Susan by Tristared

3 minute(s) of a 45 minute read

Work continues on the procurement and renewal of engine parts for my 1815cc 'Big Valve' engine...

2.9 - 42mmm inlet & 34mm exhaust valves...

Zinc sprayed engine parts... 

 

Bead blasted alu parts...

Rocker covers after zinc spraying in Hi Temp primer...

7-2-2012

Progress has been slow in recent months, cash flow and delivery times have taken their toll and it’s only been this weekend that the project has once again moved forward.

The block is back from the engineering firm, it now sports 93mmm bores and properly bedded in new balance and cam shaft bearings. A day soaking in thinners and neat industrial cleaner is all it took to get it ready for painting.



Which was remarkably enjoyable due to the quality of paint I found – it’s a bit like painting on liquid lead. The original engine colour had been a green silver, though that could have been dirt – Anyway, the new colour will be just silver. Funny how it’s the products that openly state they will kill you in an instant that are really good at what they do.



The engine will be running stiffer valve springs so I thought it would be prudent to upgrade to metal gears. I want to like them, but then I know how much they cost. They better whine like hell, that way I get something out of them!



The only slight deviation from my engine project has been the procurement of a SAAB 900 Nardi Steering wheel that I managed to get of the ‘bay for a respectable price (considerably cheaper that the 96 items). Just waiting on the kit from the U.S to fit it. I know it won’t work straight out of the box, nothing ever does…



Just waiting on the timing cover hole where the fan used to be to be welded up, and the big valve heads to be finished and it’s time to put everything back together. Which brings be on the next point – I had been looking into getting some copper head gaskets made so that they would fit a 93mm bore, turns out some old Victor Reinz items that I had firmly believed where standard bore size, fit exactly. Very happy about that.


Now - I just need a tube of Graphogen, some Hylomar, an assortment of stainless steel jubilee clips, some new metric bolts, some…. etc, etc.