Slow Progress

Im way too slow at updating this damn thing, sorry about that.

Last meeting out was a disaster .. i had previously split a hose, overheated my nice new engine, and blown a head gasket, so being a largely over-bored engine, i have to get head gaskets made.
I only run around 0.036" piston to head clearance on a 0.060" crushed head gasket.

I sent the head gasket out to my gasket maker, and he unfortunately destroyed it in the proccess of enlarging the fire rings, so he used his own material and made me a new gasket.
I measured the gasket, sure enough it was the same uncrushed thickness, but this came back to bite me.

I ran the car for 3 laps out at pukekohe, and as i came past the start/finish line i heard the engine pitch change and quickly killed it .. however, it was too late. I pulled number 4 sparkplug, and the damage was already obvious ..

We pulled the head off once i got home, and sure enough, all the exhaust valves had touched the pistons, the pistons had touched the head, and it had smashed an exhaust valve off and punched it right through the top of a piston.

It turns out that the new head gasket had crushed 0.020" MORE than the gasket i had supplied.
Absolutely gutting !!

I have since pulled the engine out and stripped it .. its hammered the big ends a little because of the pistons touching the head. I should get away with a light hone on number 4, a new piston, checking the conrod for straight, a light crank polish, welding the cylinder head and reshaping, and a new set of valves once again.

Its all a bit disheartening, but i guess thats motorsport. I guess the moral of the story is, if there is something you aren't going to do yourself, check it, double check it, triple check it, then STILL don't trust that the person has done there bit correctly.

Hopefully ill have the old girl running for the end of Feb.

New Project

Well .. exciting things happening with team "Engine Parts 128".

We have purchased a mint NZ new 1979 Fiat 128 Sedan which is almost completely rust free, and very straight.

Over the next year or so we are intending to have it acid dipped to be seem welded, and lightened, with thoughts of lexan windows, flared guards, a front spoiler, and a few extra additions.

I will keep you up to date with this as things happen, but keep an eye out for the white/blue car at the track as i will be still racing it competitively over the next year.

Brake enhancements.

Another big weekend on the car up at Lynchbuilt Performance - involved two early mornings, some cutting, welding, and more of the good stuff.

We started out by grinding the paint off the front panel, and welding a couple of tags on in crucial spots. Then, while tony heated it with a gas torch, i leaned on it with a bar and chain, and we pulled most of the front of the car back into place. With a few test fits of the radiator and bonnet, the front is pretty close to original.

We then cut away all the support for the new bonnet, making it approx half its original weight.

Who needs rigidity in a race car ? its only a cover to stop animals and small children from falling in right ?

After the front was about 90% finished (in need of some finishing bog) we started on brakes ..

fitting in a fully reco'd stainless sleeved Vauxhall Firenza master cylinder, brand new bundy tube, and a wilwood bias valve instead of the factory fiat item.

I also threw the old radiator cooling fan in the bin, and fitted an aftermarket one which is about half the depth to get more space in the engine bay to fit my new electric waterpump.

Theres still a bit more to do to finish it off - will post more pics when its done.

Engine runs !

A busy weekend last weekend was very eventful.

Over the last week i have acheived the following:

1) done a final assemble on the engine

2) degree'd the cam in

3) put the engine and gearbox in the car

4) fired the new engine up for the first time

5) been to the dyno and run it in under loading

6) done several power runs and changed timing and jetting

7) changed the master cylinder

8) done all preliminary checks ready for racing.

The car pulled 160bhp at the flywheel, and 155Nm of torque from 3500RPM through to redline on an absolutely flat torque curve.

We are now ready to run the new engine at the track and see how she goes. With a touch more compression, and the same spec carb's / cam / pistons / stroke etc etc it should all be very similar. I am really looking forward to driving it.

Heres a few new pics !

Oh and in the video - yes thats RUST coming out of the exhaust.

It had been sitting for 4 months after only ever being run on Avgas.

Getting Closer

Hey everyone,

Knuckled down and got most of the block assembled for my 128, then popped one piston into number 1 cylinder to get ready for a valve to piston / piston to head clearance check, and found that number 1 conrod has quite a big twist in it.

I've now got another steel conrod away being shot peened after i had it balanced.

All valves are now swirl polished, the sump has been cold tanked and completely cleaned, and i now have a piston back in number one cylinder to do the crucial checks before assembly.

Will keep you posted.

New Motor Almost Done

Hey guys, sorry about the late update on the car .. i've managed to get a nasty round of Sinusitis and been pretty slack.

However, i have been busy preparing my new block for next season (which is only a month away, so i better haul ass).

The new block is decked, honed, bored, final cleaned, and ready for assembly.

The cylinder head has been welded, skidded, had new seats put in, had a full new set of valves sized, and is ready for the valve heights to be set.

Ill keep you posted as it all goes together, but heres a few photos of the new engine being prepared.

Success at last !! (then failure - oops)

Well .. two meetings have passed, on the 15th/16th of March, then the 30th of March. It appears as though we may have solved the tripode/gearbox issue by drilling a couple of holes and milling a few slots in the gearbox case to get oil around the LSD diff to the other side.

The Car ran perfectly on the 15th/16th, competing in 3 races, the first being a scratch race, starting 9th on the grid, finishing 5th, then in the handicap races, starting 9th in both, and finishing 2nd, then 3rd respectively.

I also set a new personal best lap time in that car of 1.17 around pukekohe - which we haven't gotten managed to get to for about 4 years.

On the 30th, we got to the track after a bit of a nightmare - on the 29th she blew a head gasket between numbers 1 and 2 cylinders at 5pm in the afternoon, and after sourcing a head gasket, and getting it sorted, strapped it back together to fire it into life at 12.30am.

The car ran like a charm - lapping pukekohe in 1.16's ! it felt fantastic, driving it alot harder than previously. Finally i put in a new personal best of 1.16.49 - of which i could see another half a second that i could be faster.

Unfortunately in the 2nd race, i gave the car an over-rev when i missed 3rd gear, which didnt seem to do any harm, but was later revealed that all the exhaust valves had touched the pistons.

The car went on to finish that race in good time (3rd in the first scratch race, and 5th in that handicap race) - then on the next race out, was climbing through the pack, only to have the head of an exhaust valve drop off at 8200RPM in top gear at 210KPH.

Needless to say, that was the end of my race day, and am now trying to source a set of stainless valves, a new piston, and need to do a bit of repair work on the cylinder head.

Well on the way though ! The car is now running in the top 3 cars in AES/Tradezone, with hopes of maybe a few first placings next season.