[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

I am pleased and surprised at the professionalism of Marc. It's impossible to find the level of professionalism as exhibited by Marc in any of the workshops in India. Can you share how much did the engine work and carb convert cost totally?

Thanks, I will pass on your compliments to Marc.

I prefer not to share the exact cost. Each conversion is always different.

As I have mentioned the cost of labour here in the west is considerably more than in India. An hour of a car mechanics time will cost Euro 100-150. Marc also installed a 123 electronic ignition. (https://123ignition.com/products/)

On average these conversion takes 2-3 days, so 16-24 hours. It’s not just putting the carbs on, it is also removing everything from the Bosch injection system, which includes sensors and wiring loom, evap-kit and so on. Modify the camshaft advance etc etc.

I choose Weber carbs. You won’t find them under Euro 500 a piece.

So as a very rough guide, depending on the car and what kind of kit you get installed anywhere between Euro 3500 - 7000.

But you really need to get a quote for each conversion and decide on your requirements. It can vary a lot, but it won’t be cheap ever!

Jeroen

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Thanks, I will pass on your compliments to Marc.

I prefer not to share the exact cost. Each conversion is always different.



Jeroen

Thanks for the approximate cost breakup. Appreciate it.

Along with the right quality parts, one also needs a competent pair of hands and brain to work with the parts. And Marc looks like he is definitely one based on the interactions that you have shared with him! The kind of support he has provided for the job done on the spider is remarkable. He really knows his stuff and has high work ethics, which is hard to find in automobile service industry, at least in India!

What model of Weber carb has gone into the spider? I see two of them, am I right? If so, why are two needed?

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

What model of Weber carb has gone into the spider? I see two of them, am I right? If so, why are two needed?

Not sure, I would not to check. I know it has a 32mm Venturi.

When it comes to carburettors the general rule is the more the better. Ideally one per cylinder! It's all about getting as much fuel into the cylinder as efficiently as you can. There are some practical considerations, multiple carburettors need to be synchronised, which can become a real issue. There needs to be sufficient space and so on. You will find many 2.0L engines from the era (1960-1980s) are fitted with two carburettors as it is simply the best solution in terms of power delivery, reliability, ease of installation and easo of maintenance.

Jeroen

[Jeroen]

Well, I knew it would happen at some point, but I have done it!

The first 3D printed part fitted to one of my classic cars. In this case a spark plug tray/top on the Alfa Spider.

On the Spider the spark plug leads are secured on top of the cylinder head/valve cover. Somehow this cover got lost over the last 18 months of doing multiple jobs on the engine.



You can't source it new anymore and also second hand impossible to get hold of.

By chance I got a suggestion from somebody on AlfaBB (https://www.alfabb.com/threads/calib...5#post-8910435) He noticed on some photographs I shared it was missing and directed me to another AlfaBB member who had made 3D CAD design.





So I downloaded these files. The tray was still attached to the valve cover. So I send the CAD file of the top to a 3D print shop. The next day and Euro 13 later I received two 3D printed tops! I ordered only one, but they made me two for some reason. Euro 13 to put is some perspective is the price of two coffee at Starbucks here!



Fits perfectly!!



I am very pleased with it. I have owned a 3D printer myself many years ago. It was not a huge success at the time. It was easy enough to get the shapes and dimensions correctly. But in those days the final product would be quite brittle and would quickly snap.

This part feels a little flexible, so I don't think it will break easily. The one thing I might/should have checked perhaps was the heat resistance of the material used. I just did not think of it. But it gets 90oC easily on top of that valve cover. So we will see how this lasts!

I also picked up some new front shocks for the Spider from my friendly Alfa parts supplier Goos. (Actually, I picked them up by boat!! different story different thread)

You can read earlier on in this thread on how I replaced the rear ones and that made a huge difference. I also adjusted the front ones at the time. (They were Koni Adjustable shocks).

Marc suggested I should replace the front ones with the same Bilstein Gas shocks.

Replacing front shocks on a Spider is one of the easiest jobs you can do!



Of course, you need a jack, and axle stand and the respective wheels need to come off.



Original Koni as fitted for the last 20 years and some 120000km!



Take off the nuts at the top and the bottom and pull them out. That's all.

As is customary comparing the old and the new one. I paid special attention to the top mount, based on our earlier (unfortunate) experiences with replacing the shocks on Peter's Lancia. These were identical, new rubber mounts and nuts were supplied with the new shock.



