Yet another project....The uncrashed spitfire

Yeap it is a recessed block gasket im using.

all 1500 spitfires use a recessed block, 1300s all use non recessed, you can however put a 1500 fwd engine in the spit and then you have a 1500 non recessed which will be my next engine.
 
cylinder head no2 gives the exact same conclusions, compressor is warming up just now to try and find a leak

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looking like the block at the moment and a nice and costly engine rebuild looming.
 
I don't know a whole lot about engines (or your car), but I thought I might chime in anyway :D

I have done a couple of head gaskets before and have always been led to believe they were use once and replace. Have you been using the same gasket each time, any chance its faulty?

Also I have been told once you remove a head gasket with rubber beading from its sealed bag they need to be used within a few days as they go hard (not sure how true that is).

Also, why does one of your head studs protude further than the rest of them, surely they should all be the same height?
 
different makes of stud is the answer to the last question both have the same amount of thread down to the same height so it doesnt make any difference.
I am using new gaskets (been through 4 so far) you are right once you use them the firring rings compress making them impossible to seal again.
 
I would just look for another running block and give it a gasket-only rebuild. That way you plug any leaks and get the car running again at minimal cost. You can then worry about getting a decent block built a) when you have the funds and b) if it even needs it. Unless a bottom end is completely knackered it'll run fine with new oil, filter, timing chain and a new set of gaskets.

Really sounds to me like something doesn't fit in its bore, bore gone oval or there's a gaping great crack somewhere which you would see. To be honest if you didn't check the rings and pistons yourself then there's no way of knowing. I'd be really wary if someone else said they were ok without me seeing with my own eyes.
 
if you still have the head off try putting the pistons level ( halfway in the bore ) and add a small ammount of oil to each bore about 1/2 inch and see if it drains away , yes i know it will work its way down after a while but it should let you know about the piston seal



I have been checking over a loco ( see sig ) with no rings on the piston, and a piston /cylinder gap of 0.003 inches it held oil for quite a long time


BTW these are home made rings heat treated CI
 
Well think i found the problem after trying another leakdown test, im 90 percent sure i have air coming into the block, i.e. rings have gone. Any other tests i can do on the rings?
 
the only sure way is you guessed it, the mark one eye-ball


but be aware that air will leak past a ring , how big was the air line ? you would need at least a 3/8 bore line with a pressure gauge fitted , if you use a small line the leakage on a good cylinder can beat the air flow
 
Apart from comparing them with a new set if you don't know what they should measure up to there's not much you can do. Take the ring off the piston and you can check the gap at the top and bottom of the bore, rotate 90 degrees and repeat, check it actually fits etc. End gap should be something like 4 thou per inch of bore as a general rule, so pretty tight. Once the ring is worn that gap will grow. You ought to check that bore is round too, if it wears oval it will lose compression.

Edit: and check the rings are consistent on all 4 cylinders, compare them.
 
so basically only way to be sure is to take it out and rebuild it.

if im doing that i might aswell get the block decked to get rid of the recessed gasket aswell
 
right given the engine problems i've had to come to the conclusion i wont be able to get the car re-sprayed till next year, so i started the one day respray, no pre, no sanding just a light key, only had a day in the warm garage before the vette comes back so had to be quick and its just to protect from rust so i wasnt too fused. But it came out pretty good, few runs, but really just needs a sand and a cutt.

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Check this out

Totally gob smacked when i took the covers off it quickly this morning, it looks stunning, only noticeable when you look close are the runs.

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Check this for a one day re-spray, you can tell the old and new old is darker.

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Looks fine to me too, you see a lot worse driving round :D

I've REALLY got to get cracking on mine now :D
 
Cor, my step dad saw this on the screen and was interested! He had a Spitfire years back and loved it.

I wish you the best of luck :)
 
Finally got the engine out today, impressed by how easy it came out with the crane, did it all myself only needing help to swing it out the way of the bonnet.

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Car back together.

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And engine out now, in the shed now ready for dissasembly.
 
anyway engine is in bits

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sump is full of gloopy oil but no metal

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noubt suspicious looking at the internals

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Piston rings look ok, only one ring sprang off though

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Right here is the bores, flash makes them look more scratched than they seem in real life.

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This is one i am worried about though, if you see there is a kinda horrizontal scratch.

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Pistons not very pretty

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Bearings are showing signs of usual heavy wear but nothing major

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Should the timing chain be this loose? and am i missing a core plug i.e. the hole just above the chains.

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i dont have any specialised engine tools to measure wear on the bore.
 
Timing chain should not be that slack, the pistons look well scuffed on the skirts , the bore look a bit iffy

rebore and a new set of pistons/rings will sort it , new shells


IMHO i still think the main problem is the top end , did you shim up the rocker posts to the sane amount as was skimmed off the head ( this restores the rocker geometry )


when its been rebored ect you will then have a new engine

I would beef up that timing chain to a duplex if pos as the engine was based on the Helrald one which had very light valve springs ,not the stronger ones you have fitted


good luck with it
 
It cant be top end as 3 different cylinder heads were tried. The problem is piston rings, they are horrific in the picture of the pistons
 
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