Here’s another 250 engine being assembled, we didn’t overhaul it but had to disassemble it to correct head gasket leaks, water pump leaks and replace the roller followers with the needle bearing type. We have had great results with the needle bearing style followers and but poor results with the bushing type which wear out in 600 miles! When an engine needs this much work we pull it from the chassis so it can be test run and inspected for leaks. Here are our famous formula head gaskets in use which have proven themselves reliable and consistent.

250 GT engine 27XX

Here is an early production MG, the model PA and one of the last of the “cycle fender” style cars, the MG TF 1500. These cars are a blast to own and live with because they are so easy to drive, cheap to keep up and have a great look. We did a drag race with these two cars but couldn’t see who was faster because of the insane amounts of tire smoke.

MG PA and TF

PA, TF, TD, TC, MG

Here is the BB engine, finished up and running on the stand with a link below to see it on youtube. No leaks! Needs a little more tuning but this is the second start up and it ran very well. Since this video was taken, we dialed in the carburetors and it sounds amazing.

Bill is rebuilding the motor for his 1985 Mercedes Benz 190e 2.3 16 Cosworth, and is discovering some of the first challenges in the project. The Benz single-row timing chain cars notoriously break timing chains and this Smoke Silver car was the victim. After sourcing a used short block, he now has two different sets of rods, one quite a bit wider than the other. Luckily they match the crank, but unfortunately not the new rod bearings. Mercedes seems to only list one part number for the rob bearings that are clearly not the same – or the crank and rods are from another 4 cylinder Benz – we are researching this.

Early grey-market rod with bolts on left; wider rod with studs on right.

Wider Rods at +29mm

Narrow Cosworth rods at +22mm

Left: new Glyco rod bearings; right: older wide bearings - note locating tab placement.

Car Show Classics also put together this engine bay porn from Mille Miglia. It’s a lot of detail.

We overhauled this 1958 Ferrari 250 engine 12 years ago and it has run a bunch of tours with Rich and Jean Taylor at Vintage Rallies as well as the Ferrari Challenge Rally a few years ago. When we overhauled the engine we converted it to coil valve springs from the hair pin style – making a strong engine even stronger. It must have higher lift cams and a bump in compression because it made some killer power on the dyno years ago. I promise to put it on the chassis dynomometer when we fix it.

What failed is what typically fails on 308′s and Berlinetta Boxers – the small caged ball bearings in the timing chest. The inner generator drive bearing came undone, and the cage got into the main bearing scouring the cap and the bearing. We are having the journal built up to standard and are going to check the line bore to make sure the cap is still square to the crank pins.

While the block is set up on the line hone machine, the rear cap will be cut to accept a 100mm oil seal. Normally these engines rely on the “slinger” arrangement. With the rest of the engine in such good condition, we will clean and inspect everything but probably not have to replace too many expensive parts such pistons or perform a valve job.

Bearing failure

Damaged main bearing

Bearings messed up

We just finished another 330 engine, 330 cubic centimeters per cylinder multiplied by 12 cylinders equals 4000 C.C.’s or 4.0 liters. Actually, Nate did most of the work and this one runs so well without the requisite head gasket leaks!!

Here is a YouTube clip of it running:

Crank in 330

Here is a totally stripped down 250 engine block known as basimento, or base to which the rest of the engine is attached. Looks kind of skeletal.

Ferrari 250 GTE

Ferrari 212 throttle steers out of a hairpin at Virginia International Raceway test

We tested the Ferrari 212 at Virginia International Raceway about a month ago to prepare for the 83rd running of the Mille Miglia in Italy this May. The Osca came along to the track as a benchmark of performance as it was accepted to run the Mille just a few years ago. The testing went very well, with the 212 making enough power to warrant upgrading the tires to Avon vintage racing tires like the Osca. It is amazing the difference a few years makes, the OSCA is 5 years newer than the Ferrari and handles so much better. It is deserving of the Ferraris V-12 engine rather than the 1500cc 4 cylinder mill.

Casey and Peter remove the hood of the 212 while a pack of track marshals look on like wolves