One shock fitted!



Replace on the other side and make sure to torque all wheel lug nuts correctly!



I have done a test drive with them. Again, makes a difference in the feel and handling. Also, the ride height is slightly better. These shocks are (gas) preloaded. So the actually do push the car up a bit compared to non-gas shocks. On a very low-slung car, fitted a sump guard 1 or 2 centimetres extra clearance makes a huge difference when encountering speed bumps and so on.

I am very pleased with how the Spider feels and drives. Still need to check the oil consumption. I have done about 700 km. Fuel consumption with the carbs compared to the injection is up by about 20%. But I was expecting that.

In just over a week Peter and I will be taking our Spiders to the South of Germany for our annual Spider trip. The first stop, Technik Museum in Sinnsheim.

Mrs. D's little Fiesta suffered a flat! I wanted to move it around our yard and as soon as I started it, I got a TPMS alarm. I checked and I could see the right rear tire being a little low on air.

Mrs D was supposed to go over to our daughter and look after our two grand daughters for the day. So I quickly jacked up the Fiesta, shoved an axle stand underneath and took the wheel off.



Look at this, no mistake, that will leak!!



threw the wheel in the back of my Jeep and drove over to our local tyre fitter (Euromaster Gorinchem). I know these guys, I have bought multiple tyres from them over the years. I rocked up at exactly 08.00 AM. By 08.15 I was on my way back home with a fixed tire.

By 08.30 the Fiesta was back on the road!

Of course, always use a torque wrench of the wheel nuts. (Funnily enough, the Fiesta has the highest lug nut torque in our fleet! 130Nm)



Checked all four tyres for correct pressure



Whenever I use my compressor with its fancy Haxet tyre inflator manometer I always take one reading with this small handheld manometer. These tyre inflators are notorious for wandering off their original calibration over time. So I check them regularly against a different instrument. As long as they indicate similar values we are good to go!

[Lone Ranger]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

threw the wheel in the back of my Jeep and drove over to our local tyre fitter (Euromaster Gorinchem). I know these guys, I have bought multiple tyres from them over the years. I rocked up at exactly 08.00 AM. By 08.15 I was on my way back home with a fixed tire.

Wow Jeroen, I follow your threads closely and this one surprised me - considering you pretty much fix and build everything on your own, I am curious why you took the tyre to the shop instead of patching it yourself? Was it lack of time?

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Lone Ranger

Wow Jeroen, I follow your threads closely and this one surprised me - considering you pretty much fix and build everything on your own, I am curious why you took the tyre to the shop instead of patching it yourself? Was it lack of time?

Patching a tire is relatively easy. But in order to do a proper patch, the tyre needs to come of the rim. And that also means the wheel needs to be balanced. I don’t own a tyre balancing machine. They are very expensive and would also take up a lot of space in my garage. So it’s simply not worth it, for the very occasional use it might get. Last time we had a flat was probably about 4-5 years ago? So even with 6 cars and a combined mileage of about 40k a year, it is very rare to get a flat.

I know there are patch methods where you just stick the patch in from the outside. I don’t trust that method. The only proper way is from inside the tyre.

Also, taking a tyre of a rim these days is quite the challenge. The tyre balancing machine usually come with a very handy mechanism for taking the tyre off and putting it back on. I have several tyre levers, they get used for all kinds of jobs, but I have never used them for taking a tyre of the rim.

So I happily use the services of a tyre fitter. And it is very quick too!

Jeroen

[JunkyardHunter]

It's always nice to see the meticulous care you take of your cars. Considering you have 2, couldn't you try to find the resistance of the spare valve cover?

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by JunkyardHunter

It's always nice to see the meticulous care you take of your cars. Considering you have 2, couldn't you try to find the resistance of the spare valve cover?

Thanks.
I have no means of testing resistance. Besides it only needs to be fit for purpose. I.e. stay in place on a vibrating and warm engine. Bit difficult to simulate. 😅

So I will just see how it goes. As you might have read I visit various Industrial events where usually there are also 3D printing firms present. Next time I will see if anybody can tell me about what printed materials are best suitable for this particular application.

In all honesty, I just choose the cheapest option. Because I did not think much of it to start with.

So let’s see this as a hopefully long term trial of my first 3D printed part. I’m sure many will follow!

Jeroen

[PetaWatt]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

... But in those days the final product would be quite brittle and would quickly snap.

