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Michael
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3 liter, 24 valve engine project

Post by Michael »

I'm pretty psyched! I wanted to increase my GTV6's power output this season now that I have the brakes and chassis taken care of - Dawie DeVilliers of Glenwood Motors is, as we speak, building a pretty sweet 24 valve engine for me. I grew up just down the road from Glenwood and drove a few of their customer cars as a teenager there - this as much as anything ignited the Alfa-bug in me - so the chance to have one of these was hard to pass up :)
On to the specifis of this engine ... John supplied the specifications as follows (the engine is a 3 liter, 24 valve from a 164LS)
  • New bearings - mains and connecting rod big-ends
  • New connecting rod small-end bushes
  • New rings - top, middle and bottom
  • Heads skimmed slightly (just enough to clean them up)
  • Heads ported slightly - inlet and exhaust - mainly just cleaned up
  • GTA stage 1+2 cams or GTA Stage 2/Group 1 cams - brand new cams cut from billet OR re-profiled cam NITRATED/PLASMA HEAT-TREATED
  • Stock valves and seats re-cut to Glenwood Group 1 profile
  • New valve guides
  • New valve stem seals
  • Stock rods have the small-end bush pushed up by about .7mm (increases the compression to about 10.5:1 to 10.7:1) and the rods are then shot-peened and nitrated/plasma heat treated
  • The stock oil-squirters in the bottom of the block remain however, the squirters at the bottom of the rod are welded up for higher oil-pressure where you need it.
  • Stock pistons have their valve-releases modified (to accommodate the longer rods) and are then reconditioned/cleaned-up and inspected
  • The crank is standard but nitrated/plasma heat treated, measured and then the new bearings are hand-fitted - much higher tolerance than stock - spins nice and loose!
  • Milano/75/GTV6 sump - modified to fit
  • Reconditioned/inspected oil-pump
  • New water pump
  • New gasket-set top to bottom
  • Intake plenum is of the larger volume 164 LS/Q/156 GTA variety with the inlet moved to the middle of the plenum and the whole setup now over the right-hand side head (back head on a transverse installation...)
  • Intake runners are chrome 44mm - 164Q/156GTA type with a stock throttle-body
  • Milano/75/GTV6 flywheel is lightened and then balanced with the entire internal moving assembly (rods, pistons, crank etc) including the crank-pulley
  • VW VR6 coil-packs or Mitsubishi Pajero units
  • GoTech Pro stand-alone engine management system, program CD, manual, custom wiring harness with Alfa/Bosch-specific connectors and a starting map
  • Engine built into a GTV6 test-car, started, mapped, tested, run-in and dyno-tuned before shipping
  • Custom headers - ceramic coated with a heat-barrier inside and out
So, its not a 3.7 liter beast like Jes and John have - but I'm confident that it will make great power, be reliable as heck and should be practically a drop-in replacement. This last feature is pretty important to me since my spare-time seems currently to be severly hampered by a demanding work life. If my car goes anywhere near as fast as Randy Johnson's 24 valve Alfetta (which I saw at the 2005 Alfa Convention here), I'll consider this a complete success :D
John is going to be in South Africa, coincidentally as the motor is being built so I hope he posts lots of pictures here.
It might be installed as early as February and I'll post here as things develop so you guys can see what it takes to install one and what the final result is (behind the wheel :))

Some questions for you guys though. I know I'll have to change the brake booster since I have a stock GTV6 booster. Does an Alfa 164L booster fit? I've heard that an Alfetta booster will work too - what is preferable?
Also, since the flywheel and oil pan (sump) are provided on an exchange basis and I want to keep my current 12 valve 3 liter (intact), can someone sell me these parts if they have them spare? I'll post this in the Parts section too...

Cheers,
Last edited by Michael on Sun Jun 15, 2008 12:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
Michael
1981 GTV6
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ar4me
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Post by ar4me »

Congrats Michael!!! 8)
Jes
87 Milano Verde - daily driver - Juliet
87 Milano 3.0 Motronic - budget race car - Roxanne
87 Milano 3.7 24v - race car
(Repeat or do as I say at your own risk - be critical)
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Post by junglejustice »

Michael! You cheap bastard! Didn't think that you had it in ya... :lol:

Hey, congrats man - can't wait to see it come together on the dyno in the next two weeks or so...

