V-12 Engine into 308 Build, over on Grassroots

The heads got retorqued, not much movement,
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By far not the best leak test I've done, but luckily it's for information only at this point. Now I know I should leave it dry until just before its ready to run and start with a mix of straight water and blue devil which worked amazingly well last time.

I've got a few sad looking rod bearings again so clearly I did sad job cleaning the crank....cleaning it properly is the next project.

I discussed an advance with Lana to fund a quicker re-assembly and it was not rejected ...the stairs get refinished to match the new floors AFTER the ferrari runs so......

 

Crossing fingers and toes. You got this

 

I am pretty sure its going to be just fine....it wasn't leaking last time after the sealer and it all looked fine up there on disassembly. They say I can leave the sealer in and that in my plan, water with a heavy does of water wetter for the first year then maybe second season if all seems well I'll switch to the sealer that is safe with coolant. But unless it blows the gasket out I don't plan on taking any more action.

I just ordered a set of small brushes and will pull all the plugs out of the crank to make sure its clean this time.

I also have a new plan for setting cam timing that involves setting a little more advance in each cam along the chain so as it tightens/stretches and the exhaust valves in #12 don't hit the piston. With such big cams and so many cylinders there is so little room for error...lesson learned.

 

I drilled and extracted all the plugs from the crank. Didn't really see and gick while I was working but now I'll know its clean. for new plugs I thought I'd just buy aluminum bolts but the ones I found are like $4 each so I guess I'll make something. The extractor i made from a dowel pin. I cleaned the oil passages in the block already, but I'll clean up the feed to the crank again just to be sure.

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I’m guessing the plugs are the same M8 aluminum plugs used on my 308 crank. I just bought some for $2 each. Part number 14326150

 

Where from?

Edit- does anyone know the approve install method? I was assuming screw it in and smack it then cut the cut flush?

 

Very little came out, but it's more than zero and know I know it clean. I found the ferrari plugs for $1ea +$10shipping but the guy only had 9 and ferrari's warehouse is closed until September so can't get more until then. Amazon had 8mm alum rod I can have tomorrow so I'll just make plugs and move on I guess and save enough to buy a couple rod bearings.

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I got mine from All Ferrari Parts

 

I got my 8mm hobby rods from amazon, so cute. I ran a die down both ends of 1.
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The into the crank and saw it off.
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Then back to the lathe, I got 3 throws per rod throwing out the center section dug up by the pipe wrench. Then ground them down flush and drove a round ended punch into them to to lock them in place. I taped over the holes to keep the inside clean, then a final clean on the outside and its ready to go. The whole process took about an hour.
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I also placed the order for the new rod bearings and all the gaskets I need. This weekend I'll clean up and prep as much as I can and hopefully reassemble the engine next weekend. I still need to get the drop gear shaft out to heat treat....I'll try to get that out early next week.

 

The bearings and gaskets are due Thursday so I should be assembling the engine this weekend.

The heat treat place says $160 and 5-7 days for the adapter shaft. That will ship to them tomorrow and they are only about 50 miles from here so I assume 1 day and that should mean it will be back so I can be putting the engine back in the car the in 2 weeks.

 

Put the crank in and engine back on the trans
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I did scare the bajesus out of myself torquing the last main bearing thinking a stud pulled out but it was the (clearly wrong)nut. I knew 2 were different but in my mind it made sense that the 2 that sit outside the oil pan were plated not black oxide when I first tore the 400i down and that is how I left it..... but no they are just wrong. No way I'm getting the right nut on a holiday weekend but I got couple more grade 8.8 which I know are got for 1/2 dozen torque cycles....I'll get couple of the right ones to have on hand in case there's a next time
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Cams in, timing cover on, cams timed.
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Just to be sure I got it right this time I did a le3ak-down test....0% @100psi on all 12 cylinders. The magic of gapless rings.

