My Lamborghini Countach V12 Needs a FULL REBUILD! - TheSmokingTire
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- Опубліковано 24 сер 2023
- Everything wrong with the Lamborghini engine and what we will have to to do get it back in full working order.
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My Lamborghini Countach V12 Needs a FULL REBUILD! - TheSmokingTire
#lamborghinicountach
#lamborghiniv12 - Авто та транспорт
I wish it was economical for you to make more of these deeply interesting and satisfying service & collector car ownership videos and the scripted Bourdain launch/travel videos. Love the series
Absolutely 💯
Affirmative
Agree!
For sure. They're brilliant and interesting to see. If these videos could help fund these restorations of the classics that'd be superb.
Im sure Matt's got enough footage and can do voiceover and editing. Im sure he could make us a 90 min lamboghini restoration video in your Anthony Bourdain style. However we gotta fund raise 15k for that. Kickstarter?
Donnie: Sounds normal
Matt: Stuck inside a glass cathedral
directional microphones are fun. It's pointed at Donnie so you hear him perfectly but you're hearing both Matts voice passing by the microphone as well as his voice reflecting back off the wall behind Donnie.
@@EvanDickersonM81I thought I was too high watching this video. Glad I checked the comments. 😂
@jswenson can I pls skurgle a bud bro? I'm dry af. Also, in Australia. Is that gonna be a problem?
Phone vlog
@@EvanDickersonM81Donnie looks to be wearing a lapel mic. So you're probably hearing the residual off his mic which is echoed off in the garage? There might be a mic on the camera as well, you typically film a backup audio source in case the planned mics fail or come out bad.
Sorry that this is turning into such an undertaking but holy hell is it interesting to watch the process.
So good to see it done right
yup, Matt hates his bank account.
Mechanic - good news, your Lamborghini needs a full engine rebuild
Matt - How's that good news
Mechanic - I'm going to make a lot of money
I love Donnie videos, it's just unfortunate that they usually involve big repair bills.
Donnie sees dollar signs every time Matt walks into his shop 😂
Guys like Donnie live for thi$. I feel sorry for the suckers who think they can get into Lamborghini ownership on a budget.
@@antoinepageau8336why feel sorry for them? If you can TRULY afford an "out of warranty" Lamborghini, then you can afford the repair/maintenance of the vehicle. Problem is that no one does the "long math" to see if they can REALLY afford it. Before you buy, look at the average cost of preventative maintenance, and also look at the typical problem areas of the model and factor in repairs of those problems. You should also factor in your insurance costs. Sadly, I've known far too many guys who make decent money and buy a supercar because they can technically afford the sale price, but then they're forced to sell at a loss when the car needs a repair that they can't afford at the time. As a lifelong fan of old German cars, I've long since figured out how to do the long math on buying one.
The periodical episodes of Donnie dissecting engines like specimens are seriously some of my favorite.
Thank you for posting this. I love how Donnie is excited about that fan-made 3D printed air scoop. My impression is most guys like him (that is, working in the classic car maintenance space) would probably have zero interest in some not-even-aftermarket homemade part like that, but he's into it and I think that's very cool.
It all started with a problem with the door, a problem with The Door lol
I love these episodes with Donnie!
Man this is brutal. You've got the right attitude though. Definitely the ultimate "while you're in there" rebuild. But hey, financially it's worth it probably and you'll get to enjoy it for years to come.
Donnie is the best, please continue working with him.
Donny knows a lot about Ferrari's and Maserati's.. this is the first Countach he has worked on. So for him this may as well be a BMW. Also he was the mechanic on this since 2019 so the over fuelling on one bank .. that's on him. He has done many things in the wrong sequence or stripped something off when he didn't need to, we all learn by doing and it's a motor like any other. But let's see how this "full rebuild" goes given he can see the mistakes others have made doing the valve job and wanting to pin everything on the other guys 4 years ago.
Doesn't look too bad, tbh. The heads just need to be hot tanked, valves cleaned up and likely just some new valve stem seals. The cylinder bores...hopefully just a quick hone will get the cross-hatch pattern back to normal and some new piston rings, but the bore and piston measurements will tell you everything. Love these videos, Matt!
