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!!

Playing with "moderns"...........

We collected Sam's new car last week. 07 plate Focus Zetec. My old Mondeo I'd had from new as a company car, then we bought it off the Leasing Company and Sam's been running that for the last 3 years. But, at 122k, it was starting to feel its age........... so we treated ourselves.

I have to say, I am immensly impressed with the Focus. Very roomy, nicely equiped and very comfy.
However, the Mondeo had a "manual-rear-parking-sensor", ......... aka A flippin' big towbar. The new one has an expensive looking rear bumper......... hmmm.

I put parking sensors on my Vectra last year and I have found them very useful so I went back to the same ebay shop and bought another set. £17.99 + p&p............... simple beep-beep ones. Ordered a dark grey rather than black.

The Focus has a grey panel in the rear bumper, and when I looked at a factory fit set (£450!!!!) they were set into this panel............ game on!

I ordered a new plastic panel (£12.05 from the Ford Dealer) and set about fitting them this afternoon.

Took about an hour......... easy peasy!

Ford assume each car will have parking sensors on, so the bumper behind this panel had cutouts already in for the sensors to fit in, there are holes with uncut grommets in behind each one for the wires....... even has the loom spliced by the reversing light ready to take the power feed off! Thanks Mr Ford........ made my life easy.

They even look like factory fit........... for £20 rather than £400!!

Well worth fitting to your "modern" bus.

The kit comes with everything you need, even the correct size hole-saw............ 4 sensors, control box, buzzer and the wiring loom you need.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rear-Car-Parking-Reversing-Sensors-4-Sensor-Buzzer-Kit_W0QQitemZ220259813174QQihZ012QQcategoryZ75330QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

Dodging the rain............

Rain, rain and yet more rain!! I can't remember that last time I saw the sun!!

Never mind. We took the Red PI to the CT National at Hatton Country world. Great to see so many faces and meet some new ones.

Many thanks to all those who voted me Car of the Show............ the trophy has pride of place on my mantlepiece at the moment.


Last week we attended the Triumph 2000/2500/2.5 Register National in Pickering...... guess what................ MORE RAIN!!!

Excellent few days despite the weather. Came 3rd in the Concours Masterclass, missed 2nd by 1 point......... I obviously didn't polish it enough!


Back home and back to reality. Spent today working on the yellow estate (RBRR is approaching!) and dodging the rain showers.

The new Police Spec gearbox has now had its leak fixed. A small pinhole in the casting which has now been repaired by Canley Classics, so I "threw" the box back in today. I really hate doing gearboxes!!

Once I'd done that, I started to fit my new woodwork. My uncle re-veneered all the wood for the estate and finished it to a high gloss. Looks fanatasic (Thanks Uncle Ray!) Put all the door cappings and the load space trims back in. Just the dash sections to do but torrential rain made me give up and go in.

Just got to do the rest of the wood, do the engine mini-rebuild, new PAS rack, found a couple of patches of grot underneath that will need a small bit of welding to, then MOT.................. Should be done intime for the RBRR............. I hope!

The great Window saga.................

Ever since I have had the Stag, the drivers side window occasionally falls down. The arm from the electric motor jumps out of its track, so after it happened very quickly and scared the living daylights out of me (huge bang as the window disappears!!) I thought I should do something.

The problem is the plastci bush on the end of the arm was mullered, so I bought a new one from EJ Wards and then set about it.

To get the motor assembly out, you have to lift the entire window frame up by about 6 inches....... not overly difficult but fiddly.


So, here is the offending bush............... mullered does not do it justice!
Heres what is shoud look like!
Simple job to drill out the rivet and replace it with the new one, put the window back together an hey presto......... one working window!!

If only everything in life were this simple..........

New Radiator

The Radiator on my Stag was starting to weep so I bought a new one whilst at the Prescott Hill Day from EJ Wards (got a special show discount too..... excellent!!)

Finally got round to fitting it the other day. So, many thanks to Sam for her wonderful birthday present of magnetic wing protectors!! Finally got a chance to use them!


It was a bit of a challenge to get the old rad out. To get to the bottom hose you need to remove the battery, to get the battery out you need to remove the PAS pump........ not a simple task but I got it done and the rad out fairly swiftly.
Here's the new one, all shiney and black.......... pretty! I decided it would be prudent to have the uprated Radiator. Not that I have ever had any cooling problems with this car, even with a leaky rad, but I decided it would be prudent. So, I bought a new Supergill 5 row Radiator.
Here's the old one, got to go back to Wards as an exchange........... if he can do anything with it that is!)
All back together, fresh antifreeze and running with no leaks. All I have to do is to put a new pipe on the overflow bottle. For some reason the pipe on new Rad was a smaller diameter than the old one....... not to worry, couple of quid for a new hose should see it all sorted........... the road beckons!!

Prescott Triumph Day

What a fabulous day that was!! Sun shone, loads of Triumph's and lots of tyre smoke going up the hill climb!

Sam & I took the Red PI and a picnic and had a very pleasant day. I had decided that I was not going to put my car on the hil climb........... that would be irresponsible..................

However, a good friend of mine had engine trouble at his hotel, and his TR6 was out of action, and he had 2 runs up the hill prebooked............ seemed rude to waste them!!

So, up we went, one gently, one a bit harder................great fun!! I want more!!

Above are some pictures, some of mine, some of others.......... and a link to 2 short video footage of mine going up the hill (Thanks to Lee Smart from the 2000 Register for those!)

http://s237.photobucket.com/albums/ff269/dallliiisss/?action=view&current=MOV00120.flv

http://s237.photobucket.com/albums/ff269/dallliiisss/?action=view&current=MOV00121.flv

Highlight of the day has to be being taken for a blast up the hill in Ken Bryants Triumph 2000 with a TVR 4.2l V8EFI beastie.................... you cannot imagine how fast that thing is!!