Still not RTR (Ready To Race)

Some more small problems to struggle with that make that I still have no MoT. The small one was a loose bolt on the diff carrier (solved after a dive underneath the car), the complicated one was CO being too high and the labour intensive one was a cabling error to the headlights. I did a mess and mixed up ground with one of the headlight 12V+ wires. Silly me! Solved whilst resoldering, followed by adjustment.

The technical control mentioned a CO rate of around 8% which is far too high. During TechnoClassica in April I purchased a Gunson Gastester. Out it came to try adjustment on my own. Here is how I proceeded:
- run the car so it is hot (around 80° water T)
- connect the gastester and leave it for 8min
- calibrate the gastester to 2% and wait another 2min to let it stabilize
- put the probe into the exhaust and leave it there until you get a reading
- open the map in your ECU and go to the live adjustments (Emerald)
- tap 2 to decrease or 3 to increase fuel (injection trim)
Before you start, be sure to adjust iddle and check the TPS (throttle position sensor) setting.

I managed to set it to 1.6% which should be ok, than had a run and checked the value. It was slightly higher but still ok. I may repeat the adjustment just before I go to MoT next time.
Cheers.

NGK BPR7ES

Thats the type of spark plugs I now use!
Previously I ran the same type without the R (BP7ES) and it was fine with carbs. Now that I converted to injection, these no longer work. The difference is quite spectacular: rough idle, idle remains not constant when warming the engine, bad combustion a.o. After I rebuilt the engine it ran ok but had some backfire on idle when warm. Checking with Dave Walker, head of Emerald ECU, he recommended to use the "R" plugs. Now the engine runs a charm ... fingers crossed it will do for a long time.
This is mostly due to RFI (radio frequency interference) generated together with the spark. No harm for carbs, but as soon as electronics are involved, it matters.

Gap is set to 1mm. Have a look at above chart if you travel through both imperial and metrical worlds.

Once the engine is run in, I will do a power blat and check the spark plugs colour. Only then I will proceed to more tweeking of the ECU settings (ignition and fueling).
Cheers.

Pageviews ... many thanks!

To all viewers, many thanks for your visit !
Cheers.

Running again

With the head back on, I started to set the valves. This means turning the crankshaft until one valve of a cylinder opens completely, then set the one that is supposed to be closed. Here is some data I collected about the values and different procedures. After that, I bolted the injection back on.
Engine temp: cold
GT (standard)
Inlet: 0.28-0.33mm (0.20-0.25mm)
Outlet: 0.53-0.58mm (0.46-0.50mm)
Data from Vulcan Engines for a Kent 290 camshaft
in: 0.36mm
out: 0.46mm
Method “by cylinder”
When one valve is fully open, adjust the clearance on the other.

Method “rule by nine”
if 1 and 6 open – set 8 and 3
if 4 and 2 open – set 5 and 7
if 8 and 3 open – set 1 and 6
if 5 and 7 open – set 4 and 2

Firing order = 1-2-4-3 (1 is opposite from flywheel)

Order of valves from cylinder one (I = inlet; O = outlet):  I-O-O-I-I-O-O-I

As soon as it revved (filling coolant and oil first!), I checked the ignition advance with the strobe light, oil pressure was ok. But I will also check all the other settings before driving it again.

Cheers.

Biiiig exhaust gaskets

Compared with the normal gaskets between the exhaust manifold and the cylinderhead, those from Vulcan Engines are five times fatter. The other thing they do different is the fixing. Whereas originally stud bolts come out of from the head, the manifold is now fixed with Allen head bolts. Except for one (middle right) which I had to change for a hex head due to limited access.

Prior to assembly I recut the threads to prevent the new bolts from biting too much into the head.
Cheers.

Been completely headless

The good thing loosing your head is when you get it back as new. New valve guides, valve seats cut three angles, facing took 0.12mm off, readily assembled. Of course ... new gasket!

A good idea is to check the TDC (top dead center) mark on the crank pulley. Use the book and respect the torque and order in which you tighten the head bolts.

Next are the tappets and the rocker shaft. Tighten evenly.
Enough for a summer Sunday morning...
Cheers.

Starter motor

Some of the bolts of the oilpan are only accessible with the startermotor unmounted. This allows me to write down the part number and clean it thoroughly. This starter motor composes of two parts, one is the motor itself which engages into the flywheel, the smaller part is the solenoid switch. The other pic shows the mounting position and some of the flywheel teeth. Starter motor back on now ... still some small jobs can be done while waiting for the cylinder head return from the workshop.
Cheers.

Cleaning the valves

The cylinder head and one of the valves are at ANG for a new lease of life. Their verdict was quite ok, so I left everything there for them to do some work on the valve gear:
- the crack is not critical, there is enough space around for the gasket to keep it sealed
- the seats are not for lead-free and don't have a three-angle cut
- the copper insert that came out is a K-Liner and they don't like them at ANG (neither do I)
I decided to go for new guides instead of fumbling around with K-Liners, and new seats. Today I cleaned all the valves, springs, retainers and cotters to bring them to their workshop on Monday.
Cheers.

Headwork

The cylinderhead showed some leakage around the valves when I tested it with petrol. One good reason to take the valves out and regrind them. Tonight's job: disassemble the cylinderhead. Say hello to my new tool, the valve spring compressor.

This tool permits to compress the valve spring. Then you get access to the cotters and can take them out. Release the spring and the valve spring retainer comes off. The valves come out, some by themselves, some need a little persuasion.

The valves should not mix up, cardboard helps to keep them sorted. Unfortunately, one copper insert came out with its valve. Tapping it back in didn't work.

This leaves me with two more problems: #1 getting an insert off the right size and #2 find the right valve stem seals. Those in the seal kit (left) aren't the same as in my engine.

And one more to prepare a sleepless night, how about this little crack? Is this serious? I will further investigate with some specialist friends and decide what to do.

Cheers.

From the bottom

Oil pan cleaned meticulously to permit a good contact surface with the gasket. Silicon will be applied to the block surface, Loctite 5926 recommended.

Don't forget to tighten the con rod bolts with the torque wrench (48Nm) before you put the pan back on. Quite a lot of bolts. Tighten evenly to prevent it from bending.

The kit FP716K from Burton contains the gaskets you need. I replaced the pan gasket and the two half circles front and back.
Cheers.

Start of engine re-assembly

Here we go: new piston and old conrod, determine the right mounting direction through the arrow in the casting (pointing to front of engine). Lubricate pin ...

... and put it in, secure it with circlips both sides.

Number one ready ... and then repeat it for all of them.

Honing the cylinders to roughen the surface, then set the piston rings as shown.

Rings will not enter the cylinder without a ring compressor.

Tap them in with a wooden stick, repeat this four times.
Cheers.