My latest purchase

[lanciatomcat]

Have posted some pictures of my latest purchase.
There is more to the story here which will unfold over the next few days.

[Darren]

Wow Tom, nice looking car - is that the one with the air conditioned block? No wonder you want that sorted asap and back on the road. Ebay purchase?

[lanciatomcat]

Darren
Not ebay!!!!
Certain gentleman from Cumbria was the seller.
Tom

[Darren]

ric, any feedback?

[lanciatomcat]

Darren
Seller drove the car nearly 280 miles to deliver it to me. Reported it drove effortlessly and oil pressure etc., was good. On arrival at my home I requested he move it on my drive and it started up fine, sounded good. After some discussion he was driven to the station for his long train journey home. Due to certain family commitments the car was left till next morning and when I started it up there was a cracking sound!! After some investigation I noticed bits on the drive which were collected together. The full horror was still not 100% clear but then Paul Millett turned up, by chance, in his full 'monstermonte' with megasquirt working well to see how I was. It was he who saw the hole in the side of the block. So all was then clear!! The starter motor had not jammed.
I am now looking at various possibilities, removing the Guy Croft engine from the Project getting it refurbished and fitted or obtaining another engine getting that up to a good specification.
I am being pragmatic, hopefully, about events though I am very disappointed. The vehicle ticked many boxes for me and I was looking forward to using it.
Watch this thread for developments.
Regards
Tom

[Darren]

Damn, that's some delivery mileage! Iguess the only way you're going to see what caused the failure is to strip the engine and have a look. Sounds like the cambelt failed or slipped and the crank came into contact with the oil pump drive shaft. Thank you and good night! It's a real shame when the rest of the car looks that good.

Let's hope it's back on the road again soon!

[lanciatomcat]

Darren
I think with all of this a big question is what would have happened if I lived another 50 miles further away? I am led to understand that mileage during the last 12 months has been fairly minimal. A good run down the motorway should have cleared the air and that was what the seller felt.
Would have been very embarassing for him to not make my house or even worse, for him, when he restarted it on my drive it had blown then!!!!
I have told him I will take the pins out of the effigy of him within a 12 month period.
I think he is only mildly amused.
Regards
Tom

[Darren]

That is true. But by the sound of it, it was a problem that was going to occur on restart rather than on a run. It is a shame though. Lol on the pins - can't say I blame the seller for sense of humour failure - I'm sure he's gutted too - although not as much as you are - there's no way he was going to drive all that way if he weren't confident that the car was going to make it.

[Andrew S]

there's no way he was going to drive all that way if he weren't confident that the car was going to make it.

Too right I wouldn't!!! I also stopped and started en-route 4 times! One time in particular saw 5,500 revs in second gear on restart- engine was as sweet as a nut. Oil level never altered on the journey (checked at Tom's house). Also, I firmly believe another 50 miles wouldn't have made the slightest bit of difference as I think, perhaps, this was a cold-start breakage. Having said that, although the car was used minimally during the last 12 months it was started, run up to temperature (fans on) and moved every week (sometimes only a few yards, sometimes round the locality). That is a lot of cold starts... As I have said to Tom, this is the most bizarre engine failure I've ever heard of! There's absolutely no way I would've sold this car with a known fault; I'm sure Tom knows this. It's just a freak situation and I do feel terrible about it and it's not just the pins :-(...- if I had a spare engine Tom would be welcome to it but unfortunately I haven't. However, I'm sure that the Lancisti UK/Consortium network will unearth a block.

Andrew.

[lanciatomcat]

Andrew
I am not laying any blame on your shoulders at all. Please let me make that clear.
You sold in good faith and I purchased in good faith too.
It was just one of those things and really until that engine is stripped down the explanation for what happened is unclear.
I am pursuing various options to obtain another block.
Regards
Tom

[Will]

From the pics it looks like you lost #4 main. The #4 is the one that falls over a mount boss on the block and uses short studs. Front and #2 have no mount boss on the exterior, center has longer studs, rear has no mount boss. This does not look to me to be fuel lobe interference, that seems always to hole the upper block and is on #2 rod.Was the block original, or rebuilt, possibly using recycled hardware? I consider a set of ARP studs at $120 to be a reasonable investment even if the "old" hardware looks fine- but you could lose #4 cap on any motor, especially if it's the consequence of something else like spinning the bearing- as I'm guessing you're aware judging from your impressive array of montes :)

Sorry to hear you are going through all that, what a drag.

