The Great Rolling Dyno engine rebuild

Post by **bertvorgon** » 09 Jul 2023 07:53

In October of 1983, while doing a giant slalom at Westwood, hours before the start of the 7 Hour Enduro, which the Specialty team had entered, I went into the tire wall coming out of the “S’s, at a conservative 80 mph!

The car went home on a trailer.

A few days ago, for only the second time in its life, did my car go again on a trailer, to Specialty Engineering, for an engine rebuild.

As it has turned out, the timing was good. An exhaust valve was burnt, cylinders showed signs of corrosion after 21 winters in storage, even with oiling down, etc.. The block was cracked like most, between a head bolt and two water passages. Ring tension was low. My methanol solenoids were dead. The intercooler spray water line had somehow gotten pinched between the rad support and the lower tank. Basically a litany of small things on top of the big.

The knife edged crank has survived, the main bearing’s showing a spot or two where the crank touched down, likely from either engine start up after an oil change, or, after a winter start up before oil pressure has built. Andy thinks an Accusump might be in order.

One of my biggest fears was that my exhaust manifold would be dead. My last one literally de-laminated internally, the cast iron flaking off like an old log. I think that the years of crazy fuels I burned took a toll on the iron.
This manifold has SURVIVED, only the start of a small crack along the weld on the underside, where the turbo mounting flange was welded on!

So far I have spent a few hours pulling my methanol module out for rebuild with new solenoids, vacuuming and cleaning the
Two fan blades from 8 years of road debris. Amazing what was in there. That radiator still has to be shaken out and some fins straightened.

I am able to get factory heater hoses and will get new radiator hoses.

The cam shaft and rockers seem ok, I was very diligent about oiling the cam before start up when having sat for any length of time.

My clutch plate had some good wear on it, as I did have the 4 puck NON-spring disc in there. I thought I had the sprung one, but, in looking back, a spring had failed in the sprung one, so we put a non spring one in.

Thankfully, I had gotten a call from Glen at West Coast Nissan many years ago, when the last few factory roadster clutch plates came up, so I grabbed one!

At this point, all things considered, after 21 years since this motor was built, and it has seen some SERIOUS rips and heat,
It has survived quite well.

My transmission is out now too, not having been looked at in 13 years, so Andy will take a look at the internals. It had gotten all new bearings in 2010.

It was a fight to get the exhaust out, all the slips joints not touched since 2010. Thank God for Never-Sieze!!!!!

I do have a new turbo core with the 229 housing, which is my higher flow one. I will hopefully be able to use my existing exhaust housing, which for my car has given the best of both worlds, good bottom end yet breathes not badly at high rpm, my cam limiting me now, as I went back to my smaller one when I stopped racing. My turbo now is an absolute dinosaur compared to today’s stuff, but, for my driving now, it is just fine. It was designed in the 60’s I’m sure, as my original turbo kit goes back to 1972.

That’s it in a nut shell, will update as we go on.

Post by **bertvorgon** » 09 Jul 2023 07:55

icehouse · Post by **icehouse** » 09 Jul 2023 08:01

Dang so no summer time rips around the mountains? bummer! Such a cool rig!!!!!!!!!!! Looks like you two are having fun tearing it down though. My favorite part too.

Post by **bertvorgon** » 09 Jul 2023 08:01

More.

Yesterday I started to rebuild my methanol system on my work bench. I also bought some new fuel injection line, to change all my rubber fuel lines out. Most are five years old now.

I am going to re-plumb and re-route my water line to the inter-cooler spray.

Post by **510rob** » 09 Jul 2023 18:00

Is it me, or does the AvGas and top-secret [magic sauce] have really low ash?

gooned · Post by **gooned** » 09 Jul 2023 19:04

Andy is in his element, I bet he doesn’t get too many L series through the door in a year anymore.

Post by **RONSLYCHUK** » 09 Jul 2023 19:43

Hey Keith. That is great that it is on its way to recovery.

Post by **bertvorgon** » 10 Jul 2023 09:54

Morning World,

Feast your eyes boys and girls, not too often you get to look at 60's technology in the Turbo dept.

I will be checking today to make sure my exhaust housing will be ok to bead blast and install. This is the housing that is between the smallest one and the "Oh my God" one. I ran the large one, once at Knox, it was way too big for that event, but, on the way home, along the Similkameen River, I scared myself when I ate a Corvette on a long straight stretch. That was when I had my BIG cam...I was still accelerating at 8,000 RPM. Useless everywhere else.

