Now That's a Hemi! or how I cut apart a Guzzi motor

[canuck750]

I have boxes of junk Guzzi parts, enough to build one motor, but suitable for display only, cutting into the beast to build a cutawy motor, maybe make it into some kind of coffee table ???

Getting started. It's slow work setting up the milling table and making brackets to hold the parts tight while I cut away. Staring with a band saw and finishing of on the mill.



I should have cut less than 90 degrees, I need to 'glue' the spark plug and guide in place, any ideas what would hold them in place??

[trippah]

Can u magnetize the spark plug?

[Knuckle Dragger]

Love your work, cobber.  Where some may see wanton destruction, I see 'Art'.

As the previous poster suggested, a neodymium magnet drilled & glued into the (hidden) threaded section of cylinder head should provide a fairly staunch magnetic grip on the plug, but still allow it to be removed & replaced.

The valve guide is more problematic.  Brass?? isn't magnetic & aluminium alloys have low melting points that prevent brazing, so one alternative is to permanently stick it in place with a quality 2-part epoxy resin type glue.  Araldite springs to mind, but I'm unsure if it's available north of the 49th parallel, or even in the Western hemisphere.

[fotoguzzi]

drill a couple holes and use a small dowel?

[Huzo]

Can u magnetize the spark plug?

???

[Groover]

Very cool! ... though... the compression test isn't going to be that great 

[canuck750]

a neodymium magnet drilled & glued into the (hidden) threaded section of cylinder head should provide a fairly staunch magnetic grip on the plug, but still allow it to be removed & replaced.

I like that idea for the spark plug, Brad's idea of fastening the guide to the head by drilling through it and then countersinking a tiny screw should still let the valve pass through.

[malik]

Embed the guide in a block of clear plastic, shape to fit & stick it on? Lovely stuff.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I should have cut less than 90 degrees, I need to 'glue' the spark plug and guide in place, any ideas what would hold them in place??

JB Weld has a history with Guzzi..

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

One of those little "hot melt glue" guns should stick it in place.

[sign216]

Really nice work.  I'd like to see one for the small block, showing the distinctive Heron head.  I believe Guzzi was the last manufacturer of Heron headed vehicles in the world.   

Joe

[John A]

Really nice work.  I'd like to see one for the small block, showing the distinctive Heron head.  I believe Guzzi was the last manufacturer of Heron headed vehicles in the world.   

Joe

Why do you suppose that is?  Top of my head answer woul be fuel effencienty and emissions .  Nice work and good idea!

[Rough Edge racing]

Really nice work.  I'd like to see one for the small block, showing the distinctive Heron head.  I believe Guzzi was the last manufacturer of Heron headed vehicles in the world.   

Joe

  Perhaps, besides Morrini, the earlier or all Jaguar V12's were a Heron head...The the US, the 50's Lincoln "MEL" OHV V-8 and the Chevy 348-409 had Heron heads..

[sign216]

  Perhaps, besides Morrini, the earlier or all Jaguar V12's were a Heron head...The the US, the 50's Lincoln "MEL" OHV V-8 and the Chevy 348-409 had Heron heads..

I think what killed Heron heads was the move to higher rpm engines.  Herons are great for torque at mid-range, but everyone wants to be a racer now. 

Herons are compact, easy to build, and give good fuel economy and torque, making them a great choice for the smallblock.   I ride my "modern throwback" w pride.

Joe

[tazio]

Saw this at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame museum in Ohio last year..

[Chuck in Indiana]

^^^^ yeah, it's been there several years.

[Knuckle Dragger]

My long-departed but still beloved Alfa Quattro/Giardinetta was Heron Headed.  As was its predecessor (I think): a 2 litre Kent Cortina-powered Ford Escort.  Still my favourite car of all time.... 

There's something about larger, powerful motors in small, lightweight cars.  Both had lovely sharp Pininfarina lines about them too. Mix in a rear or all-wheel drivetrain and stir with gobs of opposite lock along a well-graded gravel road & magic happens....

[canuck750]

That Guzzi complete drive line cutaway is very cool, beyond my ambition!

I cut open the other cylinder and head to expose the push rods and intake tract.



The next step is to cut open the cylinder block in line with the cylinder cuts I have made to expose a view of the cam, distributor drive, the lower end of the crank and wrapping around the oil pan to see the oil pick-up and strainer. Then I want top open up the front cover some so the gears will be visible and the outer cover to see the generator belt. I will probably attach the flywheel and clutch assembly and cut a pie shaped opening ion the assembly yo see the various parts. I may cut open a carb and the generator as well. Its going to be a work in progress thing.

