Alpine 1968 Renault R8

[Steve Swan]

As I said, it's Renault, there's always an exception somewhere. Never paid much attention to the later stuff. When I was more involved/ active it was finding the 5g bits that was tricky. I used 5GTT for bottom ends, which were everywhere, not the case nowadays.

 

[sparkie]

As I said, it's Renault, there's always an exception somewhere. Never paid much attention to the later stuff. When I was more involved/ active it was finding the 5g bits that was tricky. I used 5GTT for bottom ends, which were everywhere, not the case nowadays.

Is there still a demand for gordini turbo oil pumps and sump pans in the conversion world?

 

[Steve Swan]

They would definitely be on the list for anyone wanting to build an Engine for Rear engined use. The problem with using the R5GTT set up is that the Motor is bolt upright in the Rear Engined Application, so the whole sump/ pickup is a bit compromised, it also reduces your groundclearance, doesn't drain fully at oilchange time.
Using the MK1 turbo set up is much tidier and if you can find the baffle from an earlier 5GTT then you can fit that to the Gordini sump. Running without a baffle in competition is not a good idea at all. That's why I ended up going Drysump , I got tired of trying to find all the bits and from experience the original set up is marginal and needs an accumulator( for the Knockhill hairpin anyway) The only real downside is cost.
One thing I miss about not having the Accusump is not being able to prime the motor before starting. The cranking speed of my old motor was about 25% higher when it had 30 psi oil pressure. To it's credit the drysump pump starts to read pressure before the new motor starts, so it's as good as it gets.
You pays your money and............................

 

[DaveL485]

I keep wondering where the Rapier wit of @DaveL485 is?? He must be saving himself.

I've spent a week skiing in Andorra, and I get back to find this delicious nugget of French rot languishing on the forum.

What a treat!

Anything less than an M5M engine and EDC 'box conversion will be met with vitriol and contempt

 

[Adey]

Updates incoming. No pics yet though. After a slow start and a few fall throughs, I have had a message to say the car will be dropped off today

I have also decided to try and do something that I had in mind for the dope when I had that. I'm looking to DIY a basic, manual air ride setup for the car.

I've started ordering a few bits to try and make fit, some Monroe air max shocks, a pump and tank plus some switches and gauges. Fingers crossed I can have it looking cool but also driving a little smoother than the dope ever did.

Watch this space.

 

[Big Steve - Raider]

I've been thinking about air ride systems for a while, loving to see what comes of this @Adey

 

[Adey]

I've been thinking about air ride systems for a while, loving to see what comes of this @Adey

Itll be very PMT

 

[Adey]

So it is here and I'm grinning like a kid at Christmas. At first look there are a few issues to sort but really all I've done this eve is empty it of spares.

Paul had gotten an ali rad made up for the car which was a nice find. The wheels have been banded already though the tires may need swapping out for something a little chunkier.

I've removed the spark plugs and the engine rotates with little effort with my hand on the bottom pulley, the head does have a couple of snapped off bolts that will need drilling out and tapping. I have mounted the new water pump so I can use it as a guide to hopefully (fingers crossed) drill out and tap new threads into the head.

Electrically the dash has come alive, as has the dash fan. Headlights work on one setting and thats about it at the moment. i did click it over to try and start the car but got nothing at all. Itll need a trace of a fair few bits to get them up together. Cant hear any clicking for the indicators either.

Brake pedal is on the floor, I think this will be the biggest thing to sort tbh.

Hopefully I can get it back up and working with minimal fuss, a few evenings and weekends should see it moving under its own steam baring a catastrophic issue.

@Turbell @Steve Swan how's the gearbox look?(bar covered in oil) older style one?

 

[Steve Swan]

Looks like flat spine early type, maybe getting a picture of the clutch release arm will show if it's carbon or guided. I would start with a proper corrosion assessment. Wings off, front edges, front chassis at front crossmember.Boot floor, scuttle drain in boot and in car under heater, A post, front floor triangles, chassis and sills,
both outer ends of the underfloor crossmembers, C pillars floor in car at clutch bracket for cracking and above C crossmember. Then it's rear chassis, wing Rails and rear panel flanges. Better know exactly how deep the water is before spending money.
It looks like it's got potential.....

 

[Steve Swan]

Remove the complete pedal assembly note the washer positions and refurb on the bench. It's the best way in the long run, if the bushes are shot replace them. Use a 20.6 master, if you go smaller, it makes brake upgrades difficult. Look over Paul Erringtons 8 turbo thread, it does show pretty much everything you'll need including the turbo........

 

[Turbell]

@Steve Swan is only bloke I'd trust on box.

