Spark plugs.

[amaz'in]

Hi Simon,

I totally agree with you...a few things about the engine..and it's cost of re-build £3,047.00! have bothered me.

Maybe I am just way out of touch..but it seems like a lot of money..but don't get me wrong..it wasn't my bill..that 'luckily' belonged to the previous owner..phew!

But things like...having the flywheel skimmed..yet not re-building the carbs in that cost seem odd to me..but it's not my skill base or living..so i would imagine those who do this kind of work might say...it's not 'that' expensive really.

The car had only done 70k from new..and since these engines are Stronger than Hercules..why the re-build?

Something about them thinking it was the head gasket but it turned out to be a heater valve etc..but since the engine had been partially stripped..and the car was not only their only car/daily driver..they had also decided to keep it for years....(except they didn't..=my gain

They also opted to spend money on a K cam..uprated 3 core radiator...engine Block heater etc...oh and rear seat belts (young kids and only car).

I guess costs have to be limited somewhere... and since a K cam is no more than a standard cam..why not...I can't notice anything at all better about this K cam (fast road cam) over the Standard cam..and I have had a few Amazons in my time...my Gt's with the D cam were great..

But as you say..a K cam on it's own...with no head work..and standard Manifold and exhaust is not going to let it show it's head..no pun...

The car was a daily driver in and around (mostly in) South east london..School run etc..so a B20a engined car would have been much more apt...rather than a K cam..with no head work..and BP8 racing plugs..seem an odd choice eh?

Just a pity they didnt opt for a Gas flowed head IMHO.. as pulling a head off an A1 engine is going to be a painful thing for me to do one day...

I will certainly opt for a better manifold and exhaust at some point, but may go the route a chap on here called Dillip did and getting one made..those simonz rear silncers et al are IMHO hideous...

J

[amaz'in]

A few fast run's today...and not a hint of run-on....at last I have the perfect plug for 'my' B20b engine...

Just taken the Bosch out of the 940 Turbo...and popped in a set of NGK ....maybe try out tomorrow...

J

[arcturus]

So, what are you useing?

[amaz'in]

Sorry..should have said....im using the 7's. perfect for my B20b engine acturus..really pleased.

It would run on...maybe 25-50% of the time on switch off..just for maybe 1 second...and if it wasn't a fully re-built engine..maybe I would not have worried, last thing I want is a holed piston etc.

Oddly enough..it didnt matter if it was directly after a 50 mile drive..or just popping down to the shops...sometimes it did it..and sometimes not.

Because the head was converted for unleaded use..i'm assuming it 'may' have been skimmed at the same time?..since it's customary to slightly skim any head before putting back together..just a guess mind...which means it's compression may be a tiny bit higher than standard.

My Amazon handbook say's 6's for normal use...and 7's for motorway work..but considering these cars were built in the 60's (mine is 1970) the roads were nothing much like today's faster driving.

J

[arcturus]

Pleased that you got it sorted. Of course "running on" could be caused by other things Timeing for example.over advanced I think. Have you ever checked it out with a strobe?

[amaz'in]

Yes...New points and all timed up..and Dwell'd too...

Wrote about it earlier..just before xmas... it was at 9.5 degrees...and car wasn't right?(poor performance and pinking etc)...so my Brother in Law (Mechanic) used dwell...car sounded spot on instantly..but timing was 13 degrees??

I asked '940-turbo' about this..he knows more about Amazons..(and pretty much any Volvo it seems) than anyone I know of...

He said ignore (within reason the Static timing..only things which matters is maximum dwell...how correct he was...car flies now..with no pinking under load...

I was worried that the book said 1 degree's..but he told me not to be concerned...it sounded about right to him...and as said...Dwell was bang on.....

One of the VERY well known Amazon specialists said..you must have replaced the distribtor then? I said...no..and you guy's re-built it just 4000 miles ago!.....there was a long pause........

Distributor is correct..and with no play....engine had only done 70k....

J

[arcturus]

Thanks, will keep it in mind when I get round to tuneing my car.Hope to get it into paint shop in next week or two

[asneddon]

Off topic a bit, but I fully understand the engine build decisions. The cam and flywheel are a pain to do with the engine in place. The carbs are a weekend job when you have time. The radiator was probably insurance after spending big on the rebuild. A head job was quoted at £800 to me from two different places, not sure where you get £400. I guess that was put into the 'later' box.

So all thebig hard stuff done, all the easy weekend jobs put off.

I don't know about the block heater though? Was it already there, or did one come up cheap or something?

[amaz'in]

Asneddon,

yes you are correct £800 for the head..but my point was .."but whislt it was in for Unleaded etc work...how much more would it have added to the cost? answer was...£400.00...so whilst the engine was apart..what a shame...that's the point i'm making.

Engine Block heater was new on re-build..and they are dirt cheap..awesome items..and i shall have one fitted to my 940 in due course....

J