Maserati Khamsin

Thanks for that clarification !

 

Hi, attached the photos, in the big back for storage of the burst tyre is the spacer for the spare tyre.
In the tool roll, which has 120 written on the outside in yellow are the tools, including a flat spanner for the fake wheel nuts. Then there is a big black spanner for the wheel nuts which is stored separately. In the other black bag, again labelled 120 is the car jack. All this stuff is unused, I bought the car with 14.500 km on the clock.
Hope this helps.

Best to all

Rolf
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Thanks much for posting these, Rolf!

Best,

Jack.

 

Thank you Rolf....

Mike

 

Checking valve clearances today I found @w cylinder exhayst on the B-bank has none. No wonder it was popping in the exhaust then, likely a burnt valve. That cylinder head comes off then.

I didn't do a compression test yet, was going to do that after the valve adjustment, but will have to do so now.

Does the intake manifold need to come off completely for this, or can I just loosen the anchoring bolts?

Another question: To get to the A-bank exhaust cam cover, I need to get the steering shaft out of the way. Does it need to come out altogether?

Thanks much for advice,

Jack.

 

Hi Jack
Getting the left exhaust off is its like the RHD cars , There are a couple of options.
The Rack can be moved foward to allow the steering shaft Universal to be disconnected at the the rack and lifted out of the way.
Or remove the covers on the side of the steering wheel column, take out the two tilt pivot bolts and then disconnect the Universal and the shaft, there is "just" has enough movemnt to disconnect it.
Other not recomended method the steering shaft is a collapse telescoping shaft in the engine bay it has a "D" section , I have seen a car where this has been puhed in. not good as the shaft gets play in the D section.

Cheers
Graeme

 

Hi Graeme,

Thanks for the advice.

Yes, it's a RHD car (435)

The left hand exhaust is nicely obscured by the oil-tank pipes, but with the right tools I hope this is not a problem.

I was asking about the intake manifold: If the joints have ebough flex, can I leave it on the engine with just the anchoring bolts out?

Is the head located with dowels?

Hope I don't find too much damage ones the head is off. Bummer.

I'll follow your advice and undo things at the top of the steering column to get the shaft out of the way, hopefully there's nothing amiss with that head (not expected)

Best,

Jack.

 

Thank you Graeme,

Well, I'm hoping to take just the 1 head off, depending on what clearances I find on the other head's valves.

Advice on gaskets noted, it appears that there is a lot of discussion about this. I am considering using a copper gasket. Does anyone have experience with them in the Maser V-8?

Best,

Jack.

 

Looking for detailed Hi Res photos of a correct Khamsin engine and engine bay area. Colors for steering rack etc.

Thanks

Joe

 

Hi Jack
As I said on the other Maserati V8 engine thread on FC. the cylinder liners are not flush with the top of the bolock so anything other than a Crush type gasket is frought with danger.

Cheers
Graeme

Joe

Citroen parts were sometimes Citroen Colour sometime black probably depended on the day of the week and what each team decided to do when they built the cars.

Personally if you can find the original Citroen colour even if they are all different greens and they often were I wouldn,t worry to much.

Cheers
Graeme

 

Graeme,

I had fun taking the header off. I have quite a few spanners of various types and forms, and had to use all of them on one nut or another. Good opportunity to cut the air-rail off and get rid of the flow-restricting pipes inside.

I hear what you're saying about a copper head-gasket. Weighing my options.

Joe,

Like Graeme stated, it's what the guys had in their hands. Likely the stuff attached to the accumulators and spheres is green, but for the rack you may find green, dark green or black. I have seen cars with a green pulley on the hydraulic pump, mine is cad-plated. I'm happy my steering rack is dark coloured and not bright green, it looks really odd to me. Also, the regulator on the rack may be blank aluminium or green. Take your pick, indeed!

Best,

Jack.

 

For what it's worth, the Citroen color code for the LHM parts is AC 502 vert. I've found it in spray cans several places in Europe (lackspray.de, cipere.fr or franzose.de) but so far haven't found a supplier in the US.

 

John Deere Green comes close to the Citroen green.

 

I had fun taking the header off. I have quite a few spanners of various types and forms, and had to use all of them on one nut or another. Good opportunity to cut the air-rail off and get rid of the flow-restricting pipes inside.

Jack

I would consider just plugging the rail, time will come when originality is everything.
I believe in if you modify something ensure it can be put back the way it was.

Cheers
Graeme

 

Graeme,

Don't do this to me!

As you know, #435 is very original, and I am doing my best to prerserve everything that way.

My engineering background, however, decided that the air-pump is completely obsolete, and related to it, the air-rail, and the crazy little bent pipes inside the exhaust tracts. Calculate how much of the circular surface they take, a HUGE obstruction!

I strongly dislike clutter where it is not needed.

So, rational won over emotional, and I finally decided, and now you come and disturb the delicate balance in my head again!

Besides, I was going to weld stainless nuts on the holes, so I can insert a gas-analyzer probe in there.

Oh, as an aside, didn't you modify your headlamp-pod actuators? What was the rationale?

Btw, is that a coolant drain plug I found there at the left side of the engine, close to the rear? Lovely, I can avoid the water-ballet of 4 gallons of coolant in the garage!

Rant over,

Best,

Jack.

 

Good.

I'm with you on that, Jack.

Graeme, I always assumed that you did that because the hydraulic actuators leaked or were otherwise unreliable.

