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Conquest Heads - Differences

classiclife
Classic Wise Man
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Location: Ridgewood - East Sussex
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Re: Conquest Heads - Differences

Post by classiclife »

Hello Marcel,

PM sent.

Regards.

Richard.
1968 Daimler V8-250 Saloon
DLOC East Sussex Branch Secretary
DLOC 2.5L V8 & V8-250 Registrar - https://www.dloc.org.uk/v8-250
DLOC 2024 International Rally - https://www.dloc.org.uk/rally-2024

Fossil
Wise Man
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Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 5:08 pm
Location: Helensburgh, Argyll

Re: Conquest Heads - Differences

Post by Fossil »

Richard

I'm surprised to see that it is over a year since the last post on this topic.

Today I finally managed to shift enough stuff to gain access to the tops of the Conquest and Century cylinder heads, with a gauge and one of David Beales' DJ cylinder head gaskets, as in your earlier photograph. Unfortunately I've not been able to dismantle either engine significantly, so the rocker shafts are still in position; however the distances between the tops (centres) of all the head studs are identical on both engines and all correspond with the head gasket.

It would appear that the head gasket that David now makes, with the metal edge around each combustion chamber, could be used with both engines? Have you been able to speak to David to pursue this ? What I unfortunately forgot to do, I've just realised, was to measure the depth of both heads, since I thought that the alloy head might be deeper than the iron one.

So it does appear that a Century alloy head could be fitted to a Conquest block, assuming the correct head studs and Century rocker shafts, valves and springs are also used. That just leaves the question of whether the camshaft can be transferred also. Give me a few years and I may be in a position to answer that too, unless someone already knows whether the journals are the same diameter?

Regards

Geoff

HenryC
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Re: Conquest Heads - Differences

Post by HenryC »

Hi Geoff,

I have both a Century and a Conquest block stripped down at the moment. I have tried a Century camshaft in a Conquest block and it appears that the bearings are the same diameter. If you would like a precise measurement, I'll dig out the micrometer and measure the two camshafts - no problem.

Using a Century head on a Conquest block is an option I was going to try, as I have a re-bored Conquest block. But I discovered what looks like a crack near one of the core plug holes. So now I am going to re-bore the Century block instead.

It's becoming a long drawn out job!
Cheers, Henry Curwen
Registrar for Conquest & Century Saloons (DJ250/1, DJ256/7, DJ260/1)

Conquest (Drop Head) Coupe DJ252

Fossil
Wise Man
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Posts: 516
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 5:08 pm
Location: Helensburgh, Argyll

Re: Conquest Heads - Differences

Post by Fossil »

Thanks Henry, that's very kind of you.

However I should have been more thorough in the first instance! I was idly leafing through the Conquest range workshop manual the other evening, to find that, with the exception of the cam profiles, the camshafts in all varieties of the engine are of the same dimensions, or words to that effect.

I haven't yet found a statement that the later alloy head will fit the strict Conquest block, if there is one. I may do a little more idle leafing; if I do find such a useful note I'll mention it.

Regards

Geoff

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