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"400" repair


H-400
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8 hours ago, Exclusive Opel said:

I have one of those kits but the full one. Great bit of kit. Only thing to watch is when using the lever, it's sitting square on the round bar otherwise it can skid off.

Used one on an Astra 16v head and made the job so much easier as the valves/springs are deeply recessed. 

Work with head in situe? 

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Herman, first off Mery Christmas to you and yours.  On the pistons for the 400, if you can get me the specs and dimensions for the pistons I'll check to see it there is anyhing comparable available this side of the Atlantic.  One of our local Opel guru's (John Warga) is a CNC machine wizzard and has modified pistons to work in his 2.4 CIH build, I’ll talk to John and see if he has any ideas.  I’ll send you some pictures of John’s work via e-mail.

Chris

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1 hour ago, Limeysore said:

Herman, first off Mery Christmas to you and yours.  On the pistons for the 400, if you can get me the specs and dimensions for the pistons I'll check to see it there is anyhing comparable available this side of the Atlantic.  One of our local Opel guru's (John Warga) is a CNC machine wizzard and has modified pistons to work in his 2.4 CIH build, I’ll talk to John and see if he has any ideas.  I’ll send you some pictures of John’s work via e-mail.

Chris

I would take a set of those if the price is reasonable too 🍻

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Great stuff Herman - good luck with this project. As always, your attention to detail inspires all of us!

14 hours ago, Exclusive Opel said:

I have the original standard CIH valve compressor - bit of bent metal with a couple of holes! I could always do a quick drawing if anyone wants to make one.

 

Yes please!

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Making some progress, but slowely. All the valves are out and measured the base of the stemseals. Looks I found a solution so gonna order a small batch of them to test.

The new tool works fine, but I drilled on both sides a hole in the metal rod to fit a safetypin so it can't jump out of the brackets while opening the valve:

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Yes I used two sockets as spacers😁.

The chain-guides look total different, the tensioner is fitted in the head:

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Timing cover house looks the same, the location of the CIH tensioner is plugged of but the long tensioner-guide pivots on the same pin as a CIH engine:

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Grts, Herman

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Nice work Herman

At least you are keeping nice and busy in these times when we cant go very far.

I did start removing my heater box to swap it with a better one just before Christmas when the weather was quite nice but its been far too cold to finish it. Hoping it warms up next week here as i have plenty of time for the next couple of months -)

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Hi Andy, well I'm searching for parts behind my PC and doing some work on the "400" and keep myself on the programm of the physio for my knee. Two times / week 3 hours sweating on his machines and a few days a week at home to get the muscles back alive of my right leg so I hope I can run again this spring... Yes I'm busy!

Hope the Corona-situation in the UK will get better soon, noticed the vaccination is going well on your side but in Belgium the vaccination is just started symbolic. 

Stay healthy. 

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1 hour ago, H-400 said:

Hi Andy, well I'm searching for parts behind my PC and doing some work on the "400" and keep myself on the programm of the physio for my knee. Two times / week 3 hours sweating on his machines and a few days a week at home to get the muscles back alive of my right leg so I hope I can run again this spring... Yes I'm busy!

Hope the Corona-situation in the UK will get better soon, noticed the vaccination is going well on your side but in Belgium the vaccination is just started symbolic. 

Stay healthy. 

Hey Herman

That sounds like a lot of hard work for the Physio, i hope it all goes in the right direction and you are ready for that spring run 🙂

I had planned for a lockdown so i have a few projects planned to keep me busy in these winter months, i just need a bit of warmer weather to get on with the car.

The vaccination does seem to be stepping up over here but there is a long way to go.

Keep the pictures coming of the engine build as its quite interesting to see the difference in the engine.

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Tried to contact "Omega-Pistons". Last week (Wednesday) I mailed them but no answer. Disappointed, I am used to get a confermation after a message, been too long in the army... Today I filled in an automatic contact question form on their website. 

