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Re: Brand new engine started knocking - need suggestions

To: David Riker <davidr@sunset.net>, spridgets <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Brand new engine started knocking - need suggestions
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 10:19:55 -0700
User-agent: Microsoft-Outlook-Express-Macintosh-Edition/5.02.2022
on 8/24/00 19:38, David Riker at davidr@sunset.net wrote:

> Ulix-
> About a year ago I told you that I never again would bore a 1275 out to a
> 1380.  

That's right, but I had it bored about TWO years ago  :-)

> The sound you describe is exactly what mine sounded like.  I hope the
> problem is not what I encountered.  In my engine, the cylinder wall flex was
> so great that the pistons slapped fore and aft, tearing up the cylinder
> walls and destroying the rings, pistons, and rendering the block useless.

Gulp.
Your symptoms sure sound like mine, but I have a hard time believing that
anything flexes much in there AT IDLE.  Also, other people have had good
results with 1380s, Mike Gigante even races his.  Was your block offset
bored?
I wish I had had the right tool to check the bore diameter accurately when I
assembled it, then I would know now if the bores are just too big.

> As with your engine's symptoms, there was no increase in volume with load or
> engine temperature, just that the sound rhythm matched the engine RPM's and
> was best described as a diesel type rattle.

Yup.
I have to check again, but I thought it got much quieter when it warmed up.
After your experience, maybe I should keep my original (thin flange) 1275 to
rebuild in case this one explodes?

When I started building this engine, the Sprite was my only car.  I wanted
to go all out and make it a real hot-rod.  Now that I have my souped-up X1/9
with a powerband from 4000 to 8500, I'd much rather have a cruiser-Sprite,
and would be perfectly happy with a nice 1275.
Oh well.

    Ulix                                       __/__,__      ___/__|\__
..............................................(_o____o_)....<_O_____O_/...
http://www.mirafiori.com/~ulix/               '67 Sprite     '74 X1/9



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