Another V6 SV Alpine

[Bill Blue]

The more you mess with these cars the more you come to think of them as hand assembled with semi-precise parts. That seems to be especially true with body parts. The guys working on the assembly line deserve a gold Star after their name. Can't imagine what the process they used to hang doors.

Bill

 

[absunbeam]

Camera angle might be making it look worst than it is.... I sure hope so.

Taken on the lift, so yes angles do make it look worse. Taking the motor out to get the headers on and work on the tunnel, having a lift and trans jack makes this an easier process.

 

[Barry]

The more you mess with these cars the more you come to think of them as hand assembled with semi-precise parts. That seems to be especially true with body parts. The guys working on the assembly line deserve a gold Star after their name. Can't imagine what the process they used to hang doors.

Bill

Agree about doors being very sloppy on Series Alpines and Tigers, but I suspect that the root cause was the door manufacturing process rather than the door hanging process. It seems to me that a lot of the later "square bottom" doors, especially on the left side, are "twisted" with the back / bottom corner of the doors standing proud of the uni-body.

 

[Bill Blue]

Agree about doors being very sloppy on Series Alpines and Tigers, but I suspect that the root cause was the door manufacturing process rather than the door hanging process. It seems to me that a lot of the later "square bottom" doors, especially on the left side, are "twisted" with the back / bottom corner of the doors standing proud of the uni-body.

I see the door hanging problem as one where production tolerances for the body and doors do not mesh Some fit, some don't. The solution was the door hanging genius guys on the assembly floor. In total agreement about the racked doors. No amount of fitting and shimming will cure that problem.

Bill

 

[absunbeam]

Looking for a starter to fit a 2.8 V6. Got a 83
stick from NAPA, the gear is positioned too far into the flywheel and is turning with the engine. Found that when hand turning the engine to set the valves & could hear the starter. Using a tremec T5, mutt bellhousing and flywheel from a 83 2.8 V6. NAPA only shows the one starter that fits Mustang, ranger, Aerostar etc….is there another year I could tell them?

 

[husky drvr]

Looking for a starter to fit a 2.8 V6. Got a 83
stick from NAPA, the gear is positioned too far into the flywheel and is turning with the engine. Found that when hand turning the engine to set the valves & could hear the starter. Using a tremec T5, mutt bellhousing and flywheel from a 83 2.8 V6. NAPA only shows the one starter that fits Mustang, ranger, Aerostar etc….is there another year I could tell them?

Wild guess - block plate/dust cover missing between block and bellhousing?

Dan,

Might be an opportunity there for your draftsman/engineer friend.

Just a couple of thoughts,

 

[DanR]

I spoke with Al earlier today about the starter issue,

I believe he has a flywheel that has less clearance between the mating area of the crank shaft hub and the ring gear position on his fly wheel.

The Mutt II had about 1".

His has about 1/2"

The starter in the picture has a gear drive that is about 1/2" thick/wide. He either needs a flywheel with more clearance (approximately 1/2" more) or some sort of spacer between the starter and the bellhousing.

A discussion about the differences in an earlier V6 and the Mutt II flywheels is on the FORUM some?

 

[husky drvr]

I spoke with Al earlier today about the starter issue,

I believe he has a flywheel that has less clearance between the mating area of the crank shaft hub and the ring gear position on his fly wheel.

The Mutt II had about 1".

His has about 1/2"

The starter in the picture has a gear drive that is about 1/2" thick/wide. He either needs a flywheel with more clearance (approximately 1/2" more) or some sort of spacer between the starter and the bellhousing.

A discussion about the differences in an earlier V6 and the Mutt II flywheels is on the FORUM some?

