A B20 Story

[DavidLaver]

Can see where the work has gone - and nice easy "just put the hours in" stuff you don't need to concentrate on - unlike that loom!!!

Have fun.

David

[the.cern]

Today saw a return to the workshop to try to push on with preparations for the swap.

Not absolutely necessary, a bit of a luxury really, but I decided that I would put the steering wheel back on to help when manoeuvring out of the workshop, onto the transporter and then into the garage at home. The car is lined up (with the aid of the dollies) to go out of the workshop, I had intended simply to heave the front wheels round to line it up to go onto the transporter and get it off at the other end and again, get it onto dollies to manoeuvre it in the garage. However, I have an untried person with the transporter and I do not want to get it wrong!

Nothing is straightforward, I had the steering shaft support or shroud in place, complete with a spacer, having assembled it using what I call commonsense. More like nonsense!! With the spacer (cast aluminium) in place the shaft did not project sufficiently from the support to allow the flange and steering wheel to go on. So, off with the support, remove the spacer, find shorter fixing bolts and replace the support. Then attach the flange with its rubber locating projection (which of course is perished) and finally attach the steering wheel. It took nearly 2 hours!! I thought I was going to pop into the workshop, take the steering wheel and flange off the shelf, remove the fixing nut from the end of the shaft, slide the flange into place, slide the wheel onto the splines, put back the nut and tighten it up. Simples !! Really, at my age I should know better!!!

Anyway it is done, I just have to agree a time and day with transporter man (when it is forecast to be dry) and get on with it.

More to follow, hopefully with photographs.

                                    Andy

[the.cern]

So, the swap. This detailed in the Augusta Story thread, but here's a photograph on this link. The B20 has just arrived, the Gussie has been pulled out of the garage to go to the workshop, the Y10 is under the grey cover and the Appia is under the white(ish) sheet in the garage.

That was on the 20th January. Since then things have moved on a bit on several fronts, but for the B20 the story is about the engine. I have decided to do the rebuild myself, but obviously with a lot of help from specialists as necessary. The first task was to make an engine stand. Jim, as usual was very rude about it. Not the design or that much about the execution but more about the materials. I used 40mm SHS simply because it was what I had spare in the workshop. I can only just lift the finished stand and Jim reckons it would take a 2tonne engine without any problem. I did listen to Jim's comments about the castors, these are braked unlike those I put on the rotisserie. Jim is fed up with chasing the Gussie across the workshop every time he uses an angle grinder on it!!! He has no sense of fun!!! A couple of photos to show what I did.

                               Andy

[DavidLaver]

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[the.cern]

All I have managed to do with the engine so far is start to clean the exterior, the clean/dirty demarcation line is due to lack of access when the engine was on the modified Sainsbury trolley base. Also, of course the engine is now on its stand and hopefully all will now be readily accessible.

Problems identified so far 1) core plug missing from top of head, how/why I do not know.
                                      2) corroded valve springs due to coolant leak from 1) above.
                                      3) head stud missing, assumed sheared in previous engine work.
                                      4) It is seized, presumably due to coolant leak from 1) above
                                       5) Block cracked on camshaft bearing casing    

Photographs are attached to illustrate 3) and 5), I will try to get another for 1) and 2). The cause of the number 5) problem will not be apparent for a while yet!!!

                                         Andy

[the.cern]

Sorry, the last sentence should refer to problem 4). The cracked block photo should be rotated, but I think still illustrates the problem.

                                        Andy

[the.cern]

Bootiful David, thank you.

                     Andy

[Sebastien]

Hello Andy,

Regarding point 5), I believe that what you are refering to as camshaft bearing casing is in fact the end of the waterchannel running along the cylinders, which is fitted with a long calibrated perforated halfpipe. That piece is usually coroded, discarded during rebuilds, and then missing. I believe it to play an important role in cooling the cylinders equally.
Strange - and a shame - that a previous owner or mechanic was able to crack that casing (in fact the crankcase casing)!

See attached photo, that shows the 2 water channels, one open, one plugged, on another B20 engine.

[chriswgawne]

Andy,
The crack you show by the 'water tube' plug is fairly typical for an Aurelia block which has frozen solid. Bit of a devil to repair and you need to be careful about distortion on the top face of the block when making the repair. There isn't an awful lot of wall thickness there. The water tubes which Sebastian refers to and which are essential to cooling the rear cylinders properly were always aluminium and so over time inevitably corroded away but I believe that Cavalitto can now supply these in stainless steel for longevity.
You seem to have all sorts of interesting problems with your engine - is it the original one from when the car was built?
Chris

[GG]

Just to add to Chris' and Sebastien's thoughts - the water "tube" is a long thin-walled tube, with big scallops out of it to clear the cylinders. There is also a small little connecting passage cast in the block at the back that links up both sides of the engine block. Check and make sure that isn't clogged up.

[the.cern]

Well, now I know, it is not the camshaft bearing housing but the end of that notorious water tube. The water tube that, according to everything that I have read about Aurelia engines, will ALWAYS need replacement. I was prepared for water tube replacement, but not for welding the block!!!!

Attached should be a photograph of a hole, above the left spark plug, which should be sealed with a core plug, as is the one above the right-hand spark plug!!!! I am concerned that the hole is so corroded and thus non circular, that I will have considerable difficulty in getting a new core plug to seat properly. Is this a common problem? I hardly dare go on with the stripping and dismantling of the engine, what the heck will I find next?? However, go on I will, because I have no alternative!!!

Thank you all who have shared your expertise, I am sure I will be calling on it again in the not too distant future!!!

In answer to your question Chris, I believe it is the original engine. The heads have the same build number, but I have yet to find anything on the block. Now that the engine is on the stand I should be able to find something. Frustratingly we are away for the weekend so the earliest date for next playtime is Sunday 3rd May!!!! Is there an easy way to check whether or not I have the original engine?

Thank you again for your help,

                                          Andy

[DavidLaver]

Recut and a larger plug? 

Sleeve? 

If the crack at the end of the water tube has to be welded anyway, perhaps get it built back up?

The stand is a whopper.  Unusual to see one with support both ends.  At least you're not going to knock it over.  My only concern is if you wheel it down the drive in one of your reshuffles and with all that weight it gets away from you.

David

[the.cern]

I am pleased with the stand, the design is based on one seen at Chugga's. Necessary for the Aurelia engine as there is not a lot of solid stuff at the back end where one would expect some meat for the bell-housing. The Aurelia has just a light aluminium closing plate secured by smallish bolts which would not be sufficient to support the weight of the engine cantilevered off them.

I am hopeful that it will not run away from me, if it does I will just feel sorry for whatever it hits!!!!

It  should give me full access to all areas. I will not be able to get to the workshop to play until Sunday at the earliest. In the meantime I am saving my strength, both physical and mental!!!!



                              Andy

[DavidLaver]

Whatever it rolled into and hit the engine would be fine...

[simonandjuliet]

Will you be able to use it as a test stand as well ? Maybe with one or two mods ....

Perhaps you could rig up some kind of chain drive to the wheels and get it to drive itself up the slope ?

Inspiring stuff, I will have to build something similar for the Aprilia engine rebuild.