Engine issue: This morning, pulled the plugs & found # 1 electrode was flat.... hmmm not so good. Did a leak down tested on #1 at 60%, we pulled the shroud tins and heads . Found a very small piece of what I think is " EMPI" carb casting pressed into the top of the head, the intake valve had light marking on the edge. That was enough to create the noise I heard going to the banquet. We completed the engine disassembly and did a close inspection - measuring everything. No other issues were found ...so it's a new head assembly, bearings and gasket set then reassemble, sorta dodged a major bullet and in a few days it will be back as new. I'll never use Empi anything ever again.
“The excitement of low cost is soon forgotten after spending 10X - 20X the cost of the cheap part to make things right.”
What I should have done (and what so many others have done) is disassemble the new Empi 34's carbs for inspection, confirm float height and I might have noticed there was not bore for one of the fuel mixture screws. Have since fixed those issues but switched out to new Webers. There was a time years ago when we purchased a new car part you removed it from the box installing said part. Now, we have to inspect every new part to see if it's usable...……...Ahhh Soooo !
Engine was completed in just a day, we ran and dialed it in on a test stand this morning , it runs great! I'll reinstall it tomorrow AM then wait a few days for the T Storms to end here .
Alan---congrats on getting the engine straightened out. I was more upset than you were about the trouble---glad it's fixed!
Thanks jack , waiting on my friend Ron to come by and help get the engine out of the pick up bed.
Glad to hear this, Alan. I knew you would find the issue, and resolve it, but at least it wasn't too major of a problem.
Thanks Bob, I just finished wrenching things, it sounds good and will take it out for a ride in the AM. ( Why do I check punctuation when Dr. Carley is involved ? :~)
Maybe because he was an educator
Because he is “Chief of the Grammar Police”.
I always call “Chief Crepeau” (Grafton’s chief of police) “Sir”, too. Even after I gave him a ride once in Pearl.
Nevah hurts to be polite, Alan....... 
So Alan, to clarify , you think part of your Empi carb fell into the cylinder via the intake ? Did you inspect your Empi carbs to see what part was missing? I am amazed by this and would love more information.
Alan, great news on the fix. Never thought you would not dope this out. Damn brass thingies. Sorry it damaged parts. I had a similar event with something that I guess was bouncing around in there on a cylinder. Never figured what it might have been. My best guess is it was ejected before any great trouble. ASide from a high pitched noise that sounded like a really large valve clearance, which subsided shortly, engine ran fine. Mr. Piperato was in town and had a boroscope, hooked it to a laptop,, we looked in all cyls. One suggested piston top had been pinged some. Nothing overt was found. Compression good. So Just pressed on.
You guys who drop engines, tear em apart and put em back together in an afternoon just floor me. I guess once you do it a few dozen times -- piece of cake. . . .
RAVE ON!
Project 48 is sold! , I'm not sure if the new owner will keep it here in the US or ship it to his other residence in France.