Jay GTi

Sorry, forgot to add they used to do the bellhousing.

Try the guys in the link. Dellows don't list the correct bell housing for the RV8 on their website but might still be able to get/fabricate one. http://dellowconversions.com.au/product-category/bellhousings-manual/

Not wanting to piss on your chips, but keeping up with a GTIR on a track isn't too hard . I had one for 4 years and it was fast, but the handling was always disappointing, lots of under steer. On the road it was manageable, on the track it was shocking. The MI16 powered 205GTI I replaced it with would run rings around it on a track... Regardless, sweet car, should be a lot of fun with a snotty A15 under the bonnet.

Sunday fun. I should be in the house looking after my 8 week old daughter and giving her mum a rest but instead I'm doing this: Everything is unbolted ready to move forward, but daughter wants attention, wife wants what's left of her sanity to remain, so back on baby watch for now.

Not had anything oldschool of note since I went back to the UK and had to pass on the Chevette to a mates son (awesome first car!), but I do still have something of interest parked at home. I did have an old B2000 that I was doing up, but that got borrowed from where I parked it for work and the kind gentlemen who borrowed it never gave it back. So rather than start again I bought someone else's project they'd finished. He'd spent some coin on it, it was build by the company that built his stock car and as it was his tow vehicle, it was made bullet proof where he could. Fully rebuilt W58, 'drift-spec' diff tightened and fettled by Diff's R Us, heavy duty suspension etc. Only problem was they obviously knew their mechanical stuff, but the wiring job wasn't great. Started cutting out randomly, so took it around to Hope Hickman in town for a once over and they agreed, spot on mechanically, but some dumb mistakes with the wiring. That sorted, she was good to go. Highly recommend HH, they know their stuff and are very reasonable too. Currently having issues with the clutch hydraulics too, did the master cylinder before Xmas, but it didn't last and I knew it was time to do the slave cylinder. 10 minute job on an average car, but the slave cylinder is tucked behind the exhaust manifold so won't come off, can't get to the bolts. Tried taking the manifold off, but can't get to 3 studs. Thought about popping the gearbox off, but can't get to the top 2 bell housing bolts because the engine is nicely up against the firewall, where it should be. So in the process of popping the engine and box off the mounts, move the whole lot forward, so I can get to the bell housing bolts, split the engine and gearbox, then finally get access to slave cylinder. Fun. Not.

I'll go a bit further than harsh, unless it has sentimental value or you really have your heart set on rebuilding this regardless of cost, you're going to waste a crap load of money rebuilding a bike that is old tech and of no significance what so ever in terms of MX history. Even from the photos I can see a good couple of grand worth of parts, very few of which will be easy or cheap to source, due to age and lack of importance. If you just want a paddock basher, get an old XR or KDX off TM, if you want a half-decent MX bike for trail riding, budget $3k and get an early 2000s 2 smoker that's been looked after properly. That bike, sadly, is only good for throwing in the skip.

Ah good someone on here got that, new daughter requiring financial attention stopped me bidding (and I'd have gone up a fair bit higher than the final amount too )

Had the starter go on my modern a few weeks ago, took it around to a local auto sparky that works out of his garage. He had everything set up to recondition the starter there and then, so he pulled it apart for me to show me what the problem was (I like finding out this stuff). First thing he pointed out was bench testing doesn't really help with sluggish or clicking starters, often they will spin up fine on the bench, but won't do much when under load. On mine, the copper plating on the commutator (I think that's what it was called) was worn beyond repair, so I just got a rebuilt one on exchange as he would have had to order parts to sort mine out. My symptoms started out with sluggish starting, clicking and finally wouldn't turn the engine over at all. Hope that helps.

Lol but he may end up with a big pile of oxidised Land Rover and a post that says 'nah, it don't work so well'. At least we all know Por15 works... and it goes a very long way, suprising what I've coated with a small tin or 2.

Suggestion to be completely ignored: Remove/relocate rear door handles a-la modern Alfa Romeo 4 door cars. Awesome though.

Yep, that's why I do it too...

Nah it's all cool, will grab your addy closer to the time, but my brother sends over UK mags now and then and it's cheap as, more than happy just to do it as a favour/random act of kindness deal...

Yeah damn import mag prices... although I will be back in the UK in Jan, reckon I could bung you a few issues in the post after I've cover-to-cover'd them, rather than chucking them as my missus makes me do now (used to keep all my mags, until she got fed up with huge piles of old magazines everywhere).

Ah but... the engine is canted over to it's left (looking front on) which gives the appearance of a missing bank, look down though, sitting pretty much behind the alternator, is what looks like another valve cover...

Shit, I have to try and remember them, I was looking at getting a 90" Defender in the UK for middle of nowhere mountain bike mission transport, but that was about 3 years ago now... Did loads of research though, I'll see what I can dig up over the weekend. Also look out for Land Rover mags in some of the better magazine shops, there's 2 UK ones (Land Rover Monthy and Land Rover Owner) which are excellent and well worth getting a few issues of, if you can. Certainly if the bulkhead is seperate and you can give it a good checking over before re-assembly, you're home and hosed. As you can see from those pics, to seperate that bulkhead out of a complete Landie would not be a quick Saturday job...

Sorry, only just spotted the question... this one! http://www.eastcoastrover.com/Bulkhead.html

I've been doing some random reading about the Chev diesels as part of trying to find a better pic and while there's a fair amount of bullshit around, it would seem that it's actually on par (or slightly lighter according to some) with the Landie 300TDi engine. So it shouldn't be the boat anchor you'd otherwise assume... and these are common-ish conversions for Landies and Landcruisers, there seems to be a good bit of love for them on t'internet... so if you're rocking one of them and a shortened Rangie chassis... could be one cool Landie you'll have there.

Pretty sure it's a V, looks like the 2nd bank is hiding behind the alternator to me. So what do I win when it turns out to be a Chevy diesel V8?

Can only find this crap pic, but it could well be a Chevy 6.5 diesel V8?

There's a caged and 4G63'd EX circuit car for sale in the back of NZ Classic Cars mag for $4k (I think) at the moment, could save you a lot of money/hassle.

Nah it's true, mine will very happily do 100 clicks.... 105 clicks and it's like it's straining it's balls out though...

A few guys in the UK have modified the bellhousing on a Toyota K50 gearbox, but that sounds like a lot of hassle for not much gain.

Before this goes any further, could it be clarified if we are talking about 'corrected' at the flywheel power and not engine dyno at the flywheel power, when discussing the difference between at the fly and at the wheels? Agreed that no serious engine tuner would ever use a corrected/calculated at the fly figure that was measured on a rolling road dyno, because there is so much scope for 'adjusting' the calculations for favourable results. Shit, when I was dicking about with my old GTIR in the UK, I could make 30bhp just by driving 45 minutes from one well-respected rolling road operator to another that was well-known for dubious bhp claims*. So from that perspective, yes at the fly figures are pointless if they are derived from the at the wheel figures. *Interestingly when I sold the car, I had no problems quoting the latter's power figures...

That's not the orange beast I was watching being very nicely drifted around Taupo on the TV last weekend?

If you're using the sharp knife cutting the rubber seal technique (which does work well, I've done it) be careful as it requires a lot of force and lots of force on sharp knives will inevitably end in distaster, as happened to a mate who stabbed himself in the hand doing the same. Also, when doing the string in the seal trick to get the screen back in, mix some water with a bit of washing up liquid and put it in an empty household cleaner spray bottle and spray liberally around the seal before you start. It makes it a lot easier to pull the string out and will dry away to nothing once you've finished.