| Moderated by: Greg Fletcher | ||
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awolben Member
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I've been trolling around the forums long enough I figured I had better start logging in progress to keep myself going on this project. I picked up 18767 a few months back - my first Jensen Healey - and have been going through it slowly. It had sat for so long that everything needed to be checked. The tank was leaking - though not at the sending unit. The body and chassis are actually quite good - just a few rotten portions of the rockers and the rear fenders but nothing major. Interior was well protected as it came with a snug fitting factory hardtop in great shape. Electrically it checked out, just a few loose ends and bad switches. Brake master and booster are shot. Suspension and steering are OK - will get to those sooner or later either way. So that leaves the engine...uh oh. Initial compression check was not confidence inducing - 110-75-85-75. So out she had to come but I first went after the head to see if maybe it was just a blown gasket (ruptured across 3 cylinders!?!? yeah right). I pulled the head - luckily the header had been updated at some point to a two-piecer so that was a bit nicer than I've heard it can be. The head gasket was fine but the real problem seemed to be nearly as evident - 2,3, and 4 all had coolant sitting atop the pistons. That's not supposed to be there I think. I never got the car to actually fire and run (I didn't really try to) so I assume this is why it was parked for so long (and probably why I got such a deal on it). Mileage on the odometer is about 33000 but could be 133000 or who knows. I believe I am the third owner. So the block is out and shedding parts for a rebuild. Will get everything to my machinist next week but would venture to guess he finds a cracked head or block or both. Not really sure what to expect - my first Lotus engine so its a learning thing. Any thoughts or ideas would be well received. So far I have plans on going with a Euro spec rebuild - can't afford the 2.2 crank set up just yet - but new cams, a retard delete dizzy, and Dellortos I figure are a good place to start. Pictures to follow - I have them but I guess they're a bit large for the site to handle. |
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awolben Member
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Still working on uploading a photo of "Duke" after the engine removal. I got all the way down to the bearings in it today. Pistons, crank, etc all seem OK but I'll let the machine shop be judge and jury. I've dismantled enough engines that have been blatantly obvious what went wrong with them. I've seen broken cranks, blown through cylinder walls, frozen pistons, bearings thin as wire, etc. Not many that have been as clean and easily dismantled as this one so I'm just going with it at this point. In the mean time, I have a leaking gas tank to address and, not coincidentally, a very smelly trunk to re-upholster. |
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