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Post by dickie on Aug 4, 2024 16:22:42 GMT
Hi Folks,
I took the Mongrel to a local car show today via the back lanes.
I found a few potholes which made the front right suspension clonk a bit.
When I got home I did a quick shake check it appears the top wishbone ball joint has failed, this is one of the only suspension componants which was not replaced from the original donor car along with the rack end ball joints.
It looks like I will be getting replacement joints to install along with the rack tie rods before the next MOT.
At least replacement parts are now available to sort it out which were not when I built the car up.
More spannering coming up in the next few months when I SORN it for winter.
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Post by boggissimo on Aug 6, 2024 14:17:48 GMT
After the weekend at Gurston Down, where everyone kept asking if I was pretending to be James Bond with a smokescreen, I've decided I should stop faffing and get the spare NB 1.6 engine in. I've ordered parts for doing the cam belt etc and will start taking it apart later. Only have this week and weekend, plus the first week of September to do it as I'm entered for the Hethel sprint on 8 Sept...
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Post by boggissimo on Aug 7, 2024 11:39:40 GMT
Stripped off the intake/exhaust, timing covers and miscellaneous wiring connections I won't need in the NA car. Front main seal looks good, a bit oily round the back, but will clean it up and see whether it's come from above or below. Going to take the sump off and fit an oil baffle thing, and check out the rotating assembly while I'm there. Will probably also take the head off and do the valve stem seals, to avoid any future issues.
Failed to get the pulley off the front of the alternator to go with all flat belts, is there a way to stop it from rotating while you undo the big front bolt?
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Post by dadbif on Aug 8, 2024 6:59:38 GMT
Use a strap wrench on the pulley, or put it in a vice, but you may damage it if you can’t get it off….
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Post by boggissimo on Aug 9, 2024 16:09:10 GMT
More oily work, got the sump off and it all looks OK (coated in treacle but no metal bits), won the fight with the rear main seal and replaced it last night.
The pistons are predictably carbonised, will be taking them out and checking them over properly in case there are any ring issues, and also checking the main bearings. Then start cleaning and putting the bottom end back together. I don't really want to replace much unless it's too worn to re-use, as it's not going to be a big power build or anything, just a sound engine to play with.
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Post by boggissimo on Sept 2, 2024 14:49:34 GMT
I've been away for a few weeks and nobody's been doing anything?
I've pulled out of the Hethel sprint in order to focus on rebuilding the spare engine and trying to get it fitted before going to Llandow and Pembrey on 14/15 Sept. Before I went away I stripped off the head, took the sump off and pulled out the crank and pistons. All looks pretty good in there, no major wear and the bores look OK too. Will clean it up, fit new bearing shells and put it back together!
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Post by Zed. on Sept 2, 2024 19:36:44 GMT
I've been away for a few weeks and nobody's been doing anything? I've pulled out of the Hethel sprint in order to focus on rebuilding the spare engine and trying to get it fitted before going to Llandow and Pembrey on 14/15 Sept. Before I went away I stripped off the head, took the sump off and pulled out the crank and pistons. All looks pretty good in there, no major wear and the bores look OK too. Will clean it up, fit new bearing shells and put it back together! give the bores a hone or a blast with a 'glaze breaker'  as to pembrey, I'll try to wander down if I'm able, have some supporting to do as the Escort I navigate in is out there  Rich. |
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Post by dadbif on Sept 2, 2024 21:29:03 GMT
Finished road tuning the new supercharger build, fitted a gc fab rollbar and just need to wire up some rear parking sensors.
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Post by boggissimo on Sept 5, 2024 10:55:41 GMT
I've been away for a few weeks and nobody's been doing anything? I've pulled out of the Hethel sprint in order to focus on rebuilding the spare engine and trying to get it fitted before going to Llandow and Pembrey on 14/15 Sept. Before I went away I stripped off the head, took the sump off and pulled out the crank and pistons. All looks pretty good in there, no major wear and the bores look OK too. Will clean it up, fit new bearing shells and put it back together! give the bores a hone or a blast with a 'glaze breaker' as to pembrey, I'll try to wander down if I'm able, have some supporting to do as the Escort I navigate in is out there Rich. Nice, I'm currently just hoping to make it there at all, got a lot to do before I'm sure I'll be there! I suppose I could just take it with the smokey engine if it doesn't look like the swap will happen in time. Got the crank back in last night.... |
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Post by boggissimo on Sept 10, 2024 11:23:24 GMT
I got the bottom end back together over the weekend, fitted it and sealed up the sump. Then I did the valve stem seals on the head (the worst job, those little batsrad collets just have a mind of their own)...and came back to the garage the next day to find two new seals still in the packet, so had to do that pair again  The NB intake cam doesn't have the notch at the back for the NA CAS, so I took the NA cam off the car and fitted it last night. Then one of the cam cap bolts snapped, which gave me half an hour of worry but I managed to drill enough of it to accept one of those bolt remover things and it unscrewed OK. Took the thermostat neck blanking plate off the engine in the car and then had a frustrating time fitting/refitting/fitting the timing cover under the cam pulleys along with the new water pump, then got all the timing stuff together. I'm using the NA crank pulley setup so that I can keep the NA alternator and power steering setup as that's what the wiring in the car is setup for. I set the crank pulley to the correct torque with one of the Jass locking plate things, and when I took it off the little dowel/lug from the outer pulley fell off, so will have to scavenge one off the other dead engine later. Then will start pulling the smoky engine out tonight! |
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Post by boggissimo on Sept 16, 2024 13:47:00 GMT
Well I was out in the garage every night last week trying to get the swap done in time to go to Wales for the weekend, which ultimately ended in failure. I finished up the main bits on the spare engine on Weds and then set about taking the oily one out. Thought it would be easiest to take the head off the one in the car and lift it out along with the intake manifold, as that is a real pain to access and undo while on the car. Once that was out I transferred the coolant reroute bits to the new head, which didn't turn out to be that hard. Then I undid most of the bellhousing bolts and starter motor, put the head back on and lifted the engine out.