Sounds like you were using PLA plastic. PLA parts cannot withstand sunlight/heat well and starts to degrade in 2-3 years.

Originally Posted by Jeroen

This part feels a little flexible, so I don't think it will break easily. The one thing I might/should have checked perhaps was the heat resistance of the material used. I just did not think of it. But it gets 90oC easily on top of that valve cover. So we will see how this lasts!

ABS plastic can withstand 90-degree Celsius but if there is some load on it, it might get deformed. If you can find a foundry, you can get sand casting of the PLA printed part done. As a kid I carved out small handgun model (around 4 cm in length) out of Thermocol. I put it under the sand (collected from riverside) such that its barrel was touching the top open surface of the sand. Then I poured the molten solder over it. After 5 mins I had a hot model gun in my hand. So, I believe if parts are printed using PLA with 10% density, similar sandcasting can be done using molten Aluminium. Your thoughts?

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by PetaWatt

. If you can find a foundry, you can get sand casting of the PLA printed part done.. Your thoughts?

I have some experience in making my own castings as part of my model engine hobby. I can tell you it takes a lot of work to produce a half decent part. In most cases you need to spend considerable time getting rid of all the blurs and protrusions from the cast. That is before we start on “finish”. If high precision is required the casting will always need milling and turning to bring it to dimension of course.

Using a foundry to produce your cast is hugely expensive!

Home casting as I do is fun, but messy and you need to ensure you have ample and adequate ventilation. Most of these casting fumes are pretty toxic! I know several guys in my model engine circles who do their own castings. Usually parts such as fly wheels and or the drive wheels of (model) steam trains. It’s fascinating to watch and read about.

If I wanted this part out of aluminium I could produce it on my mini mill in a couple of hours. All it would take is a block of aluminium only slightly larger than the outer dimensions of this part. It would be a hugely wasteful undertaking as I would have to mill out probably 95% of the material. It would be a lot quicker than going the casting route. And the finish and fit would be fantastic of course.

More importantly, this part needs to have some elasticity in order for the top to clip onto the base plate. Any metal/alloy part is simply not going to provide that sort of elasticity. Unless it gets quite thin, which brings a whole host of other issues in producing such a part.

This car does 4-6000 km annually. So I think my PLA part is likely to last a very long time. If it does break down I will mail the CAD file over to the 3D print shop and choose a more resilient material. I’ll have the part in our mailbox within 24 hours after clicking the “send” button on my computer! For a fraction of the cost of producing a casted part.

Casting still has its use of course in many application. But 3D printing is rapidly taking over in many industries. Its also available to the hobbyist/amateurs such as me. You don’t need the machines, just a simple CAD file. I don’t do CAD. It is beyond my current mental abilities. But I can still send a CAD file to a 3D shop. There are lots of free design of all kinds of parts out there. On just about every classic car forum you will find guys that produce really nice 3D CAD designs for parts that are no longer available. Various specialist classic car parts shop use 3D techniques as well.

The model building community makes a lot of use of 3D printing too. I have seen some amazing very complex parts being 3D printed.

To be honest, I have been a bit surprised on how little 3D printing is used in the automotive industry. It’s probably to do with the fact that car manufacturing is still a high volume business. High volumes and short lead times don’t gel so well, yet, with 3D printing. But I can vouch for the fact that 3D printing has definitely made inroads in the classic car world. Almost any part that can’t be sourced anymore can be 3D printed. I saw 3D printed pistons at a classic car show recently!

Jeroen

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

What model of Weber carb has gone into the spider?

I spoke to spanner mate Peter earlier. He did not think my earlier answer about the 32mm Venturi was correct. So I checked again in some more detail:

This is the Weber type 40 DCOE15, which suggests it has a 40mm venturi. But I seem to recall Marc telling me a different (larger?) number.



Yesterday was a decent day for prepping the Spider for our annual Spider trip.
Dry, breezy and not to much sun. Ideal for car washing. Also, ideal for mopping out the shop.

This is always hard work. It's a 70m2 floor space and it takes a long time to mop it properly and then dry it out a bit.



I spend most of the afternoon, washing, cleaning and waxing the Spider. It looks great!





Peter and I have a more or less standardised way of whom brings what parts and tools. Everything except my travel bags is in the Spider; ready to rock!

The weather looks pretty good for next week in the South of Germany. Fingers Crossed!

