New project. 1987 Lamborghini Jalpa. There's no easy way out.

tuna55 wrote: Wait, you can make them but not harden them? So, that's actually pretty easy. Buy some good hardened material like A2 and use that, or turn the ones you have where you need them and have them hardened. It's not magic.

We want to but my machinist doesn't have a surface grinder. Otherwise we could get some hardened material and do it, and none of the machine shops i called had the right tools (or could do it on short notice).

However, i plan on getting a custom valve shim kit made once the other stuff arrives, since i'll likely have to adjust in the near future.

Shims are supposed to be delivered today according to fedex tracking. A galactic achievement for today should they arrive on time.

Are you like me when I expect a package? Refreshing the page every 5 minutes?

Stampie wrote: Are you like me when I expect a package? Refreshing the page every 5 minutes?

Pretty much. I even signed up for email updates.

corsepervita wrote:

Stampie wrote: Are you like me when I expect a package? Refreshing the page every 5 minutes?

Pretty much. I even signed up for email updates.

You know they can text you also.

9:54 am At local FedEx facility

YUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSss

In reply to corsepervita:

I've been so excited to get packages before I tell them to hold it at the facility so I don't have to wait for 6 hours for the delivery truck to run it's route.

10:51 am On FedEx vehicle for delivery

IS IT MY BIRTHDAY? IT FEELS LIKE MY BIRTHDAY

The0retical wrote: In reply to corsepervita: I've been so excited to get packages before I tell them to hold it at the facility so I don't have to wait for 6 hours for the delivery truck to run it's route.

Well it's going straight to the machinist, so they can get it there faster than I can. Works for me!

I'm sure it's probably not much help now, but I think a lot of motorcycles use a shim under bucket design. And the way to adjust the valves is to buy a shim kit that has a bunch of different thickness shims. Maybe you could find one that has the right diameter and then see if you can get the thickness you need?

Don't know how hard they are or if you could find one in the right diameter/thickness, but they are precision ground, so maybe. And then you could send them off to get nitrided or something for hardness.

Heck, maybe you could even call a cam company that makes them for motorcycles and see if they can make a set in the diameter you need for not too much money.

Sorry, it looks like those are way too small (usually 10mm or less O.D.). Still though, the companies that make them for those applications might be able to whip out some in 37mm, precision ground to the thickness specs you need.

And if you do find a way to source some I'm sure you'd become a demi-god among the old Lamborghini owners.

Package delivered and shows my machinist signed for them. WHOOOO. He hasn't answered his phone when I called but I'm super stoked.

Ok guys, machinist picked up. Current status:

• Shims look good. He is cutting valves and will get that finished this afternoon.
• Some of the valve springs had pitting. No bueno. He took the liberty of ordering me beehive springs. They'll be here tomorrow morning. Expectation is to have the heads completely finished by tomorrow night.
• Viton seals are here today, picked them up, and rest of my hardware and washers will be here tomorrow. Will drop everything off tomorrow night.

WE ARE ON COURSE FOR DYNO DAY. Fingers crossed, nothing else comes up. Sounds like all the detrimental BS is out of the way at this point.

Jambo wrote: Sorry, it looks like those are way too small (usually 10mm or less O.D.). Still though, the companies that make them for those applications might be able to whip out some in 37mm, precision ground to the thickness specs you need. And if you do find a way to source some I'm sure you'd become a demi-god among the old Lamborghini owners.

I've added this to my long list of things I've said I can make money doing that only to realize there is no way to make enough to do it full time. About another 50 ideas and I can have enough to work full time with my conglomerate making bunches of little bits of money.

Have been following your engine build for a while -- it is great. Two years ago I had a set of shims made for my Jalpa at a local shop. Several shims had cracked, one of them bad enough to ruin a cam lobe, necessitating a new factory cam as no one in the area would rebuild it. Lamborghini only supplies shims in the max thickness, which the owner grinds to his reqts(or grinds the valve stems). However, surface hardening is only about 0.010" deep on the Euro equivalent 1018 steel. I have a few spare shims, if you need some (AISI 8620@RHC 62). Please let me know.

Flywheelroy wrote: Have been following your engine build for a while -- it is great. Two years ago I had a set of shims made for my Jalpa at a local shop. Several shims had cracked, one of them bad enough to ruin a cam lobe, necessitating a new factory cam as no one in the area would rebuild it. Lamborghini only supplies shims in the max thickness, which the owner grinds to his reqts(or grinds the valve stems). However, surface hardening is only about 0.010" deep on the Euro equivalent 1018 steel. I have a few spare shims, if you need some (AISI 8620@RHC 62). Please let me know.

I'm likely going to need some after I get it broken in. Thank everyone for the kind and supportive comments!

