So, today is the day. After several false starts due to component failures and engineering failures to do with the gorilla who worked on my engine in a previous life, the date was today to fit the engine into Libby. It is interesting to note that come December I will have owned this car for 5 years, and I have never, ever, seen it in real life with an engine in. Excited? You bet?!
First things first, whilst waiting for engine to arrive I was playing around with tank filler hoses. I have two, long and short, and after careful measuring, the short will fit with the long ones metal breather pipe. Need some clips, but at least I know I have one that will fit and work (Thanks to Marc Cheney who donated one from his garage as mine was MIA!)
With Andy Roberts due to arrive, I had to make a quick trip to the shops to ensure I had the requisite supplies in stock! Andy, like me, is Irn-Bru powered!!!
Bradley was the first to arrive, so we whipped off the bonnet and careful stored it resting on carpets and blankets. I really didn't want to scratch this!
Eric Mc Triumph (this years RBRR steed) gazes on as Andy backs the trailer laden with a very very expensive garage ornament!
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, a V8 engine!!
Now we had a few hours of fettling to do. Needed to fit the correct exhaust manifolds (these ones temporarily fitted to ensure the threads were ok and would torque up, and because the engine lift eyes connect to them! Also had to fit engine mounts and plates.
Whilst Andy did that, I cleaned and fitted the correct gearbox loom which Andy generously donated. the eagled eyed will spot the additional isolator switch which allows for overdrive in 2nd, 3rd and 4th. (don't worry, it is an uprated overdrive!)
Properly clean and painted manifolds going on.
Before we actually fitted the engine, we knew we needed to rewire the engine bay. Being as the car originally had a MK1 engine and we were fitting a MKII, some changes needed to happen. We also wanted to correct some of Mr Lines's wiring bodges. Horns were a worry, especially when we found that two wires on the main horn circuit had a questionable connection.
On closer investigation, two spade connectors, joined together using a piece of tin snipped out of a tobacco tin!!!!! Seriously!! Proper joints now in place!
We investigated the horn wiring and couldn't work out why there was an additional horn switch on the centre console marked "Horns", when the proper horn switch on the end of the indicator stalk was still there. The car had never had proper twin-tone Triumph horns on it, but always had air horns.................. or so I thought! I had purchased a set of normal air horns to replace the crusty looking horrible things I took off which I presumed after lying dormant for 30 odd years would be scrap.
On closer investigation (thank god I didn't throw them away!!) it turns out the original air horns are "proper".......... Maserati Air Horns. So, they have a throw over relay inside. They should work off the stalk switch, but the "horn" switch on the console changes them between a continous "blast" and the musical scaling tones of a Maserati!!! Shame they don't work..................
Well, a drop of oil down the hole marked "oil", quick connection to a jump start pack...... they only flippin' well work don't they!!!!!
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeee haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
I popped inside to make a cuppa, come back out with a brew for the workers and they nearly had it in!!!
Engine mounts are a swine to put the bolts in when the engine is not designed to fit in this car. Almost 2 hours spent trying to bolt it up. But, its in.
We then spent an hour or so, running the wiring loom, connecting, making new connectors, fitting the coil and basically going until we had really had enough.
How pleased am I? Epic, truely epic. As I said before, I have never seen this car with an engine in, and now it has one. Some more wiring to do, get the box in, radiator, plumb, exhausts, prop. etc etc. Lots to do, but at least its in!!!
Again, many many many thanks to Andy for building the engine and delivering it, and as usual to Bradley for his assistance as ever!
