SPRINT RESURRECTION

[Veesix75]

The small print in this eBay ad suggest these are oversize. Don’t worry if ads state 1.4 and such like as the rod bearings are the same on all boxer engine sizes. Description doesn’t say Alfa so maybe do a part number cross check. Stick to Mahle, king etc brands

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195941629503 ... trol+Coupe

No idea how current this is : https://bguk.co.uk/big-ends-connecting- ... tock-list/


Ask you engine guys to look for a King bearing reseller, and if you get totally stuck the Nord engine (any cc size) shells can be machined down (width) to fit a boxer crank/rods. Journal diameter is the same. I used the upgraded King race bearings from a Nord engine in previous boxer race engines , but my latest steel crank was reground to use Cosworth bearings for availability, price and durability.

King bearings will last forever in a road car

I know you won’t do this but I’ll say it anyhow……don’t fit used ones, don’t fit non descript branded ones.

[Megs1998]

Veesix75 do you still have sud mot 3 parts available?

[Alfaoldgit]

V675 thanks for the steer on bearings.

AMS have a regular customer who races Alfas & apparently he spotted my engine in their workshop & said if they needed anything to give him a call. He obviously doesn't read this forum or he would know it's my engine. If he's racing he probably knows about King bearings - I believe their UK agent is a company called UK Engine Parts. Every day is a school day, I didn't know the Nord engines use the same size journals!
My car won't be going to Goodwood Revival, unfortunately the adjacent pitch to Prestige Paintwork has been rented out to someone else

[Veesix75]

Hi, I bought from the same company, I couldn’t remember their name until you posted it. U.K. engine parts. It was the address I remembered.

I think have a set of used Nord shells machined down in the garage, I’ll check. If I can find them and you get stuck with finding genuine boxer shells I could send to you as a pattern at least, if you can find someone to machine them down.

If you find a good crank instead that doesn’t need regrinding, I’ll send you a set of new AE std boxer shells foc as a small donation to your epic and to be commended restoration!

Where are AMS located ?

[Veesix75]

Hello megs, yes I have some sud nos panels still and pistons still, sent you a private message you reply to if you want to chat. Thanks

[Alfaoldgit]

Hello all,
I won't go into depth, this isn't the right place & you don't need to know. I have had to suspend all work on my Sprint until further notice as further criminal allegations have been made against my son by his ex. Funding a top flight defence lawyer is more important, even though what's being said is BS 7 lacking in evidence.
The bodyshop are very understanding and are storing the car in their heated premises free of charge.

I'll be back here when work starts again.

[StescoG66]

Poor situation and I hope it all works out in the end. Stressful too. Hope the lies being told are exposed and the prosecution then turns the other way.

All the best

[Alfaoldgit]

Stesco, thanks.

I managed a quick visit to AMS to discuss the engine. All the crank journals are out of round, two main bearing journals have slight scoring, one of the conrod journals is scored significantly. Crank regrind circa £180 inc VAT, then bearings on top. I think they need +.2 for the conrod journals but can't recall what the mains needed. The head machinist is on holiday & has the full info. Told them I'm not in a hurry for the engine!

[alfadave]

Does the head machinist also do cranks?

[StescoG66]

Stesco, thanks.

I managed a quick visit to AMS to discuss the engine. All the crank journals are out of round, two main bearing journals have slight scoring, one of the conrod journals is scored significantly. Crank regrind circa £180 inc VAT, then bearings on top. I think they need +.2 for the conrod journals but can't recall what the mains needed. The head machinist is on holiday & has the full info. Told them I'm not in a hurry for the engine!

Not sure if it is of any help, but as I said, I have the carcass of a 1.7 here with crank and acillianries intact if of use.....

[Alfaoldgit]

Hi folks,

Time for a laugh! You will perhaps recall that somone with a large magnet (I won't say who) insisted the bumpers were not SS, even though I was pretty sure they were/are.
After SIX visits to the copper plate & chrome plate tanks the platers have given up trying to chrome the bumpers. With prep time between each dipping it has cost them a fortune. They have plated SS successfully before, but the special Napoli SS has defeated them. They can get the finish, but the chrome flakes off at the edges, it won't stick.

It would be unfair to name them here, but they are a respected company in London. They now have a lot of polishing to do! So if anyone suggests plating your Sud bumpers......NO!!!!

I'll have a progress report on the engine soon.

[Alfaoldgit]

Hello everybody, I'm back.

Gearbox inspected for fuzz on mag plug & bits of busted synchro teeth on bottom cover. All clear so it's all closed up. New quarter shaft bearings and seals fitted plus selector seal. I'm using Mobilube SHC oil as it transformed the gear change in my GTV6 transaxle. Only minus is its expensive, smells vile & you need to wear gloves as it's hostile to your hands.

I'm not a fan of painted gearboxes, but Sud boxes seem to corrode in 24 hours so it's painted. New calipers are fitted, I'm reusing the old disks as they are unworn.......& unobtainable.

Engine. Rebored....AMS are being very picky & have identified minute wear in the little ends of the con rods of the oversize pistons/conrods so the original conrods will be swapped over as they are ok. Thanks to all who offered help with bearings & cranks. In the end, I went to my favourite German vendor who had a brand new crank, complete with all bearings & thrust washers for a price not far North of regrinding the old crank. AMS report wear in some valve guides, I'm leaving it to them to find replacements. I should get the built up block back before Easter thus I need to get finished with the front calipers so I have bench space for the engine.
Pictures in next post.

