engine and drivetrain 1966 BMW 1800 TI Alpina

[69coronet440]

Is there a camshaft in the head? Wondering what the numbers are On that camshaft. It must be a full race cam to accommodate those crazy pistons. Definitely higher compression than Ti pistons.

To run 45mm webers as well as those pistons that must have been a hot motor...

Rey

The cam is still in the head. I’ll see if the numbers are readable.

[69coronet440]

As of right now I would like to keep the original paint on the car. There are a few areas of rust that need attention, there not bad, mostly surface. What would be the best solution to at least stop the rust from spreading? Is there something I can put on the rust that won’t change the look of that particular area? I know the correct way to do it is remove the rust and primer/paint that area but then I will have a spotty car. I live about 8 miles from the coast and I know things tend to rust faster in the coastal air. The car is in a garage that’s not climate controlled but does have good air flow.

The motor and all its parts are in climate controlled storage so I’m not as concerned with them but I would like to prep the parts. Is there something I could put on the block, cylinder bores, and crank that will facilitate rust removal when I get to that point?

Thanks,

Marty

[markmac]

Marty, can't help you on the paint question - a tough call on how you preserve what you have, fix what (has) to be fixed without making it look like "primermobile", hopefully one of the body paint guys here can chime in.

Preserving metal, metal parts. For small stuff that I am going to use near term I coat/wipe down with "Break Free" , then bag and store appropriately. For stuff that I may not be using for long term or an "unkown" period of time I go for the boots and suspenders approach - "Cosmoline". I have a spare pair of my Schnitzer cams coated in the stuff. If not familiar, dries to a sort of waxy finish, used by many - gun manufacturers, machine tools etc. More work to properly remove but substantially more protection. Porsche used to coat their cars (completely, paint and all) in cosmoline before they were shipped to wherever - not so long ago they were still doing this - until shrink wrapping was invented.

www.alpinabmw2002.com

[zob2002]

Hi,

-Take the fuel pump off the head and check if there is another number stamped underneath where it sat. (I have a later Alpina engine and it could be it is on the same location)

- Colour looks like it is Granada.

- Check the year stamp on the inside of your rocker cover. It looks like it is also period correct beause of the ridges missing.

- When you check your camshaft you'll probably find a 4 on the outside of the ring on which is bolted the sprocket. If it is there you have a 324 cam.

Here below 2 pics of a set of new TISA pistons I have lying around so you can compare...

- Great find and lots of fun. Congratulations. Do not ever sell it. Such a car should remain in your family.

Tom from Belgium

[69coronet440]

Thanks for the pictures of the TISA pistons. From what I can tell they look identical to the ones I have. How are these different from the standard 1800 TI pistons?

I looked at the cam where the sprocket attaches but couldn’t find any numbers, there is a line that I assume is a timing mark but that’s it. There is a cast number between two cam lobes on the shaft that reads

R118 061 00 03.2 and another casting AE between two other lobes.

The numbers on the underside of the valve cover read 118 026 00 069

[markmac]

I can't remember now the numbering for the BMW factory Sport 300 cam but I would lay odds that was what is in it. The 324 cam is pretty knarly for a street car with no idle and no power until 4k or so. Since both of these were easy to get from BMW at that period of time either could have been used. The only other thing could have been one of AlpinA's small bearing 300's or a 320, however I am pretty sure that they were not selling either of those in 1966.

www.alpinabmw2002.com

[tjones02]

- When you check your camshaft you'll probably find a 4 on the outside of the ring on which is bolted the sprocket. If it is there you have a 324 cam.

The factory BMW 300 cam has a 3 near the tdc mark. Most other "stock" cams have either a 1 or a 2.

Example pics of standard 118 head pistons, Ti ones would have slightly more dome to them... This seller frequently has Ti pistons as well...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/280845029482

[69coronet440]

Just got this email back from info.grouparchiv@bmwgroup.com:

The BMW 1800 TI VIN xxxxxxx was manufactured on October 30th, 1965 and delivered on November 11th, 1965 to Bovensiepen in Kaufbeuren. The original colour was Granada, paint code 023.

We hope this information is helpful for you.

[Mike_B]

This car is a fantastic piece of history. If you get the chance, please add it to the registry at the top of the NK Discussion Forum.

[rey949]

Wow! Mobile tradition has in their archive records hat your car was delivered to Bovensiepen directly from the factory?!!! That my friend is a good piece of BMW history.

Rey

[rey949]

Wow! Mobile tradition has in their archive records hat your car was delivered to Bovenspien directly from the factory?!!! That my friend is a good piece of BMW history.

Rey

[Conserv]

Just got this email back from info.grouparchiv@bmwgroup.com:

The BMW 1800 TI VIN xxxxxxx was manufactured on October 30th, 1965 and delivered on November 11th, 1965 to Bovensiepen in Kaufbeuren. The original colour was Granada, paint code 023.

We hope this information is helpful for you.

Just when you think the story couldn't get better, it gets better! Wow!

[69coronet440]

Will it hurt anything to soak the engine block in kerosene to try and remove all the gunk and rust? Is there anything that would work better?

[markmac]

No (I don't think so). You might check with some of the local machine shops to see what they use (either hot tank or possibly bake and shot (heat the block to 300 deg or so and then blast it with shot). Way back when, I had a an AlpinA A3 long block and the block needed some repair - they bead blasted the exterior and then tanked it. It is easy enough to get things cleaned up with the method you suggest in the areas you can "see" - the trick is getting the nasties out of the areas you can't see. Sounds like you are tearing or getting ready to tear your engine down. My block is going to be getting cleaned up soon, I may be over at my engine builder's later this week - I will ask him what he intends to do.

www.alpinabmw2002.com

[69coronet440]

The motor is pretty much completely tore down. I worked on cleaning up the cylinder bores for a few hours yesterday, still not sure if it’s going to need boring. I need to work on them more before I make that call. It looks like the bores and rod journals were coated in grease when the engine was stored so that may be my savior. I added a few more pictures, any suggestions based on the pictures? A lot of what looks like rust is actually congealed grease that is very difficult to get out. The #1 bore looks like it may have some pitting but it’s possible low enough in the bore to not be an issue.