Flaminia engine rebuild

[lancianut666]

Hi all
Not quite all back together but the old camshaft is back in, the heads are torqued down and the valve gear is back on ready to do the timing and valve clearances. I will still have to put the carbs and manifold back on as well as the drivers side exhaust manifold so I can line the down pipes up. I put some more Graphene in the bores and on the ends of the new cam followers.
Clarkey

[lancianut666]

Hmmm....an Einstein moment as the setting of the valve clearances has given exactly the same result namely if you don't want the rocker arm to jam on the valve spring that won't go down any further and locks the engine you have to have truly massive valve to rocker arm clearances. In consultation with my next door unit neighbour he pointed the finger at the new cam followers as they were the only new part in the valve train...Hmmm...

[lancianut666]

Update
Cavallito tell me the cam followers for the Appia are a different diameter so perhaps it is just me?

[lancianut666]

Hi all
I am still pondering over the valve clearances and find it strange that cylinder No 1 exhaust valve clearance can be set with no binding problems. I have two theories one is some of the valve springs are binding and the other is the rocker pillars are handed to the cylinders. I hope the first is wrong! The reason for the second is the stampings on the rocker pillars they have a number of punch marks starting at one and the highest is six. It may be a coincidence but the rocker pillar for cylinder number one only has one punch mark on it. I foolishly swapped the rocker pillars from my spare engine so they are now all mixed up, if this is the problem it will have to be some trial and error to get the right rocker pillar with the right cylinder. A result yesterday was the tack welding (done by me) of the exhaust front pipes to their respective flanges. I could not get access to the flanges with the welding torch with the pipes on the car so had to mark them with marker pen. They will go to the steel fabricators on Monday to do a proper weld.
Clarkey

[lancianut666]

Pictures of the markings on the rocker pillars...anyone got any ideas?
Clarkey

[lancianut666]

more...

[Richard Fridd]

 For what it's worth my two engines have different rocker assemblies, and from memory push rod lengths.

             Richard

[lancianut666]

Hi Richard
I think the 823 engines have a different part number for the rockers.
Clarkey

[lancianut666]

Hi all
Some progress made as I have timed the engine as outlined in the workshop manual and I am pleased to say all the valves now open and shut. Phew! As a result the timing chain cover is back on, the pulley and damper are back on and the rocker covers are on to keep debris dropping in to the engine. Hopefully I can get the exhaust finished, get the dynator back in, fit the radiator (still waiting on the hoses), fit the steering damper (slight snag as the bushes on the new one are different at one end so it will not fit, I might be able to swap the old one), fit the carbs, rig up an oil pump primer, set up the ignition timing put some petrol in and it should start.
Easy!
Clarkey

[lancianut666]

Hi all
We all live in the world of unforeseen circumstances thankfully this one worked out in my favour. As I was grappling with modifying the exhaust downpipes I took the oil filter off to give me better access. I marked up the flange and pipe but without the oil filter on so when it came back from being welded and I put it on I noticed a problem...the admittedly huge oil filter would not go back on! Doh! No problem as amongst some other spares I had noticed a spin on filter kit comprising a new screw in fitting and a nice aluminium base plate and I had recently ordered a spin on filter from Omicron so in about an hour and a half the new filter was on after cleaning all the threads and putting some loctite on before assembling. Result! and a big sigh of relief.
Clarkey

[lancianut666]

Hi all
Fair bit done and my list of 12 things to do has been slimmed down to 3 and a halfish. To date we have fitted both exhaust downpipes and connected them up to the centre sections, the dynator is back in, the oil cooler and pipes are in with a new rubber mounting, the new steering damper is back in after a false alarm over a rubber bush that had pulled off the steel sleeve, the water pump pulley lock tabs are done and I have spent the afternoon making a tool to let me prime the oil pump.
To do is getting the rad re-cored, fitting the carbs and fuel line, setting up the ignition and prime the oil pump.
Clarkey

[simonandjuliet]

Hi Jim, sent you an email