that look this nice, for a few reasons, the most obvious being cost. The usual suspects, Arrow, Farndon etc all make pretty standard looking offerings and don’t push the design side because if it ain’t broke….

This was made a friend of mine that owns a large engineering firm, has been an engine builder for nearly 40 years and has decided to get into crank manufacturing in a big way. He’s employed an ex cosworrh F1 / ex major oem crank designer and between them they’re really pushing the boundaries. There’s no way I have even a tenth of the knowledge required to design something like this….especially when he starts explaining primary and secondary balance, dynamic couple, centre of mass blah blah blah….it’s fascinating stuff though.

Given this engine is likely to make peak power at over 9000 revs it needs to be properly sorted.

What would something like this cost to a customer? Looks....expensive

[dan]

Somewhere in the region of 3 grand I imagine.

[DeskJockey]

Somewhere in the region of 3 grand I imagine.

So crank shafts are like lingerie? Less of it and finer detail equals higher costs.

[dan]

Somewhere in the region of 3 grand I imagine.

So crank shafts are like lingerie? Less of it and finer detail equals higher costs.

The cost is commensurate with the amount of work that goes into it….

[DeskJockey]

Somewhere in the region of 3 grand I imagine.

So crank shafts are like lingerie? Less of it and finer detail equals higher costs.

The cost is commensurate with the amount of work that goes into it….

Exactly!

[NGRhodes]

Been isolating and still recovering from CV19, decided to give the car a good wash and wax, used Car Plan Carnauba wax. Less sheen than the sealant I put on (Car Plan No 1), but the depth is brill.

[Matty]

I've been quite unhappy with the driving position in the 4C - mainly the seats too flat, and my legs aren't, so you don't feel "in it". Thankfully the seats are adjustable so out they came, and the front bolts were raised to better support my legs and follow my lanky shape:



The downside is it's raised the seat slightly so I'm even higher, and it's bought my legs up closer to the wheel making getting out of the car even more difficult (!) - but it's a small price to pay for such a massive improvement in confort and support, it really is night and day. I'm properly impressed with how a small change can make a significant change to the feel of a car.

Took the opportunity to clean underneath and quickly clean the tub while there, and took a pic for some carbon loveliness

[integrale_evo]

And that is why the 4c is awesome

Seat adjustment in my alfasud is similar, they put a small and large spacer under each of the seat mount bolts, allowing you to unbolt the seat to remove them and have four different height settings. Very high tec

[integrale_evo]

I can’t remember if I’ve posted on here about it, but for the past couple of months I’ve not been able to get the e30 started after it has been sat for an embarrassingly long time.

Working through the logical steps, crank sensors changed, no difference. Dme relay, fuel pump relay, all fine. Pump running when cranking, just couldn’t get the injectors to fire.

Noticed some teeth on the flywheel ring gear badly worn, new secondhand flywheel and starter, still no go.

New ( secondhand ) eprom chip for the ecu, still no go.

Starting to get worried and seriously investigating aftermarket ecus as you just can’t pick up m3 bits any more, and there’s no onboard diagnostics at all.

Borrowed a digital oscilloscope and checked signals from the crank sensors, all good. Can fire the injectors by earthing the relevant pins at the ecu so I know they’re not stuck.

Then had a bit of a brainwave, the bloke I’d bought a few bits off had sold me an experimental alpha-n kit which basically swaps the throttle position switch for a proper variable sensor, a mini loom to connect it to the Air flow meter, and a replacement eprom chip to understand the new setup.

Fitted the alpha-n kit, turned it over and the injectors went squirty squirt! Stuck the plugs in and the damn thing finally ran!

Only for a second or so as there’s no gearbox, half the breathers are disconnected and the small matter of no exhaust, but at least it will run and doesn’t need a new ecu! Just the small matter of putting it back together...

Need to see how well it runs on the alpha n setup to determine whether I get a new (used) AFM or just straight pipe the mofo - which also makes a future carbon airbox a simple bolt on job

[Coaster1]

@Matty

Whose Mini is that? Yours? Details?

[Matty]

And that is why the 4c is awesome

Seat adjustment in my alfasud is similar, they put a small and large spacer under each of the seat mount bolts, allowing you to unbolt the seat to remove them and have four different height settings. Very high tec

TBH I'd rather have that....sounds more adjustable than this

@Matty

Whose Mini is that? Yours? Details?

It's my brother in laws. It's fairly well modified but I couldn't tell you the full details...looks good though.

[integrale_evo]

Bit of advice, if you’re putting a gearbox back in, don’t forget to fit the clutch release bearing otherwise you might swear a lot

[drcarlos]

And that is why the 4c is awesome

Seat adjustment in my alfasud is similar, they put a small and large spacer under each of the seat mount bolts, allowing you to unbolt the seat to remove them and have four different height settings. Very high tec

This high tech approach was still being used by TVR in 1995. My Chimaera has a piece of 1 inch box section under each corner of the seats, I'm told they were official options

[Explosive Newt]

Not really my fleet any more but the guy who bought the Porsche off me did a battery recondition with his CTEK charger and it has fixed the issue of the radio intermittently not turning on.

[jamcg]

Bit of advice, if you’re putting a gearbox back in, don’t forget to fit the clutch release bearing otherwise you might swear a lot

Guess you forgot about it then this on the m3?