[mo4]

It started off as two jobs - to replace the exhaust front pipe and spray the front bumper.
Why is it that nothing is as simple as it appears?

When I took the bumper off (which in itself was a PITA) I noticed quite a lot of rust forming around the front of the car. The last 2 winters of salted roads haven't been good for my aging 155.
Then I noticed that all the fins had rotted and fallen off the radiator
So I started stripping everything back and after plenty of elbow grease,wire brushing, rust killer and hammerite and waxoil I was happy that I had caught it in time, and preserved it for a few years.

So off with the exhaust (another PITA on the front driveway) and the manifolds. Then as I was looking at it I said that this would be a great time to change the belts while I had lots of access to everything.
So off with the cam covers to do the belts and and I noticed that the business end of cam lobe over cylinder one was missing :wow:

http://www.greencloverleaf.com/images/cam_lobe_worn.JPG

When I took out the cam I found the tappet was fooked as well
http://www.greencloverleaf.com/images/cam_worn_tappet.JPG

Not good news and it probably spells the beginning of the end for this engine

But having done so much work at this point I decided to keep going.
Cue plenty of faffing about with my toy micrometer trying to measure all the journals and bearings.
http://www.greencloverleaf.com/images/Photo1299.jpg

Everthing seemed ok so after pulling a replacement cam and buying a new shiny set of tappets I put it all back in the engine, still wondering where the missing bits of the old cam went!
http://www.greencloverleaf.com/images/Photo1301.jpg

Refitted the exhaust system today, and hope to get it started tomorrow once I get the water and air intake systems fitted.
This is it this evening, hope to have an update tomorrow
http://www.greencloverleaf.com/images/Photo1315.jpg

 

[jf_cole]

Fair play to you. Great to see another curator of the Alfa moving museum of art.

 

[Alfa155 TS]

nice Morgan, top job as always, when i removed my rocker cover to fit a new gaket I made a total balls of resealing it had to drop it into Ti Autos to get it done in the end.

 

[Cathal_H]

Nice bit of reengineering work there man.

Is a chunk of metal missing from the cam or is it worn down? I can't see the Picts propely on silly little phone.

 

[Red156Ti]

You may want to blow back thro the oil way that feeds that tappet. Worn cam lobe equals oil starvation or else the lobe got damaged during a cam belt change.

Overall, well played you Sir

 

[Guest]

Do not blow air against the natural flow of the oil system as you can air lock the oil pump very easily

 

[kikih]

Super job Morgan, and thanks for the help with my job.:thumbs:
Read somewhere the cam lobes on cylinder one suffer the most wear due to being closest to the oil filler cap, dust and grit falling in. Having said that I would have thought that theory would only apply to the inlet lobes as I dont think you can see the exhaust cam lobes.

 

[mo4]

You may want to blow back thro the oil way that feeds that tappet. Worn cam lobe equals oil starvation or else the lobe got damaged during a cam belt change.

Overall, well played you Sir

I have ruled out oil starvation because all the caps and bearing surfaces are ok. Unless I'm mistaken the oil that lubricates the lobes is just splash oil that reaches the head through the grooves in the cam bearings?

I've put it down to age and mileage for the moment but will open it up after a bit to inspect it again.
The other possibility is that this is a result of 4 full days at Mondello.
When turning right the splash oil in the head will slosh away from no1 cylinder side, where the failure happened.......

Visitors here at the moment so I'm struggling to get out to it and put it back together

 

[Red156Ti]

all that makes sense

 

[mo4]

Well I'll probably find out in a 1000 miles or so :lol:

Not too optimistic about this engine, it's been pushed hard and has 150k miles on it.
I was hoping to make the 155k miles because..... well it's a 155.
If it all goes pear shaped I'll probably put the 166 engine into it. It's a good car, only belonged to one person before me and I've had it for 60k miles!

 

[Guest]

Hopefully you'll get to that mileage Fair dues for keeping it on the road.

 

[mo4]

Cheers Damien, I plan to keep it going for a while yet.

I'll have the engine running tomorrow ... at last

 

[kikih]

Hopefully your visitors have gone so we can get an update!!:lol:

 

[Guest]

Nice work now seen as you put so much effort into get it to a meet 155's are rare at the meets 166's are too common though

 

[mo4]

Well I got it started, oil pressure looks okish
Sounds a bit tappety but this hopefully will go out of it once I take it for a spin. Just got to put back on the bumper, slam panel and lighting now.

 

[Alfa155 TS]

well morgan your dramas are over and mine are about to begin so I'll keep this thread going :lol:
Oh and cheers for the PM, very much appreciated, hadnt a clue where to start

 

[Red156Ti]

it'll sound tappety until it get fully warmed up, she be grand then

 

[deltona]

I had a 155 with 212k mls. on it and it still pulled like a train, the engine had never been opened (the guy before me had it for years).

As for your theory on the oil starvation and being on-track at Mondello it's feasible alright I guess. I tracked another 155 I had there and if you took turn 5 (the fast, long right-hander before you head down into Tarzan 1) in third gear it would pop out of gear mid-way through the corner because it rolled over so much that when the engine and box moved in it's mountings it was the same as moving the gear linkage. I've pics of it and you'd swear it was about to use it's door handles as stabilisers to stop it going over !!

 

[mo4]

I had a 155 with 212k mls. on it and it still pulled like a train, the engine had never been opened (the guy before me had it for years).

As for your theory on the oil starvation and being on-track at Mondello it's feasible alright I guess. I tracked another 155 I had there and if you took turn 5 (the fast, long right-hander before you head down into Tarzan 1) in third gear it would pop out of gear mid-way through the corner because it rolled over so much that when the engine and box moved in it's mountings it was the same as moving the gear linkage. I've pics of it and you'd swear it was about to use it's door handles as stabilisers to stop it going over !!

LOL they do lean a bit on the corners alright - a case of roll up the windows!
Good to hear of one going well with that mileage, must have been well looked after fair play to you and previous owners.

Anyway I've got mine back together but the ****** alternator is not charging the battery
Strange, because it's one of the few things I didn't touch while doing all the work, although I did spin the pulley to check for wear when I had the aux belt off.
Cue plenty more investigation with the multimeter.......

 

[Red156Ti]

you must have damaged the 'excitor' wire to the alternator, what else could it be unless the belt is not back on?

Had you disconnected any of the conenctors around the battery? maybe try wiggling the relays near where you were working