Having had an engine internal problem causing loss of power at my last race I decide to pull the engine to investigate. It would still run without any abnormal noises or smoke but the engine is partially seized and very hard to turn over by hand and that internal drag is clearly the cause of the loss of power. I have started this thread to record both the removal process, the rebuild and re-installation. Will post more when I get a chance. The engine came out today and tomorrow I hope to open it up to find out more.
The one good thing about the corona virus is no time pressure on the rebuild as no racing probably until next November at the earliest. Hopefully I have all the bits I need as getting items from around the world may become hard in the next few months. I have a used race engine I pulled a few years ago that has been waiting for a rebuild to a lower compression ratio to comply with the newer race regulation in my class requiring unleaded pump fuel rather than Avgas. The refreshed bottom end of this engine plus the lower compression head of my current engine will hopefully match up, assuming and hoping the problem is in the bottom end of my current engine
cheers
Rohan