Advice opinions please

[PEU186F]

Originally Posted by AndrewA

Still amazed how well it drove so am expecting great things when all back together again. For the time being am going to stay stock as it was quick before and once it's all working properly it should be even better!

This seems a good point to repeat my earlier advice, for the sake of others

"The V8 Bristols, even if they are actually in quite a bad state, have so much torque that they cannot help but impress somebody who is used to lesser vehicles. So beware, even though one might seem great at first acquaintance, there may be a long way to go before it is actually up to the mark.

I speak from experience"



Roger M

[AndrewA]

Thanks...I think! To be fair - head gasket apart - nothing major has come up that wasn't noted in the pre-purchase inspection report as something to be dealt with. The head gasket I put down to very little use over the last 7 or 8 years and then 3500 miles in relatively few months.
No doubt there'll be more bugs to eradicate as the miles roll on but that's part and parcel of taking on new ownership of any classic car.

[DODD]

Andrew,
Have you considered having the cylinder heads compression tested before refitting them?
Brian

[AndrewA]

Morning - if you mean pressure testing to check the internal structure of the head for cracks and other leaks then yes. If you mean something else please enlighten me!
Thanks
Andrew

[DODD]

Andrew,

Yes, that is exactly what I meant.

I had what I thought was a blown head gasket on my 410 last year but
unfortunately I found a crack in one of the heads. I think the crack may have been caused by the butterfly mechanism which controls the choke in the offside exhaust manifold which was sticking. As I had fitted an Edelbrock carburettor with automatic choke, this device in the manifold was no longer required, hence its removal. With the additional heat build up it had also caused a small hairline crack to develop in the manifold, which fortunately I had caught in time and was able to have it repaired.
I ended up giving my engine a complete top end overhaul including a new timing chain, cogs and water pump.
If you haven’t had the exhaust manifolds or the water pump off a Bristol V8 (318 engine particularly) before, please note, some of the threaded holes for the fixing studs and bolts that secure these parts to the heads and block are actually drilled through into the water jacket of the engine and head. These studs and bolts should have a sealing compound applied to the thread prior to fixing. I learnt the hard way!

Brian

[AndrewA]

Thank you Brian - that's really helpful info and advice.
I'm going to be doing a complete top end rebuild as well - looking through the history it was last apart 20+ years ago and while it's all apart seems a false economy not to.
Another question if I may - I'll be replacing the cam and followers and will be using plenty of cam lube - but a lot of engine builders particularly in the USA recommend using break in oil/running in oil (straight 30W with ZDDP) even with just a cam change.
I don't mind doing it if it really has some benefits - do you or others have a view?

Thanks

Andrew

[DODD]

Andrew,

I didn’t need to replace my cams but after inspecting the cams and tappets, when assembling I poured a small quantity of oil into the cam/tappets prior to inserting the push rods.

You are probably aware that when fixing the timing chain cover the engine sump should be removed to do the job properly. The previous person who had my timing cover off didn’t appear to do it and the result was a slight oil leak.

I didn’t use any special oil after putting everything back together but I did treat the engine gently for a short time before checking the torque on the heads again and then all was back to normal.

When I was dismantling the various bits off my car, the job was made quite difficult, again by the previous mechanic who used steel nuts on the exhaust manifold (a number of studs sheared off in the head during their removal) and a combination of “make do” bolts and studs elsewhere, I decided to replace all the nuts, bolts, studs and washers (washers where necessary/required). Replacement brass nuts are readily available for the exhaust manifold with the correct thread.

I am not sure which part of the country you are in but please feel free to give me a call if you need a quick answer when putting things back together. My details are in the members section.

Brian