Dan,

Is this one of the discussions to which you refer?


https://forum.sunbeamalpine.org/index.php?threads/2-8-starter-and-flywheel-problem.25809/

Hope this helps,

 

[absunbeam]

Thanks for the responses,
Dan per our discussion
-the flywheel I have has 138 T ring measures .36 from the flex plate to the ring.
The flywheel is from an 83 TVR 280i uses a Bosch starter with a 3” register diameter that fits the TVR bellhousing..
If there is a spacer that works, which looks like it might not, could try that. Have an 2.8 automatic starter ring that may be spaced out, it measures .654 to the ring gear. Will pull that and see if it has a spacer.
Have a Capri 2.6 but i think that’s going to be the same as the TVR.
Since Dan has a couple of the flywheels I need may go that route if the spacer doesn’t work out. Have about all the options you all talk of in the garage (except the Mutt II flywheel).
Have one other starter ordered from NAPA that may have a different stater length.
Al

 

[DanR]

Yes Don That is the LINK>>>>

 

[absunbeam]

Thanks Don & Dan for the link. Heading out to the garage!

 

[absunbeam]

Had a spacer on the automatic flywheel! Will be getting the other starter in tonight from NAPA, see if there is any difference. Will let you know.
Thanks Al

 

[absunbeam]

Got the other starter in at NAPA, the bendex was in the right location but looked like it would fit on the RH side of the engine, so no go on that. With the automatic spacer I have, took the tranny, bellhousing, flywheel and clutch off. Put the spacer between the crank and flywheel. Used the automatic flywheel bolts since they are 1/2" longer than the manual flywheel. Got the starter ring gear out to 1.03" long from the block to the ring. Put everything back together and the starter matches up now! About the only issue maybe the pilot bushing is only getting into 1/2" of the input shaft on the T5 and the clutch lever is moved back about the same length also. Will see if that effects other things.

 

[absunbeam]

Update, found the starter is only contacting the ring by about 1/4”. Measured the contact on the ring and removed .180 off of the spacer on the flywheel side to make up the difference. Making a pilot bushing to fit in the spacer before I put it back together. Lathe is getting a work out, great thing to have.

 

[absunbeam]

Taken on the lift, so yes angles do make it look worse. Taking the motor out to get the headers on and work on the tunnel, having a lift and trans jack makes this an easier process.

Got .280 thickness of flat washers for the steering arm to clear the header on the right side. Added same amount to balance it out. Headers needed a little tweaking on the lower slots. Needed to be done with the motor out of the car, also one tube hitting a boss on the LH side of the block, ground the casting for clearance. RH side motor mount bolt hitting a tube, ground the head for that. After all that put the motor/trans back in and front cradle in. Amazing how much little things can make a big difference.

 

[absunbeam]

With the motor/trans in, called up my dent guy who works for Dent Wizard took out 15 dings (black circles on white)out of the body. 2000 grit sanded the body and rebuffed the factory original paint. It does have a shine left in it along with some road rash in areas. Before pics, trunk will stay as is. Hardtop will definitely need metal in the corners, has original perplex, need to upgrade the rubber though.

 

[absunbeam]

After much discussion with Dan R & other V6 guys, decided to switch over to steel wheel and scrap the wire wheels. Due to the extra HP that the V6 puts out, don’t feel that the splines would hold up. Since I didn’t torque down the rear axle hubs they came off with no problem. I did take the solid hubs off a set of axles when I had the hub puller, glad I did!

 

[DanR]

I don't believe you will ever regret that change of wheel design.

 

[absunbeam]

Wire hubs off with solid hubs on. Some may recognize Bill Bulpits rims that he had at the invasion parts room. Put on for effect only( had to roll it around on skates to change oil on the winter drivers). 13 X 6.5 wide rims. Maybe some Vredstein Classic tires 640/700-13 to fill up the wheel wells. -Al

 

[absunbeam]

Does anyone know of a source for Tiger exhaust cutouts for the frame? Have Dan’s straightback headers and the best way looks to be thru the frame. Ebay is charging tax and reporting sales, better to go straight to the source. Borrowed pic
Thanks Al