I am learning how to better make use of my mill and band saw



There are a heck of a lot pf pieces here to cut up

[Tomalberta]

Wow, that's incredible work! Thanks for posting!-nice to see the inside and gives me a nice idea what goes on in the engine!

[Rough Edge racing]

I think what killed Heron heads was the move to higher rpm engines.  Herons are great for torque at mid-range, but everyone wants to be a racer now. 

Herons are compact, easy to build, and give good fuel economy and torque, making them a great choice for the smallblock.   I ride my "modern throwback" w pride.

Joe

 Yes, they make good truck engines     in the early 60's the Chevy 409 was the stuff of legends in stock drag racing...But out on the Nascar  tracks the heavy pistons limited RPM and durability...

[Chuck in Indiana]

Yes, they make good truck engines     in the early 60's the Chevy 409 was the stuff of legends in stock drag racing...But out on the Nascar  tracks the heavy pistons limited RPM and durability...

Yeh, I had a 58 Impala, 348, 3 deuces, floor shift, rolled and pleated interior.  Truck engine is right. It wasn't particularly fast, but it was bad..

[F-22]

Heron heads are neat for two valves. A single plug makes a very good burn, compared to the classic designs like the hemi head which benefit a lot from dual plugging (for two valve heads). Also, swapping out pistons for better performance or more optimal combustion chamber is a lot cheaper than swapping the head...

[dustybarn]

  Perhaps, besides Morrini, the earlier or all Jaguar V12's were a Heron head...The the US, the 50's Lincoln "MEL" OHV V-8 and the Chevy 348-409 had Heron heads..

The Heron head of the early Jag V12 was a direct descendant of the Coventry Climax FW, which were both designed by Walter Hassan and Harry Mundy. A big problem with the Heron head is lack of turbulent charge motion within the cylinder, which can lead to poor fuel economy. This can also be a problem with hemi-head engines and is why hemis often have 2 spark plugs per cylinder (having 2 plugs compensates for slow flame front progression because of the lack of charge motion). Jaguar switched to the swirl-inducing May "Fireball" combustion chamber and got almost a 50% improvement in fuel economy.

[lucian]

Cool project, thank's for sharing it.  Ought to make people think twice before they sit in your barbers chair. 

[canuck750]

Made another deep cut, had to drill a line of holes to get the sawsall blade in,



lots of filing with an autobody hasp type file, die grinder …..



I wanted to show the Moto Guzzi logo stamped on the block and be able to read MOTO GUZZI on the connecting rod



Next to cut open the top of the crank case on the other side along the center of the push rods, open up the rear main bearing and see the back of the crank shaft, should be able to see a portion of the cam and the distributor drive as well.

[Rough Edge racing]

The Heron head of the early Jag V12 was a direct descendant of the Coventry Climax FW, which were both designed by Walter Hassan and Harry Mundy. A big problem with the Heron head is lack of turbulent charge motion within the cylinder, which can lead to poor fuel economy. This can also be a problem with hemi-head engines and is why hemis often have 2 spark plugs per cylinder (having 2 plugs compensates for slow flame front progression because of the lack of charge motion). Jaguar switched to the swirl-inducing May "Fireball" combustion chamber and got almost a 50% improvement in fuel economy.

  Samuel Heron was a British aircraft engine designer that was responsible for improvements in radial air cooled engines during and after WW1...He is credited with the Heron head, named after him obviously ...Some some dispute that...

[jbell]

Great work as always and great pics too.  I vote for the hot melt glue for plug and valve guide as it is easily reversible in the future. Keep those cards and letters coming. 

[canuck750]

Great work as always and great pics too.  I vote for the hot melt glue for plug and valve guide as it is easily reversible in the future. Keep those cards and letters coming.

I am going to try drilling a hole in the plug and guide, epoxy a pin into the guide / plug and then drilling a hole in the casting to take the pin and then hot glue the whole lot together. Only tricky thing is getting the holes to line up between block and guide, haven't figures out how to get that right.

[Groover]

Are you planning on showing the whole spark plug and valve guide, or slicing them? That's my lame attempt at making a suggestion.. (slice them, at least the spark plug maybe..  )

[canuck750]

Are you planning on showing the whole spark plug and valve guide, or slicing them? That's my lame attempt at making a suggestion.. (slice them, at least the spark plug maybe..  )

I think I will slice the guide, don't think I can slice a plug unless I can get to a laser at the engineering lab at the University I am going to try slicing the distributor and a carb, that should be interesting ......