Maserati Khamsin

I think you can find similar issues and references to this in the aircraft industry. I completely refurbished my 42 year old Espada's wheels a couple years back and ran into a lot of these issues. I had no structural defects but there was corrosion which caused pitting. especially along the tire bead area. All of this was cleaned up and the wheels suitably treated. But that was tone of work and those wheels are a far more complex casting that the Khamsin wheels are. The cosmetic appearance is also substantially more crude. Some of the stuff under that original paint was very disappointing. You simply can't make look as good as the reproduction wheels. Some people want the more rustic look as it's more original. reproduction wheels would have been slightly cheaper than what it cost me to do the the job and I did most of it myself. They were that difficult.

I have a Bora spare rim which has a porosity which I will fix. You can get the wheel impregnated with a Loctite type of treatment or do a really good job of painting it with an enamel and the wheel will seal up.

I also have some more modern magnesium wheels (1996) on my track car. Those are very light weight but are also known for cracking if used on the open road. So I had a set forged aluminum 3 piece wheels made for regular use. They are somewhat heavier and I can really feel that on the track. That surprised me.

 

Hi all can some one throw their keys to Harry and get him to do a Khamsin drive story please.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl6UYDLW1WU]Lamborghini Espada 1000mile road trip | evo DIARIES - YouTube[/ame]

Cheers.

PS I wonder if a V12 would fit in a Khamsin.......................

 

Harry has a nice job! I believe this Espada is his own, isn't it?

Graeme, you have too much time. Which V-12 would you want to plant in there? I had a Daytona block a few years ago (found 'in the bush') that would have been a good candidate. I thingk you'd run into problems with your steering rack though.

No work on 435 done this week:-(

Best,

Jack.

 

Hi Jack

Good question it was just a fansifull though. I know where there are some Ferrari and Lambo V12s out of cars so if I get the chance I will take some measurements.
You are correct the rack is an issue moving the engine back is an option after all who needs a heater and aircon in a Khamsin!!
Silly thought!

Cheers
Graeme

 

Cool clip,

but was the glass roof a factory option, or something an owner did later? Seems pretty unusual.

I know a guy with the same car, in green. Takes him a week to get the carbs tuned and synced, but what a glorious noise it makes!

 

There's a very famous factory produce S1 car with glass roof but I believe all the others were done by owners. Not completely certain about that though as even the one they did make was a special project car and not something they offered as a general option.

 

came across this page link, posted by Ghandini on his own FB page
1972 Maserati Khamsin (Bertone) - Studios
some official Bertone sketches and photos, including original brochure photos, not sure if any of these are re-posts, but still cool to look at & admire!
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Thanks for posting this.

While well known these are pleasant archive photos. This is however not a Gandini post but a random internet article carrying a lot of obsolete copy and paste. Also as confirmed when I contacted Lucciano Benetton's office a couple of years ago in Treviso he never owned a Khamsin, I already posted that fact here some time ago, it is just an old myth which should be put to rest once and for all.

Best regards,

Marc

 

No, he posted the link on his FB page, the page itself is not his own, I had not seen them in this thread already IIRC, interesting to learn that he never actually owned one himself

 

Finally some car-time today.

Took the B-bank exhaust cam off to see what is wrong with the second cylinder. It has normal compression, but zero valve clearance.

Didn't lose clip or plates from the chain

Took #7 bucket off, shim was, as usual per Jaguar, stuck in the bucket with oil. When I tried to put the shim on the land, it wouldn't go in (only skew) so something is amiss at the top of the valve. Other shims would also not go in, so it is the land that has the problem, not the shim.

In any case, not going to do rope-tricks, cylinder head must come off to inspect properly.

Photo's here:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.160914667423487.1073741828.119309631583991&type=1

Best,

Jack.

 

Good man stuff those openings with rags!

 

Head is off, bores look great, can't see anything wrong with the valve in situ, will take it apart tomorrow.

I posted some more photos, pls use yesterday's link.

Yes Bob, I do stuff everything with rags. Nothing got lost, it all came off fairly easy. I hope my valve spring tool fits around the head, we'll see tomorrow. Enough done for today, I'm tired!

Best,

Jack.

 

So much easier to inspect things on the bench.