[rsfruitbat]

Great to see you back

Rsfruitbat

[alfadave]

Glad you're back on board.
Always interesting to read your reports.

Do you keep a running total of the outlay?
Not me...the bills are quickly put in the recycling bin!

[Alfaoldgit]

Thanks guys. I'll post an update next week with pics. The block is back from AMS and a fine job they have made of it. Engine has been effectively blue printed.

As for bills.............it's embarrassing really. I'm completely off my head........think of the max market value for a mint Sprint then double it. But much of it is better than ex-factory...................

AOG

[Alfaoldgit]

Hi folks,
Below are some photos of something you are all familiar with. Other than cosmetic improvement, the only repair work has been new quarter shaft seals & bearings, courtesy of Ian Brookfield, new selector shaft seal & new "sump" plate gasket. The box is on foam to avoid scratching the sump which took me hours to tidy up. I couldn't find clear plastic pipe of the right ID promptly, needing to get finished with my pipe flaring kit as my son was agitating for it.
The calipers are new, the discs are original & held on with temporary bolts so I could set the pad clearances. We all know about the handbrake cable challenge......my pet method is to squeeze the caliper levers together with a plastic jaw G clamp to give enough free cable length then secure the levers with a heavy duty cable tie which can be easily cut off after the box is installed & the handbrake connected.

The engine block is in a thick plastic bag in the back of my 159 until I clean up my garage so no pics of that yet. AMS have looked at the heads & condemned the valve guides. They are flat out so they want me to source them. Talking to others it seems AMS work to new manufacture specs, not in service limits. So my engine won't be far off new, but it is a slow process as they are very busy indeed.

Exhaust valve stem oil seals, yes or no? I assume the inlet seals won't take kindly to use on exhaust guides. I'm inclined not to bother.

[alfadave]

Suggest you ask Ian Brookfield re valve stem oil seals.

He sells them in packs of eight!

I omitted fitting new ones on my engine rebuild........now I have exhaust smoke under power and on the over run.

[LooLooSud33Spider]

For what it’s worth I would always fit Valve stem seals on the inlets.

[Alfaoldgit]

Hi, yes i intend to fit inlet guide seals - I already have those, but I wonder whether the same seals will survive the higher temp of the exhaust guides & whether its worth fitting them to the exhaust guides as they will be new so should be oil tight.

I'm on the hunt for guides, John @ Justsuds is nil stock. Found some in Greece and Germany. I shall also be needing a front lower engine mount - Ian is nil stock and he can't get anymore of his beefed up ones made. I have located one in Portugal and another in Italy at inflated prices. Alfa Service had some several months ago but they are nil stock too. My Bavarian source can't help either. Still, hunting down parts is part of the fun isn't it

[Veesix75]

Do you mean the engine mount on the crossmember? I might have a good used one I’ll need to check in my dad’s shed !

If all else fails, and when I was stuck for one, we ‘repaired’ an old one and it’s still good and in use on my racer.

The wear and weakpoint is usually where the rubber is bonded to the metal. We cut a thin piece of metal for the end that is rubber only, drilled through rubber and original bonded mounting plate, counter sunk the holes, bolted through the original mount plate and new plate opposite end, and tightened up until the excess play had gone from the rubber. 95% of the rubber was fine, just the 5 % wear which was compressed using the new plate.

[Alfaoldgit]

Thanks! John Christopher has come to my rescue.

[alfadave]

Seems that the supply of front engine mounts is almost exhausted?
What about a DIY redesign using the old one.

Remove the old torn rubber (a design weak point methinks)

And replace with a pair of polybushes, bolted between the top and bottom plates.

[junior]

Or could use the Ford style of bush car builder solutions have for sale. Fit two or three in line ?

[LooLooSud33Spider]

The only problem with that Dave is if you bolt the top and bottom plates together you’re actually making a solid mount !
Ok on a race car but suboptimal on a nice restored road car

[alfadave]

OK. Maybe something like CBS item COT9

Bolted separately to top and bottom plates, but the rubber flexes with engine movement

[alfadave]

...........or maybe ENGMNT2

[LooLooSud33Spider]

I reckon the Cot10. may do the trick. I’d use 3-4 of them it’d be dead easy to just bolt them in a line the other thing is if one went bad you could just fit a new one. As they are only 35mm deep You may need to fit a shim or two to ensure is the height between the upper and lower plates matches the original spec. If you don’t then the engine will sit lower.

[Alfaoldgit]

While I wait for DHL to deliver my new valve guides............question to the floor.
This car came with Sprint GC seats, the ones with the black leatherette sides and the green dot material. The foams are in good nick and I have the green dot material to get them recovered - but they won't be correct for the model year (82). The alternative is to find a correct set (john@Justsuds has a set) but they will undoubtedly need revamping. What to do?

[alfadave]

Black leather seats from an MGF. Ones with no logo.

[Veesix75]

This far and deep in, source the correct ones and refurb.

The green dot ones will clash with the beautiful green paint and look too modern against the chrome bumper early look.

Ignore Dave, he’s been smoking something (Sorry Dave !).