Two Tech Tips

"RacinBob" (racinbob)
10/18/2020 at 21:18 • Filed to: None

1. On Alfa Romeos, sometimes you need to retorque the head gaskets. I went to put the Alfa away and noticed a couple of drips of antifreeze from my newly rebuilt engine. Aluminum heads and blocks held together shrink when 40f. Sure enough the had studs felt like they had 20 ft lbs on them, so I retorqued them and all is tight.

2. My race series requires no antifreeze be used so I have to add some for the winter. The tip is to remember that it is not enough to drain and refill the radiator, and start the car. What is important is you have to run the engine until the thermostat opens. If you don’t the block is still filled with un mixed water.

DISCUSSION (17)

sony1492 > RacinBob
10/18/2020 at 21:30

That last one sounds like a hard earned lesson

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > RacinBob
10/18/2020 at 21:31

Did you learn (2) the hard way?

dogisbadob > RacinBob
10/18/2020 at 21:38

The Lisle coolant funnel is awesome :o)

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > RacinBob
10/18/2020 at 21:41

This is good practice for any aluminum engines using studs. Lots of people unaware of it though, and I don't think ARP stud kits specifically mention it.

RacinBob > RacinBob
10/18/2020 at 21:45

Nope, I’ve do dged that bullet over many years of storing cars outdoors. But that’s due to a wiser friend pointing it out to me.

Nothing would be more tragic than busting a engine by freezing it. Just passing the note forward.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > RacinBob
10/18/2020 at 21:47

Regarding No. 2 above: my daughter called and said her temperature gauge was fluctuating and “my heater is struggling.” I said, “FULL STOP!” Turns out she had a cracked radiator tank. Fortunately, she did not overheat the car.

I understand what you are talking about.

HoustonRunner > RacinBob
10/18/2020 at 21:54

Didn’t David Tracy already do that?

XJDano > RacinBob
10/18/2020 at 22:02

But isn’t that what the freeze plugs are for?

When did they start using those?

sony1492 > XJDano
10/18/2020 at 22:13

Its been said that freeze plugs exist to remove the material left from c asting the block

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > RacinBob
10/18/2020 at 22:43

Oddly, Wheeler Dealers had a recent episode using that trick... figured he was going “full pull the head, break the timing chain and put in a new gasket”...

But, Ant saved the day with new studs and “torque to spec”.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > sony1492
10/18/2020 at 22:44

They will not save the block on a severe freeze. Please don’t ask how I found that out.

66P1800inpieces > XJDano
10/18/2020 at 23:24

I think freeze plugs are a bit of a misnomer as they pop when frozen but by then other damage is probably done.

66P1800inpieces > RacinBob
10/18/2020 at 23:26

When you take it out in the spring do you re-prime the oil pump or passages? I was thinking of using a remote oil filter adapter on the block, plugging one side, and plumbing the feed into the engine to a gallon pump sprayer. Pressurize the oil to 40psi or so and squeeze the trigger.

RacinBob > 66P1800inpieces
10/19/2020 at 00:16

Maybe I am lucky but I have come to the conclusion that for most engines as long as you keep the bearings wet, you are fine. I basically start the alfa and drive it. Same as the type R. In fact it was not unusual for any of my VTEC engines to lose oil pressure enough to drop out of VTEC in the carrossel due to low oil level uncovering the pickup at RA and drop out of VTEC while pressure is showing maybe 20 PSI and being fine for 1/2 hour or longer. As I said, engines are forgiving.

Granted, My Chevy Citation 2.8 V60 engine 9 years before absolutely would not tolerate oil starvation and tossed a rod bearing in short order until we trapped the oil pan. So I guess sometimes you win and sometimes not.

bob and john > RacinBob
10/19/2020 at 00:55

hehe. yea, I’m used tot he coolant thing. have to drain the daytona of coolant for track, and then refill for the next winter

66P1800inpieces > RacinBob
10/19/2020 at 09:18

Thank you for your response, and like a mind reader you mentioned VTEC. I have been storing my 2008 Acura TSX with the K24 engine since about March. I have a battery tender, put in fuel stabilizer and start it every week or two (mostly idle up to temp) and drive the short driveway when I need to get to my mower. I just put it back on the insurance and will drive it around a bit so I can put in fresher fuel. Even after two weeks I don’t hear or get an indicator light that it is low on oil pressure. The sensor might not react fast enough but so far so good. Its an automatic but I will drive a little in 3rd to make sure the VTEC actuators function.

I like the idea of VTEC but in the automatic it doesn’t make much sense. In the entire life of my car it might have 5 minutes on VTEC. Seems like a lot of parts and complexity for something that rarely “kicks in”.

RacinBob > 66P1800inpieces
10/19/2020 at 09:59

Gear type oil pumps I’ve concluded don’t let oil drain back. As such there is plenty of oil on top of them when the engine starts to give a prime. Besides, the load on the engine at startup to the bearings is a fraction of their design.

Another way to think about it is remember, cars didn’t commonly have oil pumps until the 1930's. The model T didn’t have a pump, neither I am told did the mid 30's chevy motors. They instead had “dippers” on the crank that dipped into the oil and I guess sprayed it all over the place keeping things wet.

My conclusion is that as long as you keep oil in the engine, and change it maybe every 15,000 miles, it is hard to hurt a bearing in a modern engine. On my type r, we rebuilt the engine after 50+ hours of endurance racing and the bearings looked almost new.

People that have bearing problems almost always ran their engine dry and then kept driving anyway,