Mono liners was Monosleeve liners & / or Monoblock liners

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Don't believe Joseph Beninca (of Australia) would mind my including the
following (July of this year) exchange of emails. I've put Joseph's
comments in quotes.

My personal feeling is if someone was seriously campaigning an Alfa with
a 2 liter engine, this would be relatively cheap insurance for helping
hold the block together.

I don't remotely pretend to have any real engineering knowledge, but a
friend who vintage races 2002 BMW's feels the reason he can almost
always beat the Alfas is because the cast iron block on the BMW is
stronger and can therefore take more punishment / major tweakingnot to
mention it 'moves around' less.

Biba
Irwindale, CA USA

***********
www.beninca.com.au
Joseph Beninca
B Mech E (Melb) AM SAE A
581 Canterbury Rd
Surrey Hills
Victoria 3127

Hello Biba

"I sell as a complete package.
Alfetta block prepared with oil squirters and No 2 & 4 main bearings
with oil supply.
Mono sleeves bored with strain plate to 84mm and the deck height set to
standard with a "bit" groove.
The barrels can be later bored to 86mm+.
I have run up to 700HP with a turbo.
Cost $3500 Australian excluding duty, taxes and freight.
1 American dollar buys 2 Aussie dollars."

Thank you
J Beninca

 ************

Joe, thanks for getting back to me. While I have no immediate plans for
building up a very special Alfa engine, I do appreciate having the
information.

An associate and I have contemplated re-building Series 1, 2 & 3 Alfa
spiders to make them somewhat to a lot more powerful, safer, and which
comply with California's smog laws.

As I recall, Autodelta had special castings made for siamesed sleeves.
Although, as I think about it, how could they then be machined-or did
they
do what you have accomplished, but in your case with all four sleeves?
"Mine are NC machined as a figure "8" and complement in block."

Perhaps it would be overkill, but it seems to me the mono sleeves would
add some to a lot of integrity to the block. I assume  you agree?
"A large increase."

Does the drilling of the welds between the sleeves allow for sufficient
water flow? I'm thinking more of a 170 hp or so engine sitting in
traffic on a very hot day, rather than a 700 hp (?) engine at speed.
"They are a complete casting and I have made 700HP.
No problem with cooling and the ring sealing wear pattern is terrific."

Please explain the 'bit' groove. Is this a grove around the outer
circumference to accommodate a copper (or?) ring to help seal the
individual cylinders?
"Its a groove where the headgasket "falls" into so that it will not
slide sideways."

Must admit I have never been a fan of turbocharging-lag, heat, and
(sorry) they're ugly.

Don't suppose your firm has come up with a 'nice' (and reliable)
supercharger system for the Alfa 4-cylinder? My opinion is for
day-to-day driving, the engine needs more poop down low, without giving
much away
at mid and top ranges. Peaky engines are fun...for about a week.

Can I assume you could supply a Spider block for the same amount?
"Australia does not have Spyders after 1976 except for imports so
obtaining a specific spyder block will not be possible. Either you send
one or I supply an Alfetta 1979>86 block."


Thank you
J Beninca

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