rcf925

What is a safe clearance between piston and valve?

OK, Clay it is

So I'm pretty much finished with suspension and brakes on my 68 and now it's on to motor. I'm getting ready to install head and was wondering about piston to valve clearance. Its an E12 head going on a 74 block with 9.5  Piano top pistons. According to my measurements I think .020 has been skimmed off head and none off the block. I'm running IE .292 new cam (not Re-grind)  Should I be worried about piston to valve clearance or will I be ok. I guess I need to know if I should put together with clay in cylinder and pull apart again to check or should I be worried at all about clearance.

I've shipped stuff for the last 40 years. Anytime I sell anything it's all ready packaged and ready to go before I sell. It ain't brain surgery

  On 1/6/2019 at 2:51 PM, rcf925 said:

I'm also using E21 front hubs cause they have the little hole for screw that holds on rotor

mlytle,   that is what the lug bolts do...;-)

And when the wheels aren't on the rotors are flopping around when your trying to work on it

I'm also using E21 front hubs cause they have the little hole for screw that holds on rotor

1 hour ago, dynosoar1 said:

Why do people say only use the 77 E21 rotors?  Do any year E21 rotors from 77 to 83 actually work?  

When I was ordering E21 parts most say fits 77-83

4 hours ago, dynosoar1 said:

If you don't mind posting....what did the whole thing end up costing you start to finish to do the 320 conversion?  I have an idea but wondering actual cost.

I had the vented rotors sitting around but there about $50, Master cylinder was $65, I had calipers but there also about $50. I used braided lines also.  There rear I had all the parts for the larger drum set but they are also relatively cheap. I have yet to install those cause I had all brand new parts for stock rear shoes and I figured front does most the braking, I'll get to rears after car is up and running. Any BMW 1977-1983 E21 parts work

I just put the E21 brake set up on my 68 with 13" wheel and theres no clearance issues

I had these 1980's E21 13x6 BMW sport wheels 4" back spacing laying around so I used them to get car on ground, I put 175/70/13 on them, I have adjustable coil over bilsteins all the way around, ,No drive train in car so it's up a little in front

I paid 5k for my 68 rust free project ( which is huge that there's no rust) Nothing in car but I have rebuilt sub frames with 3.90 LSD, Complete new up graded brake system. That's where I'm at now, Finally it's on the ground. Now I'm doing motor and 5spd conversion. My plan was to sink 5k into it plus puchase cost.  I'm doing everything myself except paint when I get around to that but I want to get it up and running first. I think I'm on track for that. If I was paying to have all the work done lord knows what that would cost

If your worried about hitting your head on roll bar you can add roll bar wrap which is what I plan on doing when I get mine up and running

As Toby said said put pedal to floor crank until it starts,  I've done many times in the past. Before doing it if you want check dipstick and see if it smells like gas to make sure you won't be washing any cylinders but I doubt it

I just got mine off this one 

It's been 20 years since my 68 has sat on the ground, Finished suspension, and Braking system, Now it's on to drivetrain, Sitting a bit higher in front, No motor or trans in yet

The sound of 38/38 is great, But that has more to do with the complete build to get that sound. I'd rather do a nice build and put my 45's on it, Just don't tell me they will perform the same

24 minutes ago, Goner said:

 

Thanks for taking a look. Here is a pic of the stacks I have. 

You can kind see my stacks in the plastic bag in pic

12 hours ago, Goner said:

I have a set of these 15/16's. Are one of your velocity stacks shorter then the rest? On the set that I have 1 of the stacks is about an inch shorter. 

I just measured all my stacks,  All the same length 3-3/8" on the short side as they all have a slight maybe 10 to 15 degree angle 

4 hours ago, Hans said:

8.5 to start. With gasket. Try to get reading off bowl, not the seam.

Thanks for the help

33 minutes ago, Hans said:

8.5 mm comes to mind for brass floats. Plenty of guidance on FAQ. Make sure the floats aren't leaking.

So just to get started before I put them in car 8.5mm would be in the ball park

I'm in the process of rebuilding a pair of Bologna Weber DCOE15 & 16   I need a starting point to set floats, I've read 12,13 or 14mm  What is the consensus around here. Also since one is a 15 the other a 16 which one goes to the front 2 cylinders. I guess the old BMW TI race cars used this set up

2 hours ago, TobyB said:

There is no way to answer your question without tires. 

 

If you stretch a 165 tire onto that rim, yeah, it'll fit.  245's, no way.

 

Almost anything in- between is a 'maybe'.

 

You should have no problem at all keeping a 6" rim well under the fenders, with a 195-55-15.  But as you've noticed,

alignment is not trivial.

 

I'd recommend, if you like the rims well enough, find a tire you like, get one mounted up, and then see how much

spacer you need.  If you can get 1/4" or more between the sidewall and the strut tube with, say, a 10 mm spacer,

just do that for the time being, and work on other things. 

You can make up a test spacer with a stack of washers....

Then when you have a dimension, order 2 quality ones and some longer lug bolts.

 If it eventually bothers you, you can take your existing rim dimensions, add

the spacer, and go shopping again.

Or just run that way.  It'll work fine.

Now, if you end up with over 15mm, maybe new wheels beckon...

 

hth

 

t

 

 What I found out is the model  year 68 has  slightly narrower fenders, Thats what I was told and I tend to believe it cause other wheels people say fit, Don't on my car. What I ended up using were my 3 series sport BBS wheels that are 13x6 and I put 175/70/13 on them and they work. There just about even with outside fender. I wont really know ride height til I get drive train in but I'm waiting on a couple parts to put the rears on then I'll drop it and set height. I'm just trying to get where you cant see a whole lotta space between top of tire and fender, Not slamming it just lowering some

My wheels I'm trying to use are 15x6   I'm not absolutely married to them so I'm open to other options. I have a set of BBS 13" off an E21 but backspacing is 4" and the wheel sticks out past the body by about an 1". So I'm not using those. I've read every wheel and tire thread for these cars and still haven't come up with a solution. They say 4.5" is optimum backspacing for these cars and I can't find any wheels with that. I even bought a set of rims off ebay that were 15x7 25mm offset , Said they would fit an 02 and they stuck out past body by also 1" or so. I sent them back. I wanna keep complete wheel under car. I didn't think it would be so hard to get the right combo and pretty much every pic I see wheels are out past the body

I just did this also, I just wiggled it past the metal lip sticking out after that it went right in

I've been finishing up suspension and brakes on my 68 and now it's onto wheels. How close can rim of wheel get to front strut and still fit a tire without the bulge of tire hitting strut. Right now I have 15" steel rims that when mounted on front are about 1/4" away from strut. Is that enough room. I have no tires yet so also what would be a good size tire to fit on 15's   I have Bilstein coil overs all the way around and the back is also close but mostly to adjusting nut on shocks which I can move up or down

Same here,  I pressed them out on 25 ton press