A lot of play between the piston and the cylinder, it swings on the pin like a seesaw.
@@jareknowak8712 it’s Italian, could be normal! 😅
Good ol dingle berry hone
The word “just” is working overtime in your comment 😂. “Just a hot tank”/“just a quick hone” is easily a $30,000+ repair bill.
@@Polychromophilia “while you’re in there…” I mean, you never know with Donnie, but visually it doesn’t look bad. 😅
Been there too many times on cars that were billed to be recently serviced. Aside from Harry and Tyrell I haven't seen anyone going this in-depth on a Countach or older Lambo tear-down so it's very cool to see, despite the hit to Mr Farah's wallet.
Words that my mechanic would say which would make my stomach ache: wow, weird burn, that’s kinda weird etc. Farah is strong. Zero quiver of his voice when informed of all of this!
It's called having deep pockets
@@papa_ptGonna call Mommy and have her Venmo him the cash 😂
He’s gotta pay for it regardless at this point 😂. Can’t tell Donnie to back out with the countach completely apart lol
Pretty sure Farah bought the car knowing it wouldn't be cheap to maintain
I think (layman here) that the cylinder glaze and piston rock is where all the carbon is coming from. Donnie was spot on about that being a problem, the oil sticks to the crosshatch and the oil is what seals everything, not the rings. VW had that carbon problem as well because they used low tension rings and intake reversion was gunking up the intake valves.
What a cool document of time Matt, love it! Those engines were massive - it's pure mechanic - great to see this inside - they don't come like it anymore, now you have a battery block even heavier. But you can be sure it's a sound investment with the re-build AND you will have so much more fun again driving it next year!
I know a lot about this building and analyzing engine wear. The camshaft spotting looks like wear from high heat/insufficient lubrication. My bet is this was likely caused by bad valve seals that allow gas to leak from the intake port past the valve seal/guide into the oil in the top side of the head. There it mixes mixes with the oil ruining the velocity and promoting high heat and wear.
While the rest of the oil in the engine will mix and compensate for this such takes time for oil circulation. In the meantime, at the point of the gas entry to lubricated parts - the top of the valve guide which is very close to the the cam-lifter-valve interface - the gas concentration will be highest and thus there is where the oil will lose the most lubrication/cooling capacity and thus where you will get the most pronounced wear.
This gassed oil will also affect the wear of the exhaust cam though likely not as bad. If the exhaust valve seals are also leaking then it will cause exhaust pressure to get past those valve guides/seals causing high pressure in the top part of the head increasing the oil flow past the intake valve guides and seals.
This explains the camshaft wear. This is more likely to happen when a car is rarely driven allowing seals and cam lobes to dry, then driven hard, breaking dried seals.
Leaky valve seals also explain a lot of other things Donny is seeing such as - large deposits on some valves but not others (those seals are blown) and oily combustion chambers. This occurs bc the leaky seals also allow oil to drip from the top side of the head past the valve guide and seal to the bottom of the valve then sit on the top of the hot valve caking up or going into the combustion chambers where the intake valves are open. If you still have some engine oil with a few thousand miles on it get it analyzed for rich oil.
Otherwise I bet if Donny checks the valve guides on the valves with carbon deposits he will find the seals are blown out. That this engine already needed valve work, done by who knows who but with a preference for rtv gasket seal, also supports my theory.
Bottom line, since you have the engine out and apart, it would be silly not to get the block honed, pistons cleaned or coated, new rings, wrist pins, and the valve guides replaced with new seals, a 3-5angle valve job and brand new valves. For sure a complete set of new valves given who knows who already did a valve job and they have differing wear patterns & thickness at the edge. Relative to the work you are already doing - this is not a major $ increase. Good luck!
Commenting to encourage more of this. Much as I'm always entertained with the one-takes etc. this type of thing is awesome from a mechanical-nerd standpoint especially since I'm sure documentation of this type of work is SUPER thin for any pre-Audi Lamborghinis.
Pretty rad to see the v12 and it’s internal workings gone though!
Have you considered coating those pistons?
