A weekend's work
Well not quite a whole weekend, really just a Saturday but at least a day at the car. I had high hopes but it was not to be my most successful stint at it! First issue, the missing studs- I still couldn't find them and that bothered me, still does! I had some replacement new studs from Canleys but you know how it is, I still wanted to find the originals. So that was 20 mins wasted.
Then I started on the jobs that would be easier with some of the ancillaries out of the way - the main electrical feed to the starter, the clutch master cylinder to slave pipe and getting the tubular manifold and collector fitted right and sorted - these three jobs should have been a couple of minutes work each. Well that was easier said than done.
First job, the clutch pipe, yeah no problem, make up an Aeroquipe pipe with the right ends on and fit it - easy job done. Quick test, yup works - hang on, what's that - a leak! Damn, tighten it up, try again, still leaking - there then follows a couple of hours of messing about trying to get it to seal properly. In the end I took it all off and started again, remade the ends and refitted, looks OK. Works OK, will it stay sealed!!?? Bled the air out of it and left it, I'll take another look later and get something else done. I'm not convinced that I have the right ends as the originals have a taper seal and the new ones are using banjo bolts and a copper washers - there's no taper on the banjo bolts- should there be??
Right, exhaust manifold then - fitted onto new studs but would the collector fit would it bollocks! Anyway, I cleaned it all up, polished the matingsurfaces and got it sliding in and out great. I then needed to accommodate the knackered clamping mechanism on the collector - eventually I cobbled together a bracket that clamps the pipe to the bell housing and pulls it towards the front of the car - ie pulling it together with the manifold. Some fire gum to seal and it looks fine. I had wanted to use some high temp silicon but I only had firegum, at this point I just wanted to get something finished. All the fitting and refitting was done in the garage as it was by now raining heavily - I do hate crawling under cars in confined spaces.
OK so that was done, now lets get wiring sorted - when I got the car it had a TR6 pre-engaged starter in it, a great starter. However it was wired in via the original solenoid, unnecessary as the starter has an integral solenoid. I had some of the right gauge wire and so I made up a new battery lead with it and tidied it all up - pretty good job done. I wonder if it'll work??
During all this I also fitted up the PI throttle bodies using the correct alignment jig - it amazes me how sloppy the throttle bodies are when you bolt them up. Without using the jig it would be hard to get them lined up right. I reconnected the water pump and heater pipes too. On the other side of the engine I refitted the oil pressure switch and gauge. I haven't yet refitted the metering unit.
Annoyingly I managed to scratch the plenum that I'd lovingly restored when I originally fitted it - more work! Never mind I bought some satin blackplaint at Stoneleigh so it shouldn't be too much hassle.
Family matters took up the rest of the weekend and I'm off up to Newcastle & Dundee in the week, nevermind, I'll be back :-)
Then I started on the jobs that would be easier with some of the ancillaries out of the way - the main electrical feed to the starter, the clutch master cylinder to slave pipe and getting the tubular manifold and collector fitted right and sorted - these three jobs should have been a couple of minutes work each. Well that was easier said than done.
First job, the clutch pipe, yeah no problem, make up an Aeroquipe pipe with the right ends on and fit it - easy job done. Quick test, yup works - hang on, what's that - a leak! Damn, tighten it up, try again, still leaking - there then follows a couple of hours of messing about trying to get it to seal properly. In the end I took it all off and started again, remade the ends and refitted, looks OK. Works OK, will it stay sealed!!?? Bled the air out of it and left it, I'll take another look later and get something else done. I'm not convinced that I have the right ends as the originals have a taper seal and the new ones are using banjo bolts and a copper washers - there's no taper on the banjo bolts- should there be??
Right, exhaust manifold then - fitted onto new studs but would the collector fit would it bollocks! Anyway, I cleaned it all up, polished the matingsurfaces and got it sliding in and out great. I then needed to accommodate the knackered clamping mechanism on the collector - eventually I cobbled together a bracket that clamps the pipe to the bell housing and pulls it towards the front of the car - ie pulling it together with the manifold. Some fire gum to seal and it looks fine. I had wanted to use some high temp silicon but I only had firegum, at this point I just wanted to get something finished. All the fitting and refitting was done in the garage as it was by now raining heavily - I do hate crawling under cars in confined spaces.
OK so that was done, now lets get wiring sorted - when I got the car it had a TR6 pre-engaged starter in it, a great starter. However it was wired in via the original solenoid, unnecessary as the starter has an integral solenoid. I had some of the right gauge wire and so I made up a new battery lead with it and tidied it all up - pretty good job done. I wonder if it'll work??
During all this I also fitted up the PI throttle bodies using the correct alignment jig - it amazes me how sloppy the throttle bodies are when you bolt them up. Without using the jig it would be hard to get them lined up right. I reconnected the water pump and heater pipes too. On the other side of the engine I refitted the oil pressure switch and gauge. I haven't yet refitted the metering unit.
Annoyingly I managed to scratch the plenum that I'd lovingly restored when I originally fitted it - more work! Never mind I bought some satin blackplaint at Stoneleigh so it shouldn't be too much hassle.
Family matters took up the rest of the weekend and I'm off up to Newcastle & Dundee in the week, nevermind, I'll be back :-)
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