Balancing bottom end - West Yorkshire ideally

[Wombat Rick]

Can anyone recommend an engineers who can balance an Alfa twin cam bottom end, ideally in West Yorkshire so I can take the bits and see them? I was told there was someone in Huddersfield maybe called Frontline but I can't trace them.

Any help would be appreciated!

[stevieturbo]

Perhaps not west...but Dave from Performance Unlimited near Elvington would be able to do it.
They'll probably be quite busy though.

[Wombat Rick]

Thanks Stevie.
I've also found these guys: http://www.arepower.co.uk who are not far away.

[Daveuk9xx]

Why do you think that what the factory did in the first place is either deficient or needs improving?

Dave

[Wombat Rick]

Because I'm trying to build the best engine I can (within my budget!) and much of the advice surrounding this engine suggests it will benefit from some work. Bear in mind the design is 50+ years old and this particular one is nearly 40 years old so it's not a brand new modern day engine. The Alfa Twin Cam is a beautiful piece of work don't get me wrong (the alloy wet liner block casting in particular is great) but if I'm going to all the hassle of rebuilding an engine I would like to know it's gone back together as good as it can be.

So... who do you recommend?

[tempus]

Wombat Rick said:

Can anyone recommend an engineers who can balance an Alfa twin cam bottom end, ideally in West Yorkshire so I can take the bits and see them? I was told there was someone in Huddersfield maybe called Frontline but I can't trace them.

Any help would be appreciated!

Try Redline,hth Tempus

[Wombat Rick]

Thanks Tempus. They're certainly handy enough. Will give them a call. Cheers!

[Daveuk9xx]

Wombat Rick said:

Because I'm trying to build the best engine I can (within my budget!)

Well that's a laudable aspiration but OE factory balancing is as good as most engines need unless they are very highly modified and running extreme rpms. You can buy 1 gram accuracy kitchen scales now for as little as £15 and check the pistons and rods yourself if you like. I paid £100 for that sort of accuracy 20 years ago when I was setting up the workshop.

I can tell you there won't be anything wrong with a factory balanced crank if it hasn't been modified or the flywheel.

At the end of the day if this is just a road engine you won't be able to tell a scrap of difference between a standard bottom end and one that's been balanced. Probably even less likely you'll notice any difference if it's a race engine because it'll be making too much noise anyway.

I remember a Pinto race engine that came in for rebuild many years ago that had been "professionally" built originally but had conrods randomly selected from three different engines in it. The heaviest was a massive 25 grams heavier than the lightest but the owner had been blissfully unaware of any vibration or anything wrong.

Dave

[Wombat Rick]

Hmmmm... I know what you mean Dave, but it's just an itch I need to scratch. If I put it all back together with the new liners, pistons, shells, gaskets, very hard to find OEM oil pump, clutch and all the other bits and pieces I've bought over the year or so and then didn't do the last step I would feel a bit short changed I think. If it's going to cost a bomb, well I can't, but if I can afford it I would like to. The engine is already running 12mm cams and has a reasonably worked head on it (although standard valves) and the flywheel needs a bit of weight off it so I'm looking forward to when it's all back together!

[Daveuk9xx]

Well if you do get it done then try and make sure they know what they're doing. For instance when I balance conrods I do it properly end over end so that every little end weighs the same and so does every big end. Most people just hack some metal off wherever they can find a bit spare until the rods weigh the same in total. You can read this salutary tale about flywheel balancing here.

http://www.pumaracing.co.uk/flywheelbalance.htm

Dave

[Wombat Rick]

Thanks Dave.
Will do.
You and your kitchen scales aren't based oop North then?

[Daveuk9xx]

Fraid not, and I've just got out of the race engine building business anyway. Having more fun with less effort making money playing the stock market instead. I might take on the odd job to keep my hand in eventually but not until I've had a very long break from it all.

Dave

[Wombat Rick]

OK. Thanks for the advice Dave.
Good luck with the market!