Noticed the head gasket needs to be special for a "400" engine. The head has got other water channals, even the shortened 24V head is different. Need also new gaskets for the cam-covers and the tensioner cover. Can order those gaskets @ Risse in Germany. Will take some pics, makes everything easier.

Am yet trying to go up backwards on the stairs. After a meniscusoperation painfull but important. When I come home from the pub the wife thinks I'm going down to the loo... Got some time untill the lockdown is ended.

Stay healthy, Herman

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Omega Pistons mailed me last week. They wrote they had no stock of "400" pistons cause it is made by order. So I mailed to them I want to order a set of pistons, no problem to wait. The guy I had this conversation "Alex" was helpfull and he recognized some names I knew that ordered "400" pistons at Omega. Problem is you need to order 20 pistons and they have to be the same diameter and compression. 

Am yet waiting for an answer from Holland if they can make a set, think I'v got to inform my insurance I won't drive the "400" for some months...  Found out Wiseco makes pistons that fit in the 2.4CIH with cut off 24V head so maybe that can be a solution. 

Done not a lot on my engine, but you all love to see pictures. The first picture is one of the pistons. The left one is the 2.4CIH , the other is the "400" one. Production OEM one and as you all can see not a big difference. Both pistons have the same pin and while a GSI-GT/E 2 liter CIH needs to warm up and pressed out those pins are floating. Both pins have the same ofset so maybe I can use CIH high compression pistons to mill them...

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This is a pic of the 16V head, you can all see the water channels are almost identical as the CIH cast iron head:

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And a pic of the same head with the original head gasket, one side (left side of the car) the water channels are blocked and the other side we can see some holes in the gasket:

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This is a picture of two head gaskets. The bottom one is the original "400" one and the top one is CIH, looks the CIH gasket blocks the water channels on the other side..:

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And when I look to the web shop of Risse motorsport their "400" head gasket has on both sides openings for the water channels:

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Hmm, got to think this over... Another pic of the chain guides:

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Have a nice weekend, stay healthy

Herman

 

 

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We all love engine pictures Herman 🙂

Its quite interesting to see the difference between the 2.4 and 400 parts.

If you dont have any luck with the pistons it might be worth signing up to the Opel GT forum to see if they have any sources for pistons as it might be that if you could the broken piston to someone that they could make a set as they guys over there seems to talk quite a bit about having sets made?

And they put 2 extra holes in the 2.4 gasket to help cooling around pistons 2 and 3 so a similar idea to the 400.

Andy  

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Herman, if you can get me the dimensions of the piston you require I’ll see what might be available over here.  Most of the 2.4 engine guys over here use Chevrolet 305ci Hypereutectic pistons in their builds, they do need some modifications but nothing overly drastic.

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Looks like I found a set of pistons, Omega ones 95,50 compression 11/1. 

And found out the original cranck and conrod bearings of a "400" have the same partnr. as a GT/E. So the original cranckshaft of a "400" is nitrated and can deal with the most power they could make in those days, as mentioned in the original Opel specifications.  So the GT/E has got pretty good bearings... 

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1 hour ago, H-400 said:

Looks like I found a set of pistons, Omega ones 95,50 compression 11/1. 

And found out the original cranck and conrod bearings of a "400" have the same partnr. as a GT/E. So the original cranckshaft of a "400" is nitrated and can deal with the most power they could make in those days, as mentioned in the original Opel specifications.  So the GT/E has got pretty good bearings... 

good to hear mate. 

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  • 1 month later...

After two months there is some news to tell. The set of pistons was not complete cause they lend one out to copy them. And thanks to covid we are not allowed to cross the German border but this week I had a mail from Risse Motorsport they have a set of pistons for me. They are going to send them to me, insured,together wit some other parts. 

So I'm motivated to start again. My wife came home from the athletic club but she couldn't shower, err Honey there something in the bath-tub... I needed hot water to degrease something:

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Ofcourse I cleaned up all the mess😄.

And the firm that makes aluminium profiles contacted me also, the parts for my little truck are approved for production. Hold your horses, not all together! 

 

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