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| Joined: | 04-07-2022 |
| Location: | Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 115 |
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No pictures, just some miscellaneous ramblings on the car that my wife calls "The other woman", a.k.a. Rusty.
The engine is slowly going back together. I was able to source a single set of rings from Summit to repair the ring that broke when I was tightening the ring compressor, so all the pistons are in, oil pan is attached, oil pump housing on and spinning freely.
I managed to get one piston in backwards, and discovered my mistake when I could no longer turn the crank by hand. A sure sign that there is an error somewhere. So popped out the errant piston and reinstalled, and the crank now turns easily by hand.
The cylinder head went on without incident, but things got ugly when I tried to install the cams to check valve clearances. I have done this many times over the years, but this is the first time I went postal. I had installed the cam housings first, and then discovered that I could not simply install and rotate the cams. The cams must be installed BEFORE the housings are installed. This makes checking valve lash a real pain - but I have gotten the intake side measured and the exhaust valves are next.
I had my valves and valve seats recut as they were all showing a good deal of wear. Additionally 4 of my valves were bent, so I had to get some new ones. Recutting moves the stem tips closer to the cams, so now only 4 or 5 of my shims are usable. For grins I tried lapping a few back to see what I could do, but it is a laborious, uncertain process, so I dropped that and will just buy new ones. Dunno if lapping the shims removes any case hardening or not. Almost all my shims are now too thick. =:-o I noticed today that some of the valves have had their tips ground back, so someone else had the same issue - I also found file marks on a couple of shims. The motor has been apart before, is is very clear. Since some valves were bent, I think a timing belt let go and the owner did a quickie repair job to get it back on the road. The belt tensioner had been damaged and turned very roughly but it now works slicker than snot on a glass doorknob.
I had the valve pockets deepened to allow a bit more lift on the cams before the springs stack solid, and perhaps I will use a set of performance valve springs should I decide at some point to go completely crazy.
The body is completely done, so finishing the motor and getting the soft top back on the car are the final steps before I try to start her up and wait for a much dreaded engine fire. Let's hope there will not be any gotchas like that.
I wanted to get her running before the summer driving season ended, but it is now apparent that I will not make it. I am now estimating 3 years total restoration time, about as long as it took me to do my TR6 so many years ago. So next January perhaps. Time flies...
Vance
Last edited on 08-11-2025 04:40 pm by vnavaret