Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

[Gibbo2286]

Excellent Zel That new engine is a proper thing of beauty

Shame to spoil it by running it and getting it dirty.

[mickthemaverick]

I'm impressed with your camouflaged gloves Zel, almost loses your hand altogether!! Engine looking the part and roll on the first fire up, here's a little video of mine for the first fire up of my Stag after the full rebuild as inspiration



Something happens eventually!!

[Zelandeth]

I'm impressed with your camouflaged gloves Zel, almost loses your hand altogether!! Engine looking the part and roll on the first fire up, here's a little video of mine for the first fire up of my Stag after the full rebuild as inspiration



Something happens eventually!!

The gloves are a necessary evil. The gift I got for spending much of my youth covered in old engine oil and such is pretty persistent dermatitis. So I really need to try to keep it off my hands as far as I can these days.

-- -- --

Couple of bits I need off here.



Yes there is actually an engine in there somewhere under all the gunk. I think most of that is actually from someone having stuffed the wrong gaskets on the exhaust ports so it's been leaking for ages.

One alternator lower bracket and one of its mounting studs.



I needed one of the studs because one of the new ones on the engine had taken a knock during transit. Thankfully it unscrewed without protesting.



Chased the threads on the old one before fitting just to make sure there was no gunk in them, though it unscrewed no bother (almost as if it had spent the last 20 years soaking in oil...) so was probably fine.

Alternator lower bracket and new engine mount attached to the new engine.



Clutch has also been installed.



I do appreciate that this engine appears to have come with a complete set of new hardware. Aside from the one stud I've transferred from the old engine because it was damaged I've not needed anything in terms of nuts, bolts etc. I thought I was going to need to reuse the bell housing and starter motor bolts, but just found new ones in a bag hiding in the bottom of one of the boxes. Definitely makes this job easier. Even though the Trabant does get points for being a car which doesn't just use twenty different sizes of fastener for the hell of it. In fact, I have a sneaking feeling having looked at them that the flywheel retaining nut is the same one that's used on the rear hubs.

I know it looks shabby, but the shipping box is actually at just the right height for me to work on the engine while sitting on the floor of the conservatory, and it deforms just enough that the engine stays wherever I put it, so it's actually working surprisingly well as a workbench.

*Hoping* that we'll get this in the car over the weekend. I want to change the two remaining engine/gearbox mounts on the car (just makes sense to do while I'm in here). I also want to clean up the bell housing a bit and swap over the clutch release bearing for the new one.

As far as the engine goes, I think once the timing is set it should be ready to go in. I just figure doing that out the car is going to be easier as access is a touch awkward in the car (especially with building supplies making access to that side of the car a bit awkward right now). Likewise the upper alternator bracket needs to be fitted, but that's one more sticky-outy-bit to get in the way while fitting, so it can be added once the engine is in place I think.

Then I just need to try to remember how all the cowling etc came apart...though it was pretty self explanatory as I recall. Should hopefully have a running car again this weekend. Well...tomorrow. Given that the forecast is for rain all day on Sunday - of course it is!

A new arrival for the garage arrived yesterday - and adding to the list of things which easily fit in the back of a Volvo V70.





Definitely overkill for my needs but it was both cheap and local, and I figure that where air is concerned having the supply over rather than under specced can only be a good thing.

[CitroJim]

Excellent Zel! That alternator bracket so, so needs a nice coat of paint!!!

That's a superb compressor! So useful. I can't live without one and it gets used almost every time I'm at work in the garage...

[bobins]

It must be the season for compressors - I've just got a new one of those Clarke ones at one of the sites I frequent....... it leaked straight out of the box when run up and it got warm, and the paint all went soft Didn't fancy putting it back on the pallet and shipping it back to Machine Mart so they've authorised us to deal with the leak ourselves - it's where the NRV screws into the tank boss, so removing it, putting in some thread sealant, then putting it back to its alignment marks should cure the issue. I've also got a cylinder head from an industrial Vroomfondel BroomWade compressor to overhaul this weekend. I've already done one and it wasn't too bad - mainly just surface rust sticking the unloader valves in place. I shall try and take some photos of the process and put it up on my 'Crank, no start' thread.

[Zelandeth]

Excellent Zel! That alternator bracket so, so needs a nice coat of paint!!!

That's a superb compressor! So useful. I can't live without one and it gets used almost every time I'm at work in the garage...

It may get painted somewhere down the line - but with the work we've got going on at the moment I can't really get to where any of my paints are, and I'd need to get it properly cleaned, degreased etc before hand and that's just not going to happen right now given I'm basically living in the middle of a building site.

I'm also going to need to find somewhere else to paint bits like that...I can't just use the brownfield site where the old patio used to be because there's a nice new patio there now and I suspect I'd get hung, drawn and quartered for getting it covered in paint!

[MattBLancs]

Not sure if you are intending spray finish, but brush finish and a big bit of cardboard would keep you out of trouble?

Looks a cracking compressor by the way. It's probably about as big as you could get and still single phase motor I'd think??

[bobins]

Single phase motor ? - Yes. 13 amp socket ? - No ! The one we got needs an industrial plug* on it and it's start up current is marginally over what is stated on the plate - but obviously only momentarily.
At home I've got a 'normal' 25 litre domestic compressor, but I've also got a standalone pump/motor which can be plumbed in in parallel to provide extra wind should it be needed

*- In the absence of such a plug, we hard wired it via an open electrical cabinet for the time being. I'm confident that our installation meets wiring standards in some obscure part of the world

[CitroJim]

I'm confident that our installation meets wiring standards in some obscure part of the world

Yep, It will somewhere judging by what I've seen on my travels...

I'd think the best way would be to run a new dedicated feed for it from the consumer unit to to a 16A 'Commando'. In suggesting this I really should check the 18th regs. to see if that's OK and what the MCB type should be and any other considerations.

[bobins]

'Ours' needed a 30A 240V supply Any idea what sized nail is equivalent to a 30 amp fuse ?

Compressor ratings - Clarke

[mickthemaverick]

I'd suggest using a 30A car fuse but you'll be wanting an AC fuse?

[CitroJim]

'Ours' needed a 30A 240V supply Any idea what sized nail is equivalent to a 30 amp fuse ?

In that case, a 32A Commando then...

[Zelandeth]

I've been struggling to find the time to get a proper write up of the last couple of days completed, so that will have to follow.

For now, here's the short short version:

Woohoo!

A photo which in just about any other automotive context would have very much the opposite reaction and be a sign of much impending doom!

I'm sure our neighbours will forgive me eventually. Maybe!

[MattBLancs]

Ha ha brilliant!

Anything else this would be the "as you can see, full rebuild required" / before picture!

Looking forward to hear/read about the good work you've done

[RichardW]

Smokin' !!