[lanciatomcat]

Will
Thanks for your comments.
It is a bit of a drag I admit but one of those things life throws at you.
Regards
Tom

[lanciatomcat]

I have hunted around a little and have options on a couple of second-hand engines plus a brand new block with pistons and rods but no crankshaft.
Have started to clear the engine bay for 'blown' engine removal although certain family matters have been taking up my days of late.
I had loaned out my Guy Croft book, which I will get back tomorrow at the Consortium Technical Forum, so some study of that tome is planned.
Will keep developments posted for all to read and comment on.

[lanciatomcat]

After a couple of weeks away in Spain at a friend's villa near Alicante I am back to wet weather and a job list to get the 'blown' engine out and a replacement engine built.
Have been examining the literature that came with the car and found the following engine specification sheet:-
LANCIA MONTECARLO 2000 ENGINE SPEC: SHEET
Full standard engine build including re-painting, re-furbishment of unit, crack testing, pressure testing etc.,
MODIFICATIONS OVER STANDARD BUILD.
Full balance including crank, rods, pistons, flywheel, clutch cover, crank pulley and all associated bolts.
High compression pistons raising compression to 10.3-1 [Also achieved by head and block face work]
Crankshaft ground and polished to 20 thou oversize with use of H/D shells.
Pistons pocketed to allow for higher lift of camshafts [piston size bored to 84.6]
Cylinder head re-worked to match manifold for twin 40DCNF + Ansa 4 branch manifold. Combustion chambers reworked, head refaced, combustion chambers balanced, valves recut and seated back in head.
Fast road / rally highlift cams with duration of 42 / 82 / 82 / 42 + machined cam boxes to suit.

With single carb setup BHP about 150
With twin carbs BHP about 170.

It appears this work was carried out in 2 stages on 16th April and 3rd December 1988.

When delivered the vehicle had a standard 34DATR with a K&N Fliter on it. There are no receipts for 40DCNF's, manifolds etc. The vehicle has an ANSA 4 branch manifold and exhaust system.

An invoice for a rolling road test on 15th June 1994 gave:-
BHP 103 @ 5500 [at whell]
Approx 128-130 at flywheel
Main sets were 150/145 and were changed to 120/140
Air were 220/130 and were changed to 180/130.

The indicated mileage now shows 56,000 miles. I am checking through the previously issued MOT certificates to show mileages when the test was carried out.

Any comments on the above appreciated.

[Craiova]

Just one comment Tom, you say the crank was regroung, Guy Croft says this is a no no as the original crank was tuftrided from new, when you regring you take of the hardened material.

Steve H

[Will]

LOL I was going to ask how you grind journals OVERsize! IMO "Full" balancing requires dynamic balancing with weights of the reciprocating parts, not merely a static balance of the rotating assembly (which is what the above sounds like). However it's kind of pointless for us to speculate, why not tear the thing down and show us what the failure was?

[1,6 HF]

Tom,

Looking at the list of modifications, I'm struck by the fact that you're still running the 34DATR. Given all the other mods, I don't see how that carb can manage to flow enough volume, even with the rejetting. The rest of the set-up looks as though it's anticipating a pair of 40s.

[davidb]

In spite of all my headaches w/my 42 DCNF fit in my Scorp & now fuel
pump issues I agree. Bigger carbs are better. If one can locate same.
Easier said than done. I sorta lucked out buying mine from Andrew S. .
E-Bay auction had ended, I lost. E-mailed Andrew saying keep me in
mind just in case. Turns out winning bidder could'nt pay "for awhile".
I paid immediately for the carbs & the manny. Sorry, I blathering.

[lanciatomcat]

Thanks you all for your observations on me giving the spec sheet on the engine.
I have checked the receipts I have been given and it does not specifically mention work done on the crankshaft.
As I am sure you appreciate I am, in some way, trying to piece together what did in fact happen to the engine. Please note neither the PO or even the one before him would know know exactly what was inside the engine. They would only have seen the spec sheet and receipts and whilst the engine was running fine not enquired further.
I paln to do a similar exercise with the spec sheet I have on my Project S1 as a comparison of thought processes.
Regards to all
Tom