mat_the_cat Posted October 22, 2015 Author Posted October 22, 2015 Bullet has been bitten! With the slight doubt about the 'acceptable' visible cracks, the wear in the guides (would be getting on for £200 to replace them all), plus the fact I don't know whether it will pass a pressure test, I decided that for peace of mind I'd be better with a new one. And that's not even taking into account the shiny factor! wuvvum, Asimo, UltraWomble and 10 others 13
dollywobbler Posted October 22, 2015 Posted October 22, 2015 That's too nice. You can't fit that. Needs to be a feature in the lounge. mat_the_cat 1
twosmoke300 Posted October 22, 2015 Posted October 22, 2015 Engine blocks make nice wine bottle racks , esp vee engines 😄 chaseracer 1
chodweaver Posted October 22, 2015 Posted October 22, 2015 Want. On two counts. To use. And to look at.
mat_the_cat Posted October 23, 2015 Author Posted October 23, 2015 Well, parts aren't going to get any more plentiful for these in years to come! So I thought it best for the long term...
John F Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 That's true. So I'd better start trying to source a TD lump for mine now...
mat_the_cat Posted October 23, 2015 Author Posted October 23, 2015 Maybe do it in stages...want a head?
John F Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 The nice shiny one, or the probably cracked one? mat_the_cat 1
mat_the_cat Posted November 7, 2015 Author Posted November 7, 2015 Bit of a delay on this getting exhaust valves, but they arrived and it's now assembled. Just an excuse to show more shinyness! So I've cleaned up the surface of the block, and the carbon deposits from the top of the cylinder walls. I'd thought there was a tiny wear lip at the end of the ring's travel, but once cleaned up there was nothing detectable whatsoever. Amazing for over 250k miles! Gasket in place using a couple of old cut down head bolts to hold it in position. Strangely there was no dowel in the block for precise location. And the new head is now on, but yet to finish the torquing procedure as it has to be run until warm, then cooled before the final stage. Bucketeer, cort16, The Moog and 5 others 8
M'coli Posted November 7, 2015 Posted November 7, 2015 Did you give the new head a quick "port" while you had the chance?
mat_the_cat Posted November 7, 2015 Author Posted November 7, 2015 I didn't actually, my reasoning being that I'm not planning to tune it, it's pretty low revving anyway (so air velocity unlikely to be the limiting factor) and I was worried about changing the swirl characteristics with little knowledge of what I was doing!
M'coli Posted November 7, 2015 Posted November 7, 2015 I don't think swirl matters when it's 22:1! I was thinking just smoothing out the steps in the seat inserts for tthe inlet and exhaus, mainly.
mat_the_cat Posted November 11, 2015 Author Posted November 11, 2015 It lives! Couple of the injectors are leaking at the head, and I think/hope that's why it's rough. No coolant so just a brief start. UltraWomble, Richard, cobblers and 2 others 5
dollywobbler Posted November 11, 2015 Posted November 11, 2015 Gosh I hate that Sony stereo bleep... mat_the_cat, Richard, loserone and 1 other 4
mat_the_cat Posted November 13, 2015 Author Posted November 13, 2015 I got it all back together yesterday evening, and ran it up to temperature to do an oil & coolant flush. Sounding much healthier now! I'd only got a spanner to do up the injectors with, so with the head off I obviously wasn't able to get enough leverage to get them to seal - and with the head on I couldn't get the spanner in. So I've now bought a deep 27 mm socket to torque them properly. I went for a 30 mile or so test drive last night, and all seems well apart from a possible exhaust blow...will double check the manifold nuts. Just a faint ticking under load. Not the best evening for a breakdown if there'd been a problem though - torrential rain, gale force winds and no mobile signal! forddeliveryboy, Bucketeer, Lacquer Peel and 6 others 9
Richard Posted November 13, 2015 Posted November 13, 2015 I played that through the van's speakers so I could pretend it has a proper engine. mat_the_cat, Tayne, Bucketeer and 1 other 4
mat_the_cat Posted November 13, 2015 Author Posted November 13, 2015 Next problem - the battery is on its last legs. But I can't really begrudge it after 8 years! I think I'll stick to Varta again though after a pretty impressive lifespan.
