Grogee's spannering (Maestro , Corsa & Avensis). FLEET ADDITION

[Dobloseven]

On 7/1/2023 at 10:14 AM, grogee said:

Having looked at the valve clearance procedure in the HBoL, I've decided to forget that shit. Needs a special tool OR the home made one specified by Haynes which needs angle iron, plywood and a whole lot of patience. Fuck that to the moon and back. I'll take my chances by refitting the existing shims in their original positions and hope for the best! 

Even if I went to the trouble of checking the clearances, the odds of me finding the correct shims for all eight valves are miniscule. 

Fuethermore the HBoL specifies quite a tight range for clearances, but then says only change if it's less than 0.20, suggesting there's quite a wide range of practical tolerance. 

Made one of those camshaft clamping things when I had an O Series Ital back in the late eighties! 

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Dobloseven said:

Made one of those camshaft clamping things when I had an O Series Ital back in the late eighties! 

Commiserations.

[grogee]

9 hours ago, Dobloseven said:

Made one of those camshaft clamping things when I had an O Series Ital back in the late eighties! 

That is a winners car. You must have felt like king of the road. 

[Dobloseven]

28 minutes ago, grogee said:

That is a winners car. You must have felt like king of the road. 

If anyone asks me what's the worst car I've ever owned, I would would say the Ital, without hesitation. 

[MorrisItalSLX]

On 03/07/2023 at 00:41, grogee said:

The cam cover is different so I'm not sure whether to use the (original) ribbed cover or change to this nice shiny new one, which is strictly speaking the wrong sort, cosmetically. 

I believe the cam cover is machined to match the head as there are no camshaft caps, the cam cover itself is what holds the camshaft.

[grogee]

16 minutes ago, Dobloseven said:

If anyone asks me what's the worst car I've ever owned, I would would say the Ital, without hesitation. 

And that just makes me want one more. 

[Dobloseven]

14 hours ago, grogee said:

And that just makes me want one more. 

I wouldn't mind one as a "classic" car. Think I'd prefer a 1.3 saloon, though. Mine was a 1.7 estate. 

[High Jetter]

57 minutes ago, Dobloseven said:

I wouldn't mind one as a "classic" car. Think I'd prefer a 1.3 saloon, though. Mine was a 1.7 estate. 

I'd prefer a Marina. Ideally a 1.8TC in Maroon, but am not fussy.

[Dobloseven]

8 hours ago, High Jetter said:

I'd prefer a Marina. Ideally a 1.8TC in Maroon, but am not fussy.

To my mind the 1.3s feel nicer to drive, with the engine further back and less weight on the front wheels. The mk 2 Marinas seemed a bit of a sweet spot to me. The mk 3s looked a bit much, with the plastic bits trying to update them. My ideal would be a mk2 or Ital 1.3 saloon. All a bit academic though! 

[grogee]

Headageddon

So this morning I was putting the finishing touches to the new Maestro cylinder head, and I went to fit the camshaft and cover... "This seal doesn't look right." 

Fished the old one out of the bin (fortunately not too full) and it was the same as my new one from the head gasket set. What's going on? 

Eventually worked out that my new head is for a 2.0 carb Montego. I'd already made a blanking plate for the fuel pump because EFi uses electric pump. But I didn't realise the seal/cam arrangement was different as well. 

I can't put a different seal in because there's only about 3mm clearance around the cam. 

So I'm now undoing all my hours of work prepping that new head and cleaning up the original one to refit. Total PITA. Hugely demoralising and now I feel really up against the wall in terms of meeting the Sunday show deadline. 

I mean I've still got 2 days (work depending) to finish but of course there's Life around that with all the school runs and meal prep etc. I should be OK as long as it stays dry and doesn't piss down with rain when I'm working on refitting. 

Swings and roundabouts though, as I managed to sell the Espace to a Normal, so now we're all systems go to collect the Corsa from @SmokinWaffle. 

[High Jetter]

Shitter, but maybe best that you spotted it before it's all back together? Hopefully you can get some more folding for the Monty head.

