• From: SE Michigan
  • Registered: 2012-01-03
  • Posts: 37

Topic: Undressing Alyssa Milano after Gingerman

Nothing dramatic just quit (with puffs of white smoke barely visible in mirror after 2:05 mark):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE9kExKENmo

So, we thought it was a blown head gasket on Sunday.  #2 plug wouldn't come out and #4 had no compression.   One little chunk of metal came out when I drained the 'oil' (mostly water) at the race.  Then after a day's reflection, the thought of a cracked cylinder liner came up.

Compression check at track, but actually just pumping water out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RIsOyOXa-M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P72fuutDC-M

I got #2 plug out Wednesday night.  Probably not a head gasket problem...
http://i.imgur.com/t5SjNd2l.jpg

Undressing begins...  A few bits were rattling around in the intake that looked like pieces of a valve seat
http://i.imgur.com/kHiMUp9l.jpg

Ventilated #2.  Intake vales on #1 and #3 did touch corresponding pistons.
http://i.imgur.com/K0RumwQl.jpg

New Alfa Romeo design of inverted valve, directly actuated by piston...  Direct access to cooling jacket to keep combustion temperatures low, for emissions.
http://i.imgur.com/szoJIDNl.jpg

I haven't pulled the driver's side head off (have to remove brake booster), but got enough space to look/put hand in and piston and liner in #4 seem OK.

It looked like right bank camshaft was off by a tooth as I was dissassembling.  The tensioner wasn't broken, so I don't know if skipping a tooth caused it all, or if skipping a tooth was the result of something else.  Driver on Sunday mentioned it didn't seem to be running right during his stint, not bad but not as peppy as he remembered, and it didn't sound like normal running down the straight.  But, the muffler had developed a huge hole, so I just figured that was why it sounded different.

Losing in the Midwest since 2012 (seems like I've been a loser for longer than that, though).

TeamFRAG:  1987 Alfa Romeo Milano - 'Alyssa Milano'.
  • From: wisconsin
  • Registered: 2010-03-24
  • Posts: 190

Re: Undressing Alyssa Milano after Gingerman

Ouch, good luck fixin her up as your car is one of my favorite sounding Lemons

Wisconsin Crap Racers #113 E36
I.O.E. Winners 2023 Gingerman
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heywood220's Website

  • From: SE Michigan
  • Registered: 2012-01-03
  • Posts: 37

Re: Undressing Alyssa Milano after Gingerman

Thanks.
I wasn't planning on a heavy repair to this car over the off-season, but...

Losing in the Midwest since 2012 (seems like I've been a loser for longer than that, though).

TeamFRAG:  1987 Alfa Romeo Milano - 'Alyssa Milano'.
  • From: Orion Twp, MI
  • Registered: 2011-04-18
  • Posts: 776

Re: Undressing Alyssa Milano after Gingerman

Let us know if you need any local help.  As Pentastar racers, we are quite familiar with catastrophic engine failures.

The Pentastar whisperer

Bayley's Website

  • From: Elburn, IL
  • Registered: 2010-12-16
  • Posts: 3,425

Re: Undressing Alyssa Milano after Gingerman

Even dismembered, Alyssa Milano is still sexy.

Wait, what?

A&D: 2011 Autobahn, 2012 Gingerman, 2012 Road America, 2012 Autobahn II, 2013 Gator-O-Rama (True 24!)
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2013 Chubba Cheddar Enduro - Organizer's Choice, 2014 Doing Time in Joliet
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6 Reply by chevette (edited by chevette 2014-10-25 06:03 AM)

  • From: land of plaid
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 592

Re: Undressing Alyssa Milano after Gingerman

That's similar to what ended the diesel vettes race at autobahn.  Apparently timing belt jumped a tooth and the valve/piston wrestling match for the same space didn't go well.

Carbon footprint diesel chevette: IOE Gingerman '11, ClassC winner Autobahn, 13
Isuzu iMark diesel: IOE Gingerman'13
Chrysler Cordoba: Organizers Choice Barber '14
  • NSF
  • NSF
  • Coppa di Bondo
  • Offline
  • From: Cocoa, FL
  • Registered: 2010-06-26
  • Posts: 4,055

Re: Undressing Alyssa Milano after Gingerman

If that part of the plug was that far inside the head to have damage on the threads - I might question if it is the right plug for your car.   Really.

