Rocker Shaft Rebuild

Sounds simple don't it.................... strip, clean and replace the rocker shaft.

Hmmmmm.

Okay, so, I wrote it all down, exactly which bit goes where............. then halfway through stripping it all down the dog jumped on me, which made me drop the rocker shaft (bits everywhere!) and spill the ice-cream tub of Jizer all over my carefully drawn plan.

Bugger!!

No I don't know which order things go on.....................

Of course I do, I've got another Triumph 6 pot in the garage!

So, off with the rocker cover on the PI, noted down all the positions........... then I could happily clean everything and put it all back together.

The old rocker shaft was worn beyond being worn............ the ridges had their own gravity field they were that big!!

Glad I did it now, looks good, no more slop in the rockers..................

Thats another job done...............

Your Piston's coming to the boil!

So, collected the new piston from Mr Papworth last night (many thanks Mike!), I met him at The Griff Classic car meet (informal pub car park meeting).

Bumped into our very own Chris Allen, he was dropping his car off to Mike to, and I quote "To shut the bloody thing up"...........new exhaust I think!!

Also was a very tidy MKII PI........... (no not mine!) a white PI BWK581K, which is weird as I used to own (and now Craig Bennett does) BWK14K which is also a white PI............

Anywaay, this evening I had to fit the new piston to the connecting rod........... which won't just push in........ needs to be heated.

So, gudgeon pin in the freezer for 15 minutes, and then I boiled up the piston and the little end of the connecting rod in a sacuepan of water............

At exactly this moment Sam came home and thought I had made a start on dinner................."What are we having then?" she asked.........

I guess my cynical reply of "goujons on Piston on a connecting rod mousse, served with frozen gudgeon pin drizzled in 20/50"............. didn't really go down too well......... opps!!

Anyway, it just slotted in, and the two circlips dropped in, all done in less than a minute!!

Excellent!

Now, to fit it. I was going to do that this evening.......... but I really haven't the drive to do this tonight. I think I'll rebuild the rocker shaft and paint the timing cover this evening............!

Engine Rebuild Part 3.......... Disaster!!!

So, today the plan was to get the bottom end on the engine back rebuilt.

First problem came when I put the first piston in with its new rings............. it wouldn't move!!

After some checking I found that the box they came in stated 74.8mm diameter.......... when they should be 74.7mm...... hmmmm. When I checked a ring in the bore, guess what........... no ring gap! Bugger!

I spoke to the supplier (no names here!!) and they were very helpful and told me that after checking their entire stock, all the rings were the wrong size and they would have to go back to the manufacturor............ could I wait a few weeks???

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 36 days to the RBRR, no chance!


I then dug around in my stock and found a set of Cords rings............. far better quality (so why didn't I use these in the first place??!?) marked at 74.7mm..... right off we go!!

The bores were de-glazed using a special tool. Got it from Machine Mart for £20 and its wonderful. The bores are now perfect with no shine on them at all. No lip either which is unusual considering the engine has done 150k!!
All was going well, until I got to piston number 6.................. disaster.

Part of the ring valley has broken........... so the piston ring fell out in pieces and a piece of the piston fell out too!!

A quick phone call to Mike Papworth and I'm just off to see him to pick up 1 new Stanpart original 2500S piston.................excellent!

Meanwhile, I got the main bearings and the thrusts in.

So, new piston, ring it, big end in and bolted up, then the oil pump can go on, sump on and the bottom end will be done................

To be continued..............

Stafford TSSC Show

Went to the TSSC National at Stafford today. To be honest, it was really very quiet........ but the 2000 Register and CT members managed to pad it out a bit!

Engine Rebuild part 2

Cam's in and timed up.................. thanks to Brian from Just Classics.

Stafford TSSC tomorrow.

Pistons on Sunday.............

Engine Rebuild part I

So, on the 2004 RBRR the engine in the S estate started to burn severe amounts of oil. I must rebuild that, I thought.

So, in preparation for the 2008 RBRR, I have started.................... (!!! yeah yeah, I know, well I've been busy.......... ok?)

So, after spending loads of cash with Messers Witor, Pearson and EJ Wards..........

Last weekend I took the front suspension off (found the huge amount of play in the front end to be the PAS Rack..............!) dropped the sump and had a look at the bearings.

The shells are worn, but originals.......... so new set of mains and big ends purchased.

The rings (proper Cords oil savers with a Ridge-dodger in the top.......) were an ebay bargain last year. Proper Witor oil pump, new unleaded cylinder head, timing chain, rocker shaft etc etc.

Being as it is a weedy S engine, I decided to give it some ommmmph and bought on of Witors "special" cams...... designed for the S, and the correct needles and jets. Meant to give 30bhp extra............... nice!

This evening, I took the head off. My mate Brian is coming over tomorrow evening to fit and time up the new cam......... I don't even know where to start with that!!

I was surprised to not have one head stud shear or even be difficult to get out............... even more amazing to find the valves have no recession at all (unlike this countries economy!!!) and even more hugley amazing........... I cannot detect the slightest ridge at the top of the bores!!!!

There is a carbon ring at the top, but once that is off.......... perfect!! Its done 150k and the engine has never been apart........... weird!!!

So, tomorrow the cam is being fitted (new cam, cam followers, chain, tensioner, sprockets, bolts and tab washers all at the ready!) then hopefully Saturday I can start doing the rings and shells.

I bought a proper Glaze buster today from Machine mart to de-glaze the bores, then I can fit the new rings, big ends, mains, thrust washers, oil pump and then put the sump back on.

Pop the head on, I'm going to replace every hose under the bonnet as they all look a bit sad.

Rebuild the rocker assembly.

Might even give the block a clean and repaint in black engine paint.........

New PAS rack and track rod ends to go on.

Refurb the carbs.

Then its a small spot of welding on the front chassis legs and then off for an MOT, intime to do about 500 miles running before the RBRR...............

Hmmmmmm. Why am I sitting here????? Loads to do!

(sorry, no pictures today........... put everything away before I remembered to get my camera........ more next time......... promise!!