Some of you may remember I posted this: https://passionford.com/forum/pictur...mex-600-a.html

A year ago, I had ITBs and Omex 600 fitted to my orion. Unfortunately, the bottom end started knocking on the rolling road during the power run.

So, during this past year I have fitted a black-top bottom end. It wasn’t particularly straight forward as I wanted to keep the silver-top sump (BC gearbox fitted) so it meant swapping the windage tray which required silver-top bottom crank bolts with special spacers. I also had to have a new engine mount bracket fabricated (bolted to a Vibra engine munt) as only two of the bolts lined up with the silver-top engine mount.

Another annoyance was that the black-top oil pump has a welded lug for an idler that was also rubbing on the cam belt, so this had to be filed down.
I also took the opportunity to rewire the entire car and fit a motorbike computer for instrumentation. An alloy radiator and a slim engine fan was also fitted.

For some reason the old Sytec FPR was making a high-pitched noise, so I replaced it with a Fuelab one, which appears to be much better.

After fitting some new R888s to the front, the car has now passed the MoT. It isn’t currently taxed, but will be doing so once the weather is a bit better. Hopefully I can get some miles on the new engine, and then get it mapped.

 

Looks a good quality install mate

 

Bloody hell I seriously love that, looks like a mega fun car. Loads of work gone into that by the looks of it

 

looks great mate ,good to see something different

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

Cool car this. Did you not consider doing a full Zetec engine conversion??

 

You’ve had this some years now Trev
Anymore plans for it...?
You had this when I had my Mk3 back in 2001-2003

 

thats a nice looking track car

 

Hello,

Thanks for the replies, it means a lot.

I have now had this car 17 years; it was a standard 1.4 when I got it.

I decided to ZVH it again as a black-top bottom end with the work done to fit the CVH water pump was available, and I wanted to get a bit more use out of my CVH parts like the RS1600i rocker cover with the welded AN fittings. In fitting a black-top bottom end I have done much of the ground-work required to fit a zetec, so the next engine probably will be an ST170 block with the same ITBs and management.

What I want to fit next is a CompBrake dual cylinder servo replacement master cylinder to get a better pedal feel, but I'm contemplating how to run the brake lines at the moment.

 

You could fit an RS2000 Group A pedal box. It mounts the cylinders inside the car. You have to modify the column mounts a bit, but it's quite a neat package.

MDA Motorsport could probably make you one. My rally car has one. Got the reservoirs in the engine bay (attached to the back of the driver's side suspension turret), with hoses running to the pedal box. Rest is all braided and run through inside the car.