Proctas Rover Metro GTA 16v

[lolsteve]

Mmm thought the metal inlet gasket don't really fail. Doesn't a failed gasket leak in coolant?
I can imagine it's a pig of a job, especially on a metro why lotus? and not just an ebay jobbie

[procta]

Mmm thought the metal inlet gasket don't really fail. Doesn't a failed gasket leak in coolant?
I can imagine it's a pig of a job, especially on a metro why lotus? and not just an ebay jobbie

nah got nothing to do with the coolant side, they are not easy changes on any model of rover,
I want proper parts this time, rather than cheep ebay ones, as the one I had from ebay lasted about 2 mins!

[puglove]

Just seen this on FB OMG !!

[Tom]

Me likey ^^!!

[procta]

yeah you do get some done up ones still, for me I am still OEM sleeper with a little twist.

[procta]

well I took the car out for a quick run, so that I could get the car up to temp.
so jacked it up and had a look around the back end from underneath, checked the inlet part for loose bolts, all was ok.
checked top part of inlet, and found it was blowing from there, so the VVC Middle Plenum Gasket has bit the dust. only one part as well. not a pain in the arse job which is a bonus!
so at the min, the car is like having an manual choke, that's been pulled out.

[procta]

my replacement gasket came today, from lotus, never had the chance to fit, due to working on my dads jeep.

[procta]

well I removed the top part of the inlet, to be greeted with this,


only done a 1k or so with that gasket on! mind I think you get what you pay for, as this one was a motors discount jobbie, so its blew it in half.
so a one from lotus elise, was ordered up.
I found that one to be a better quality,



all back together and let the engine warm up, for some reason the car seems to drive better, than it did before the gasket blew.

[mr_fish]

what sort of power would one of these engines kick out?

[procta]

what sort of power would one of these engines kick out?

these engines kick out about 145 onwards to 160+ depending on what mods have been done, ie exhaust and breathing etc.
I couldn't tell you what this ones kicking out, but it pulls like a train with the gti OEM system on, which is restrictive.
I tend to keep the car off the cam, 4k change ups (that's toms 306 change ups)
doing that the car behaves like a gta/gti. so the un suspecting arse hole that sits off the bumper things, that's all its got.
Then I just let it go! seen a lot of shocked faces by doing that, haha.
mainly get the ford focus, fiesta and even the micras, trying to have a pop.
eat all 3 of them with out a bother.
but fun a side, you have to treat it with a lot of respect, as it wont think twice, on killing you either. its not a car that's well balanced like your 206 and my 306.
metros don't have that option, its either full blown racer spec or standard gti setup.
full blown racer, will make it mustard for track but destroy it as a road car.
standard gti setup, is a close I can get to make it mustard for the road.

[procta]

well this is shut down now till after the new year, I will just have her on tick over on Thursday and Friday. Then the battery will turned off for a week, as I wont get the chance to start the car, as I will be doing some long shifts at work, right up till xmas, then up to the new year.
I may have to do the same with the HDI.

[procta]

Well its up and running again, the cold had killed the battery, so a kick jump from the starter and it was a live and kicking. I took the car for a burn, so that the battery got some charge and the oils flowing again. Also get the dampness out of the electrics, as I am having a electrical fault on the indicator side, sorted its self out once the heater warmed the car up. So with this taking the place of the HDi for the min, i am having some fun with it, for a change! rather than having it in bits!
shocked a seat leon today, that was funny! an old J plater up the arse of a 13 plater! seat driver didn't know what to think!
got an idea for the front spot system, but will have to do some more thinking.

[procta]

i tell you, this car is a lot easier to work on that the HDI! rocker cover gasket change on this, would have been a 10 min job!! HDI the timing belt covers had to come off!

[procta]

looks like i have a front light over haul on the cards, as The lights on this are just plain shite! Driving in the dark the new bulbs don't seem to be that bright at all. But then again the lens are over 20 years old. Also one of the spot lamp bulbs have gone down.

[procta]

got some bits in the post for this, as the engine is shouting for a oil change now. Its done the miles now on the oil that's in, as with the car only been used as a "weekender car" and things have become a lot more stable and its done two decent journeys up down the country. Its time it for an oil change, and i think i need to look at the brakes again, as i think one brakes is sticking slightly.

[THE_Liam]

This would look awesome on Superlites...

