Rebuild

[Longboarder]

Newly balanced crank back in and torqued up. Still turns so that's OK.

Spent most of the day with marigolds, paraffin bath and the air line cleaning things. Now going back together. ARP rod bolts. Double checking everything but I have to say I find this sort of major engine rebuild scary.

Give me a bunch of electric spaghetti anyday!

 

Nigel

 

ps. Yes Jim, I put a chamfer on the holes in the big ends as per your advice re one of the XE rebuilds. Thanks

[Guest robinj66]

Lookin' Good

 

I'm the complete opposite - give me a nice engine rebuild any day and you can have my pasta

[Joel]

.....give me a nice engine rebuild any day and you can have my pasta

 

I concur. I'm up to my eyeballs in no less than three, yes, count them, THREE complete re-wires at the moment!

 

I'd happily take over your oily finger nail duties Nigel. Looking very tidy by the way.

[Longboarder]

Mostly just the cam belt to do but it's getting a bit windy down here, beginning to rain and it looks like a wild night ahead. So I've come in for a cuppa and a bite to eat.

Wheely bins tied down etc. Wonder what's ahead. (apart from the moto GP a bit later. Floodlit on two wheels. C'mon Jamieboy.)

 

Nigel

[Longboarder]

Well the storm turned out to be a non event here in Plymouth but some have had it rough, particularly seafronts with the spring tides boosted by gales. Mostly sea wall damage and some salty flooding. Mind you it's not exactly Bangladesh.

 

Didn't do much yesterday but cracking on today and just dropped the engine back in. Fold along line x...x, glue tab A to tab B and set aside to dry. Anyone remember those card models you used to get on the back of Weetabix packets. Or the little plastic divers that trapped a bubble of air in the back and head and used to go up and down in response to the pressure in a Corona bottle. Or the little plastic submarines which had a hatch in the underside for baking soda and they would rise as the soda produced a little bubble of CO2 then the bubble escaped and they would submerge again. Nostalgia is such a wonderful thing.

 

Much better than today's cereal offerings of some gash CD or 50p off a ticket to Madame Tussauds if accompanied by two full admission paying adults and the Blackpool male voice choir (Wednesdays only before 9.00am)

 

Nigel

[Guest Ian & Carole]

Hi Nigel

 

We both remember the little submarine with the baking powder.

 

Any one remember "Bayko" toy house building kits with 6" steel rods sticking out of green plastic bases, ready to spike your self on!!!! no no I mean build a house on.................

 

 

 

 

Back on topic now

 

Engine looks good Nigel, lets hope you have balanced out the vibration.

 

Ian J

[DAVE CASTLE]

I have a bayko set in the attic is it an antique yet

Dave

[Guest Ian & Carole]

Dave

 

Looking on Flea bay probs not yet!!!!!

 

Best go now before we get told off by Matt for high jacking posts

 

Ian J

[Guest erichetherington]

I remember those, wasn't rich enough for new fangled Lego! mOdd thing is when I had to clear Mum and Dads house a few years ago not a bit left or a bit of Meccano either. Used to love the soda powered divers though.

[Les Welsher]

Nigel,

keep taking the tablets and get that car back on the road (vibration free we hope)

 

Les

[Longboarder]

Well it runs, coughs, splutters and misfires like nobodies business. It also drives up and down the side passage at 2 mph. Difficult to tell what's going on and far too rough to tell if the vibration is still there. Only had it running for five minutes as it's bit late in the day for noise. I think the cylinders/plugs are contaminated with oil from the rebuild plus I have not had a chance to check anything, beyond fuel pressure, all electrics plugged in, oil, water, just basics. Will get the nose cone on in the morning, sort the steering rack (very stiff) and toe, get it up to temp and bleed the cooling system. Then plug in the laptop to check ECU and sensor calibration/feedback as I might have disturbed some of the settings. Then give it a test run if the weather is half way decent.

 

Nigel

[Andy Spencer]

Well done. I can't believe how quickly you get things done.

 

Hope the balancing has worked. If it has, I might rip my motor out at the weekend and do the same. Haven't come down with tinkeritus for far too long now.

 

Andy

[Guest salty_monk]

Well done. I can't believe how quickly you get things done.

 

It's called retirement!!

[Longboarder]

It's called retirement!!

Divorce helps too.

Plus this is the fourth time I have removed and fitted a zetec engine in this car. All the plugs, mounts, manifolds, hoses, etc are already in there. No different to changing an engine in a tintop. I hope to be thrashing it tomorrow to see how the balancing has affected the vibration.

(One of the engine removals included changing the gearbox as I had missed out on putting any oil in it and it got a bit harsh after 200 miles. Oops! So watch this space to find out what I got wrong in this rebuild. And the Jenveys are still sitting on the shelf. Not going to fit them until I can rolling road it as they will throw the fuel mapping out.)

 

Nigel

[Longboarder]

Well that was total pants. The balancing of rotating bits has made virtually no effing difference. I'm pretty unhappy I have to say. At least the engine didn't self destruct today not that it got stressed.

 

Oh, and the fast rack has made the steering heavy enough to make fast chicanes a problem. Not quite one foot on the dash and both hands on the same side of the wheel but noticeably more effort needed to turn the wheel.

 

If I could wind back two years to the old pinto, sierra master cylinder and servo (did I mention the brakes are still poor with the floor mounted pedal box?) and standard rack I would!

 

Nigel