The "official" ab's Lamborghini Diablo make over thread

Glad to hear that George got you taken care of on that gear!

 

How long was the drive up there from your place?

 

 

It's about a 3-3.5 hour drive. Not too bad. I was hoping to catch up with ya. But I saw your car instead. I'm glad I did. I got to see the wheel offset on your rears and if yours works then mine should also. Made me feel better.

Andrew (my kids didn't touch anything- I made sure of that) your car is SWEET! The engine looked great. You have a clean Diablo. It was cool to see a Vector also, the only one I have seen.

Nice! Why is Georges shop so skinny?

 

Thats just the back part of my assembly room. Its not very big, I out grew it a long time ago, we're just out of space.

I haven't done much to my car lately due to waiting on some parts to come in from Lamborghini. I decided to tear into the heads and replace the valve seals and also the head gaskets (recommendation of G. Evans..thank you very much!). I went to harbor frieght tools and bought a cheap engine stand ($35 bucks). I got two of them and started to cut them up and weld the cut pieces so I could make my own stand. The stand is adjustable and very sturdy! Not bad for under $100.

 

Here's a few pics. This will make working on the engine a lot nicer and safer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am making tools to take some parts off my car. I have decided to take off the heads and replace the head gaskets along with the lower timing tensioner with an updated better on for my car. George Evans told me that the early ones are not as good as the later tensioners on the early diablo...so my OCD kicks in and I am out to update that too.

 

The crank pulley has a wierd notched type bolt. Don't ask me why Lambo didn't just use a regular nut, but oh well. I couldn't find the tool I needed so I was talking with my buddy Doug Levin and he suggested that I take key stock since it's harden and make my own tool. So that is what I did. I tig welded the parts up with my Miller Tig Welder. And here is the outcome. Looks like it will work nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also got the tool for taking off the heads on the lambo. It's a 90 degree wrench.

 

 

 

I got to run off to a meeting, but I will be taking off my heads hopefully today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well so much for my tool I made. It broke! Auurgh! I need to find a tool that will work. Any leads?

Well so much for my tool I made. It broke! Auurgh! I need to find a tool that will work. Any leads?

 

 

Can't george hook you up?

Can't george hook you up?

 

I just emailed him...I am hoping so.

Well so much for my tool I made. It broke! Auurgh! I need to find a tool that will work. Any leads?

 

You had the right idea... you just need a tube big enough to weld the key stock on the INSIDE. That way the keys would be shorter and not bend as easily. Then weld the socket on the back of the tube.

Or... make me a sketch and I'll machine you one.

I need the ID (slot to slot) and the slot width and depth. It will take a few days and it won't be hardened, so if your going to use an impact on it it may fail.

 

Frank

I am just curious why r u removing the crank pulley?

 

I've seen others take an impact socket with the same OD as the bolt head, and mill the end to leave 4 tangs sticking out. You don't need much sticking up, only about 0.200, otherwise they'll just bend or break off.

I decided to do some more work on my car today and my buddy earlycat on here came over to lend a hand. My brother ended up having to go to the hospital for an arethema, (he is the one who is holding my parts in the pictures above. He has had 3 open heart surgeries in his life time) so I took him and ran into Joey on the way to the hospital. Joey followed me to the hospital and we dropped my brother in the ER. It appeared my brother will be okay so we left him there to rest at the hospital. Joey and I came back to my place to work on the car.

 

 

Joey and I decided to take the heads off to replace the head gasket and the lower tensioner of my diablo.

 

 

We marked off the chain and where it's positioned on the sprocket. We also put the engine TDC on cyl #1.

 

 

 

 

We started to take off the caps that hold on the cams.

 

 

 

Here's Joey working for free on my engine....he should for all the damn beer I bought him. LOL!

 

 

 

Here I am lending a hand and doing most the work. I am holding the nuts...stressful work!

 

 

 

 

Got both the cams off. We also marked them so we know which is exhaust and intake.

 

 

 

 

 

Taking off the heads with my special lambo tool I bought.

 

 

 

 

After the acorn nuts were removed from the head, we tapped it with a rubber mallet and pull the heads off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like I might have already had the new headgasket on the car already. Oh well, better be safe than sorry right!

 

 

 

 

We then took off the timing cover to get access to the lower tensioner.

 

 

 

 

Here's the timing chain cover off the front of the car.

 

 

 

Here's the back of the timing cover and oil pump.

 

 

 

 

 

We will take the other head off and reassmeble this week. I will replace all seals. The more I dig into this car, I realize this car is pretty simple. But's it's fun and what's cool is you really get to know your car! Everybody should do it! By the way, my engine stand make it a hell of alot easier to work on this engine! Glad I built it! More to come! Special thanks to George Evans for giving me some good tips! THANK YOU GEORGE!

Hope your brother is feeling better.

 

Hey, while the chain cover is off, isn't there something about the oil pump that you should look at?

If we check some previous topics on this, I think there is an issue where the impeller wears into the cover. This lowers the pressure.

 

Thanks for showing us all the work you're doing here.

 

Frank

Awesome thread......I'm jealous that you can do all this work.

Awesome thread......I'm jealous that you can do all this work.

 

Next step :

 

 

I have some updates and pictures. It's coming along...just a little slower than I would like. My buddy Earlycat on here is helping out in this project too. Work has been keeping me busy and tired. But the end is near thank god!

 

We started to take the heads apart. We took off the caps, valve springs, valves, seats and valve seals.

 

As you can see here, we used a tool I bought for $40 bucks. Worked real nice!

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we tool the valves off, we numbered each valve so that way we would not mix them up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is part of the reason for delay also...heh! heh! I think it's a good reason! But I do want the Diablo like new and on the road soon! Just in time for winter! LOL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope all is well with your brother.

 

What I don't understand Adam is for someone as meticulous as you, why don't you have paint on your garage walls?!

I hope all is well with your brother.

 

What I don't understand Adam is for someone as meticulous as you, why don't you have paint on your garage walls?!

 

My brother Jesse is doing good.

 

Now my other brother who is not too detailed decided to plaster my walls after he dry walled it. It didn't come out the way I wanted so I have to redo them. It pays to do it right the first time! LOL! I think I may just hang a bunch of Lambo and Ferrari flags all over my wall to cover it up!

 

If I may chime in, since you have everything apart, why not have your cylinder heads ported and polished for better airflow?

Adam, you never cease to amaze me! It's a good thing you aren't into cruise ships! lol

 

Frank

Love this thread.....any updates? Hope your brother is still

doing well and I actually like the 512TR...

Its time to get that thing on the road!!!

I also look forward to some updates and more of your great photos

Its time to get that thing on the road!!!

 

 

No dice, Adam has turned into an Ffag, he's too busy shopping for f-fag apparel to work on his lamborghini!

Hey Allbofag, I am still working on the Diablo. LOL! But I had a small detour on the Ferrari 512TR. I had a timing belt bearing going bad on me and I yanked the engine out the 512TR and going to do all the majors this week. I am waiting on some stuff to come in for the Diablo and it's just about ready to go in! I did find some red shoes to match my Ferrari. I am now a Ferrari parts dealer too! LOL

 

I will have more updates on the Diablo here soon.

 

 

This was my detour. I can get the red head back on the road in 2 weeks time with all the majors done and a little more I will share later. I also made my own engine stand for under $80 bucks to hold that V-12!

 

By the way, you would be laughing or maybe not, but the 512TR shares so many parts with the Lamborghini!