Future-proofing the AJP

[Mr Cerbera]

So what's the first thing you talk about when you are allowed to visit the pub again ?

Future-proofing the future of our Carbon-gusling P&Js !
(Ok, maybe it wasn't the first thing)
but there were quite a few nationalities involved, in an emptional way, in the subject, several of whom had engineering backgrounds.

Eventually it was decided that it was possible to produce replacement Cylinder Heads for the AJP8 for €1,000 a pop.

Do you think that there'd be a market ?

[gruffalo]

Not sure they would retail for £1000 a unit.

We need someone to commission a production run of blocks, heads and a few other large castings.
That company then has to be willing to wait for a long term ROI. I also think we need the price of the cars to go up hugely before someone will make that investment.

It does worry me that I may end up with a major engine issue that nothing can be done to rectify.

[rev-erend]

Perhaps someone should give ZEUS a call. They may still have the moulds for casting the heads and blocks:

https://www.bizseek.co.uk/zeus-aluminium-products-...

[spitfire4v8]

It would have to be a fairly major incident to mean a block or head wasn't repairable ..

We do occasionally see people posting for a cylinder head, but that's because you can still get secondhand parts and its easier to get good used head than repair a broken one. Once prices of good used parts goes too high then we will see parts being repaired which otherwise wouldn't have been, and only when that gets too high will we see a market for a brand new item.

You can get a brand new k series head for well under a grand, but how many of those do you think they sell compared to an ajp head ?

[Demondad]

Al Melling currently has my spare a pair of heads which he is using to measure from and design re-manufactured ones. Last I heard I think billet heads are proving tricky to fit under the bonnet.

[geeman237]

This might be a stupid question but what would have happened to all the engine drawings and casting moulds that Melling, TVR and others developed for the AJP & Speed Six engines?
Surely they weren't destroyed?

[rev-erend]

geeman237 said:

This might be a stupid question but what would have happened to all the engine drawings and casting moulds that Melling, TVR and others developed for the AJP & Speed Six engines?
Surely they weren't destroyed?

Al Melling was giving them out at the Middle Wallop meeting a few years ago.

I have one somewhere..

http://www.rndengineering.co.uk/downloads/SPEED6%2...

[Mr Cerbera]

rev-erend said:

Al Melling was giving them out at the Middle Wallop meeting a few years ago.

I have one somewhere..

http://www.rndengineering.co.uk/downloads/SPEED6%2...

Good Post
BUT
Isn't that for the 6 only ??

[itsallyellow]

1k per head?? If I could get new ones made for that little then I would be a buyer!

I can get new cranks made and blocks made, pistons are easy and rods are readily available. Just the heads left

Mike

[Mr Cerbera]

itsallyellow said:

1k per head?? If I could get new ones made for that little then I would be a buyer!

I can get new cranks made and blocks made, pistons are easy and rods are readily available. Just the heads left

Mike

Mike, You are a STAR !

I knew that there would be someone out there with some sense
Unfortunately 2 customers doesn't make much of a market
BUT
If anything progresses I'll let you know

Oh, by the by, where did you get these made up ?
They are the best quality I've ever known and was thinking of ordering a personal design.
Ta !

[Gazzab]

I just re read Al’s post on FB. Think he is suggesting £5k a pair is likely price for cast.

[gruffalo]

Gazzab said:

I just re read Al’s post on FB. Think he is suggesting £5k a pair is likely price for cast.

That would be my thought of a reasonable expected price.

[TwinKam]

There is a company near me that specialise in 'top end' and competition classics. First and foremost they are engineers, and have the most advanced digitalising measuring systems and 5-axis mills etc. An example of the level of their work is that they create (from scratch) complete engines for Alpha 6C so that their owners can race them without jeopardising the original engines!
I will pop in next time I'm passing and have a chat and get an idea of their costs, besides it's always a pleasure to see what they have in....

https://www.jswl.co.uk/

[Gazzab]

So I think Al is asking for the Cerbera community to come together and stump up some cash to get some heads made.
I guess it’s along the lines of :
N people put in X £s each.
Manufacture a batch of heads.
When someone needs heads then they are available to purchase with no profit margin but pay back some money to the ‘funders’ each time.

[gruffalo]

Gazzab said:

So I think Al is asking for the Cerbera community to come together and stump up some cash to get some heads made.
I guess it’s along the lines of :
N people put in X £s each.
Manufacture a batch of heads.
When someone needs heads then they are available to purchase with no profit margin but pay back some money to the ‘funders’ each time.

This is the sort of thing Dom or Graham at Racing Green could do.

[Gazzab]

gruffalo said:

Gazzab said:

So I think Al is asking for the Cerbera community to come together and stump up some cash to get some heads made.
I guess it’s along the lines of :
N people put in X £s each.
Manufacture a batch of heads.
When someone needs heads then they are available to purchase with no profit margin but pay back some money to the ‘funders’ each time.

This is the sort of thing Dom or Graham at Racing Green could do.

I suspect they won’t though.

[RUSSELLM]

Unless I’m mistaken, doesn’t TVR power already sell new heads... £2400 ?

[Gazzab]

[rev-erend]

So has anyone actually call powers performance to see if new heads are actually available and if you need to
go down this alternative route?

[Jhonno]

rev-erend said:

So has anyone actually call powers performance to see if new heads are actually available and if you need to
go down this alternative route?

Of course..

They are NLA.

Powers do have a pair of NOS, which last I heard they wanted 5k.