 I took off the (real) oil pressure sender and put it on the NB block (the NB only has a switch that warns of low pressure, not a proper reading), which meant removing the knock sensor from the NB. I might put the knock sensor back later but it couldn't stay where it was as the oil pressure sender is quite fat. Also moved the NB engine off the engine stand so I could fit the clutch and lightened flywheel (from Skidnation here) - the new flywheel is 4.9 kg but didn't feel much lighter than the stock 1.6 flywheel to me. This is the same size as on the 1.8 so maybe the OEM 1.8 is heavier than the 1.6, and then a lightened 1.8 flywheel might be similar to the OEM 1.6? Then it was ready to go in the car. I have limited garage space and the engine crane doesn't have quite a long enough arm to drop it directly down into place, so I have to tilt it down at the back and get it to slide in while it gently descends into the hole. Getting the engine mounts to go into the holes in the body while lining up correctly with the gearbox is a bit tricky, and it took a fair bit of grunting and moving things up/down to get it all in properly. Before getting carried away I put the car in gear and checked that turning the engine turned the wheels, and then started doing up the bellhousing bolts etc.  Once I'd refitted the exhaust and intake, the CAS and all the hoses and cables, it was late on Friday night. I reconnected the battery and started it up, and it sounded like a tractor, with exhaust gases shooting out from behind the manifold! Did it up tighter, still the same. Then I took the manifold off and realised I had trapped the bracket for the coolant pipe behind the manifold, it should hook over the bolt after the manifold is put on there. Dangers of working too late in the garage! After that it sounded more normal and started and ran up to temperature OK. Given the trouble I had last time I swapped the engine, I thought I'd check the gearbox/clutch was all working while all four wheels were off the ground. The clutch pedal felt quite stiff with more resistance than I had before, and I hoped that was because of the new clutch....but it wasn't. It won't go into gear easily from neutral, and the wheels still turn with the car in gear and pedal fully down, so the clutch is basically not doing anything. I went to bed and tried bleeding the clutch first thing Saturday, but it didn't make any difference, so I called off the trip to Wales and took a break to enjoy some bonus family time instead, plus a few beers. Already started prepping the NB gearbox to go in, and to drop the NA box out - it has always been tricky to shift quickly from 2nd to 3rd when trying to go fast on track, so maybe this spare one will be better.
Next time I change an engine, I'll get the gearbox attached outside the car and put the whole lot in together!
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Post by boggissimo on Sept 16, 2024 13:51:01 GMT
Haha I didn't realise there was an actual function for spoilers in the forum software! There is! |
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Post by Zed. on Sept 16, 2024 20:17:07 GMT
it has always been tricky to shift quickly from 2nd to 3rd when trying to go fast I've never found an NA gearbox shift nicely although I've not driven loads or a new one  as to flywheels, the 1.8L item runs a larger diameter clutch so the flywheel & clutch has more material & more wieght (you don't need the larger diameter clutch;) ) Rich. |
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gbuk
Chats A Bit
Posts: 130 
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Post by gbuk on Oct 4, 2024 19:45:23 GMT
I ordered some new droplinks and pedal washers as it deserves to get at least one decent run without annoying clicks and clonks spoiling the enjoyment. Fingers crossed I get round to sorting it! Sorry little car - you've been shamefully neglected this year  |
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Post by boggissimo on Oct 7, 2024 16:52:58 GMT
Went out with my boy to do the Tour of Kent (a classic car tour that we've done for the last few years). It's a fun and relaxed event, all the other cars are much shinier than mine and there are lots of old duffers in Triumphs and stuff, but a few interesting cars too. We took the hardtop off and did the morning legs with the top down, then it was a bit drizzly after lunch. I always forget how frustrating it is following the other cars at 30 mph for most of the day, but the little bursts of speed when we got the chance were fun.
The car is running OK, with a few niggles: - slight blow from the exhaust, sounds like a loud ticking (not lifters) coming from the manifold area. It is worse under load, barely audible at idle. I reckon it's probably where I trapped that bracket for the heater pipe and it's left a gap in the manifold for the air to escape, will be investigating that later
- power steering failed in the morning. I felt it being a bit weird when I was in the paddock at Goodwood, drove home fine but there were a couple of times when there was a loud metallic twanging noise as something hit the bulkhead and pinged around until it dropped underneath. Turns out that was probably the belt tensioner bracket for the power steering pump, as when we were checking the car out on Saturday before the tour, it was no longer present! I fitted a spare tensioner and tightened the belt up, but it did look at a funny angle, and sure enough a couple of hours into the tour the steering got heavy, and when I checked under the bonnet at the coffee stop the belt was not there anymore. Will check it out later too
- occasional wobbly idle, it drops down as if it's going to stall and bounces back up to 1200 or so, on repeat. Doesn't do it all the time, and goes away if you rev it a bit. Will be switching back to the megasquirt anyway so won't worry about this too much
Need to get it all sorted to do the first rally of the season on Friday! |
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