"Somebody's" 290-horse Glenwood 3.2 GTA just got dyno-tuned...! Yours would be next in the test-car! Yes-yes - I'll post lots of pics while I am there (a bit of a delay departing - multi Alfa-problems this week...)

Based on current specs for both cars, your new engine will blow Randy's Alfetta away! (I do like his colour and the sound of his car...)
...to Alfa, or not to Alfa? That is the question...
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Re: My next project - Glenwood 3 liter, 24 valve engine!

Post by Mezevenf »

Michael wrote:Some questions for you guys though. I know I'll have to change the brake booster since I have a stock GTV6 booster. Does an Alfa 164L booster fit? I've heard that an Alfetta booster will work too - what is preferable?
Hey Michael, congrats on the buy :D

I have a very, very similar engine from Glenwood now sitting in my 75. We modified the rocker cover, the oil cap is now moved and the stock brake booster fits. I will get pictures soon enough :D
Bernard M (AKA Mef - Mezevenf)

1986 75QV 3.0L 24v V6 - Silver
1985 GTV6 2.5L 12v V6 - Red
1999 166 3.0L 24v V6 - Red

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Post by junglejustice »

Bernard - yours is a RHD car - correct - just like in SA...?

Post pics any way please! (Would like some datail around the left fire-wall and right-side too please...)
...to Alfa, or not to Alfa? That is the question...
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Mezevenf
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Post by Mezevenf »

Yes it is a RHD car, I will get pictures tomorrow since I got nothing else to do :D

EDIT: Couldnt get pictures today, will post them when I have them.
Bernard M (AKA Mef - Mezevenf)

1986 75QV 3.0L 24v V6 - Silver
1985 GTV6 2.5L 12v V6 - Red
1999 166 3.0L 24v V6 - Red

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Hamishm00
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Post by Hamishm00 »

Hey!

I'm also probably going to be joining the Glenwood family with a rebuilt 2.5 156 v6. With a bit of Barry thrown in.

More details later...

Right now I just want the 3.8l 156 back! she's so nice.......Barry!!!!!!
Dos circos de 156 3.76L v6 cavalinhos
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Michael
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Post by Michael »

Good point on the relocation of the oil filler cap - John, is this something Dawie does as well? I understand its quite a chore to fill the oil if its left in the stock (FWD) position.

Cheers,
Michael
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junglejustice
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Post by junglejustice »

Yep! Something that Dawie does as part of te build is to relocate the oil-filler-cap to the left frontand the b164/156/147-style intake plenum and 44mm Q/GTA-style runners will now hang over the other head (rigth-hand head...)

The inlet and throttle-body are also relocated to the center of the plenum and there is naturally no longer and AFM...!
...to Alfa, or not to Alfa? That is the question...
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Michael
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Post by Michael »

Awesome.
In that case, maybe even the stock brake booster will work.
We know it works in a RHD car, and I find it unlikely that Alfa would have mounted the booster in a slightly different location, but still obvioulsy on the left hand side of the engine compartment for those cars.
I guess we will all know soon enough.

Cheers,
Michael
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Post by Mericet »

Man, I wish I was at the point that I could get a new engine from Dawie. I'm sure you will have fun Michael.
Neil C.

85 GTV 6 "Benna della ruggine e mangiatore dello zoccolo"
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Michael
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New Pics!

Post by Michael »

Hi:
John is in South Africa which is pretty fortuitous in that he can send us pics of the engine in progress.
Here is the first set he has sent:

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I think the photo of the connecting rod indicates that its been modified such that the small-end bush has been 'pushed up' by a bit less than a millimeter to increase the compression - and the pistons recessed accordingly.

It’s apparently quite a bit further on in assembly that this - more to follow. :D

Cheers,
Michael
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Barry
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Post by Barry »

:D Nice one Mike,I see its 164 based..
You will definatly enjoy this.. 8)
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Post by SamW »

Always nice to have in progress photos! This should be a fun one for you!
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Post by Mezevenf »

Ok, got the pic of the modified cover.
Attachments
Oil cap moved
Oil cap moved
lhdbank.JPG (94.98 KiB) Viewed 37089 times
Bernard M (AKA Mef - Mezevenf)

1986 75QV 3.0L 24v V6 - Silver
1985 GTV6 2.5L 12v V6 - Red
1999 166 3.0L 24v V6 - Red

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