21 Turbo E921 BUR

[NathanH21]

Cheers Dave, assumed they were stretch.
I'm going to be sticking the original top intercooler back in for now. The inlet and outlet on the alloy item are not angled like the original. The middle mount also came bent. Going to have to cut them off, re angle them and weld them back on. Slightly frustrating when it was described as a like for like swap. Suppose it was cheap for a reason.

 

[NathanH21]

It's great to finally be cracking on with getting the old beaut back on the road. I bought a spare head off @la21t which turned up on Friday. Started to clean it up and strip it down.
Cleaned the cam up.



Most of the exhaust studs have been helicoiled and I'll have to helicoil the rest sadly. Shame there isn't enough meat around the studs to camloc them instead of helicoils.





One thing I've noticed is just how much work my previous head has had. Inlets are massively different along with 3 angle seats but it also looks like the combustion chambers have also had some work as they look different. Shame to scrap it but I couldn't justify £600 to repair it and no guarantee that it wouldn't crack again.

 

[NathanH21]

I've also dropped a load of parts off to be blasted. Having the inlet manifold vapour blasted and the rest just grit. I'll be painting the rocker and throttle plenum black too, I assume it was satin ish black from the factory?!

Ordered a new rad from a generic part number search on the web, checked the sizes and it was spot on. Got an email 2 days later to tell me it's no longer available, great. Took the rad to a local company, CPA, to see if they could re core it. £160 due to the core size, looks like it'll be an alloy one then.
Also ordered a new water pump outlet housing off eBay, messaged a day later to let me know I've been refunded as there is a 6 week lead time with their supplier, ffs.

 

[DaveL485]

looks like it'll be an alloy one then.

Get the 32mm one.

 

[NathanH21]

Purchased a winner racing 32mm rad, delivery for end of august. Purchased 2 12" fans too. The head has been stripped and cleaned. After a bit of careful measurement I can just about squeeze in some stainless m8 keenserts so I won't need to use helicoils in the exhaust studs. I'll try and get it on the mill on Saturday... depends how busy I am at work

 

[DaveL485]

Like those keenserts, please do post details of the fitting procedure

 

[NathanH21]

Turned up sooner than expected! Oh shiny!

 

[DaveL485]

Ypu'll need to trim the lugs a little at the bottom, otherwise its not a bad fit.

 

[NathanH21]

If there's was ever an impulse purchase... this is it

 

[Turbjj]

If there's was ever an impulse purchase... this is it

I have the same one for about 17 years or so...
It is still working

 

[NathanH21]

Quick comparison between the inlets and combustion chamber.

Old head



New head



Cap head is there as it's being vapour blasted later.

 

[NathanH21]

Managed to make a start on the fan brackets today. Ones finished, just need to finish the other two. They will bolt through from the opposite side of the radiator the bosses either end are tapped M8. The rads not perfectly flat so will have to space the bracket so they won't rub on the core.

 

[NathanH21]

Fan brackets finished. Need to shorten the mounting bolts as they are bottoming in the bosses.

 

[Turbjj]

Looking ace!

 

[DaveL485]

Show off!

 

[NathanH21]

Picked up my parts from the powder coaters on Friday. Had all the ali parts vapour blasted but I was expecting a brighter finish as it just looks like dry glass bead. Anyway. Heads being dropped off to be skimmed on Monday too. Water pump housing is pretty bad but can't get hold of a new one so it will see a good coat of resin to build it up and seal it for now.



I also wimped out and helicoiled the exhaust studs. If I used the keenserts I wouldn't be left with much material around them and I didn't want to risk breaking through when drilling and tapping them.



Havnt seen how the gasket fits in the exhaust manifold yet but could port match it if it's the same diameter as the gasket.



Contemplating painting the rocker and throttle inlet wrinkle black?

 

[am21t]

I did my one wrinkle finish black...... Came out lovely

 

[NathanH21]

Coat of resin on the water pump outlet.



Had to knock up a bung for the smaller outlet due to two holes in it.



Put two layers on the smaller one as it was very thin. Once it's cured fully I'll shape it.

 

[Duncan Grier]

Could you not just get some sized alloy pipes and weld to the body? Guess the frustration with 21 parts no longer available assuming its cast alloy

 

[NathanH21]

@Duncan Grier I had concidered that but just due to time and effort this will do for now until I can get another.