The piston skirts on my Dino showed a similar wear pattern on the sides from "walking" as they travel and I sent the pistons and main bearings to Elliott Race Coatings and they came back beautifully. 2 Years later, in 2015, Ferrari OEM advertized that they had started coating their V8 pistons to reduce wear.
I kind of feel like the engine was running in a constantly rich state based on what you are seeing on the cams and cylinder walls (two surfaces that rely heavily on retaining a proper oil film). Were you performing analysis on the oil with the changes? If it had a high fuel content that may be a good indication the above could have occurred.
While I was getting a major done on my Testarossa, my mechanic showed me a Countach and a Diablo in for their rebuilds. The Countach had 1,800 miles on it and needed a complete rebuild, clutch and transmission! The low mileage Diablo was in for a new engine and it had been in his shop for a year. He said NEVER buy a Lamborghini 😂
Awesome video! I hope you can make many more of this type 😁
That engine was idled excessively. It was started cold and left idling a lot, running slow rich and cold.
Washes oil off the bores and glazes them. Glazed bores let oil past the rings and combustion gases and fuel into the crankcase, leading to the carbon on the inlet valves.
Every visit, please bring the camera, I’m living vicariously through this whole experience.
I love this guy when he talks, thanks for micing him up
I would say your engine looks as good as can be expected, having been driven some. Rings and bearings, a little oil and you'll be back on the road! I do wonder if those cams show the result of low zinc oil... I always add a little zinc at each oil change for cheap insurance against damaging the cam lobes. Everything Donnie said is on the conservative side, and it's worth being conservative when rebuilding an Italian engine. I've done a few in my 40 years of Italian stuff... Can't wait to hear her fire up! Good Luck!
geez Matt, you're really brave letting this guy loose on your Contach, no disrespect, bet he's a nice guy, but me, I'd ship it to Iain Tyrrell in the UK, what, it's $2-3k shipping fee?
Giancarlo Barbieri is the man who you respect. He was the Engine builder at Lamborghini from '65 til 2005. Both Iain and Donny are working out of airplane hangers. Neither of them have a clean room or a Dyno. This is the first Lamborghini Donny has worked on and Iain has taken 2 years to get Harry's Espada running since a rebuild. Once with fuel starvation from the tanks being shagged. The following year not being able to get electronic 123 ignition running. Which will have lunched years off the life of the new engine by running a carb engine lean then with no ignition for the other times this year. Donny isn't adding value to the rebuild as Matt would think.
Bro this is so interesting. Also gives me happy feelings knowing how I drive my car that my heads are probably clean as a whistle ^^ Drive your cars folks!
Love these videos keep them coming!!
Those cam lobes look like they have a lot of corrosion-related pitting on them. This is apparently a common thing in airplane engines when they sit for long periods of time without flying. Seems like that could be a similar situation with a car like this, where it doesn't get driven even once a week.
Fucking awesome video again Dude, Love the updates. The variety. The personal cars. Reviews. Podcast. Benchmark stuff and pinnacle auto enthusiast content 👏🏻
Maybe next time something small breaks on that Countach might be cheaper to ship it over the Atlantic to the UK.
Haha Donnie is great to watch. Encyclopedia of knowledge!
Man, if Donnie saw what the bores looked like on my Eclipse engine the last time I had the head off, he probably would have fainted. And we slapped the head back on and kept going---this was like 6 years ago now. But I understand wanting to do it right and if the engine is already pulled from the car it should probably be rebuilt.
a good slap, "Does that mean my rings are bad or ..." "Well its going to be a combo of whatever the most expensive will be" 🤣
I’m not even a Lamborghini fan but I’m excited to see you drive this after it’s freshened up!
Donnie is the best, please continue working with him.. I love these episodes with Donnie!.
I have a cleaning solution that will take off that surface rust. $50 fix.
If it’s not broken why fix it.
Valves looks more than fine, some buildup is normal.
Not to be critical, if a mechanic is saying words like weird, odd, strange, and doesn’t know why, you should run.
These cars were designed to mostly show and tell. 20k and ready for a 2nd rebuild.
Matt talks cars behind the driver seat, but not mechanically inclined.
Good thing Matt is rich, we need to keep Donnie and service shops alive.
I am amazed at how bad this engine is.
