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11-23-2007
It sounds like a crazy lot of work! Does it fly?

11-23-2007
Yes, but you'll lose the trunk. Be quick about it if you want to be first, I got a call from another mondial owner the other day looking for details.....

11-23-2007
The grinding is done on 1/2 the engine....I hate grinding.

11-23-2007
With the offending studs now out of the way on the one bank I could resist a quick test fit of the head. This engine is going to look SOOOO good…..and that head is soooo too long in front.

The timing cover needs the block and heads to be flush. Moving the timing cover out to match the head is not an option since it would make the engine too long, so the head needs to get shorter. Most of the “stuff” is just bosses to mount covers, and engine accessories that I have no use for, so off they come. The cams stick out a mile, but I think I can cut them off and use the seal flange as the sprocket mount since I don’t need a seal.

The biggest problem I see is that the front cam bearings are sticking a little proud for the block and I can’t cut them off. My plan is at the moment is to machine the cover let the bearing stick in and machine the head so that the timing sprocket fits over the bearing. That will let both the timing chain and the bearing be in the same place at the same time and actually takes a bit of load off the bearing, so everybody wins.

I've got to belive there will never be 2 of these.

Back to grinding

11-23-2007
It's the block. It looks to me like the 365 block is probably a match on the center 10 studs and off the same 2.5mm on the end. If it was just the end studs that were a problem, I'd just have done an eccentric stud to get 1.5mm then re-drilled the head...much easier.

I hope to finish the grinding tonight so I can move on to welding tomorrow. The thicker the metal, the harder it is to weld because aluminum conducts the heat so well. I'll warm the whole block up to 200-300 then give it a try. I've got a 400 apm welder, sooooo.

If you want to use a 400/412 block it would be best to keep the 400/412 heads, it's cheaper that way anyway. It's fits, the goldsmith book is

11-23-2007
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spasso View Post
That is going to be a great looking engine!
Even better when it runs.


I was thinking the same thing.

11-23-2007
The grinding is done! Tomorrow the welding begins and we find out if I can repair the damage I just did and turn if from scrap metal back into a block.

On the second head the hole head stick out a tad too far....I'll need to think about that.

Here's how it looks with 2 heads

11-24-2007
Yes, and the main casting of the TR head is about 1/4" longer than the 400 heads pear end....and that's 1/4" too much.

I'll most likely most likely just mill the end of the head off, then weld in a plate to seal the water jacket back up.

11-24-2007
I took a look, I don't think it would help for space and it puts the oil feed holes at the wrong end.

11-24-2007
It's tucked in all warm and snuggly under 4 250W heat lamps. I’ll give it a couple hours and it should be ready to weld.

One of the smarter things I’ve done in a long time was build an exhaust fan over my work bench. I built it a while ago, but just finished the vent line up this week. I have had carb cleaner, lacquer thinner, compressor, oil, wd-40 smoke going and I haven’t been in trouble at all….and Lana’s pretty sensitive about that stuff. Normally all I need to do it reach for the carb cleaner and she’s standing behind me whacking me in the back of my head.