The Portuguese Aurelia B12 .....and so the journey begins..........

[Parisien]

Even to my untrained/non-technical eye James its looks perfect.........in need of a lot of TLC!

P


PS And no you can't keep the timing case cover for your mantlepiece!

[chugga boom]

bit more progress on your engine, 3 cylinders are rusted up solid, had a bit of a struggle disconnecting the very back rod as it was rusted solid and you can see from the pictures difficult to access , took the main bearings off and lifted the crank (with rod attached) to undo the big end cap , to be fair its been a reasonable engine, all bar the very rear (problematic) big end were very good, mains were pretty good too, if it hadn't been rusted up you probably would have ran it , the 3 pistons removed were pretty easy however the remaining 3 are solid , intension is to remove the liners with the pistons in and then try to remove the pistons out of the bottom as 2 are right at the bottom of the bore , they will not come out in situe as the pistons will hit the crank case , I will try and get some more done next weekend , must say lovely engine to work on and so far straight forward , I fully realise that the studs and liners can be an issue , cross that bridge next , engine needs a thorough clean before I go much further, j     

[chugga boom]

more

[DavidLaver]

Next phase!!!

[Parisien]

Am I allowed to say wow......?!?!?!?...its motoring along nicely James, its certainly an impressive piece of Italian engineering!

Yes studs and solidified bits might slow things down, thanks for pics too, can't wait for further weekly up-dates.

P

[chriswgawne]

Any idea what diameter the existing pistons are and how worn the piston rings grooves are? You will then be able to make a judgement on whether new pistons are needed and whether the liners can be bored or new ones bought.
In the old days, with sloppy rings due to piston ring groove wear  one could get the ring grooves widened and fit thicker rings but I cant see the point these days with complete new pistons being available at a reasonable price versus labour costs (+ risk of overheated land between the wider grooves) of machining old pistons.
I also always find it exciting (maybe its just me!) seeing how much crud comes out of the crankshaft having removed the aluminium plugs.
Keep us updated please.
Chris

[chugga boom]

100% won't be re-using these pistons as the liners are worn , when you look up (on the 3 cylinders I can inspect) you can see the wear/distortion along its length , will check how thick the liners are and see if we can bore and fit alternative pistons , will have to remove the liners anyway to get 3 pistons out that are honestly solid , I imagine the liners will be quite pitted where the pistons have seized , the 3 pistons that have come out don't look bad but I have not had time to measure anything up on it yet , its obviously been to pieces before as various tab washers were broken and screws chewed so I doubt any of the bottom end is standard

[Parisien]

Pssssssst.........word has it, theres been some progress......will report back next week.


 


P

[Parisien]

Question.

Anyone know if the 4th-6th series exhaust manifolds for a B20 will fit a B12 ( knowing that there are some commonalities but not sure if any for engine/exhaust parts)?

Part no - B20 1400A

Thanks


P

[Parisien]

Heads being skimmed, valves seat hardened, general checking over.

Obtaining quotes for engine parts and asking a few guys in the LMC whats in their respect parts bins!

My body guy has done the main work to car and hes just moved to a new workshop which hes currently kitting out, so October may be the month it gets painted!!!!

Forever watching this space!



P

[Parisien]

Sorry, no photos at moment, the valve seats are brass/bronze, so don't need hardened. However another small repair was required, easily carried out, both heads should be back at workshop next week.

After that the remaining 3 pistons and liners will be removed for further evaluation of block and requirements. Crankshaft is in good order and needs a polish as does the camshaft, also in good order.

Currently getting quotes from several sources for other rebuild parts, hoping to know more by the start of next month.


P


PS Was lucky enough to come across a refurbed front indicator in the UK, just took 3 years to find!

[the.cern]

 .... a mere three years!!! You will probably find another one next month!!!!

So glad to hear it's all coming on well, you are lucky to have a good crank and to get the heads repaired. I hope that was not too expensive!!

                            Andy

[Parisien]

Not too bad at all Andy, just a re-skim and clean up, maybe something else required but decent enough, plus not overly expensive.

I'd bought a job lot of some parts including a spare camshaft which is much the same as the one from my engine, so happy enough. Plus discovered a few more spares sources in the meantime.


P

[Parisien]

A quick up-date with the magic of photos to accompany.

Final two pistons removed and now liners starting to yield, 4 to go, plenty of corrosion evident but what else did I expect.

Gathering up engine rebuild parts, some already there, some on their way, others delayed due to Padova autojumble or indeed sudden price changes.


PS So just what am I doing up at 3am, gotta a plane to catch!

[chriswgawne]

Are you using a 'liner drawer-outer'? Easy to fabricate and very effective. I can only see a hammer. You have the fun of the studs still to come I see.
Keep up the good work - what's the body looking  like now?
Chris