The Cal-look Lounge

Hello,  I’m new here, so apologies for questions on my first post

I’ve been building a UVA fugitive with my son for a couple of years,  we got it on the road earlier in the year with a 1300tp in it

I’ve just picked up an ex-drag race engine, that’s been sat around for a while (12 years we think)
It came out of a beach buggy called ‘Starbug’ and I’ve been told ran 12.40s

Engine is a AS21 case
Full flow oil system
Type 3 heads, port matched to 44idf Webers
90.5 pistons
Bug pack rods
1.4 ratio rockers
1.5” merged exhaust
78mm counterweight crank
FK87 Engle cam
Lightened flywheel and Kennedy stage 1 clutch

We’ve stripped it, it all seems good, just needing new bearings etc

But wondered whether the cam is a bit fierce?
Also the clutch has been hammered, and not sure if we’ll get away with refacing and a new plate or whether we need a new flywheel? 
And if we do replace the flywheel, would we need to get it all balanced again, or would the flywheel be balanced and therefore just bolt on?



Thanks in advance
John

(https://i.imgur.com/V4RLlx2.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/00G0W0s.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/8i9gxgu.jpg)

Sorry that I don't answer your question, but the thing I would be concerned about is the compression ratio, as you say it's an old drag engine.

Cam will be too much for normal street use . Change it for a Engle  K8 to use with your ratio rockers and male kompression around 10:1 .Super cam for a 2007cc with good head work   . Built one years ago  , made 150 driveable hp .

Hi Chris,
I directed John over here from the Retro Rides forum, where he explained a little more about it. It was first owned by Mike Lewendon, and used in the Starbug buggy around the time you had the yellow '03. I think John said he'd been told compression was set at about 9.5:1, which seems a little low for an FK87, but about right for something a little milder. The heads are apparently Dick Nuss ones via JMR with 40 x 35.5 valves, so they should be pretty decent!

Hi, apologies I probably should have been a bit more specific but thought I was being a bit presumptuous turning up and asking for information.

I contacted Mike Lewendon and we believe this is the engine out of starbug, he built it around 18 years ago.  The guy I bought it from said he’d had it sat around for 12 years... so it was used for a while and then at some point moved on and then stored it seems.

(https://i.imgur.com/3BerkrJ.jpg)

I was told the heads were reworked by Dick Nuss of EMS,  but Mike said they’d been worked on by John Mayer Racing,  they are type 3 heads (which I believe are used by some because there is more material around the valves?) but they have been ported and have big valves

(https://i.imgur.com/wLjlvvS.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/D2rOU4B.jpg)

Mike said he thought the CR was 9.5 but we haven’t checked that yet, so could be a little higher.

The cam is FK87 and I was told it was probably a bit fierce for the road, the FK8 seems easy to get hold of (heritage have stock) but other Engle ratio camsdont seem to be easy to get.  So I think we’ll probably get an FK8 as that is one recommended most, but we’ll keep this one in case we want to build it to race later.  


I’ve been building the Fugitive with Tom for nearly 3 years now, we started with the 1300 engine when he was 10, and then got hold of the rail and rebuilt that.  We got it onthe road last year but are still a long way from finishing it  (but since it’s only beetle running gear and isn’t cal-look, I wasn’t sure if I should mention too much about it)
But this is it during the summer

(https://i.imgur.com/i9ips2X.jpg)

Thanks for the help and advice

John

John

I would think fk8 was a good choice as well, you should be able to get flywheel resurfaced no problem & also clutch cover if needed :)
It looks from that picture that the stock style metal intake gaskets have been used still? it is much better to use a paper type gasket and easier to match them to intake as well then

cheers Richie

Hi,  yeah took the flywheel to a machine shop and he saw no problems.

Yeah, it has metal gaskets fitted... I wondered what the best solution was for the gaskets, when I got the the gasket set.  Will get some gasket paper thanks

Have ordered a FK8 from heritage. 

Measured Cc’s of the head and it’s 56ml... do compression ratio seems to be 9.5-10 depending on the deck height, but can’t check that as it’s all in bits

Thanks

You can buy the gaskets no problem, then just trim for matching to port work