2 December 2006
Session 126 - installed head gaskets again!
December already, soon be Xmas! Today I took the heads off again to replace the already compressed headgaskets from having to take the heads off last week to increase the push rod bores. Used my compressor to clean the heads with pressurized paraffin. Cleaned the cylinder block gasket surface. Installed new gaskets and torqued the heads down. Hopefully this will be the last time I have to do this. Now I am glad I used studs rather than stretch bolts and these would of needed replacing also making this a lot more expensive.
Clean the timing cover that I bought this week. It was not dirty as it was new, it was coated with a layer of wax. The studs had been removed from the bottom of the timing cover. Cleaned up these studs and re-loctited them into the bottom of the timing cover.
I also installed and loctited in the camshaft gear bolt. Torqued up to 37 ft/lbs. This was a new bolt as I didn't want to re-use the old one. I'd rather install a new one for the cost of a bottle of coke than reuse the old one.
Spent 4 hours in the garage doing this. Here's a picture of the timing cover in place, not fixed down.
7 December 2006
Session 127 - Trial fitting timing cover and water pump
Now that I have my water pump and fixtures I did some trial fitting. Could't get the water pump bolts so I bought some M8 set screws and spent 1 hour tonight measuring and cutting down to size. I have also got some Hylomar universal blue to dress the paper gaskets with. Hopefully I should have all the items required to fit the timing cover and water pump this weekend.
9 December 2006
Session 128 - Valley gasket end stays
Okay, I made that name up! I do not know what you calls those pieces of metal that hold the rubber seals down on the front and rear of the valley gasket. I do know they are very difficult to obtain new. I called around a number of places a few weeks ago and gave up. I remembered a local land rover specialists had some old engines in their workshop. I took a punt and paid them a visit to day to see if they had some. Luck would have it that they did, I just needed to wait five minutes for them to be taken off the engine. Cost me £5 for a pair. They were quite rusted.
I cleaned off all the rust with a wire wheel attachment on my electric drill. Wow, that metal is shinning, could only be brighter if I had them chromed. I proceeded to spay matt black. They look new and I have probably saved £20. With things like these, i.e. parts that are not subject to mechanical wear then there is nothing wrong with getting second hand. I only wished I had taken before and after photos but I thought it would be a bit sad!
10 December 2006
Session 129 - Timing cover and water pump
1 hour in the garage this afternoon, seen the completion of..
Fitted the timing cover and water pump. Coated paper gaskets with universal blue hylomer to ensure flawless seal. Followed the torque sequence and tightened to 22 Nm or 16 ft/.lbs. Installed water pump in the same manor, again 22 Nm of torque.
Torque sequence, which is a little strange as some bolts are missed out! Once I put in and tighted up the remaining bolts not part of the sequence I then rechecked the torque values of all the bolts and some did not tightening a little more, beware of this. The water pump bolts that I cut to length from 35mm M8 I applied loctite medium strengh thread lock and sealer. The OEM bolts for the timing cover had that dry thread lock already applied so no need for loctite for those.
I also replaced the rocker assembly bolts as these were playing on my mind. I bought some recondition rocker assemblies as I will be going to roller rockers as some point. These recon asemblies came complete with bolts and to replace the bolts are cheap enoguh but at the time of ordering the recon units they did not have any new bolts in stock.
13 December 2006
Session 130 - Thermostat housing
not convinced this is worty of calling it a session. I received a used thermostat housing from, yes you guessed it, Ebay! Cleaned up and sprayed in VHT to match the inlet manifold and trumpet base. Looks like new and cost £7.99.
14 December 2006
I received my alternator today. Brand new and only cost £95 including serpentine pulley and next day delivery !
25 December 2006
I have had a good Christmas, mainly because my wife has ordered the Cobra Roadster 7 seats with harness holes. Black with yellow piping and Westfield insignia, nice. She has also ordeerd the seat adjustable slider as well, god bless her! As my seats are special order and a joint pressy from the kids I am now a proud owner of a Personal traveller. A personal traveller is a sat nav with bluetooth for handsfree phone and many other features besides such as photo viewer, mp3 player. .This is one nice neat and compact tool. I have longed for one of these but said I would never buy one as most of my personal disposal income goes on the kit car build.
28 December 2006
Went up to Dudley to pick up some parts from Westfield. Wished I had checked as I wanted to pick up a fuel tank as well as my other bits ordered before the Christmas break. Well I negiated free delivery on the fuel tank which has to be made up to my specification; SEiGHT V8 long range tank. I did however come away with all the fixings to mount the alternator. Nice bracketry and powder coated. Unfortunately the nice alternator I bought a few weeks ago quite clearly does not align correctly with the bracket! Pursuing the seller to see if they are willing to exchange the alternator.
29 December 2006
Session 131 - Alternator bracketry
Spent an hour in the garage today fixiing the alternator bracket and adjuster. Spent more time cutting bolts down to the exact size. I also had to fettle the water pump housing as the adjustor bracket was fowling one of the bolt bosses.
Here's a photo of the finished job. Unfortunately as explained yesterday the alternator does not fit. I have spoken to the supplier and they are happy to exchange for a more suitable unit but not until the new year, d'oh.
Photo of front of engine showing new alternator bracket attached to RH cylinder head with three bolts. Also showing the adjustor attached be two of the water pump bolts. Used socket heads which I had to cut to the exacting length.
Close up of alternator brackets
Go to January 2007