Jack, You are an engineer? I did some fluid power system design when I first started out in business. I've studied the Maserati and Citroen literature, considered other people's comments here on this forum, and thoroughly examined my own car.

I think there is only one weak point in the Khamsin Citroen system: The ancillary actuators are not rated to the operating pressure of the brake system.

I think that the best way to address this would be to add a small pressure regulating valve into the hydraulic circuit just beyond the brake accumulator. The seat adjustment and headlamp lifters need maybe half the pressure that the brakes need. This probably works for Bora pedal adjustment also. With an adjustable valve we could dial in just enough pressure to do the job. The only real modification to the car would be to cut into the hydraulic line to insert the PRV.

 

Carmine,

I only asked Graeme because he was pointing out that I was about to make my car non-original Very much tongue in cheek!

I did College for Automotive Engineering: I don't think that makes me an engineer per se. I worked in that field for a year and pursued a different direction.

I'm still utterly and completely car-mad though.

I haven't studied the hydraulics to the extent of load capacities and actual pressures and loads. I'm not much in favor of the headlamp-pods and seat being hydraulically operated, too much to cause grief, and these days, too expensive to repair if it fails. I completely understand why Graeme modified his car, if mine suffers a hydraulic headlamp-pod failure I may do the same, but so far it seems to work as intended.

First thing now is chase after a l/h head gasket and an exhaust valve...

Best,

Jack.

 

Hi Jack,

I too went for full removal of the rails when my car's engine was rebuilt using the same logic that you applied. Previous owner had the pump removed and the end of the rails plugged, but when inspected after many years of being in place, they had started to leak. I reasoned that after market stainless steel items wouldn't have the rails and since the headers were in good condition removing the rails made sense to me to have as you say a better flow.

Besides I wouldn't be able to restore original items as they had long since gone.

As for engine parts I bought most of mine from MIE including gaskets. I did have to get a couple of exhaust valves after the purchase from MIE and went with McGrath's.

Hope you have her back on song soon....

Bal

 

Hi JacK If the Air Pump pipes can be removed and the pipes patched works for me.

The relivance of all this is based on the county the car is in the government regs at the time. I dought there will be many cars left in California as they are making the ALFA guys remove Webers and go back to the SPICA injection.

AS far as the Hydraluic headlights are concerned my car is a bolt up coversion and even the hydraulic pipes are ther and blanked, so it can be very easily restored. Every part of my car that has "usability mods" is retrofitable back. to factory and I have kept it. Sadly the polution gear on mine was "thrown away" before I rescued the car. As Australia is becomming the worlds greatest Nanny state its only a matter of time before I need to buy ne pipes etc.

I have taken this philosophy after seeing quite a number of car loose valve for not being "original" preservation cars are where the money is, i.e. untouched well looked after cars with patina.

Cheers
Graeme

 

Graeme, Bal,

Thanks much for your input.

MIE appears to have the best prices for the stuff I need: are their head-gaskets good? I expect they would be. I'll put a stainless valve in.

The headers: Now I have to ponder this all over again. Bal, if my air-pump had gone awal, sure it'd be a 2 second decision, the air-rails would go. However, Graeme has a good point, and a car is original only once. Everything on mine cleans up really beautiful and good, I do have the pump and the headers are in great condition, including the air-rails. Taking them off would not be reversible. There would always be a tell-tale, as the air-pump/alternator bracket would give it away.

I am aiming to keep this Khamsin as original as I can, there can't be too many dry-country cars left that are in good shape and untouched/unrestored. This one is, so the sensible thing to do would be to put it all back where Maserati pu it in the first place.

Okay, decision made, I won't cut the headers, as much as I'd like to, I'll leave the sytem intact.

Best,

Jack.

 

Graeme,

While I agree that the most valuable cars are all original, including paint, interior, etc., I think we have to consider that many of the mid-1970's features for pollution control and safety were not very well incorporated into the car's design. They were add-on stuff that was ugly and marginally functional to meet some government regulations. It's hard for me to imagine that USA rear bumper treatment will ever be a desirable feature.

As to the consideration of meeting current government regulations: how many inspectors would know what the equipment was on an old Maserati? Here in New Jersey USA, all they inspect is exhaust emissions using a tailpipe probe. They don't even look under the hood anymore for an old car.

Carmine

 

Hi Jack,

That is where my thinking started but after having developed an understanding of the system I think it's just fine as it is. Considering the meticulous effort you are making on your car, I'll bet you'll come around in time, also.

Actually, after realizing what the system was all about, I think they could have gone even further with it. Imagine hydraulic cylinders for the window lifts. I'm not joking.

Carmine

 

Carmine,

I am not about to modify the green soup out of my car I quite like it, and it adds to the unique qualities of the Khamsin. I do have my thoughts though about the way it is laid out, and about the incorporation of headlights, seat and (Bora) pedal box adjustment in the system.

If you have a strong desire for more hydraulics, look into a Benz 600, Yes, it is all nice and quiet, but see what it costs these days to keep it all functional.

In the meantime my front is on jack-stands, and I am going to the garage to get the steering column out of the way, so I can check the valve clearances on the A bank and do a compression test. Let me not forget to ground the coil HT-lead for that last one!

Best,

Jack.

 

Hmmmm..... Do I sense a change in the wind... Are you guys coming around
slowly to my way of thinking regarding the US bumpers!!! Originality and all!

I hope Marc is not having a stroke after reading this...

By the way... just kidding!!!

Jack...a lot of info... how about some pictures?

Mike