Well, sound like we'll be aiming for midweek. Just a quick update. The o-rings I got are not a good fit, which sucks. The cross size was way too fat. He also discovered that the head was planed a few thou off at the skim (not from him but the place that repaired my heads). So he's going to redo that as well. We're very close. He's making sure everything is going to be fantastic before we throw it on the dyno.

I have to say that while I know I'm really excited for dyno day, I am thankful that I have a machinist that cares to make sure EVERYTHING is lined up before we get things done.

He has also cut the relief in the pistons as they were off from JE pistons as well. I'm hoping JE will go ahead and reimburse me for that, since taking the block apart before he moves, sending them back, having them cut them, sending them back and then hoping they got it right a second time wasn't going to happen.

The exhaust side was way off, and he cut the relief by hand and they look phenomenal.

The beehive springs are a better spring rate than stock, and he's going to have to machine the cups for the retainers, so that's going to also push things out mid week anyway.

I have to do some maintenance and an install for a customer wednesday, so it sounds like thursday should hopefully be "the day".

I've found my HD camera, and will also live stream the dyno. I know my machinist wants to get some REALLY good footage of this thing, and he has put a huge amount of work into a custom skid just for this engine for his dyno. He's as emotionally invested in this as I am.

I was talking to him tonight about how rare it is just to come across anyone who takes as much interest in a build as the customer does. He is most certainly one of those people. I never thought I'd find someone like that so close to home, and it makes me sad he is moving. But I plan on sending my Porsche head off to him later on when it comes time for that. (that should be a lot less time consuming, easier, and what not for him lol)

Anyway, I'll keep y'all posted. Sounds like the shims are going to work out great, and everything is lining up. We're out of the danger zone of anything else messing up the build. We're just at the point of the last bit of machining, assembly, checking clearances, and we should be gold.

Also I need to find the right O-Rings lol. I think I might have pulled a derp and left the damn thing at his shop (the oil return tube) and the oring. So I'll have to text him tomorrow and get the ID from him on the orings I ordered. Sucks, because the viton rings I ordered (with a lot of extras) were close to $70, and now I can't even use them.

just a brainfart.......

flywheelroy said: Lamborghini only supplies shims in the max thickness, which the owner grinds to his reqts(or grinds the valve stems). However, surface hardening is only about 0.010" deep

could you "grind" one side of the shim, and then put that side down on the bucket... without re-tempering???? Thus leaving the un-ground side tempered and facing the cam??

oldeskewltoy wrote: just a brainfart.......

flywheelroy said: Lamborghini only supplies shims in the max thickness, which the owner grinds to his reqts(or grinds the valve stems). However, surface hardening is only about 0.010" deep

could you "grind" one side of the shim, and then put that side down on the bucket... without re-tempering???? Thus leaving the un-ground side tempered and facing the cam??

My machinist and I had this discussion last night. you could potentially grind one side a little bit, and then flip it and run the hardened side on the cam.

Here's spaghetti while we wait. https://www.youtube.com/embed/SW-BU6keEUw

corsepervita wrote: I was talking to him tonight about how rare it is just to come across anyone who takes as much interest in a build as the customer does. He is most certainly one of those people. I never thought I'd find someone like that so close to home, and it makes me sad he is moving. But I plan on sending my Porsche head off to him later on when it comes time for that. (that should be a lot less time consuming, easier, and what not for him lol)

This. Your machinist is one in a million. Where is he moving to? When you said he was moving, I figured he was just moving to a different space in town. But that sucks if he's moving away completely. Bummer.

NorseDave wrote:

corsepervita wrote: I was talking to him tonight about how rare it is just to come across anyone who takes as much interest in a build as the customer does. He is most certainly one of those people. I never thought I'd find someone like that so close to home, and it makes me sad he is moving. But I plan on sending my Porsche head off to him later on when it comes time for that. (that should be a lot less time consuming, easier, and what not for him lol)

This. Your machinist is one in a million. Where is he moving to? When you said he was moving, I figured he was just moving to a different space in town. But that sucks if he's moving away completely. Bummer.

Arizona is where he is currently moving to. I'll still send my stuff off to him, because as you said, one in a million. I'd rather pay to have things shipped to him for quality work that trust the rest of the machinists around here. I feel really lucky to have found him so close to home.

Above and beyond the machining, he's just a great person. I feel really fortunate to have met him, we have a lot in common when it comes to cars and our interests, so it's fun to shoot the E36 M3 with him and hang out at the shop as well.

Tonight? Should I cross my toes?

Stampie wrote: Tonight? Should I cross my toes?

No no, mid week, next week. Wed/thurs.

In reply to corsepervita:

Ohhhhh. That mid week. Sorry I need to go drown my sorrows.