I bought a Birkin

Mezzanine said:

Regarding your welds, are you confident the machine is set up right? Those welds don't look right, and I'd guess that the polarity is wrong. What are you shielding with? Because it doesn't look to be shielding too well. 

I'll second the shielding gas comment. An AL setup really needs 100% Argon. It shouldn't have that much porosity. 

Spool guns work ok but in my experience they are finicky and I always need a couple practice welds to get the settings dialed in. Preheating a bit usually helps a ton. Pointing the spool perpendicular also helps. And I agree you gotta keep the thing moving. 

and Happy Freedom Day!!!!

Well, I made some lines.  Here is the picture of the first one!

The rear of the car is done hose wise.  One thing that I did to make sure that it all fits and not impeads on the rear axle is loop it up high.  So, I have a large kick up on the lines in the rear.  I neglected to get some pics of this, but was gonna get an initial concensus.  Ill prime the pump and make sure that I can get pressure still before I really use it.  The lines go as high as the top of the tank. 

Saying this, after I installed and took apprisal of the situation I THINK I can make the line run under the axle if needed against the  to be made floor.  Ill get pics tonight.

In reply to Thinkkker :

Run the tank outlet as low as you can. Under the axle please. The return can run up top with no issue.

In reply to TurnerX19 :

Noted, I'll redo that one

also, I have parts in hand

I have worked on the engine, but, I must say that there is still quite abit of thinking going on.

I moved the outlet line lower in the rear, Ill work on the "clearances" later.  I did finish the rebuild on the pump.  Apparently, when I "soft built" it for mocking I rotated the mounts to face opposite of the way it should.  While this is "bad" its not horrible.  Mainly, this is due to the fact that I was awaiting the crank pulley to put onto the engine to verify that the belt will line up.  So, I had it psuedo setup, but it was already too far forward.

SOOOOO.......

I am going to redo the mount.  I looked and think that I can setup the piece with some tapped holes on the pump mounts to make sliders for it.

Something along the lines of this really...Just to give an idea.

Outstide of this, I have a spare engine that I may need to pull some bolts off of to finish the hookup of the waterpump, intake, exhaust, the little things....

I need to get the trans hooked up then dropped in the car.  It seams like not a lot is going on, and I should probably be going faster.  Though, I am moving forwards and doing some detail work.  I may be prettying up the engine as I go so it all looks just sweet.  Ill get some more pics, I promise.  I kinda wanna get the engine together though to give that full effect when its done.....

Friday afternoon I got the spare engine onto the stand.  I planned to pull some of the factory pieces to make the mounting of some stuff a little easier.

I went out, pulled the back of the timing cover to cut down to redo for the holder on the timing belt tensioner.  Painted it up, pulled the hoist hooks off to slap on in case I needed those, then went back and got ready to put the timing belt on.

I pulled the cover off and pulled my handy dandy cam holder out.  I went to move the exhaust cam to try to make it match up......Something didn't look like.

I will say, gutted is not the word that I can even manage right now.

Just to show a little better.......

Ok, maybe I can talk and see if I can get a new exhaust cam.  These were made last year for the car.  I waited 2 months for them to come in.  Though, I should check the drivers side out.....

Both of these broke in the same spot.  Just before the #2 bearing.   Ive sent a note to the vendor, but they are in Finland.  I could not find any blanks in the US to get these built.  I had talked to Cat Cams and got these done through them.  I have one other place in New Zealand I got an answer from.  So, the hopes of adding more power to the car are low now.  I guess fingers crossed on this one, but at this point, I dont know how I feel about putting this together...... @(#$(*!#$_)*$@)*%!#&@$%)(*_!)$_(!#%&  I can't even think of the GRM verbage conversion right now........

After I pulled these, that nick that was in the exhaust side of the cams that came out I polished up, and installed in the head.  So, its not a head issue.  Mind you, I had the new cams in and out of the head about 5 times checking and measuring valve clearance.  Pic below of old cams in head, as of now.  Ill throw these in and get it running.  Ill have to still deal with whatever happens on the others.  Afraid I will get to eat the cost on these......Anyone think they can fix some cast cams? *Sigh*

In reply to Thinkkker :

I have no words.....

it has to be an issue with the casting.... that frigin blows..

You could gamble.  If they -can- be welded, you win, and it'll be a hell of a story.

If they can't - well, they were junk anyway.

SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) said:

You could gamble.  If they -can- be welded, you win, and it'll be a hell of a story.

If they can't - well, they were junk anyway.

They are obviously cast. There is no stress point at the break.  Nothing to show an obvious reason.  It looks like a bad cast.

The only fix I can think looking is to have these drilled, and screwed together.  Then weld it back.  Cause the way this stuff looks, I won't trust a weld alone.  
 

I contacted the vendor, I didn't hold much hope, but I'll report.

