Engine block back into chassis!

Having carefully sorted out the piston alignment I set about reassembling the engine and have since I don't have an engine stand or hoist, a fair amount of heaving, grunting and colourful Anglo-Saxon saw the block off the workbench and onto some big wooden blocks for support, while i bolted it to its mounts.

This is the first time the chassis has had an engine in it since before I bought it!

The gearbox and its slave cylinder sits on the floor waiting for its new clutch

Yes I know the head isn't bolted on - I still have to sort the pushrods and tappet clearance...

Very pleased with the clean and now correctly jetted carb.

Just need to order the a new clutch, a gearbox rubber mount, an oil filter, a new PCV breather, an alternator belt, a starter motor and a distributor, coil leads and plugs and the drive-train can be completed! Ulp!

The last crate of engine/chassis bits contains the old clutch (trash) and the handbrake which is next inline for refurbishment.

Back to the engine...

So some years ago, I stripped and rebuilt the 1600 crossflow engine, putting in new main bearings, big ends, cam journals and piston rings. I also made some modest upgrades by way of a new head (with larger valves and hardened valve seats so the engine will run on unleaded) a Kent BCF2 fast road cam and a duplex timing chain.
No matter how I tried, I just couldn't get the timing set properly and something definitely felt WRONG.


Having sat in the corner of the garage for several years, the time has come to pull it all apart and start again......as soon at the head was off, it was immediately obvious that I'd put the pistons back in 180 degrees out - so the valve cut-outs in the piston crowns weren't lining up with the valves....STUPID BOY!!! Good job I never tried to actually turn it over...the damage would have been catastrophic!

Out with the pistons and back in the right way round!




Before...

Meanwhile, I turned my attention to the carburettor. It's a Weber 32/36 DGAV and was horribly dirty. I found an excellent company near to where I work https://www.weber-carbs.co.uk/ who kindly ultrasonically cleaned and lightly media blasted my filthy carb ready for reassembly.

Reassembly following cleaning and blasting...

NICE!!

TADAAA!

Just waiting for the new jets and emulsion tubes to arrive to correctly jet it for my engine (I may also order a manual choke conversion kit).

Rear End + Propshaft done and next the Gearbox

Happy Easter!

First the differential. After a LOT of cleaning with a wire cup brush and cordless drill followed inspection of the innards for wear, I replaced all of the nuts with stainless nylocks, using fibre washers to prevent the dreaded electrolytic corrosion between them and the cast ally diff casing.

During cleaning - about halfway through...

I drilled out the old, rubber mounting bushes and replaced them with a set of new superflex polybushes, before re-mounting the diff into the chassis and connecting up the cleaned-up driveshafts.

Looking nice with all the new shiny bits!!

Next was the propshaft, which although dirty, was in surprisingly good nick and with a quick wire brushing, degreasing and a coat of paint I refitted it onto the nose of the differential.

Before cleaning and painting

Cleaned, painted and fitted.

And so onto the gearbox! It is a Ford "Bullet" 2000E 4 speed box and was, without a doubt the filthiest thing I have dealt with so far. Nonetheless having removed the inspection covers, it transpires there is literally NO wear in the sprockets or selectors...YAY!!

So after A LOT of cleaning and degreasing, it has received a coat if paint and awaits a set of new gaskets, oil seals and a mounting rubber, before refit it to the car - not sure at this point whether to fit gearbox to engine and then both to the chassis, or gearbox in first and then engine...

There's also the small matter of the hydraulic clutch cylinder - which looks shot, but I have literally zero knowledge about these things - so some homework required on my part....