Spares for GAZ 53 L, V8, 4,3 litre

[Georg Weinstabl]

Zdravey Hristian,

My mechnanic has tightened the bolts to 8 kgm. He didn't want to do more and first wanted to try it with 8.
The bolts have been changed to metric at the lower part with 40 mm thread and the top has a whithworth
thread I think, which is also having 30 to 40 mm threads. Before we drilled bigger holes and opened a thread
for inserting/screwing-in the block a 40 mm steel pipes (outside and inside threaded).

The metric part of the anchoring bolt is screwed in the block thru this steel threads.
This we did to ensure that these bolts are going to hold also in future. (I believe the georgian mechanics before have not had a torque wrench and probably fucked-up some of the threads inside block. We saw no other chance than changing those treads by using this
practice. Once doing those 4 threads we decided to do all of them (Better safe than sorry).

The result now is that these anchorages of the engine are overengineered and whitstand much higher
tightening than necessary, which we will not use to that extend. The tightening nuts have been replaced by the mechanics with hooded ones, that are standard Jaguar-practice, preventing against somekind of corrosion as open threaded nuts tend to let thru water steam. (If this is not true see it as a Turkish Phantasy.)

Do you have any idea how much ccm the heads then should measure, when you want to reach desired compression ratio of 9.5? Our mechanics shaved of 0.5 mm, but what the Georgians did before nobody knows.

Thanks for the info regarding the rev-limiter, we will try to find the place on the carburator, where we have to insert the copper
piping.

By-the-way, some russians coming to the same workshop where amazed about the way this engine was repaired. They couldn't believe that someone repairs this russian bitch in a Jaguar-Service. They said, that we must be nuts to invest so much time and money into this engine, instead of buying a new one ... Turkey is a nice country, but there are too many import restrictions and formalities and you end up with a lot of trouble once you exchange an engine.

Best regards,

[christian tabakoff]

Merhaba Georg,

well a "Russian Bitch" in a Jag-shop this is quite a story. But it can happen only in Turkey, Try this in England or Germany, they will go nuts!! Or in good old mechanic's tradition take a crankshaft and nock your head untill the shaft gets the form of a straight rod.
The engine looks great. Fine Job! As I have written torqueing is crucial for Alu blocks.
8Kgs is ok for larger bolts,not more!!! The shop specification for the larger ZIL and Ural engine is 6-7Kgm./cold/warm 20oC/ for the heads and remember they have a cast iron block , just the heads are Alu, and a displacement of 6,0 or 7,0 Lt.
Capped nuts are ok, just a touch of Jaguar customizing for a Russian engine.
I miss only a XJ8 Badge on the engine? Why not a custom XJ8-53 Plate?
By the way it is nearly equal : bore/stroke to the Mercedes 420 engine 92/80mm.
Here at rebuilding we use to change the nuts to stainless steel, the thread is metric automotive I guess 1,25 or 1,50 . I do not know it by heart.
On the exhaust side use bronze bolts with SS nuts.
Put also Platinum plugs - Bosch or allied Signal Autolite Double Platinum. In the USA the latter is OEM for the Z28 or Corvette engines and warranty 100 000Miles!!!
In all engines that I or my friends rebuild we use these spark plugs.

[Georg Weinstabl]

Hi Everybody,

We have the engine ready now with nearly everything fitted,

but the seawater cooler is leaking and I need to replace it. Does anyone have a clew where to find copper tube bundle cartridges or a complete cooler (new or used).