Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997 22:38:32 -0700
From: Joe Curry <curry@wolfenet.com>
Organization: Curry Enterprises
To: pllj@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: Spitfire Heads and Cams
References: <C3BEB027.63B6@earthlink.net> <343C6374.31C8@wolfenet.com>
<C3BEB90F.136F@earthlink.net>
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Peter Lucas wrote:
>
> So...Whats up with this high perf head? Would it destroy my lower end
> after 20,000 miles? And what year is the other head?
> PL
I don't know what it would to your lower end, but it sure burned my Ass.
Oh, you are talking about the engine. Apparantly you did not read my
broadcast message about my 260-265 pounds compression.
I got the head from a source that swore it was freshly rebuilt. My
engine guy (not necessarily a Triumph expert) verified the head was
just rebuilt with new guides, hardened seats and new valves.
So we used the head and rebuilt the engine with all new hi-comp. pistons
bored 20 over, turned the crank 10 under, reground the cam, new timing
geat and chain. In short, basicly a new engine. I even included the
Weber DCOE I just sold.
It fired right up. Idled great. But when you tried to put power to
it under load it bogged miserably, Initially, I thought it was the DCOE
so I bought a dual SU setup, spent about $250.00 rebuilding the carbs
and still had the same problem. I measured the compression and there
was the problem. I just didn't know why. Two head gaskets later,
I compared the head to 2 others I had and it was easy to see what was
wrong. Precision measuring instruments revealed that compared to the 2
other heads, that one had been milled over 150 thousands.
I rebuilt one of the other heads ($225.00), replaced a broken piston,
new set of rings, and honed the cyl's, finally it runs like I expected
in the first place. Unfortunately, it was a $2500.00 Lesson.
I kept the head because, in a racing situation it may be useable. It
is ok except for the amount that was taken off... However, I make no
guarantees.
Joe
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