Recommend Garage Nr Lincoln

[blackcat]

I am moving from Suffolk to Lincoln, about 5Mls east. So will be looking for someone to maintain my STR. I know Nene Jags at Peterborough
but is there anyone closer. I will be looking to have the valley pipes changed and the supercharger cooling pump along with service.
My STR is a keeper so preventative maintenance.
Thanks Mike

[J44EAG]

Not able to advise personally on who to take your car to for work, but others here may be able to advise.

As you might have seen in my recent articles and various posts on the X350 Forum, I have changed both the valley pipe and the inter-cooler pump. The valley pipe change is an important one. The first two inches of pipe at the front really cook up over years and mileage. Worth every penny to get that done. Sadly glossed over in scheduled maintenance as simply "Inspect pipes". In the case of that hose, inspection without removal of the supercharger is quite impossible. So it gets left and finally gives up. Also get the small vac and pressure pipes to the by-pass actuator changed at the same time. The small 1/8th bore pipes are only £8 for a twenty seven inch length of OE material. £4 if you get a length of similar pipe from Halfords. The Halfords pipe is of thicker wall size which is no bad thing. Like the valley pipe, these two small pipes cook to extinction atop a super charged model.

I recommend changing the Hella inter-cooler pump for a Bosch alternative. Available for just £135 delivered from AVT via Ebay, the Bosch unit is cheaper, faster flowing, and reliable enough for a drag racer! The pump is mounted behind the bumper cover below the OS main beam headlight. The Bosch pump is a little larger than the Hella unit and a slight bracket mod is required. Fitting the larger pump drops inter-cooler temperatures which then allow more engine torque to be developed. The effect of fitting this unit is immediate and very positive. More grunt and easier driving on hills. On the motorway, the car maintains speed easier and you don`t have to work so hard on the throttle. I do a regular Portsmouth to Caterham run up the A3/M27 and I`m now seeing a 1.1mpg fuel economy improvement with the Bosch pump fitted. That`s because I`m not belting the throttle so hard! I should have fitted this pump eighteen months ago instead of leaving it on my desk!! Highly recommended. The Bosch pump also helps reduce temperatures around the supercharger cooler bricks which again helps preserve the rubber pipework in that area.

Watch out for my next article in the X350 pages of the June 2017 magazine....its all about lowering V8R engine temperatures and increasing performance at the same time. Once again, the Bosch pump gets a mention.

Mike K

[blackcat]

Thanks for reply and info about the Boch pump, I will get the other hoses done at the same time. I have had work done by Nene Valley in the days I lived at Huntingdon and owed an XJS V12, loved that car until it became a money pit. Once I get myself settled at Lincoln, looks like a day out to Peterborough