chstephens

The upgrade kit is complete and shipping. 6 kits in 3 countries. Send me a PM if you want more information. Craig

Happy New Year to all Does anyone have a spare UN1 rear casing assembly cover for a V8 Esprit? It is identified as part A082F6570S for 1998 and prior - I'm not sure of the post-1998 part number. Thanks in advance for any help. Craig

2001 Esprit V8 Titanium Metallic SCCDC08251HA10204 Craig Stephens Minnetonka, Minnesota USA

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Yes - EMCO is based in Chicago and they sponsor a Mid-Ohio Lemans race in the summer; this might be how you have heard of them. They do have a dyno but I do not plan on investing in the test at this point. This project is costing me a small fortune (and as a hobby; call me crazy!). EMCO has confidence that the design and strength of the shaft will cause the axle to break before the primary shaft goes....not that anyone wants a broken half shaft/axle. I am now expecting availability in mid-late May. Good news for those that want to take it to the track! Craig

Tony I have not yet released the Holloway Performance UN1 kit so no one has it installed. The delay: upon completion of heat treating the primary shafts, we had them magnafluxed and they did not pass QA standards. All primary shafts are being cut again from new alloy. Bottom line, the manufacturer (EMCO) knows how the parts should be machined, QA'd and assembled. I am sure the GTO kit is first rate and I am confident that the Holloway Performance kit will also be the highest quality. The manufacturer, EMCO Gears in the US, is a race only supplier that I have formed a relationship with for the UN1 upgrade. EMCO supplies gearboxes for IRL, NASCAR, American Lemans and Rolex series. In fact, every one of their gearboxes (6 total) completed the 24 hours at Daytona in February with no failures, including 1st place in GT class (black Mazda Rx-8). I respect everyone's decision to wait for others to experience and comment on the kit. I hope to get it in my 2001 Esprit soon. I do have many of the kits pre-purchased so the feedback should be coming in the next months. Kind regards, Craig

Great progress is being made on the Holloway Performance UN1 gearbox upgrade. For those of you that took advantage of the introductory offer, thank you. You will not be disappointed. 6 of the kits are purchased, as of today (Sept. 30, 2007) only 9 remain. You can view an actual photo of the primary shaft on the website. The primary shafts are awaiting gear and spline cutting. I will be adding more photos of the upgrade components so check in often. Best wishes, Craig

Hi Travis, Sorry we did not meet in CO but I have checked your website pictures. Great photos. My car is the 2001 Titantium V8. Regarding your question, the alignment to the pilot bearing is important, and the installation process contains direction on confirming the proper alignment. The tolerances (and stack) of multiple UN1 parts and cases have been measured to get the proper fit based on slight production variances in the OEM configuration. I have complete confidence in the US manufacturer to machine to the tolerances needed and special tooling is being developed to accommodate this upgrade. Binding should not be an issue - the warranty is to insure proper fit and function within a specific case. Cheers. Craig

Contact Jeff at JAE in California. The price varies based on availability, but he will get you the real deal.

As long as the gearbox is open, I would recommend inspecting the synchros very close. A trained eye is needed as the teeth may look fine to a non-professional. It would not be unusual to see 2nd synchro wear as a steep ratio change exists in the OEM configuration (3.36 to 2.05). The upgrade replaces 1st and 2nd (not 5th) with 3.00 and 1.94 ratios, making the transition work on the 2nd synchro "easier". Regarding the 5th gear comment, the kit uses the OEM 5th gear but includes a new 5th synchro hub that fits on the larger new primary shaft. Warranty - I understand your comments, however I cannot extend the time period. The upgrade will work or it won't out of the box, beyond that it is up to the driver. To accommodate any concerns, I am open to a purchaser defined ship date, which is the start date of the warranty. Then, if someone wants to install in say, March 2008, The kit will be shipped at that time and they have 3 months from that time to assure fit and function. Craig

Per the original post, the upgrade kit is not available until November 2007. It is in production at this time. There is no intention to purposefully "break" a shaft to determine the load capacity. With the design and materials being used, estimates are near 500 ft lb. I would expect something else to give (half shaft, CV joint) before it fails. Derek and I were both at LOG 27 in Colorado last weekend. Derek had an excellent technical session on the UN1 upgrade. Derek's design is not a straight cut, only first gear is straight cut. For longevity of gearbox life, synchromesh is the best option. Straight cut, often called dogbox, are racing boxes - both noisy and requiring frequent servicing. Most race dog boxes are serviced after each event/race. The UN1 case is not built for a simple service feature. The Holloway Performance upgrade is a collaboration with Derek Bell's design and the USA company EMCO Gears. Cheers, Craig