I followed a complete early Diablo restoration, and there the engine needed similar treatments with similar mileage!
IIRC engine literally ground the timing chain slider, good thing the owner opened it at the right time - and this was the 2nd time the engine was opened!!
Good point! Maybe making a video on why babying your engine too much will be counter-productive in some cases will be cool
Don’t “warm them up” - that alone is a recipe for carbon build up. Probably also led to the glazed bores…
Leaving them idling cold with a rich mixture is the worst thing you can do. Get in, start it, let the running stabilise for 10-20 seconds and go. Obviously don’t beat on it, but put some load on the engine and get combustion temperatures up as soon as possible.
Idling cold on a rich mixture risks washing oil off the bores, fuel getting into the oil.
As for oil circulation, if the oil light is out the pressure is up and oil is present throughout the galleries.
I’ve been waiting for this video!!
The rebuild cost will stay with the car. Good man for giving the classic the service it deserves.
ahhhhmazing episode - thank you
Bravo, Donnie! 👏🏼👏🏼
Could spend hours just looking at all the stuff in that shop, amazing
Love the workshop videos.
Time for a new Patreon tier lol
He can afford it lol
Or maybe an OnlyFans… OnlyFarah?
@@kylepastayep lol. fun watching him go thru the process though.
@nomenclature9607 This will cost a lot more than the few 1000 $ (max) that the rebuild videos bring in...
@@Finnspin_unicyclesthen he can call Mommy and Daddy for the money.
I appreciate Donnie’s nod to Jay Leno in wearing his denim T-shirt 😁, most likely unintentional.
Donnie reminds me of a neighbor we had when i was a little kid. I heard he worked on a crews in professional road racing. Indy type racing I heard among others. From a child on mini bikes. He'd always be the one I'd ask. He'd come out, and stare at it. Ask a couple of things to diagnose and out came the answer. After years, he allowed me in his garage. He had a workshop in there. All the goodies. I went from mini bikes, 125 dirt bikes, 250 dirt bikes, open class dirt to crotch rockets. I was already out of my parents house when I had Ninjas, VFR's and CBR's. That's when he was interested in the power of the new stuff. He was probably mid 70's. He raced Norton's and AJS's in younger days. Even Corvette issues I had, he'd always come out, stare, lean over, ask a few questions. Try this! Man of few words. I wish I would've told him how much help he was to this very annoying kid!
Love the informational videos
I wonder if Donny has seen the latest from total seal? They've been doing some videos about bore surface finish with the latest advanced equipment to even image the cylinder wall. Could be something worth looking into for the Countache.
Oh Donnie, the master of upsell.
Gave the video a thumbs up, hopefully that contributes to the rebuild cost
He's got plenty of $ to get it fixed
Long term Ferrari and Lambo mechanic here. I don't see a thing wrong with that engine that a hard drive or 2 cannot clean out. The tiny bit of piston wobble at TDC is very common, the carbon build up is very common and is actually very light on this engine. Trying to conjecture about the valve guides, rings, cylinders, and literally everything else is a complete waste of time if you didn't do a leakdown test first, then full disassembly which would ONLY be necessary if the leakdown AFTER a couple hard drives was not good. These seems highly shyster-ish to me so far.
You knew when the motor came out that Donnie was going to touch, clean, adjust or replace every piece of the car. Might as well let him work his magic since you have access to the right guy and one of the coolest 80's icons.
The "While you're in there" Isn't just a thing exclusive to exotics, it goes for all motorized vehicles, and for most things in life. it's just that the while you're in there thing is a lot more expensive on an exotic vehicles, than on a Dodge that's for sure.
While you're in there...
I'm sorry this is becoming so expensive for you, but this is money that is (as you explained in the icon bronco podcast) _worth_ it.
Between the enjoyment and peace of mind you'll receive from driving a fully sorted car, the cost of avoided future catastrophes, and the well documented process ensuring resale value, it's definitely the smart money. Props to Donny.
Matt-when you go back to see Donnie and pay the bill, to save some time, just walk in already grabbing your ankles with your pants down.