This is not near as satisfying as I'd hoped, but the engine now.

also, I did sand out the bellhousing.  So there is that...

So, I did just confer with a friend who owns a machine shop.

"That's very likely not worth messing with "

so, fingers crossed from vendor.

I've been thinking about this since you posted the pictures. It weirds me out that they broke in the same spot. Why that spot? I feel like there is a clue that we're missing. 

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

I agree.  You can't run it with one broken cam so they both had to break at the same time.  That seems unlikely if it is just a bad casting / blank.  Seems like there was something else that stressed both cams at the same time and caused both to break at the same moment.  The cams may have been weak but it seems like there must be more to the story.

These were never ran.  When I installed the last time, I torqued them down as perscribed and dont remember anything strange that occured.  I put the valve cover on the engine to Seal it till I got all the front done on the engine. 

I went to align the cams yesterday, and saw this.  Obviously, this had to happen when installed last.  I just cannot think of how they both broke in the same spot....

In reply to Thinkkker :

That's what weirds me out. Are we sure that everything is straight cam journal wise? I can't quite imagine anything being so far off that it could cause this, but then again, I can't imagine two cams breaking in the same spot without being run and there not being something wrong to have caused it.

The head was at the machine shop, they setup the head to the cam.

I put another set of cams into the head, and they turn????  I dont know, I put these *broken ones* through full rotation to setup clearances.  I did not feel bind on these, I dont know. 

It's one of those things where your kid says "I don't know, it just broke" and while you know that could theoretically be true, it sounds fishy and you start asking the other kids what they saw. I'm not saying you did something, because I don't think you broke the cams, I'm mostly just looking for another kid to ask. 

Im not saying I didn't.  But dang it....

When MIG welding Al with a spool gun, I've had similar sloppy results  before realizing I wasn't using 100% Argon shielding gas.

As for the broken cams, did it occur at the site of the previous busted piston?  Did it happen after torquing down the head?  Is something warped?  Sorry for your troubles.  BTDT.

I would check the line bore of the cam journals and the possibility of having switched or reversed cap positions.

I snapped a cam on a Datsun inline 6 because of misaligned can towers, but that engine had 5 LeMons races on it, so it was fatigue damage.

This broke at assembly and maybe a couple revolutions if you cranked it over by hand, so the error could be gross and may snap a future cam.

Edit: is this the head and or cam that was in the blown up motor? I admittedly haven't read the full thread to get caught back up.

This is the head that was on the blown setup.  That was the #3, this happened at the #2.  The head was sent into the machine shop for rework, checked, decked, and then they put these cams in to set it all up. 

I had to remove to install the head *bolts are under the cams for head*

So, installed and checked at shop (1st install)

pulled, put on head to check clearance (2nd install)

Reviewed the cam card and noted the clearances at XX* of the engine, reset it all and checked here (3rd install)

Stacked head gaskets to verify height and clearance measurements (4th install)

Order big gasket based off all measurements, and then do final install (5th install)

Up until the last install, these things were in one piece.  I do not remember anything different that could have caused this to occur and after the final install, the valve cover was put on to keep it all clean and happy.  Had some other friends that deal with materials comment on looks and such.  I hopefully may awaken to some news in the morning....

Have had some family stuff going on, so I haven't been out to finish drivetrain install.  Nothing makes you feel great like having to hold your kid down so they can shove q-tip up your kids nose for a mandetory Covid check.  *shakes head*

Anyways, some news so far.  These are not flame hardened as many cast variants are.  They use chilled cast.  It sounds like pictures sent did not go through initially somewhere between vendor and such.  So, they resent and awaiting what they say on these.

Now that pics are sent over, hopefully some more info back.  Yea, Nay, or Go Berkeley Yourself.  At least I know where this part stands.

Ok, got some word back.

They reviewed and said install was the issue.  I agree as, that's all that has happened to them.  They gave a full install rundown.  Which sounds like how I did it, but maybe not well enough.  I was not offered a replacement set for this.  However, they did offer a 50% off order and said that they can get them shipped in 2-3 weeks, which should get here in 3-4 really.

I went ahead and got these setup to come.  Ill put together the install setup they slated and follow to the letter.  I will document it fully and keep some fingers crossed.

Also, with the cancellation of Nats this year, I dont have a firm date I have to get it prepped for.  So, I will hold any startup till the cams come in as to not upset the lifter buckets.

I finally touched this again.  A lot of "life things" over the past few weeks. With the whole mental aspect of "your new cams are now even more multiples!" I finally feel like getting back to it.

So I did get this today.  

this is fully together, it has big cams in it.  They are all one piece, and all looked good!

i just measured the belt and that's the "last piece".  At least until I find the new last piece.  Next step, I'll pull from the stand and get the drivetrain into one piece.  
 

Started to finally finish the roll bar setup.

Hopefully, I can finish tomorrow.