Peter will arrive Monday late afternoon. We are planning an early breakfast and want to hit the road at 07.00 am. We have almost 500 km to cover to get to the Sinsheim Techniek museum. We want to arrive around lunchtime and spend the whole afternoon in the museum. We have already booked a nearby local hotel for the evening.

Jeroen

[Jeroen]

A couple of weeks ago I got a call from spanner mate and best friend Peter. He had been approached by a TV production company. They produce a program about all kinds of sustainability initiatives in Dutch society.

They wanted to make a short documentary about classic cars. Classic cars are seen as a sort of sustainability. Of course, from an emission point of view they are nowhere as good as modern cars. But they get driven a lot less. The average annual mileage of Dutch classic cars is less than 1800 km/year. That is less than 0,2% of the total annual mileage of all Dutch cars on the road today.

So from that point of view, the impact is near zero. More importantly, these cars have lasted anywhere from 25 years and up. So very durable in terms of how long they last. Peter does professional classic car valuations. Mostly for classic car insurance. Any car that is in an accident is valued against its day value. Which, on older cars is next to nothing. Its the original catalogue price minus all the years of depreciation.

But through an expert car valuation report, you can agree on the replacement value of your classic car. Peter, after a careful inspection, will provide you and your insurance company with such a report. It tends to be valid for three years.

The replacement value of a classic car is very different from it's day-value. On these classic car policies, the insurance company agree to pay out the replacement value of the car in case of a total loss.

The script of the documentary called for Peter to run in, by chance, an old customer of him, with a classic car that needed to be valued! Enter yours truly and his 1982 Mercedes W123!

It was good fun participating and seeing how this short documentary was made. It was pretty awful weather. We managed to take almost all the shots in a short space of no rain and the odd bit of sun. A couple of shots during the "making off"! All in Dutch I'm afraid.













The final result. It was shown last Saturday afternoon on the program "Doe maar duurzaam".

https://youtu.be/FHzc2DZoWLI?si=OZZ1paco0Ukceksh

Enjoy!

Jeroen

[Jeroen]

I have just come back from our Annual Spider trip with Peter. It will be in a separate thread.

As always we had a great time! My Spider drove very well. All the various jobs over the last 18 months have made a tremendous difference. The oil consumption is still a little on the high side. So later this autumn, we will take the cylinder head off and re-hone the four cylinders.

In a few weeks, both the soft top itself and the collapsable frame will be dealt with. The frame will be taken off completely, sandblasted and powder coated. The top itself and all fastenings will be replaced completely.

With everything off the car, it will also give me a good opportunity to check for rust behind the covers and trim. Fingers Crossed!

This morning I picked up all the items Marc had removed from the Spider for the carburettor conversion. It's quite a lot as you can see. I have added some of the spares I have accumulated over the years as well. Peter is checking what he might want to have. Next to his 1980 green Coda Tronco Spider he also owns an identical S3 to mine.





Jeroen

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

It was good fun participating and seeing how this short documentary was made. It was pretty awful weather.

The final result. It was shown last Saturday afternoon on the program "Doe maar duurzaam".

https://Youtu.be/FHzc2DZoWLI?si=OZZ1paco0Ukceksh

Jaw dropping images in such a high resolution - the fine details on the blade of grass and the fine striation on the car.

Thank you for treating us to your amazing narratives crammed with exquisite photos.

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Almost any part that can’t be sourced anymore can be 3D printed. I saw 3D printed pistons at a classic car show recently!

Jeroen

3D printed Pistons ? What kind of material do they use ?

The other day I was watching Youtube in which a Ukrainian car engineer making a glass porthole in the body of a car engine and replacing the oil sump with a transparent plastic sump for the show. When he accelerated the engine sitting in a test bed for the show, the plastic sump simply developed cracks and oozed the engine oil.

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

At long last an update on the Spider. Just to recap for those who might not have followed all previous posts. About a year and a half ago I decided to have the engine of the Spider overhauled.

So in the end we decided the only way to solve this ones and for all, is to replace the Bosch system with good old-fashioned Carburettors. Webers!

Great read as always Jeroen, it's quite interesting to see someone going back to a Carburetor setup . I myself did go the opposite way for our 99 Maruti Omni, which came with a carburetor setup from the factory. Last year I swapped the carburetor setup with a MPFi setup & never been more happier with how the car is behaving. Here's the link to my thread: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...onversion.html (1999 Maruti Omni - Restoration, Brake upgrade & MPFi conversion)