Pulled the DB4 Motor Today

[Hugh R]

I've had a vibration problem that starts at about 3,400 RPM and disappears at about 4,000 RPM since I rebuilt it five years ago. Its engine for sure, but it rattles the trannie something fierce. I hope its the flywheel or the front damper, no sign of the damper separating between the inner metal and the elastomeric connection to the outer part of the damper. So I'm off to the rebalancer tomorrow to see. I sure hope its not the new Venolia pistons, they were supposed to be balanced when they were cast. Hate to tear into the engine but we'll see. The flywheel had been turned so many times that it was too thin, so the machinst cut a piece of 3/8" steel plate and welded it to the old flywheel and turned and re-balanced it (new and used good flywheels are NLA). I may have to pick your collective minds on engine component balancing. Sorry, but don't get the support that I do here on the Aston Martin website. As you can see, when I tilted the engine after I removed the front damper I had an Exxon Valdez moment.

[Evans, Marv]

Did James authorize this work?

[Hugh R]

I'm sorry Marv, but that's Bond, ......James Bond. Most people think he drove a DB5, which is what Q says in the movie Goldfinger, but actually it was the last DB4 made. The only difference between his car and the 1st DB5 was a name change.

[svandamme]

i think it's time for a "while the engine is out of the DB4" list

i'm thinking , EFI , MAF, ITB's quad turbo, and a big ass intercooler
obviously you'll want to upgrade that tranny for the increased torque
and loose those skinnie wheels you got on there , perhaps Lindsey can convert the current ones to J11R17 3 piece wheels... no?

Q would approve.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by Hugh R
I've had a vibration problem that starts at about 3,400 RPM and disappears at about 4,000 RPM since I rebuilt it five years ago. Its engine for sure, but it rattles the trannie something fierce. I hope its the flywheel or the front damper, no sign of the damper separating between the inner metal and the elastomeric connection to the outer part of the damper. So I'm off to the rebalancer tomorrow to see. I sure hope its not the new Vanolia pistons, they were supposed to be balanced when they were cast. Hate to tear into the engine but we'll see. The flywheel had been turned so many times that it was too thin, so the machinst cut a piece of 3/8" steel plate and welded it to the old flywheel and turned and re-balanced it (new and used good flywheels are NLA). I may have to pick your collective minds on engine component balancing. Sorry, but don't get the support that I do here on the Aston Martin website. As you can see, when I tilted the engine after I removed the front damper I had an Exxon Valdez moment.

Sounds like maybe a con rod is in backwards(not all con rods are symetrical), or something simple like that. No chance it's externally balanced is there?

[bryanthompson]

Originally posted by svandamme
i think it's time for a "while the engine is out of the DB4" list

i'm thinking , EFI , MAF, ITB's quad turbo, and a big ass intercooler
obviously you'll want to upgrade that tranny for the increased torque
and loose those skinnie wheels you got on there , perhaps Lindsey can convert the current ones to J11R17 3 piece wheels... no?

Q would approve.

Don't forget: an ejection seat.

[svandamme]

Originally posted by bryanthompson
Don't forget: an ejection seat.

for the engine !?!?!?

damn , the Gruppe B force is strong in this one...

[legion]

I see the oil slick sprayer is working nicely.

[mb911]

man what is a Db4 worth wow very cool

[MichiganMat]

Hey, its English, its supposed to leak oil.

Why don't the English make computers?

They haven't figured out how to make them leak oil yet

[Hugh R]

Fast, if the flywheel and damper are balanced, I'll be pulling the oil pan and at least looking at the rods, they're marked, so should be easy to tell. Doubt it though.

mb911, I bought it 35 years ago for $1,750, about the price of a used Pinto or Vega then. I got it in England while on leave from the service. The guy I bought it from was a British Colonel and he got it in Sudan, North Africa. The car was originally sold in Switzerland, which is why its left hand drive. It was extremely worn out when I got it. The value is one of my dilemmas, I'm an average Joe and the car is worth way, way more than I would ever consider paying for a vehicle. I saw two DB4s for sale in Los Angeles recently that were very, very tatty and they were asking $125K to $150K for them. I'd rate those two something like a 5; I'd rate mine at about an 8 or 9.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by Hugh R
Fast, if the flywheel and damper are balanced, I'll be pulling the oil pan and at least looking at the rods, they're marked, so should be easy to tell. Doubt it though.

mb911, I bought it 35 years ago for $1,750, about the price of a used Pinto or Vega then. I got it in England while on leave from the service. The guy I bought it from was a British Colonel and he got it in Sudan, North Africa. The car was originally sold in Switzerland, which is why its left hand drive. It was extremely worn out when I got it. The value is one of my dilemmas, I'm an average Joe and the car is worth way, way more than I would ever consider paying for a vehicle. I saw two DB4s for sale in Los Angeles recently that were very, very tatty and they were asking $125K to $150K for them. I'd rate those two something like a 5; I'd rate mine at about an 8 or 9.

The late Tony Hogg, of Road & Track, related a similar but more severe story about his original Cobra SC (427). He had purchased it when a couple of years old, at less than original sticker price, repaired what needed repaired, and then kept it in good repair consistently. His first inkling of the difficulty of owning the car was when his insurance company told him that he needed to go to a specialty company to insure his ride which had escallated in value to about $80,000.00. When the specialty insurance company told him to stop driving the car on the road at all, because it's value had risen to the princely sum of $250,000.00, he sold the car, this was in the mid-1980's IRRC. Can't drive it, ain't going to own it, was his personal philosophy.

You may arrive at such a point someday, more's the pity.

[pwd72s]

would a small block chevvy fit? HOT ROD has pages with crate motor ads...

[fastpat]

Originally posted by pwd72s
would a small block chevvy fit? HOT ROD has pages with crate motor ads...

As much as I like V8's, and know several resources for polished stainless acorn nuts; there's just no substitute for originality in a DB-4.

[svandamme]

put a Touareg V10 TDi in there

310 Din horse power
750 NM Torque

it does 0-60 with the Touareg
i'm sure you can shave off a few secs in the Aston , beeing a ton lighter and all..

[Rodeo]

Hugh, glad to see you have a case of beer, always helps me solve complex problems!

[SlowToady]

I love DB4s and yours looks mighty nice.

All we get is one picture?

[pwd72s]

I'm praying that the crank journals are okay...everything straight there. A machinist once screwed the pooch on an old slant 6 rebuild here. We ended up junking the car...not an option on a DB4! Good luck Hugh, beautiful car. I know all too well the old "reluctance to drive" dilemma as the value increases. My old S is getting up there. Not DB4 territory, but getting up there. Me too, just an average Joe. But like you, hanging in.

As far as all the SC guys telling us to drive 'em all the time? Well,let 'em say that when their cars approach 6 figures in value...

[Hugh R]

PWD you've got a DBS, or do you mean a 911S?

I've posted a few before, here are some pics of the beast.

[lendaddy]

I'm impressed Hugh, you've got serious stones wrenchin' around on that thing. Beauuuuuuuutiful car!