I posted some new photos here:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.160914667423487.1073741828.119309631583991&type=3

It turns out that somehow the shim must have dislocated itself from where it normally sits, damaging the edge of the retainer and thus prohibiting itself from going back in straight.
My valve-spring tool won't clear the edge of the head, so I can't take the valve out.
I did turn the head upsode down and filled the conbustion-chambers with fluid (diesel). Even after hours there is no fluid loss, and the intake- and exhaust tracts stay bone-dry. No leaking valve then, which I am happy with! No marks on the piston-crown either, so it's all good

I need at least a new spring retainer. Is the retainer the same as in the Jag XK engine?

Best,

Jack.

 

Jack,

Hard to imagine how that got dislodged and if it was put in wring the valve clearance would have been > zero. Just order a new part from a reputable source. It's only one.

The corrosion around the liners, looks like it sat for a while.

 

Hello Jack...

I have been following your work. So far, sounds like
good news!!! Keep up the good work and please
continue to keep us posted!

Mike

 

Jack, in order to use my standard C clamp on the Maserati heads I had to make an adapter. I made it from PVC pipe I believe 3/4 inch about 60 mm long. cut ovals in the side of the pipe and it makes getting the valve keepers out more easily.

 

Thanks guys!

Bob, the brown stuff you see is not corrosion but Barr's leaks or some such product that must have been used in the past. The coolant that came out was actually quite clear. It does show, however, that the cooling system will need a thorough flush.
Sure hard to imagine how, and yes, someone may have put it in wrong. A true idiot then, if he doesn't check his own work.

Mike, thank you, updates will be posted regularly.

Eugene, a piece of steel pipe like that will be ready for me tomorrow morning (just returned from my brother in law who'll cut it for me)

The news is of course good, just looked at the head in the garage and 12 hours later it is dry where it counts, no valve leakage at all.

Best,

Jack.

 

Apologies for the double posting, but not all will follow the carb thread I started, so here's a link to the latest photos I uploaded:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.139424746239146.1073741825.119309631583991&type=3

Best,

Jack.

 

Hi all.
With regards to the hydraulic systems on the Khamsin. Where do other Khamsin owners get their hydraulics maintained?
I live in Surrey, England.
I am having difficulty in finding a specialist whom can assist as you really need a Citroën specialist to look after this system within the car. I am unwilling to leave the car with anyone who does know the system as a "normal" Maserati specialist or anyone whom does not come recommended......
For your enjoyment I have attached a pic of the car.
Cheers,
Richard
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Hey Richard,

Pleiades are the guys who recondition the items for these cars. If you search back on this thread I posted up contact details. If you want the job managed then you're really best off going with Bill McGraths who are experienced in this work. They would get the reconditioning carried out by Pleiades anyway, but at least they know what they're doing.

Let me know if you have trouble finding the post and I'll try to dig out contact details.

Regards

Bal

 

Richard,

That looks like a really nice car in that photo.

Bal's advice is good.

If you don't want to drop it off at McGrath's with a message 'sort it out', there are quite a few here that have gone through the trials and tribulations and know the system well, giving you a good opportunity to draw from the accumulated experience.

What is wrong with the hydraulics?

Not every task is as daunting as you might think, and a lot of the hype is just that, hype, over nothing. Once you understand the system it is really not that difficult, and to work on it you just adhere to the basic rules of cleanlyness and using the proper fluid.

Best,

Jack.

 

Jack! Shsssssh. Don't let the cat out of the bag on LHM. Otherwise those of us who can work on these cars will lose our "God" status.

Much Voodoo with dead chickens, feathers and blood while dancing naked around huge bonfires at night will be required to keep these cars running.

Of course a little liquor and lots of money works just as well too. The liquor is for when you get the bill! LOL

 

Bob,

You are absolutely right, my apologies!

Btw, it's a good thing you clarified the purpose of the liquor, I almost read it as a drop-in replacement for LHM, and Bourbon is cheaper here than green soup

Enjoy both in good health!

Best,

Jack.

 

That was a mental image of you I'd rather not have in this lifetime.

 

Nice shot of a beautifully designed car.

Be patient and get to know the hydraulic system. There are many posts on here as well as various articles in old club magazines. MIE may have a few of those. If you're mechanically inclined you can learn about this. It's the same basic stuff found on airplanes and backhoes with a few twists. Parts for some of the hydraulic pieces are bit difficult to find (you can get for that on here) but the basics are available at any Citroen service/supplier. There are things you can do sitting in the drivers seat with no tools to check on the basic health of the system. Don't be intimidated. It's far simpler than today's cars are! Good luck and enjoy.