I don't bother drilling out water pump bolts, never ends well, better on bench , tig a washer on, then a nut, repeat as long as it takes to get old out.
I can understand you not wanting to strip it out, but the faff of drilling a steel out of Ali never works out for me, if you turn it over by the pulley I'd guess it got fuck all comp, gungy stuck rings, bit of corrosion.
I'll always agree with Mr Swan to get prodding for rot, it'll be there, but again can understand you not wanting to find it.
Ours is on hold as turbell the elder has some health issues meaning he fell from top of stairs to the bottom, so he's confined to barracks pending on him getting back to something like.
Looks like I'll be taking more of it on than I first thought.
Looks bob on though, as long as you enjoy whatever direction you go in, doesn't matter to nobody but you .

 

[Steve Swan]

Please pass on my best wishes to The Elder Turbell.

 

[Turbell]

@Steve Swan Ta, will do, he had sky high blood pressure, doc put him on tablets which helped, but she still thought it should be lower, so gave hum some additional ones which gave him back pain and made him have numbness in his legs , hence above....
@Adey obvs you've probably got plugs out turning lump over , so you comp might be ok, sorry

 

[Adey]

@Turbell hope the old man gets better

yep plugs out bolts are snapped deep, assuming someone has already had a go. will see how i get on. If i can the the electrics sorted and engine spinning i may then pull it.

Ill go rust hunting later on, it needs a touch of fresh metal in there for sure

 

[Steve Swan]

Just did a M/C frame for a friend, if bolts are snapped in deep, but there are some threads showing, clean them with a tap and fit a short bolt with a hole drilled up the centre of it. This becomes your guide for finding and drilling the centre of the snapped bolt , a very pikey Toolmakers button. if you stray it's toast..

 

[Turbell]

Thanks @Adey , he'll be reet.
Depends where you want spend your dollar, I always default to strong rot free shell, doesn't matter what paint and panels are like, all bolt on anyway, primer is cool .
Better a grand or two getting welding done properly in my mind, safer in a bash, good stock motor farts around happily, depends if it's a keeper, they make fair money and a bit of Gordinism adds to standard car, cos that's what most people aspire to anway

 

[Adey]

I've been tickling it along in the back ground.

Stripped cleaned and rebuilt the starter motor. It was turning slowly and only sometimes throwing out the gear. Full of dry grease and light rust. That works sweet as a nut now. Im also cleaning all terminals and remaking connections as I go along. This then allowed me to compression check the engine. Came up all good with everything between 115psi and 120psi so pretty equal between the cylinders. Ive also made a start on an alternator swap, using a clio mk1 alternator. This will allow me to ditch the dynamo and external regulator setup and make things more "modern"

A check and clean up of the condenser and points was done, and set to "haynes manual" settings. Plugs were also cleaned before refitting.

I threw a jerry can of fuel in the tank, and with a few mouthfuls of dirty petrol, made it to the pump....

With a little bit of persuasion (fuel down the carb) we managed this

 

[Turbell]

Sounds sweet enough, couple of oil changes be worth the effort, seen a few long standers have black jelly in sump, so keep an eye on oil pressure if you run it, also how much new oil you can actually get in, taken a few old shitters apart and the oil pump is sat in a round recess of solidified oil.

 

[Adey]

Sounds sweet enough, couple of oil changes be worth the effort, seen a few long standers have black jelly in sump, so keep an eye on oil pressure if you run it, also how much new oil you can actually get in, taken a few old shitters apart and the oil pump is sat in a round recess of solidified oil.

On the list. ill be giving it a fair few changes to start with. I want to get a filter on there too so need to source the 19mm threaded adapter part for the block. The scrap yard doesn't have an abundance of old Cleons anymore.

Once I've got all the water in it and ran it a few times ill reset the clearances (as long as there are no leaks)

I managed to get some thread back in the head, I used the water pump as a guide to to clean up the head and snapped bolts (was a snug 6.7mm hole) then went in with a 5mm to re tap. fingers crossed it holds but if not the head can come off and go for repair (this is probably when I just build another engine up)

On the water pump, it looks like it may be an r12 item...... this means it doesnt have both the heater matrix hose outlets. Ill find the correct pump and replace it in the future.

Alternator swap is all on now, finished the wiring this evening, I gave it a quick check and saw 13.6v on the multimeter so ill assume that's working, will check again once we are up and running properly. Rear light bulbs all swapped out too so nice and fresh (could possibly do with new covers in the future.

Hopefully I can wrap up as much as I can tomorrow and i can start making a move to sort the brakes and suspension.

All in all its going well so far

 

[RS_Rowe]

So much room for activities in that engine bay!