Ghibli II winter works

Crofty

Member
Messages
317
Wow, this is some serious restoration, much respect!
Don't even want to look at mine now for fear of what I might find!
Great work & a mind of useful information. One day I might take a brave pill and tidy mine.
I look forward to the finished product. Should be one of the finest around!
 

spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
Curious! I wonder what the escaping part could have been if that's what it was?!

Me too, I would say something came in through the intake port and then melted inside. I haven't checked the compressor side of that turbo yet.

Wow, this is some serious restoration, much respect!
Don't even want to look at mine now for fear of what I might find!
Great work & a mind of useful information. One day I might take a brave pill and tidy mine.
I look forward to the finished product. Should be one of the finest around!

Thanks! But don't look, I also wasn't really expecting skeletons at all before starting this :)

Meanwhile I've resolved the last remaining rust issues. This should have been done by the body shop, but they only did one corner from the four. Fortunately because I scraped down their "fix" which was just flaking sealant over rust.

I've ground down as much back to bare metal as much as I could reach. Then covered with rust passivation, and repeated these a few times. Refinishing was done with epoxy primer, seam sealer, top coat and clear coat. I've tried to replicate the factory brushed seam sealant look, with not so much success, but at least the area is well protected now for a while.

The fix...

IMG_20180624_111605.jpg

The condition of the 4 corners

IMG_20180624_111633.jpg

Worst parts removed

IMG_20180707_142429.jpg

Area prepared for spraying

IMG_20180707_161823.jpg

Epoxy primed and seam sealed

IMG_20180708_121138.jpg

Final result

IMG_20180708_160608.jpg
 

spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
I'm stuck a bit with the cylinder head rebuild. Turned out the factory valve guides I've received (said to be the correct part number for this engine) have an internal diameter of 6.5mm but the valve stems are 7mm. The difference is too big for the final reaming alone. Asked Italy but they couldn't help me so far. These guides are also used in QP4 Evo V6 and V8. In fact all of the Biturbos along with the 3200 GT are using 7mm valves. Machine shop tells me the guides have to be pre-drilled. Anyone experienced similar?
 

Wally

Member
Messages
244
Pre-drilling is not unusual. (at least with Maserati). partnumbers : inlet-guide: 475006900 and exhaust-guide: 490007000. (according to my admin.)
 
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spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
Thanks, good to know. Before or after installation? Yes those are the part numbers I have as well (exhaust with one more zero in the end)
 

spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
Ok thanks, I will let the machine shop work this out.

Meanwhile the front shocks were also assembled. This was much harder than the rear ones. It's actually very hard to do with simple spring compressors. I've spent hours using 4 compressors (terrified that they will break), but even even then the result was not OK and I've nicked the springs and the shocks (since then already repainted, again) despite using protection everywhere.

There are two difficulties:
1. The shocks have an internal return spring pulling back the shaft. To retain it in the upper position a special clamping tool is needed which doesn't mark the shaft.
2. The Cup springs are progressive so even if you manage to fully compress them to fit, the compressors will get stuck between the upper coils.

So I just took it to professional suspension shop, yet even for them this wasn't a walk in the park (there is the cable for the servo motor too which has to be taken care of)

Small steps, but slowly getting there.

IMG_20180621_223651.jpg

IMG_20180714_143023.jpg
 

spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
Cylinder heads soda blasted, guides drilled, I've also cleaned the valves today. Everything is sent to the machine shop, hopefully will be done in a week or so.

IMG_20180725_143543.jpg
 

spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
Thanks for the tip.
Fortunately the fire ring areas seem to be intact, those black spots are only gasket and dirt remainders, hopefully will come out fine after skimming.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,582
Are you sure those heads are up to it? It looks to me that the witness marks have been already skimmed flush which means you cant skim it anymore?

I may be wrong but best to check first before you go throwing anymore money at them.

IMG_20180725_143543 copy.jpg
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,582
Where I have ringed in my image above look like the witness marks. They are a step and when skimmed flush indicate that the head has been skimmed too many times. These might not be the witness marks but there will be some on there somewhere. You need someone, probably Marios to advise where these witness marks are.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,582
Here you go, I think I have worked it out. If you have a look at the highlighted area, you will see if these heads are machined you will 'break out' into the valve seat. I would say these heads are at minimum thickness or the heads are not machinable from OEM. If the valve seat "breaks out" the head will crack under usage:

IMG_20180725_143543 copy.jpg
 
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spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
Yes, I have also noticed that. Even more visible in this cylinder. What's really strange that the protrusion is visibly different, and is the greatest in the two rear cylinders (on both sides). As I know this engine was never opened before, at least no signs during disassembly, and nothing in the extensive service history documents. But who knows...
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,582
You may well be right that the heads have never been worked but as above, it may be that the heads are not designed to be machinable...which is crazy and would expect something like this from either the Italians or the French. You can see where water has already been getting past the gasket from the pitting but possibly not getting past the fire rings as they look good.
 

spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
By the manual the max limit for flattening is 0.2mm (and 0.1mm is the recommended). That's pretty much one go, or barely two if both rounds were lucky. Yep, the head gasket was in a really bad shape, but fire rings were intact, and there was no signs of head gasket failure before.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,582
0.2! I took 0.6 off my Brera head to get it flat and that was right on the witness marks afterwards and had probably been done before.

I would say leave it or get new heads. If the head gasket wasn't leaking before then it will probably be fine with a new gasket and machining it is not an option as 0.2 is no where near enough to clean up the corrosion outside the fire rings.