Noel Tidybeard Posted November 14, 2015 Posted November 14, 2015 Gosh I hate that Sony stereo bleep...thankfully its switch offable on mine!
mat_the_cat Posted November 20, 2015 Author Posted November 20, 2015 I notice from the Grumpy Old Man thread that practical threads are being missed, so I'm afraid this is all I can do for now. It's hardly a highlight, but I bought a new battery last week and starting is now instant again Have a picture! I too find the Sony beep annoying, so will have to investigate turning it off! Eddie Honda and phil_lihp 2
John F Posted November 20, 2015 Posted November 20, 2015 I managed to get the Sony headunit in my Disco to stfu a while ago, but have since had the battery disconnected & it's back again. Grr.
Lacquer Peel Posted November 20, 2015 Posted November 20, 2015 I notice from the Grumpy Old Man thread that practical threads are being missed, so I'm afraid this is all I can do for now. It's hardly a highlight, but I bought a new battery last week and starting is now instant again Have a picture! DSC_5727.JPG I too find the Sony beep annoying, so will have to investigate turning it off! On my Sony head unit you hold the volume knob down until it enters a menu, then beep>off. I like the video of you 'kneeing' the valve cover to hold it in place.
mat_the_cat Posted November 20, 2015 Author Posted November 20, 2015 Ha! You noticed then. I was also considering operating the throttle lever with my knee, hence fiddling with it between starting attempts... Lacquer Peel 1
Ben_O Posted November 21, 2015 Posted November 21, 2015 Fond memories of these as school minibuses only they were the older type with the round headlamps. I'm really liking what you have done with the conversion. It looks great. Ben mat_the_cat 1
Pillock Posted November 21, 2015 Posted November 21, 2015 On my Sony head unit you hold the volume knob down until it enters a menu, then beep>off. There's really no need for censorship around here. John F, Jerzy Woking, jbz2079 and 2 others 5
mat_the_cat Posted December 27, 2015 Author Posted December 27, 2015 Well, this has been an eventful last couple of days! Out of the 3 vehicles we currently have on the road, the only one fully working is the van. Despite the fact it's done 60k miles more than the other two put together! First her MINI ('04) snapped the handbrake cable, and then we set off for Sheffield yesterday in the Kangoo, in terrible weather. 10 miles down the road and there's a bang from the rear, followed by a grating sound and a pulsing brake pedal. My guess is one of the shoes has broken up inside the drum. So we limped back home and transferred everything to the van. Turned out that was probably a wise move, given the flooding we came across! (NB. I wasn't filming - I'd have done it in landscape...) Everything went smoothly once we were out of Wales, and even managed 26 mpg Also, the OE temperature sender I fitted is making the needle sit in the middle of the gauge rather than 3/4 towards hot. 400 miles on the new head and all seems well. meshking, The Moog, UltraWomble and 2 others 5
mat_the_cat Posted December 28, 2015 Author Posted December 28, 2015 Not too bad as standard, but can be improved... Only saw the footage of elsewhere in the country after we got back, so realised that North Wales actually got off lightly!
mat_the_cat Posted December 31, 2015 Author Posted December 31, 2015 The van's been earning its keep yesterday, towing a small digger back home so we can lay some drainage. At 3000 kg it's the most I've actually towed with it, and was slow but steady! Trenching went well... ...until... A new, unwanted water feature Turned out the water supply to the house had been laid only a few inches below ground! But after fixing that, and 12 hours later, it was all done! We've had standing water outside the house for weeks now, the ground is so saturated. At least now it can drain away. Coprolalia, UltraWomble and Lacquer Peel 3
UltraWomble Posted January 1, 2016 Posted January 1, 2016 I have to lob a drain in down the hardstanding area where I park my car as its usually a couple of inches deep after a heavy rainfall. Fortunately there is a storm drain running nearby with an inspection chamber ( which I usually lift up and sweep the water into) so when no one from the council is looking I'll tap into that....Hope you have buried the water main a bit deeper now Mat.
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