LD32 Engine build

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
I'm still intrigued by the suggestion of a 3.5L engine build on these. I did a bit of searching and I found a suggestion that Rebello used a 90 mm Crower crank. But neither Rebello nor Crower have published anything on it.
 

Turn & Burn

Club Member
The only way I can imagine doing this offset boring and fitting liners that will allow you to take the bore up to 91mm.
Last time I spoke to Dave Rebello he mentioned using the LD blocks which was annoying cos I’ve thrown mine away.
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
inspired by Rebello, I've started my build.
job 1: modify timing cover.

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job 2 is probably remove broken seized bolts, but I think my enthusiasm is much exhausted for today [emoji18]
 

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
it took me a while to figure out that Osmo oil is for the shed, not the engine!

No you monkey, it’s to run the engine on!! How do you think DR is getting those BHP figures!?!!

Well chap, you’re an awesome engineer, so I’m looking forward to all your solutions and working the problems / challenges.

As a matter of interest, the block is what 20mm taller? So why is that such an issue? My bonnet closes with the choke cable holder bent up and without fouling which is easily a couple of inches. So except for the rods / pistons etc why is the extra height such an issue?
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
So Osmo oil is worth 100bhp? I'll definitely switch to it!

I've heard some suggest they have only 1 inch clearance between engine and bonnet, so taking 20mm out of it seems to worry them.
For me, it'll probably be challenging for my strut tower brace, but I'll deal with that when I get to it. But generally I don't see a problem.
 

Turn & Burn

Club Member
So Osmo oil is worth 100bhp? I'll definitely switch to it!

I've heard some suggest they have only 1 inch clearance between engine and bonnet, so taking 20mm out of it seems to worry them.
For me, it'll probably be challenging for my strut tower brace, but I'll deal with that when I get to it. But generally I don't see a problem.
Drop the motor mounts 1/2”? I’m sure one of the racers on here has done it to get his exhausts to clear the trans tunnel.
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
I drilled and tapped a broken bolt to m8, and drilled and tapped one of the oil gallery plugs to 3/8 NPT on my LD28 block.
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Turn & Burn

Club Member
I drilled and tapped a broken bolt to m8, and drilled and tapped one of the oil gallery plugs to 3/8 NPT on my LD28 block.
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I’ve just discovered when I went to fit the chain tensioner block how close the drilled and tapped hole edge gets to the gallery in the tensioner block, I reckon it’s within a mm. Just check urs. I hadn’t originally been aware that the tensioner is hydraulic powered and spring assisted.
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
I’ve just discovered when I went to fit the chain tensioner block how close the drilled and tapped hole edge gets to the gallery in the tensioner block, I reckon it’s within a mm. Just check urs. I hadn’t originally been aware that the tensioner is hydraulic powered and spring assisted.
thanks, I will have a look at that. I also need to check how it works with the KEW twin idler, when the standard tensioner isn't there. Maybe it just sprays out all over the timing cover and chain. or maybe it should be blocked. hmmm
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
thanks, I will have a look at that. I also need to check how it works with the KEW twin idler, when the standard tensioner isn't there. Maybe it just sprays out all over the timing cover and chain. or maybe it should be blocked. hmmm
scratch that, the lower idle gear goes where the standard tensioner goes.
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
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some 150mm rods turned up today. Maxpeeding rods were very helpful and re-bushed the little ends to 21mm and made me a set of 6. (4ze1 engine is 4 cylinder with 23mm little ends).
I'll have to grind the crank journals down 1mm for them.
 

Turn & Burn

Club Member
no danger of me saying anything about anything on faecebook.
Do you have to use expensive american brands to be cool on there?
Absolutely identical to the Eagle rods I’m using, even the box is the same shape. I’m sure these are all being made in the US and shipped to China for repackaging :EXTRAlol:
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
I’ve got 138mm rods and JE pistons with 27.13 CH, stroke 84.7mm. Assembled I’m at 0.37mm below deck.
That makes sense, ta. Are you going to skim the block to get it at least flush?
what diameter are the pistons? are they custom and how much did they cost ? I'm not decided on pistons for my new engine yet - a piston height around 35.5 or so is what I need, and Kameari have that for L28 crank/block & L20 rods, probably about £1000 delivered. But only upto 89.5 diameter it seems, and 90 is a nicer round number.
 

Turn & Burn

Club Member
what cc are your chambers?
That makes sense, ta. Are you going to skim the block to get it at least flush?
what diameter are the pistons? are they custom and how much did they cost ? I'm not decided on pistons for my new engine yet - a piston height around 35.5 or so is what I need, and Kameari have that for L28 crank/block & L20 rods, probably about £1000 delivered. But only upto 89.5 diameter it seems, and 90 is a nicer round number.

Chambers are 44cc, with a 0.76mm head gasket that’s giving 10.8:1. I considered going higher but general consensus seemed to be this was a good number. I don’t want to skim the block any further as I’ll end having to machine pistons or do more headwork.
Pistons are 88.5mm. If u bought them here in uk they’d be about £150/piston. They were $900 from the states, but they had better info on the valves cutout positions over there.

You could speak to Dave Rebello about your pistons as he’s already building a 3.5 motor, I’m sure he’d sell just pistons.
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
I might stick with what I know then - Kameari. I know their cutouts are in the right place and I don't get contact with piston to head =0.58mm and 89.5 still gets me to 3113cc.
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
Chambers are 44cc, with a 0.76mm head gasket that’s giving 10.8:1. I considered going higher but general consensus seemed to be this was a good number. I don’t want to skim the block any further as I’ll end having to machine pistons or do more headwork.
Pistons are 88.5mm. If u bought them here in uk they’d be about £150/piston. They were $900 from the states, but they had better info on the valves cutout positions over there.

You could speak to Dave Rebello about your pistons as he’s already building a 3.5 motor, I’m sure he’d sell just pistons.
we have been in touch with Rebello about how they get the ld block out to 90mm+, if they come through with that I'd happily reward them with that.
 

Turn & Burn

Club Member
we have been in touch with Rebello about how they get the ld block out to 90mm+, if they come through with that I'd happily reward them with that.
I imagined you would be going on liners? I wish I’d done this with my LD block, it seems like a great approach with no issues over reliability
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
I imagined you would be going on liners? I wish I’d done this with my LD block, it seems like a great approach with no issues over reliability
Yes, that's what we're expecting, but would be good to know a little detail about what Rebello have done - weld it, braze it, cherry on top, anything they're willing to share.
 

Mark N

Club Member
we have been in touch with Rebello about how they get the ld block out to 90mm+, if they come through with that I'd happily reward them with that.

If I had to guess, I would say they could be wet sleeving them with something like Darton's MID system.
 
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