Roger's RRC: An update

[TwoSheds]

Been a bit stuck for time recently - evenings too dark, weekends working or on training course or raining, but have been thinking...

If I do the head gasket on the current engine I might as well do the cam, followers and timing chain/sprockets at the same time - that's going to cost a few bob, and with Christmas coming up, closely followed by MoT, tax and insurance on the BMW (and tax/sorn on the other) I am looking for a cheaper option.

Now, I have an unknown (but claimed good) v8 serpentine in the garage and so I am thinking that it would be cheaper to just swap them over, but that kindof depends on being able to borrow an engine lift - one that would fold up and go into the back of the (hatchback) BMW, so does anyone have one I could use during the week before Christmas when I am off work please?

What I am thinking you see, is that the spare angine might actually be good, in which case bingo! And if it's no good then (apart from time wasted) I am no worse off.

Also - does anyone know of any problems I might come up against when putting the flywheel and clutch from my current engine on the newer from-an-automatic one?

Thanks for all the help and guidance above

See you on the 29th

In the BMW

[davew]

I can't think of any problems with the flywheel as long as you change everything. The existing one on the new engine might have a crank sensor, if so it will have a locating dowel on the end of the crank which you'll have to deal with.

I have an engine hoist that can either be folded up or taken apart (it's shipped as a flatpack), you can probably borrow that if you like. I don't think I'll be using it.

[TwoSheds]

Thanks Dave, from memory I don't think there is a dowel - just bolts. I'll be in touch about the lift - it will probably be pick-up sometime w/e 19th Dec and return after Christmas if that's ok. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that you don't need it yourself!

[Bo]

If it has not been fitted in a manual before, you will need to fit a bronze spoigott bush in the end of the crank. The auto does not usually have one but all of the cranks are machined to accept one.
Is the original engine so bad that it needs changing as it is a lot of work compared to changing a pair of head gaskets.

[TwoSheds]

If it has not been fitted in a manual before, you will need to fit a bronze spoigott bush in the end of the crank. The auto does not usually have one but all of the cranks are machined to accept one.
Is the original engine so bad that it needs changing as it is a lot of work compared to changing a pair of head gaskets.

Thanks for that - I'll be needing the bush then!.

The amount of work is unimportant - it's the amount of cash that matters! ;D

[TwoSheds]

Well at last decent weather and free time were coincident for a few hours this weekend

I now have the old engine ready for removal apart from half-a-dozen bell housing bolts. I only needed to grind off one nut and that was one where I could get the grinder in, and the rest of the strip was not particularly difficult either with no stuck, rounded or broken fasteners to contend with. I even found and removed the sneaky earth strap behind the left hand cylinder head

I had a look at the new engine and (apart from a couple of gasket weeps, it is in pretty good nick externally and the plugs look good.. I also noticed that the bell housing bolts were put back in place - tending to confirm that it was removed carefully with the thought of re-using it rather than just slinging it on ebaY - the description said that, and that it had done 60,000 miles and was running well. fingers crossed. The only problem I can see is that the aircon pump appears to be seized, but with the electric clutch disengaged that isn't really a problem anyway.

I have a crankshaft bush on the way (part number 549911), I just need a couple of gaskets (exhaust manifold-to-pipe, rocker cover and sump) and a new transit trigger wheel and that's the spending done I hope. Oh - and I need an alternator; forgot that. Hopefully one will turn up on ebaY soon. BTW - does the crank bush need pressing in or reaming? I can't see mention of it in the big book..

Roger

[Bo]

Hi Roger, its a while since I fitted one but from memory its a straight fit with no need to ream. Just for good measure though try it on the spigot shaft before you fit it.

[TwoSheds]

Hi Roger, its a while since I fitted one but from memory its a straight fit with no need to ream. Just for good measure though try it on the spigot shaft before you fit it.

will do - it appears to be an interference fit in the hole in the crank, but I'll resist the urge to knock it in there until I have checked like you say.

[TwoSheds]

This weekend has been one of stripping ancillaries from and cleaning the replacement engine, and plotting how I am going to fit the trigger wheel and VR sensor for the Megajolt ignition.