[grogee]

Well the good news is it's back together and running, the bad news is it's still doing the misfire / no power after about 10 mins of driving. Went for a little circuit of perhaps 6 miles, managed about 4 before I had to pull over as there was just no power at all, I could barely manage 20 mph. 

Pulled over in a lay by for about 5 minutes, fired it up again and it was running well enough to get home. 

However I do seem to have cured the manifold blow with the double gasket trick. 

My next targets will be crank sensor, throttle body (inc position sensor) then fuel pump. 

After that I'm all out of ideas! Tomorrow was going to be reserved for cosmetics but it looks like I'll be dicking around under the bonnet again. Pah. 

[Sunny Jim]

Pah indeed. Rooting for you.

[Matty]

10 minutes ago, Sunny Jim said:

Pah indeed. Rooting for you.

Plus one

[Geoff Smith]

Hi Grogee, I had the same problem with my 1988 mg maestro after being sat up for 10 years, the fuel tank was full of rust, would run fine for a couple of miles, start misfiring cutting out, leave it for a while would start up, sometimes would run ok ish.I know you did the test measuring the quantity opening the injectors and measuring the fuel that came out, but this wouldn’t prove the fault as the slit/ rust in the tank will take a while to block the gauze.

The best way to prove this without removing the tank would be to get a 5 litre fuel can (drill a hole in the cap just big enough to squeeze the 8mm hose in)and a long length of fuel hose and run the car off that, would be fairly easy to set up with the fuel pump being external.

I could be totally wrong but I would advise you to consider this (I had the same problem with the shims as you, if my memory is correct I used a cavalier 1.7td shim tool to do mine without removing the cam.

[grogee]

10 hours ago, Geoff Smith said:

Hi Grogee, I had the same problem with my 1988 mg maestro after being sat up for 10 years, the fuel tank was full of rust, would run fine for a couple of miles, start misfiring cutting out, leave it for a while would start up, sometimes would run ok ish.I know you did the test measuring the quantity opening the injectors and measuring the fuel that came out, but this wouldn’t prove the fault as the slit/ rust in the tank will take a while to block the gauze.

The best way to prove this without removing the tank would be to get a 5 litre fuel can (drill a hole in the cap just big enough to squeeze the 8mm hose in)and a long length of fuel hose and run the car off that, would be fairly easy to set up with the fuel pump being external.

I could be totally wrong but I would advise you to consider this (I had the same problem with the shims as you, if my memory is correct I used a cavalier 1.7td shim tool to do mine without removing the cam.

I'll give it a go today Geoff. 

[grogee]

I think @Geoff Smith has it cracked. I ran the fuel pump continuously for about 20 mins and it started out strong but eventually was reduced to a dribble. Then rigged up a 5l fuel can feed from spare wheel well to fuel pump (which is under the tank. I've just gone out for a drive and things seem much improved with the petrol can feed.

But... My Heath Robinson bungee system for securing the tank failed halfway then tipped over on its side and Iost its contents. So now I'm walking miles to the nearest fuel station to grab another 5l and a fuel can! Trying to hitch but none of the locals want to pick me up, not surprising as I'm dressed in scruffs and probably look like a fugitive. 

[somewhatfoolish]

This is why you don't drive more than 500 yards when testing things; that way when it all goes Captain 70s-style you can pop home for a valium and cup of tea.

[Cookiesouwest]

for confirming the problem

for the technical hitch

[Geoff Smith]

That’s good news, hopefully you can rig it up and give it a good run to confirm 100%, I’ve taken mine out for a run today

[Geoff Smith]

The next problem you will have if this has cured the fault, is getting a tank, don’t think they are available new, I had mine removed, split treated for the rust and rebuilt, obviously not every where will offer this service. 
Another option would be to get a race/ rally fuel tank that fits in the boot as a temporary option and rig that up.

[grogee]

The other important detail I ommitted from my jerry rigged system - the return line was squirting all my fuel can fuel into the original tank! 

Took a bit of working out but I finally twigged why I was averaging 1mpg, @Cluffy had to rescue me from a country road and it was a bit frantic getting home for the school run in time.