This is to inform all members of the group that the Holloway Performance website has been updated with pricing and ordering information on the UN1 gearbox upgrade. Availability will be late November 2007, with an introductory price on pre-purchases placed prior to September 30, 2007. Best wishes, Craig Stephens, Owner

White smoke in the exhaust under load is a strong indication of burning coolant. Is the coolant level normal or is it low? Considering the "pop" you describe I would agree it is a head gasket. Worse case is a cracked head itself, but let's keep positive as gaskets are less costly! Good luck. Craig

I would call Jeff at JAE. He would have the best knowledge on options in the States. Craig

I have Random Technology race cats with straight pipes and personally it is too loud in the cabin. I will be adding some form of race muffler (perhaps Flowmaster Delta 40) to mellow the sound. The O2 sensor "trickery" devices are on ebay as well. I installed one on a cat-less 2006 Exige and it works perfect - no CEL. Craig

Mark A simple attempt to correct the issue would be to run a good fuel system cleaner through with a tank of premium petrol. If any gum/varnish is built up on the injector, it may be impeding its ability to fully close/seat. Worth the $5 to try. See you at Autobahn and LOG! Craig

Hey Mark It defiantly sounds like too much fuel flooding out the cylinder. From there I would look at fuel pressure regulation or an injector sticking open. Good luck. Craig

As long as we are on the topic, has anyone identified an aftermarket IAT sensor for the V8? The stock unit is a plastic material, and I would think a metal body/wire unit would more rapidly respond to temp changes. Comments? Craig

Sorry for my lack of clarity on an earlier post. Mike is correct and the T25 housing must be used in a reflowed turbo upgrade/conversion. I had mine done in the States to a T28 hybrid configuration, 360 degree bearings, polished internals and ceramic coated housings. Between these, a Johan chip, water/meth injection and race cats - the torque is incredible! (BIG SMILE) Craig

Replacing the turbos on the V8 can be a challenge as the manifold studs are practically "welded" from the heat and there is limited room to wrench. Personally, if you ever have any future plans of upgraded ECU and exhaust, I would go with the T28 now and avoid a second turbo on/off session. I would also replace the studs/nuts with stainless steel. Craig

All great questions - my 2 pence worth: Personally, I use a separate tank with fuel tank foam to prevent "sloshing". I use an in-line filter to remove any particulate matter before the pump. The mixture is approx 50% water/meth. I make my own solution by using the cheap windshield washer fluid (-20 degrees F) 1 gallon and add 2 12 ounce bottles of HEET (original in the yellow bottle). The cheap blue windshield washer fluid in the USA is about 35-38% methanol and distilled water (no impurities), and HEET original is 98% methanol. You cannot use the expensive windshield fluid as it contains glycols and other additives to de-icing etc. Also, it is important to note you are not applying large amounts of fluid to the intake. It is a VERY fine mist that is vaporized almost immediately. I recommend a variable controller (I have the one by Snow Performance) that increases the amount of fluid with the level of boost. Too much injection and you actually hinder performance. It is a rather old and proven principle for turbo charged engines. It is not nearly as convenient as intercoolers, however as Marcus stated it is a very cost effective and reversible option compared to a custom, expensive job. Craig

FYI - I have it on my 2001. Quite satisfied.

These points are true, however a water-meth system can also allow increased boost, with added octane (meth) and cooling of the heads, making it a "safer" alternative for an engine with cast pistons. Note I am NOT promoting this but am speaking purely on the science of water-meth injection. Considering the increased octane (hence timing improvements) and cooling effect, a water-meth engine can be tuned to a similar BHP as an air-water or air-air charge cooler. It's all in the engine management. If the original question pertains to a stock Esprit with stock ECU and stock boost, then I agree the best alternative is water-air. One bit of trivia: many of the USAF turbo prop planes of WWII used water-meth injected Lycoming engines for huge BHP gains. This is one reason the late model fighters (Mustang) held such an advantage in the war (speed/climbing agility). This is a great thread! Craig