The engine has scrubbed up quite well and during the cleaning I was able to ascertain that there are a couple of head gasket weeps from the front of the block and one near the rear - so it's not all rocker-box leaks running down as I had hoped Also there may be a slight leak from the rear of the sump where it mates with the rear main bearing carrier (not sure what you call it) so I am going to take the sump off tonight and have a closer look at that.

When I worked on cars as a back-street-abortionist may years ago we never used to replace sump gaskets, since RTV is cheaper and you don't have to order/fetch it we would just refit the old one with sealant - would that be ok here or does just the thought it cause the more experienced and knowledgeable among you to throw your hands up in horror?

Now I also need advice on getting the bottom pulley turned a little:

1. I would like to take 1mm from the outside of the harmonic balancer to improve the signal from the VR sensor. The harmonic balancer in my current engine (and in the new one if I don't get it machined) is only about 2mm clear from the back of the teeth on the Transit trigger wheel and I feel that this is reducing the amplitude of the generated signal which then requires close clearance on the sensor to compensate.

2. I would like to take some off the face on which the trigger wheel is clamped to create a shoulder for it to sit on. This would ensure that it stays concentric during the adjustment process which would be a great help.

So is anyone able to do this for me for a few beer-tokens, or tell me where to go (to get it done that is )? From 30 years ago when I worked in a machine shop I reckon no more than 15 minutes the lot but I don't think it would fit on a hobby lathe...

Finally: Dave - could I possibly pick up the engine hoist on Friday - during the day if you are working from home, or evening otherwise, other than that then Saturday or Sunday would be fine.

Cheers,
Roger

[TwoSheds]

Good day today - even though not a lot got done (blame it on the weather!)

Firstly I phoned around to try to find a small engineering firm who would do my turning - found one by 10am and was there by 11.

WOW what a place and what an engineer! It's a small one man band but he has some fantastic CNC millers - other kit as well but I only saw the miller shop. The place was immaculate with all tools laid out in fitted drawers and cabinets and he really knew how to use them too.

The man was pleasant, educated and not covered in swarf and grime. Rather than open up one of the other workshops, he opted to face off the bottom pulley on a CNC miller. He did a perfect job and took about 40 minutes and wanted to charge me £7 I was gobsmaked and said "Seven pounds?" to which he replied "sorry.. is that ok?" - I said better than ok and gave him £10 - and felt I had cheated him even then!

Spend the rest of the day (not long when the light's going by 15:30) making the sensor bracket for the new engine, which is now painted and hanging in the garage. Unfortunately I have just thought of a modification I want to do to it which will involve welding so the paint was a bit of a waste of time.

So - in spite of the cold (I dropped a spanner and by the time I went to pick it up it had frozen to the ground!) I made some progress today, but unless the snow melts I don't think I will be changing the engine yet. There is some prep work I can carry on with - I have to clean and service the starter and have a look at the aircon pump which is seized (although the electric clutch works so its not a show stopper)

Hopefully I'll manage a few more hours tomorrow - I think I am getting used to the cold

[TwoSheds]

Got the old engine out today with no problems - just made it before it started to snow It's been bloody cold out there today, with drips formed by the early thaw soon freezing solid again around the car. I had to keep batting my arms around to get feeling back into my fingers.

Dave's engine lift and balance-bar were fantastic - quality kit! I have never used a balance bar before and it made removal very much easier, although I suspect that the real benefit will be when I come to put the replacement engine back in.


During the operation I dropped a nut and you know how they disappear even when there is nowhere for them to hide? Well I found this one - it was eight feet from where I dropped it!


The bonnet on my Range Rover doesn't come up high enough for engine removal (unlike the earlier ones) and removing it would have been a pain since I am working alone, but I had a little idea and by removing one hinge bolt and slackening off the other like this:


I was able to get the bonnet right back and held with a strop ever the roof:


Finally here is a shot of the engine on it's way out - and the clearance is tight! If I hadn't removed the plenum and the bottom pulley stack it wouldn't have gone through the gap!


