Ruaris Build - R1 Engine

Intro

Name: Ruari Coles.

Kitcar history:  Fiddled with VW-based ACM Bonito while at school, built an SSC Stylus with Dad in 1996-7 and now doing this.  Started research in March 1999 (when there were hardly any bike powered cars around....).  Have been lucky enough to spend the last few summers working at TVR (three times), Reynard (on Mondeo BTCC and Panoz) and TWR (on Clio V6 project).

Why build this car?: Final year degree project for an MEng at Oxford University, meant to be 40% of year's work.  Being done on behalf of both Sylva and Tom Lowther (one of their customers).  Sylva have provided the chassis (18swg) and Tom has provided all the necessary R1 bits.  Tom will eventually keep the finished car.  The deadline for my report is the beginning of June, by which I hope to have a complete (panelled) rolling chassis with as many extra bits done as possible.

Where?:  Work being carried out in the Oxford Engineering Dept.'s Osney Mead research labs - on the first floor, so the car will need to be craned out....(!)  Practically every tool/machine available (if not on site then a mile and half across town in the main engineering dept.), and if I can't use what I need (or don't want to) then there are lots of friendly lab technicians happy to do jobs for me.

Build Pictures

Engine Mounts

The Engine mounts are fabricated from Dural Plate and mild-steel. 

t_Image19.jpg 1.7K Engine Mount Sketch Rear restraint viewed from below
t_Image2.jpg 3.0K R1 Engine fitted with temporary wooden engine mounts (FRONT) Front strut in place
t_Image6.jpg 3.2K R1 Engine fitted with temporary wooden engine mounts (REAR) Engine underside view
t_Image9.jpg 2.8K R1 Engine fitted with temporary wooden engine mounts (TOP) Engine Installation viewed from the Right-hand side
t_Image3.jpg 3.3K Main Mounts Main engine mounts viewed from below
t_Image4.jpg 3.0K Detail of Main Mounts.  Designed to take all loads by themselves.  Made of 1/4" Dural Plate. Main engine mounts viewed from the front of the car
t_Image5.jpg 2.1K Front Engine Mount Strut.  One bearing has a LH thread to allow tensioning by rotating the rod. Main mounts from the drivers side of the car
t_Image7.jpg 3.2K Oil Filter Clearance - enginbe must be high enough for filter to pass above chassis.  Sump Bottom is approximately level with the chassis bottom. Oil Filter clearance required
Rear restraint made from Mild Steel    
Rear restraint viewed from Above    

 

Gearchange Linkage

Here is a manual gearchange linkage.  Due to the position of the gearshift arm on the bike-box a 90degree turn has to be made.  This is achieved via a bellcrank system.

t_Image17.jpg 1.9K Sketch of Gearchange Linkage Mechanism Gear Rocker - made from Dural
Gearlever Gear Rocker from Above
Gearlever - base hinge Gearchange Shaft on the engine
Gearlever - middle point    
Gear linkage detail showing the rocker in place    
Gear Linkage viewed from the front of the car    

New improved Gearchange linkage

Improved gear-lever bracket using the reverser box bracket Detail of the lever base bracket

 

Sprocket Drive

The sprocket drive uses the standard bike cog.  It consists of two plates which encase the cog and use drive bolts connecting through the "teeth" of the cog.  
The smaller half is steel, the other dural, and the aim is to weld an MGB-type prop flange/UJ directly onto the steel half.  The sprocket can float 5mm, and the extension out of the back of the dural half is a tight fit round the R1's fatter output shaft bit (which rotates with the sprocket) to prevent any rocking.

sprocket.jpg 1.9K Sketch of Gearchange Linkage Mechanism Gearbox output shaft fitted with bike sprocket.  Note that the rubber within the sprocket has been worn away through machining!
dural Dural Plate steel Steel Plate at the rear of the engine bay
adaptor Complete Assembly from Rear adaptor Complete Assembly from Front
adaptor Complete Assembly from Side!    

 

Propshaft

All the various welds on the props have been TIG welded. The UJ yoke shown stuck to the steel half of my prop adaptor is from the gearbox end of an Anglia prop (same UJs as the MGB) - with the long splined bit cut off you get left with a much smaller fitting as there's no big flange (as there is on both ends of the MGB prop).

Reverser Reverser Box in position viewed from Car Nearside Front reverser2 Underside View of reverser box
escort uj1 Escort UJ Before Machining Machined UJ Escort UJ after machining! (to fit inside a smaller MGB prop tube)
Rear Prop The rear propshaft rear prop n box The rear propshaft attached to the reverser box
rear prop and diff Rear prop and diff yoke Steel main part of Yoke
prop in place1 Completed Propshaft and adaptor plate in place prop in place1 Alternative view of prop in place