Anyway I've routed the return line into the tank now so it should be OK now. 

Crazy day! 

3 hours ago, Geoff Smith said:

That’s good news, hopefully you can rig it up and give it a good run to confirm 100%, I’ve taken mine out for a run today

That looks lovely and shiny. Would that I had time to do cosmetics on mine... Will hopefully get an hour or two tomorrow but forecast was for thunderstorms. 

I did have cause to look at mine from a distance today as I approached with a fresh fuel can, and was struck by how cool it looked. I've been so obsessed with the details and faults that I've not really had a chance to appreciate it for what it is - a curious slice of 80s hot hatch as interpreted through the lens of the BLARG behemoth. 

[grogee]

4 hours ago, Geoff Smith said:

The next problem you will have if this has cured the fault, is getting a tank, don’t think they are available new, I had mine removed, split treated for the rust and rebuilt, obviously not every where will offer this service. 
Another option would be to get a race/ rally fuel tank that fits in the boot as a temporary option and rig that up.

I think I'm going to do the POR-15 method (https://por15.com/collections/fuel-tank-restoration) but I'll ask the nerds at Maestro day in case anyone's hoarding a tank. 

[somewhatfoolish]

6 hours ago, Geoff Smith said:

The next problem you will have if this has cured the fault, is getting a tank, don’t think they are available new, I had mine removed, split treated for the rust and rebuilt, obviously not every where will offer this service. 
Another option would be to get a race/ rally fuel tank that fits in the boot as a temporary option and rig that up.

Depends how shitty the tank is; have you had a look inside? If it's just dirty rather than rusty a good clean may suffice.

[Back_For_More]

A mate of mine rigged his up to a cement mixer - a few large bolts inside - and left it spinning for a couple of hours...... Internal blasting. 

Obviously flush thoroughly first! 

 

[somewhatfoolish]

Provided you can get it out again a handful of gravel would be as good.

[grogee]

Great idea although I don't have a cement mixer. And the neighbours would love* the noise. 

@somewhatfoolish the tank is going to be fucked inside. @Geoff Smith's experience is spookily similar to mine, and his is also a 1988 model, also white. 

Hence the silting up problem. It's been sat for a few years in a barn probably with a nearly empty tank and probably with 1 litre of E10 in it. A perfect recipe for corrosion.

I've ordered the POR-15 kit (£90) so hopefully can tackle that next week. I gave the tank bolts a dousing with unicorn piss yesterday so hopefully they come out. 

[grogee]

MAESTROGASM

So today was Showtime, as that Scientology prick would have it. 

Woke up at 3am convinced the car was going to break down or blow up on the 13 mile journey to Gaydon. Thus was bleary eyed at 8am trying to get ready to leave. I tried to chamois the worst of last night's rain off, but realised this was the definition of madness as more rain fell. 

Picked up @Cluffy and Miss Cluffy and we made it to the show. Note to self: Don't park in the middle of a gaggle of cars if you're anticipating an early getaway.

Organisation was pretty poor I'd say. Maestros were supposed to have pride of place outside the museum but all the other models just parked up wherever they wanted to. 

I do find these shows a bit limited in entertainment value. Once you've had a coffee, nattered to a few nerds and toured the museum, I'm basically done. 

I couldn't bear the thought of lunch in museum cafe, as it's shit and overpriced - plus there would be 1000 other people trying to eat there. But I was marooned and unable to get my car out, so I asked Mrs Grogee to rescue us. 

Met a few people I know and made friends with a few more. The Maestro ownership does seem to favour the giffer, but the typical Turbo owner is younger and more ferocious looking. There were a few early 1600 MGs there too which are rare as unicorn spunk. 

Cluffy very kindly drove me back to Gaydon to collect my car and I just got back in time for the Boredom Grand Prix, which might be interesting if the rain hadn't decided to bypass the circuit. 

Haven't dared to check the cricket score yet. 

[grogee]

A few years ago, I actually emailed the museum to ask if I could buy the Ital. 

[grogee]

British bum notes