Just realised it's been close to six months since I updated this thread. Not a lot could happen until I got the engine back, which I did eventually at the beginning of April, or thereabouts. I collected it as a long block so bought an engine stand so that I could build it up with all the cooling tin, alternator and clutch etc in my garden shed. In the meantime, I'd managed to lay my hands on a GT Racing tuned-length set of headers and Magnaflow silencer. The SSI heat exchangers were more efficient than the stock type but not equal length, so were clearly a restriction, as was the Vintage Speed silencer.
With shipping to the UK, plus duties, a GT Racing system worked out at not far short of £1700, so well out of my budget, however I happened to see a guy's post on Instagram about a new exhaust he'd had made to replace the GT Racing system on his 914. I sent him a message and asked if he'd consider selling the old system, which led to a deal...the problem was, the GT headers attach to the heads via a set of exhaust stubs, which were missing as he'd used them on his new system. A chance call to Angus at Greatworth came up with a second set of GT headers, pretty rusty but crucially with the required stubs. Another deal was done and so I was able to build up a complete system for the grand total of £350. A session with a wire brush and some high-temp paint (Halfords' own-brand, and very good it is, too) saw it looking all spiffy. Here's a pic (yes, the engine is upside down...):
Anyway, next step was to install engine (thanks once again to Williams Crawford for use of a lift) and then it was over to JMR in Plymouth (former rolling road workshop of Rawspeed) where Graham Rawlings and I finished off the installation ahead of a rolling road session. Well, that went well, with peak flywheel output up to 188bhp and torque up by 15lbft compared to the previous set-up. But we simply couldn't get the hydrocarbons down... On the way home, the engine seemed very smokey. Something was definitely not right and a plug check showed #3 plug oiled up. Looking down the bore with an endoscope showed a pool of oil on top of the piston. Sh*t. Engine out, head off, cylinder off only to discover the oil control ring had been installed incorrectly on that piston, meaning there was literally nothing to stop oil getting past the piston and into the combustion chamber. It didn't take long to sort out but it was an unexpected delay which meant I missed Werrington hillclimb, having already missed the opening round at Wiscombe earlier in the month.
https://youtube.com/shorts/-NwTsIxvL8o? ... NbIVncH9lj
But the car now ran better than ever and sounded fantastic through the GT Racing system. Next stop, Wiscombe.