Tomorrow (snow willing) I will be transferring the clutch over and hopefully getting the replacement engine in the hole..

Roger

p.s. for Anyone thinking of using an engine lift on anything other than a perfectly smooth surface, I can recommend a couple of 8'x4' sheets of plywood to trundle it around on. doing this made a huge difference to both ease of use and safety.

[TwoSheds]

Worked quite hard today for about four hours and guess what I managed? I moved a couple of engines a few feet each and changed the clutch over from one to the other. Amazing how long it can take when you are by yourself and have no space to manoeuvre!

Discovered that the clutch is probably about 1/2 worn and the diaphragm spring leaves are grooved due to the thrust bearing being kernackered. So due to shops being shut today I can't put the engine in tomorrow. I also found that the bolt that holds the clip that holds the clutch arm in place was only finger tight The clutch is going back in though since I can't afford a new decent one and have heard lots of horror stories about cheap ones, so a new thrust bearing and a couple of engine mounts are all I need to get it back in - next weekend - Oh, and the slave cylinder is leaking so I'll change that too while I am at it.

Tomorrow I'll have to concentrate on other jobs - like cleaning the starter motor and replacing the clutch master cylinder (I have one from the Disco I scrapped). Hope it doesn't snow again.

Roger

Edited to add: I just looked out the window and it's snowing

[TwoSheds]

Well, after doing nothing for a while due to weather - this weekend I didn't feel well enough for crawling around on a wet floor..

The amount that Dave manages to get done is amazing - but it makes me feel bad reading about it - for me Saturday was taken up attending a course in the morning and chores in the afternoon, and on Sunday, although I spent several hours 'out there', I actually achieved virtually nothing
Well - I suppose I did find my soldering iron (missing since before Christmas) but even that took an hour I had put it in a tin box to keep it safe with all the rest of the soldering paraphernalia, and the tin box was in plain view in the kitchen

Then there is the BMW to 'maintain'... Weekly checks done, I turned my attention to the washer jets that had been getting weaker for the last few days and finally had stopped even reaching the screen I spent an hour trying to clear them with various bits of wire (why don't they make the holes a bit bigger?) before trying blowing them backwards with the airline. This worked (after a few circuits around the four nozzles) but then I found that my previous attentions with the wire had resulted in them being all over the place. Ten minutes getting squirted in the face occasionally and now they are 'ok'. I wonder how they set them at the factory?

My new clutch thrust bearing arrived in the week and has left me with a quandary - it's construction is obviously very cheap compared to the one that was in there and - since I soaked the original in petrol, blew it out and greased it - that one feels fine. Which to use? Which to use?

[TwoSheds]

Well the lack of progress is truly astounding - weekends are wet or busy and evenings are dark But today I had about 5 hours on it and guess what I achieved ? I removed ten bolts Well actually I removed 9 bolts in about 1/2 and hour and was 'playing' with the other one for the rest of the time. It definitely looks like it lost the battle though!

The tale goes like this -
I need to remove the rubbers and bolt from the O/S bulkhead body mounting in order to be able to weld it.
The bolt needs to come out to allow the rubbers to be replace.
The bolt wont come out because the bulkhead overhangs it.
Since you can't get a grinder in at it, the only way I can see of getting it out is to lift that whole side of body, which means removing the other bolts down that side, loosening the other side and jacking on the sill.
The rear sill mounting bolt was seized in place - I got the nut off ok but the bolt wouldn't shift.
Eventually after exhausting everything else I could think of I cut a hole in the floor at that point and got the rattle-gun on the head of the bolt. Flipping the gun from tighten to loosen repeatedly freed it off in about ten minutes. Phew!

So next to jack the sill up (I don't have any rear seatbelt straps so no ties at this point) but guess what - it moved about 5mm then stops. I can't see what's stopping it but it appears to be that the one that had the stuck bolt won't separate at all now - I've had the wheels in the air so that half the weight of the chassis is hanging on it. I am peed off.

See you later (it IS club night tonight isn't it?)

Roger

[davew]

Yes it is club night tonight