This space for rent.
  • From: Aurora, IL
  • Registered: 2012-02-06
  • Posts: 910

Re: Undressing Alyssa Milano after Gingerman

The Quantum's timing belt skipped 2 teeth- one on Saturday and one on the opening lap Sunday.

Retimed the motor and she starts and runs fine, but you can tell 2 or 4 valves ain't happy

"THE WONDERMENT CONSORTIUM"
Everything dies baby that's a fact,
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back?
  • Greg S
  • Greg S
  • Ripened Lemon
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  • From: Huntington NY
  • Registered: 2009-05-29
  • Posts: 283

Re: Undressing Alyssa Milano after Gingerman

The right bank is the one that always skips first due to inadequate belt wrap. If you examine your mechanical tensioner closely you will probably find that the outer torsion spring is fractured, the inner one will be fine.

This happened to my car 3 times before I finally realized what was happening. You have to switch to either a home made or purchased Zat style tensioner or a modified older style hydraulic detensioner. There is another option and that is taking the POS mechanical tensioner and pinning it to turn it into a straight mechanical tensioner.

From the engine note in the video it sounds like the motor was already running with the timing skipped already. They will sound very throaty like a big block Chevy and the exhaust will practically glow. the power is also way down.

The metal in the intake is from pieces of the cast iron guides that crack up when the valve bends, then the pieces circulate into and out of the cylinder.

Since straightening out the tensioner issue my Milano has run 2 years of racing without a bent valve.

Greg

1987 Alfa Milano (Bellissima since 2008), Racing since 2008 Stafford Springs,  2nd overall 2011 NJMP, 4th at NHMS 2011, 2nd at Summit 2011, Into the wall hard at Stafford Springs 2011, 2nd at Monticello 2013, 3rd at NHMS 2013, 2nd at NHMS 2016. 2nd at NJMP 2018

25,000 racing miles in 32 races in 10 years. Yes its the same motor. Tell me again how Alfas suck? Update: Big moneyshift = new motor
  • From: Birdsboro, PA
  • Registered: 2009-10-26
  • Posts: 892

Re: Undressing Alyssa Milano after Gingerman

I have an Alfa 2.5 parts motor still if you need a head and a piston/rod or other stuff, cheap!

Chris from 3 Pedal Mafia
  • From: SE Michigan
  • Registered: 2012-01-03
  • Posts: 37

Re: Undressing Alyssa Milano after Gingerman

Alyssa is posting her own pictures sort of undressed:

https://twitter.com/AlyssaDotCom/status … 0169465856

Losing in the Midwest since 2012 (seems like I've been a loser for longer than that, though).

TeamFRAG:  1987 Alfa Romeo Milano - 'Alyssa Milano'.
  • From: SE Michigan
  • Registered: 2012-01-03
  • Posts: 37

Re: Undressing Alyssa Milano after Gingerman

Greg S wrote:

The right bank is the one that always skips first due to inadequate belt wrap. If you examine your mechanical tensioner closely you will probably find that the outer torsion spring is fractured, the inner one will be fine.

This happened to my car 3 times before I finally realized what was happening. You have to switch to either a home made or purchased Zat style tensioner or a modified older style hydraulic detensioner. There is another option and that is taking the POS mechanical tensioner and pinning it to turn it into a straight mechanical tensioner.

From the engine note in the video it sounds like the motor was already running with the timing skipped already. They will sound very throaty like a big block Chevy and the exhaust will practically glow. the power is also way down.

The metal in the intake is from pieces of the cast iron guides that crack up when the valve bends, then the pieces circulate into and out of the cylinder.

Since straightening out the tensioner issue my Milano has run 2 years of racing without a bent valve.

Greg

I was going to write you Greg, and ask you about this through the BB.  I wasn't aware that the mechanical tensioner was a source of trouble .  Thank you for the response.

Sonic wrote:

I have an Alfa 2.5 parts motor still if you need a head and a piston/rod or other stuff, cheap!

Yes, an oil pump and pan, please.  Always useful to have a spares.

Losing in the Midwest since 2012 (seems like I've been a loser for longer than that, though).

TeamFRAG:  1987 Alfa Romeo Milano - 'Alyssa Milano'.