It's getting time to put humpty dumpty back together again...

[wrxdrew]

Humpty Dumpty AKA "Firenzo"

This whole process began at the close of BFI last year. I don't know who remembers, besides Tony, but on the drive out I had overheating issues. This issue were just sign of things to come, more over-heats, and eventually a blown head gasket.

More back story: My older brother is a former X head and before he junked his car back in 87 he stripped it of it's dual carb intake, ported and polished head and header. This all worked to my benefit because he stored the parts for the last 20 years and gave them to me no charge.

So what did I do when life "ah-hem, Firenzo" gave me lemons, well I decided to make lemonade. I put the engine upgrades as priority, and have done without Firenzo while I've been waiting for all the parts to come together.

Now here I am, almost a year later, and it's time to get things back together. Hopefully to drive to BFI again this year.

The stats:

PBS cast aluminum intake
Rebuilt twin DCNF 36s - rebuilt by alfasport
Ported and Polished 1300 head. Welded up the combustion chambers to yield a 9.5:1 compression ratio. Big valves, Vicks high performance springs, and a PBS S2 cam grind - work done by John Edwards at Costa Mesa R&D.
Vicks header - my bro lost the collector for his header so I splurged.
Stainless replacement water tank from Papa Tony - my rusty old steel water tank was the cause of all my headaches.

Now let's see if the wife and work will let me get away enough to put it all together in time for BFI?

 

[Robert Mose]

Sounds Exciting

Looks like those bees are going to get alot angrier:excited:

 

[Black-Tooth]

I personally can't wait!

HA!

Now get to work!

 

[myexonenine]

awesome air box :headbang:

 

[wrxdrew]

myxonenine: The air box is a custom one my brother fabbed up back when he was studying mechanical engineering at San Jose State. It uses a common 240Z K&N Filter and is basically two sheets of aluminum sandwiching the filter. I can get more detailed shots and supply some parts drawings if there's other dual carb people interested.

Tony: The tensioner spring and bearing went on in a cinch. I'm going to try and get the head and the timing belt on this Sunday. Expect a call or two. To drop the engine or not? If I make good progress I'm going to try and tackle bolting on the manifold and exhaust as well.

Robert: As soon as I get it to run expect a video featuring a whole swarm angrier then Mr. T on coke.

 

[wrxdrew]

More Pictures:

The overall dual carb, with a good shot of the linkage. I thought parts were missing or wrong, but I played with it for an hour or so and figured it out. The whole linkage works quite beautifully, complex yet very simple in its movements.

Soon to be the one of mouths of the beast.

 

[wrxdrew]

Another good shot of the linkage. Still need to pick up a cotter-pin to guarantee everything stays together.

My Brothers solution for the linkage on the valve cover.

Another shot. I suppose this would be WOT.

 

[Black-Tooth]

WHOOPS! PBS/128 is what is stamped...

... on that manifold!

Has it been massaged for an X1/9?

I'm no expert here but I undersand the installed ANGLE of a 128 engine is different than an X1/9... and the tilt can cause float and float bowl problems with the carbs.

If an expert doesn't pop up an verify this... ya might ask John Edwards...

I believe the manifold can be milled, and/or adaptive wedges installed to square things away...

(Don' despair... ya wanted to play Hot Rod, now ya can!)

 

[wrxdrew]

My brother had it installed on his '76 X back in the 80s. I'll ask him if he had any float bowl issues. Or did any mods to fit it to the X.

I would guess that the planer surfaces that the carbs sit on would need to sit level once installed on the car. I can check that pretty easily, unless there's more to it then that.

If I run into any issues I can always have the manifold face that mounts to the head resurfaced and the bolt hole re-aligned. Hot rodding indeed!

 

[wrxdrew]

I checked the intake and it looks like the carb surfaces were massaged.

 

[jjay911]

I may be putting my engine together tomorrow. If I have some time and you get that head on I can come over and help with belts, Setting timing etc with the help of a special friend.....

 

[wrxdrew]

I might have to take you up on that. I need a timing light though. John should be there. I'll give you a ring sometime tommorow.

 

[fiatmonkey]

... on that manifold!

Has it been massaged for an X1/9?

I'm no expert here but I undersand the installed ANGLE of a 128 engine is different than an X1/9... and the tilt can cause float and float bowl problems with the carbs.

If an expert doesn't pop up an verify this... ya might ask John Edwards...

I believe the manifold can be milled, and/or adaptive wedges installed to square things away...

(Don' despair... ya wanted to play Hot Rod, now ya can!)

Yep - I learned this first hand some years ago I had a shop mill mine down and it was good to go.

 

[wrxdrew]

my clymer's shows this going to the carb and the distributor, bu my clymer's is also for 128s and later model cars, and my '76 didn't have one. Can i plug the port and forget about it or do i need it. I'm figuring its a vacuum advance for the distributor. Is my car vacuum advanced?

 

[Black-Tooth]

All should be good then! n

.

 

[Black-Tooth]

Plug it... you'll NOT want...

... a vacuum advance with duals.

Set timing to 10 degrees BTDC to start... make sure centrifical advance and weights are working and good in the dizzy, and then play around for days and weeks and months until you get it all where ya want it...

 

[wrxdrew]

Making Progress... Slowly but Surely...

Now I just have to get the alternator on. Put the thermostat housing back together, do the timing belt, reconnect the dog-bone, fill up the fluids, get the muffler back on, do the plugs & wires, and then set the timing and maybe we'll get a little video going.

Thanks to everyone whos lent a hand, Won't be long now. The weather is still good, can't move fast enough.

 

[myexonenine]

don't worry about the muffler till after the video please :headbang: