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11-21-2007
The 50mm ducati TBs would work very well on a fully ported high flow head. Something that big would be wasted on a mostly stock head. But I’m not sure if they can be had at a price that would make then a good alternative to aftermarket stuff.

With the TR heads and ports in the middle, the problem become the runner needing a 20-30 degree turn to keep from running into each other in the REALLY narrow galley, so that is not without problems. I can see why the new engines went from a 60 degree V to a 65 degree V, every little bit helps.

You guys have given me many good alternatives and options, but I think I’m going to build to the original plan for no particularly good reasons.

My car is a 308QV. I bought it because it was a QV and I’d like it to stay a QV, it’s an ODC thing. If it were a 2v car, I am certain I would have abandoned the TR heads when I found the stud issue, but my ODC simply won’t let me.

The TR engine (no boxer because I need a 4v engine) looks like it would work and make a pretty straightforward conversion and I think it’s a great idea. In some ways I’m a little disappointed with myself for passing on it 5 or 6 years ago when it wouldn’t have meant a divorce. Someone will do it I’m sure and it will be a great car, but it won’t be my car.

My car will have a more original look to it then either the TR or 400 heads would allow and I like that….it that OCD again. It will also be more work, but that’s ok but it will be what I want when it’s done.

So back to the conversion.

I’m really thinking I’m going to weld the stud holes shut and re-drill. To do it I’ll have to cut though the side and open the holes up into the water jacket (once the liners are out). Then I can fill the whole thing with weld and put the holes where I want then and never think about a plug moving or anything else. It will be just like it came that way from the factory.

I’ll have to clean-up where the cylinder liners go, which has got me thinking about nikasil (sp?) vs iron options. I’ll probably stay iron for cost, but I would love to through in a set of 85mm 348 liners and have what would resemble a stroked F50 engine. If I could find 12 used liners cheap that I could rebuild (it’s about $100 each to have the nikasil re-done), that might be in the budget.

11-21-2007
Your extra luckily because she hits hard!

I don’t know if you saw the movie “the Italian jod”, but there’a line in it that is all too true. “If there is one thing I’ve learned, you don’t mess with mother****ing Ukrainians.” Lana is short for Svitlana, a good Ukrainian name

Not that I would be aloud to get more major engine parts, but I just found this pic on the Norwood sight. I believe it's a 365 or similar and the heads studs all appear to be equally space outside the bore with the exception of the 2 on each end. It looks like using an earlier block would make the TR head install easier because the 5 exhaust side center studs that I have to move 5mm are ok. The outer ones look like they are off the same 2.5mm that the 400 block studs are off. 1.5mm can be made up with a custom stud and 1mm would be safe to open the holes in the TR heads and the heads would go on.

Oh well, once I get done with the welder the heads will go on the 400 block too.

11-21-2007
no, I need them for the cylinder pulling it turns out. I hope to be pulling cylinders tomorrow or friday at the latest. Then the studs. Then weld the block.

I guess know that I think about it all the studs that actually need to come out will just fall out once I cut the hole open for welding. Where's that easy button

11-21-2007
While working on the puller to press out the liners I had an epiphany….if I’m trying to press out anything, the right tool for the job is a press….ok, some times I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, or basement in this case.

I slid the press over near the welding table so I could support the block and used the head of the puller I was working on to grab the liners. They popped right out. The hardest part of the job was putting the block up in the press, a second person would have come in very handy. The whole job, including moving the press and taking picture took less than an hour.

On the stud problem.

11-22-2007
I'll pass it on to her. I know she loves me but after I mentioned the TR engine she did spend a solid 15 minutes explaining the issues she had with my mental state.

11-22-2007
It's a big project, but almost tame by my younger year standards

She owes me big time anyway. I just spent 2 solid, hard 2 years building her the patio from h*ll. It was supposed to by a simple pool with a few hundred square feet of concrete, sign the contract and check when it was done. But she wasn’t sure , there were a couple details she didn’t quite like so we hired a landscape architect. It ended up 3000 sqft of cut turkish stone on 3 levels with 250 feet of retaining walls and a couple walkways thrown in for go measure, bar, built -in grill island thing.....so I fired the landscape architect. Oh, and we had to truck in 1.8 million pounds of stuff and move another 4-5 million pounds of the stuff we already had. Oh yeah, and “since it’s about 4 times over the budget that I didn’t actually have to begin with, "can you do it yourself ?” No matter that I'd never mixed a batch of cement or run a piece of heavy equipment (outside machine shop stuff) in my life. I lost almost 20 lbs, lost 2 inches on my waist and gained about 4 inched on my chest....I've never worked so hard in my life!

I think we’ll be about ½ way to even when this is done....now I need to figure out what the other 1/2 is
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11-22-2007
Sometimes there is just no amount of begging that will save you......

11-22-2007
Thanks. I still need to stucco all the block in the spring so I get one more change to screw things up

11-22-2007
Thanks.

You're right about that!

I can't even stand the thought of looking at the shovel these days, but I just got done telling Lana that it’s like Christmas every time I see the v12 on the bench! I just love that engine and I’m just dying to get to the welding part because it means things are going back together. But 3 years ago when I was building the (now Verell’s) blower set-up just the thought of having to weld made me sick. Change is good sometimes.