308 V12 conversion begins

I did notice the warping, hence my suggestion and comment.
What do you think about clamping a false camshaft the length of the head, using the journals and caps?
As you haven't posted any pics looking down into the top of the head, I can't tell if that would get into the way of your work.
Do you think you will significantly warp the valve guide holes also?

 

While I concurr that a lot of US interior trim 'chrome' is just vacuum sputtered Al, usually with a protective clearcoat, there are shops that can put an true electroplated show-chrome finish on plastic.

A good example of true electroplated show chrome is the 308 lever bezels. The OEM ones were electroplated chrome on plastic.

The shop chemically deposits a layer of 'electroless zinc' on the plastic to make the surface conductive, then plate a fairly heavy copper layer, polish it to a mirror finish, then repeat with a polished layer of electroplated nickel, and finally the electroplated chrome.

Some shops get the conductive layer by spraying with a high copper powder content paint instead of the electroless zinc.

Not many shops have the process tho. When I was making lever bezels out of plastic 4-5 years ago, I was having them show chrome electroplated. It was pricey tho, about 2x the cost of plating a same size metal part.

 

Now that its getting even more complicated I was wondering if you plan to do stepped headers rather than uniform in size primaries? Less power left on the table if you do. The question is how do you find the ideal location for the steps to yield the biggest return?

 

This is one of the greatest project threads in the history of the Internet machine!

But did you know it's been done before? I was poking through my library of old car mags last night, and was surprised to see a banner headline on a Road and Track - "Tests: Ferrari 12-Cylinder 308."

Thought you might find it interesting (sorry for the bad pics, no scanner)
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Respost a couple of pages ago ...

Pete

 

FWIW

You can take it a few steps further. On my SC-308 I cleaned up the stock headers and had them JetHot coated but once the exhaust gases leave the lower flange of the header, the pipes in the rest of the exhaust system get progressively larger in diameter to allow for expansion. I'm not an engineer so I did it intuitively and have no idea how effective it is but it probably doesn't hurt.

Since you're making your own cam-shafts you can make the journals oversize to compensate for line-boring the bearing saddles but I imagine you've already had that in the plans.

Bolting the heads to a 3" thick steel plate would be more effective for keeping warp to a minimum.

Aluminum heads can be straightened in an oven at around 500*F with the same steel plate and some shim stock in strategic places.

 

You do realize of course, that because of the uniqueness of this build that this car cannot and should not ever be disassembled for historical reasons, except for repairs and improvements within the original design ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................


(like a cough blower cough cough ................).














........

 

Spray conductive paint on a hunk of wood and you can chrome plate it but 99% of "chromed" plastic is done with aluminum vapor. As far as the heater/choke bezels go, I prefer your CNC pieces. I was stunned at the beauty of them holding one in my hand.

 

I still think we've gone somewhat overboard with this port realigning ... a cross over manifold design would have worked and looks just as cool.

By the time you have done all that port reshaping 12 times you will hate the engine ... but hopefully not.
Best
Pete

 

Well, I hesitate to suggest anything after my brush with the rotary valves , but, if you really don't want to leave any HP on the table, you might want to talk to these folks. http://www.swaintech.com/. They are the real deal.

 

Until I can see satisfactory data that these coatings hold up long term, and perform long term, I would just stay away from them in long term situations. They do work in the short term, there is no doubt. But evidence of flaking and deterioration in long term use is still prevalent. Most people who put a motor together expect it to stay together for a long time. Some of the old 308's and Dino's still have not been torn down for major repairs or overhaul since they left the factory more than 30 years ago. Expecting these coatings to survive over the long haul is not supported by any available evidence.

A Sikorsky S-76 Helicopter lost control and crashed, killing all 12 aboard, when a hydraulic control actuator extended unintentionally. Testing found that the plasma coating applied to the piston ends, which was intended to prevent wear, flaked off the actuator and blocked hydraulic passageways. That was in 2005, and while they are still using those coatings in that application, inspection intervals have been accelerated. Those coatings are virtual rocket science, the absolute best that humans are capable of, yet it failed. If you have any belief that an automotive grade coating is somehow going to hold up better, or that more science has been excercised on automotive engine coatings than in aerospace, your fooling yourself.

If your going to be tearing the machine down occasionally for inspection, as one would a racing engine (or Helicopter components), I would seriously consider coating technology. But not on something you have no intention of ever looking inside of again in the reasonable future. If the coating flakes off and fouls your piston rings (or worse), you'll be back inside (or picking up the pieces) sooner then you thought.

 

Understood, however if nothing else I have heard that Swaintech's heat containment coating (white stuff on the outside) for headers is far superior as far as reducing radiated heat to anyone else's.

As far as piston coatings they seem to have fans in drag racing and snowmobile racing. In both engines are regularly torn down I expect.

 

As far as piston coatings go, Nissan use a Molybdenum coating on the pistons skirts of the VQ engine range and possibly others as well, and have done so for a number of years. I assume it is for friction reduction.
Regards.

 

About 10 years ago I sent a set of 12 pistons to Swain Coatings for the insulating coating on the crowns and the anti-friction coating on the skirts. I was doing some experimentation and installed a set of Deves rings which, it turned out, would not seat, causing oil smoke, so I removed the pistons to install to OEM rings. I was shocked to find that after only about 100 miles, the coatings were flaking off already. I never again used any kind of coatings for internal parts again after that.

 

You say you lose 2cfm with the DC parts, so does that mean they now flow 158? (your goal is 160)
Can you trick the DC parts out to make them flow a little better? (knife edge the butterflies, open them up, etc?)
How are you planning to make the intake manfolds? I wonder if you could use a Stereolithography part for an Aluminum casting mold. (allowed for shrink)

 

They look fantastic.
If i were you i would forget about enlarging the original plenum, i would make a see through one.
Than if you open the bonnet it will look like a transverse f1 engine