[procta]

This would look awesome on Superlites...

only thing with that liam, I would have to get them drilled for the rover metro offset. you can or could get aftermarket alloys for the metro offset,
check out reylands metro, those are the wheels id put on,
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=rover+...h&imgdii=_

I do have a spare set of alloys to go the car, for trackday or winter,



got those for 30 quid, tyres were f*cked, just need to buy a set of tyres and give them a f*ck off referb.

[THE_Liam]

Are they Compomotive MOs? Surprisingly they suit a Metro...

[procta]

Are they Compomotive MOs? Surprisingly they suit a Metro...

yeah they are, reyland made a batch for the metro, seen a few dropped on 14 and 15" on the net. reylands had "15 inch and their own custom brake setup too.
ideal if you wanted to fit bigger brakes to the car at the front.

[procta]

a nice little treat for you as with the weather been a *******! I have stock piled a few parts for the HDI and Metro, Now this little treat, wasn't really planned, yet. but since I have put this engine in, its been bugging me a little, on how it looked.

Anyway, I bought some oil that elise parts recommend, its slightly thinker than the stuff I got in, so it should help the tapping noise and general starting up etc. also I bought a new rocker cover gasket, as I think the old one as had it, plus I didn't change it. when I dropped this lump in, but didn't as getting the ******* running was the main job, and get the car back together, back then!
after having a browse on there, I bought a some anti squeal pads for car too, but an idea that has bugged me a bit was the engine.

remember it looking like this?



crap isn't it,
so today, after I done the droplinks on the HDi, I decided that I knew this gasket on this was a quick job! (30 mins!) compared to the HDIs job and half gasket change!
so I stripped the rocker cover,
My hands were blue at this point so the pics blurry,



rocker cover off





I checked the old one and it was pretty much had it, so I wiped off the oil, around the head. so the new gasket isn't dirty and stop it from slipping off.

new gasket place on, and took my time in making sure it seated spot on.



Now here's your little treat!


here's the oil cap

that was found by mistake, as the elise parts looked like a cheep copy with a sticker on,
so after I saw that, I thought **** it I will buy this




yeah, I decided to buy a linished cam cover and with a nice stainless steal oil cam to go with it!








a treat for you are what eh! made the engine look more refreshed tbh.

[Danny2009]

Looks 100x better mate you do all that by hand?

[procta]

Looks 100x better mate you do all that by hand?

no mate, tbh, think the old rocker cover, has seen better days. I bought new one all ready done.

[Danny2009]

Defiantly the better option! Be a bit of a ball ache sanding all that

[Craigus]

Shineys!

[procta]

Defiantly the better option! Be a bit of a ball ache sanding all that

some people have done like, I wasn't going to bother, for what you pay doing it your self, I decided just to buy a bling one haha. Engine bay looked proper sorry, with that old piece of shit on.

[procta]

got a two uprated parts coming for this, and also this happened to day.
I was going to give the two mirrors a referb, as the driver side was abit stiff trying to adjust it, well today, I started the metro today, to give it a turn over. I adjusted the mirror,
and that's answered that for me,







this is what they are like as normal


sad thing is, rimmer bro doesn't stock these new anymore, and getting second ones, I will end up with the same problem, as these do go brittle with time anyway. just as the cookie crumbles.
I have managed to buy new pair from ebay, I thought about getting colour coded but thought **** it. the way metro handles are, balls to it!

so you got to laugh hahaD

[lolsteve]

Looking forward to the uprated parts. Shame about the mirrors though, if only you had electric ones

[procta]

Looking forward to the uprated parts. Shame about the mirrors though, if only you had electric ones

those are more of a f*ck on to wire in, as the mgf shares the same mirrors as the metros, plus more shite to go wrong too!

[procta]

right now then, a few things that come in the post today,
one is a bit of a bargin, as it would have been nearly 400 quid new! got it in the sale for 40 quid. That is a new sunroof, the gasket around it would have been 30 quid if you could still get them.



second of all is my new gearbox mount, as I think the old one is practically past it,
and an adjustable tie bar too. ( under the engine)



also my replacement wing mirrors came today, so I took off the trim pieces.


then removed the mirror going to be kept as a spare.



rubbed a bit of Greece around the system, on the new mirror, as these do stiffen up sadly.


also notice the new one, has a painted handle.



then fitted the new mirror and refitted the trims


done the same on the driver side too,

at least I can get shot of this grubby mirror


I did make an tempt to see if I can fit my new replacement sunroof, sadly my fixings on the old unit, are rusted on. so its a case of just building the new one up. but half of the bits are on back order, so it could be months.

[lolsteve]

"rubbed a bit of Greece around the system, on the new mirror, as these do stiffen up sadly."