The heater hoses do not have the cloth web on them, but, at least they will be NEW.

Fuel....yup..likely very low ash...100LL has all sorts of chemicals in it., like any fuel! Considering that motor is 21 years old, hardly anything on the valve stems, etc.. One key is the warm up cycle for the plugs, which with my high idles, sure helps. Other than that, for the detractors that have said to me over the years..."You can't run aviation fuel in a car!".....I rest my case. Is it perfect, I suspect not, but it has done what I needed it to do. Sure does NOT gunk up the carb when it has sat, unlike pump fuel.

GregPL510 · Post by **GregPL510** » 11 Jul 2023 15:32

Awesome Keith ,how long will it be at Andy and Tracy's. I'd love to drop by and see it all apat .
You know I haven't seen them since the shop on blackie st New West

Post by **bertvorgon** » 12 Jul 2023 07:19

Hey Greg,

It will be there until it is finished! There is lots to be done yet, transmission to be howled through also.

There will be car and motorcycle prep for the upcoming race and track day, July 22, 23 & 24.

All that being said and no other major problem, maybe done by September!? If I get to drive it a couple of times before the snow flies, I will be a happy camper.

Andy put 2 pipe plugs into the block, then drills them out for the water flow, he did that on Jamie's. He did not seem too worried about the other small crack.

These blocks are unobtanium now too, having chosen this after my 2 litre racing years. I/we thought I would be doing track days, but, the 510 crowd thinned out and the track rental started to get stupid in terms of cost. For what driving I'm doing now, this will be fine in terms of stress and strain...I hope!

Our days of "fast" driving have to be done now ( i'm talking to myself here), as it is just a different time and the last thing I want now is to get my 510 towed. This was another reminder.....

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/three-p ... y-speeding

I am in the process of rebuilding my methanol system in my basement and will be re-plumbing the water spray so the water line is in FRONT of the rad support, not behind.

MikeY · Post by **MikeY** » 12 Jul 2023 10:38

What block are you running, out of curiosity. I hope the head gasket works out for you. And it's nice to see the heater hoses are still available. I tell people to grab a pair as spares all the time. I wish rad hoses were still available. Heater hoses will probably disappear soon as well.

Post by **bertvorgon** » 12 Jul 2023 14:24

It is the Z22 block with my 2l crank in it. One of Andy's creations I guess.

I did grab a spare set of heater hoses, I will carry them on road trips, you never know!

My rad hoses are not stock so no issue there for me.

I still have that set of Factory rear tail light assembly's, totally complete, plug and play, I think I will sell those.

iceman510 · Post by **iceman510** » 13 Jul 2023 06:04

bertvorgon wrote: ↑12 Jul 2023 07:19
Andy put 2 pipe plugs into the block, then drills them out for the water flow, he did that on Jamie's. He did not seem too worried about the other small crack.

Keith, this is for the cracks? They are at the water holes not the bolt hole in the center of the block?

Using steel plugs I presume?

This is a good idea. I had one of mine welded up and retapped (bolt hole crack in L20B).

Thanks.

Post by **bertvorgon** » 13 Jul 2023 20:34

Yes, milled out the two water jacket holes, NOT the head bolt. Then tapped and pipe plug put in and then drilled.

Post by **bertvorgon** » 22 Jul 2023 09:38

Morning World!

Another warm day again, cannot believe it is almost the end of July!

Not much to update at this point, BIG THANKS to MIKE Y for the head gasket!!!!!!! Just came in the mail yesterday at Specialty. The fellow who does the block boring has been on holidays, so no action on that front for a bit yet.

I see a nice new high volume water pump on the bench, ready to go.

I bought some new water line for the inter-cooler spray and will re-plumb that this coming week.

Today, later, I will be finishing the rebuild on my methanol spray system, I got sidetracked by a crabbing expedition to Denman Island for the past week. The 3 Amigos ( me, my son, my son-in-law) managed to not kill ourselves first time out with a 22 year old NISSAN 2 stroke motor. We did get lots of crabs and Matt got his finger majorly squished by a one of them..oops!!

Also, here is a picture of Bob B's Datsun 1000, with the Dodge Colt engine in it.