oh i see now. you are of course talking about getting the right end float. i didn't understand
you can actually do what i was suggesting to get a con rod back in spec if eye bore is too large, well not with a file really, then rebore hole to correct dimensions.
cookie
ps. in the interests of remaining a smartarse, i would point out that the gap lets oil out, not in though :-)
----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce Giller" <bgil-@mitre.org> To: <Loopfram-@topica.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 3:44 PM Subject: Re: To Teardown or Not Teardown?
Martin, I wasn't reducing the diameter of the 'hole' in the big end but the width of the big end; the spec called for measuring the gap between a side of the big end to the journal shoulder on the crank with the rod bolted to the crank (the wider the gap, then more oil can get in there). To file, I bolted the end cap to the big end, and filed across the flat sides of the big end. I sure wish that I had done the measureing BEFORE I sent them off to the machine shop; then they could have done it.
Bruce
Martin Cooke wrote:
i was agreeing wholeheartedly, right up to the bit about filing the
mating
surfaces (i think) of the big end eye. the word OVAL sprang unbidden to
my
lips.
then i thought it was probably better than how alfa (or indeed guzzi)
would
have made irt in the first place and i'm sure it works fine.
cookie
ps. i was at the guzzi factory last week, and was shocked to find they
have
a fair number of newish CNC machines on the shop floor like ducati. whatever happened to Luigi & his hammer & chisel eh? maybe big end eyes
are
round now.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce Giller" <bgil-@mitre.org> To: <Loopfram-@topica.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 2:58 PM Subject: Re: To Teardown or Not Teardown?
Keith, Last winter I rebuilt the 4 cylinder engine from my '73 Alfa Romeo
GTV.
The engine was stripped down to the carcass and then reassembled.
This
was my 1st engine rebuild of any kind - the most intricate operation before has been to remove heads and cylinders (cars and bikes). And
the
bloody thing actually ran after installing it back in the car - I
almost
fell over when it cranked over and started.
Being that this was my first rebuild, I got help from the Alfa-digest members, shop manuals, and a local Alfa mech. where I bought parts.
But
all the assembly work was done by me in my garage - a machine shop did the work head and crank/rod/piston/clutch balancing. I did have to
redo
a few steps (several times, mind you) and ruined more than one seal trying to install it.
But I took my time, put all the removed parts into zip-lock bags with enclosed notes, measured everything about 5 times to make sure I got
it
right, and asked lots of questions. Even got to buy some new tools -
an
engine stand, for one. Not rushing things seemed to help the most.
It looks like a big job but if you just break it down into small
steps,
then it isn't all that imposing. If you don't know how to tell if the bearings are shot, just zip a note to the list and ask - my answer is just replace them since I believe that they are plain bearings (not
ball
or roller). A machine shop can measure the crank, rods, pistons for you; you give them the specs for them to work from.
Get the shop manual for your ambo and start reading. Guzziology is great for indicating where upgrades can be applied. And the Loopframe list members can answer all the rest of your questions....or know
where
to get them.
My biggest discovery is that it just isn't rocket science - you might put a scratch somewhere that doesn't help matters but it doesn't mean that the scratch will prevent the engine from working. Example: after getting my parts back from balancing, I discovered that the rod's big ends were too 'fat' and needed to be reduced by about .003". Sent a note off to the alfa-digest and an engine rebuilder said that he used
to
hand file them to spec (until he got a machine to do the work). That
is
exactly what I did - filed only on one side and measured with a micrometer until correct (then polished them a bit to look nice).
Found
out that the original machine work from the factory didn't have the
two
sides perfectly parallel anyway....
Bruce
'72 Eldo
Keith Ruff wrote:
Spoke with Andy last eve and may hook up with him sometime as he is
in
NJ frequently. Tried for the past few days to contact Dave Otis and have not head back from him, so I am guessing he is either busy or
not
interested in taking on the project. Figured I will start looking
at
backup plans until I hear from Dave.
My biggest fear with tearing down the motor is not messing anything
up
along the way, i.e., scratching surfaces like the cylinder walls,
and
also, knowing what I am looking for as far as bad parts. I don't
have a
clue how to know the bearings are shot, if the crank needs to be machined, etc... so it would be like disassembling and not knowing
what
to do from there. Also don't have any special tools that may be
needed
to disassemble/re-assemble. How do you get the pistons back into
the
cylinders without scratching the walls, should any upgrades/mods be
done
while I am in there, can the piston heads and valve stems be de=carbonized, etc. etc. etc. Would like to venture into this but envision a motor in pieces on the floor with no clue what to do.
What should I do? Would love to have someone experienced stay at my house for a good week to assist in the teardown, diagnosis, repair,
and
re-assembly, have offered this to Andy but not sure if he has the
time
to stay here a few days or if that is enough time to do this work.