Love the god echo of Matt’s voice in the shop 😂
My favorite series
Make the Lamborghini great again 😂 good luck 🍀 remember not everyone can have this type of history in automotive ownership it has good days and days like this in the it’s going up in value in future so have fun bud 😊
Better check out the transmission also had problems in my LM 002 Harry's Garage had in depth videos on all this though
I have a feeling every engine that enters this shop needs a full rebuild.
"It's too shiny in there."
"Shut the fuck up Donny."
Big Lebowski reference
that dude just wants everything new...hes cra cra
I'm a little floored that the engine looks like that with less than 30k miles. Crazy. Goes to show just how different life is for a Countach as compared to a Honda or Chevy or something. This thing wore itself out as fast as a 2-stroke.
I love these updates !
LTX swap time :) jk. Time to call Total Seal and get some modern 0.9mm steel piston rings (new flat top pistons), and a plateau hone. You *could* swap to a Motec ECU and Denso 420 cc/min injectors to improve driveability and response, while you're in there ;)
Matt can you share more about the scoop? Would love one for my 87!
Just woke up and tried to watch this. 🤨 I'll drink more coffee and try watching it again later.
Looks over carcass and heart of classic lambo talking about all the expensive things to put right...
Now I'll drive my Ferrari home. Baller
The "Lets fly to Italy" flywheel part number 002121340 is $900 next day delivery. The funny part is we order our parts here in Europe from America as most of the cars ended up there.
Nice audio. I've always wondered how a person trapped inside a Tupperware sounds like...
The car probably wasn't driven enough to remove the moisture from the engine at one point in its life, and it start to suffer some minor oxidization on some surfaces like the cam lobes when the oil surface tension broke and exposed the polished metal surfaces to the moisture
Oh oh... hoping you get your car back Matt. This Donnie fella is gonna be in jail for a while.
Cool stuff
These episodes with Donnie are so fun and informational. It's a shame the audio is always so fucked.
I am currently in the “while you are in there” situation with my 911sc engine rebuild 😅
Was the wrong cooling liquid used? Seems like the head has strange oxidation on the cooling ports
matt seeing dollar signs the entire visit. meanwhile Donnie is over here having a blast casually whacking a countach engine with a 7 dollar hammer
(worst case scenario happens, still starts video like this...) "HEY EVERYBODY!" ahaha 💀
What would have cause the cylinder mirroring?
You’ve spoken with both Harry Metcalfe and Iain Tyrell about the work done to Harry’s Countach, wonder how you feel Iain and Donnie’s approaches differ to repairs, and how much does their differing methods of communication affect what you understand’s going on
Matt, were you burning "Top Tier" fuel? Would a fuel additive with PAE have helped with cleaner combustion and reduced carbon buildup? Asking as a Porsche owner with similar engine characteristics.
Donnie is the man!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥
You should consider switching to a modern engine management system. IIRC the Lamborghini V12 exhausts consist of 4 three into one headers which then join into the tailpipes. You could run four wideband sensors, each monitoring three cylinders. That way you would know straight away if there was an issue and narrow down the source. 1980s and early 1990s ECUs just suck.
That mirroring and valve sludge is from varnish
this series might turn into on of your greatest gems on youtube
What does a service of this nature cost if I may ask? Is 50k in the ballpark?
I'm guessing 50-100k. 100k being pretty extensive serice and light restoration.
@@joshuakhaos4451 I guess the old adage goes… “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.”
Is there a Patreon level where we all get to ride Donny's boat?
We are reaching CarTalk levels of silly.
isky is the man..just got a cam from them for my minibike.
When I look at the head the first thing in my head was, not driven hard enough. 2 seconds later Matt asks the golden question. Gotta rev these motors out and get them hot, same thing with a diesel that's babied around town picking up groceries.
Well it got hot, just not in the right spots.
"While you're in there, rebuild the whole engine."
This snowballed from a broken window ?
"Those guys" safety wired the flywheel incorrectly.
We're here, break the glaze 😂
Oh the joy, oh the pain.
That's why you have to use your cars and beat them properly. Low miles, big bills
Wonder if it has anything to do with what gas you're using?
I thought Matt allready rebuilt the engine in the Countach
I think it had a valve job done before he bought it