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I'm not sure I've properly whined about the timing cover in a number of years but its frikin horrible from ferrari and made worse by the 308 install which requires the oil pan(/trans) on before the timing cover. The best way I've figured out to do it involves pre-assembling everything in the cover
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Then try to get all the studs and shafts to engage
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use RTV, especially where the cover need to seal across the block/head gap

at the last possible moment, slip a screw driver in and release the oil pump chain tensioner and hope it goes together the rest of the way. I just hate messing with the timing cover.
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Good progress, glad it's super tight! What kind of cold cranking psi is that thing laying down in a compression test anyway?

 

I was glad to see I got it together without bending valves this time

Cranking compression was 175-180 when it came out, haven't tested again yet.

 

Curious why you have the oil lines hooked up at this point? Seems they would be a nuisance to work around.

 

The one on top is a nuisance, but the space between the heads is so narrow the only time I can tighten it properly is with the heads off. The bottom 3...well they were on when I pulled it out of the car and I wasn't working on the trans so they are still on is all, no actual thought given to it.

This morning's pan is cam covers and intake manifolds. Then start looking at what to do with the new alternator I suppose.

 

I think its an engine again
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I thought I would get to the alternator today but I kind of for got about needing to mount the TBs and that took a while to clean them up and then because I use sealant, clean the sealant up. Its not a real flow critical section of the port and the sealant will mostly spread out and lay flat once it fires up.....but I got it pretty clean
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and then there is the OCD effect.....where I waste time doing stuff like timing gaskets flash to the metal and such
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And where I modified stuff so gaskets no longer fit right
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I was messing with the alternator a little tonight....and I'm trying to decide if I care enough to proceed. I'm still scared about the pulley diameter and 6 rib v 4. I'm also questioning whether I've ever actually add AC vs taking action to generally lighten the car. I do like the idea of a 2800lb car. Right now I'm 3/4 thinking I'll skip the alternator upgrade for now and just pay up for a bolt-in version if I change my mind in the future but I'm going to drink on the decision a bit tonight.

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BIG amp alternator, go with electric A/C later if needed.

 

That was the plan, have plenty now and enough later. I'm just not so sure I want any new problems a week or 2 from when I think it will run.

A new bracket is no big deal but I just don't like the pulley and don't want to proceed without fixing it. I'll take a look at the pulley tonight maybe. I also have some stuff hanging under the dash I've been ignoring to deal with, that might be a better use of my time is all.

At the moment I'm really unclear what I want from the car, that's not helping.

 

The shaft arrived so it looks like I have big plans for the weekend. I ordered oil and blue devil sealer.

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Yesterday I dropped the car down and rolled it out to flush out whatever coolant was still in it....and I'm still getting the k-seal fibers out, all the whit bits, what a mess that stuff made.

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It think its ready to set back in....fingers (and toes) crossed I did everything right
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Looking around the shop I'm realizing there are a few items I could have had ready and don't like I wanted to shorten the motor mount spaces a little to help the deck lid fit and the axles need the new CV boots installed...but the plan is to have the engine at least sitting in the car tomorrow.

 

Given the experimental nature of your development project, I'm surprised you don't have a test stand to check out the engine before installation.

 

All the more confusing once you know I have an engine dyno and I think everything I'd need to connect it to this engine. Or that I just listed said dyno on ebay yesterday figuring I'm never going to actually use it.

The gist of the reason is that every time I believe is the last time, if I didn't believe that I'd probably just quit. And if I believe its the last time then its just not worth the time and expense to set up a run stand. The main issue is I built the wiring harness into the car so I'd need to build a new one to run the engine out of the car which is like $500+ and a week or 2 of work plus whatever I spend on the stand, which I then need to store. And that is just to start the engine and just feels like a distraction since while its in I can always move forward to all the little fab jobs related to the engine, like getting the rear deck lid to fit which is up next, then maybe have a look at the wheel wells so I always get some benefit from the install effort....at least that's what I tell myself.

 

I did get a whisker away from buying an old Superflow 901 last month..... then I realized I had to build all manner of jigs individual to pretty much every and any engine I'd stick on the thing.