Engine damage

Hi
Back again and 2 weeks away to think about my broken little engine, when I say little this is what I am used to working on.

You really make sure no spring washers are left in these baby's intakes or it may cost a few hundred thou and a trip home.

I have managed to gather the new parts together although only the head gaskets have arrived, I had a good look at the air manifold gasket and because of the minimal torque and the quality of the gasket material I have decided to re-use it, not so with the heavy torque on the head so a new set have arrived. I was going to buy the same gaskets by Payen but I came across a set of Ford original 2.8 Cologne by Reinz for around £28, I looked up Reinz before buying and they also are a high quality manufacturer so good enough for Ford then good enough for me.

The head is at the Car Clinic and was supplied by Tickover for around £55 inc delivery they have also supplied me with a few other pieces in the past and have been very helpful, I reckon the total for the head will be around £300. The piston is from a Capri and I bought this from a guy on eBay for £11 inc delivery, and he says it in fair condition so hopefully I'll just need to change the conn rod and piston rings and all should be good.

I tried to get started yesterday morning but after having a good look at the damage and draining the oil I just didn't have the get up and go to get started, don't know if I was more angry at myself for it happening or upset about it so I packed it in for the morning and went out to buy the bits I'm going to need. I went and bought another 5 litres of 10w40 and engine flush from Halfords, came home, kicked the dog and felt a whole lot better so got to work. It was mostly prep work getting ready to lift the engine/gearbox out again, so back up on the stands; exhaust first followed by the drive shaft followed by clutch cable etc. I refitted the heads and exhaust manifolds with the lifting straps fitted and any other bits removed so it was ready for today's lift.

All of the prep work paid off as today it was just a matter of rigging the hoist, taking the weight and removing the mounts. The jack was positioned under the gearbox and I lowered the engine onto the trolley.

I then lowered the rear of the car onto its wheels and rigged the lifting straps to the front and lifted the car with the hoist until I was able to pull out the engine, hope nothing else goes wrong but if it does I'm getting to be a dab hand at this fitting removal business.

I was now able to lower the car and push it outside so as to rest the engine on the workbench and remove the gearbox, clutch and flywheel.

The engine stand that had been dismantled and stowed in the shed had to be rebuilt then the engine mounted. I remember I foolishly wrote in my last blog that I didn't think any water had gotten into the sump, well how wrong can a person be, it may not have been much but it had certainly emulsified so after removing the sump pan a lot of cleaning was necessary, luckily because I had not turned the engine on the stand before removing the pan hardly any had gotten into the engine itself and had remained in the sump. The pump was dismantlement as that was full and the sump strainer removed and cleaned.

A lot of cleaning required around the flange area to remove the old sealant but not much else it seems.

Now for the bit I had been dreading, on first inspection when I found the damage it did not seem to have affected the bore to much now it was time to find out. I removed the bottom cap, the bottom shell and tapped out the piston, it was a good job I had bought another piston as the damage is worse than first thought.

Defiantly a deceased piston, the first ring is a little tight as the crown has been squished a little but I have managed to move it and it should remove easily enough. Its £86 plus vat and p+p for a full set of rings so I am hoping to reuse the ring set as there does not seem to be any damage to the top ring.

Once I had inspected the piston I plucked up the courage and turned the engine, the bore was a little rusty and dirty from where the water had been so a rub with a scouring pad and some diamond wet and dry to clean it up and the spotlight was put on it. I am a very very lucky boy as apart from a few chip to the very top of the bore the inside seems not to have been damaged.

So now I just have to wait until the head and piston arrive before I can rebuilt and refit, a lot of cleaning first as the engine is covered in oil and dirt so a good clean, rub down and repaint while I am waiting.

While away and after a number of emails from Terry B I have found out why the engine would not start, for which I am very grateful or the damage would have been much worse. 

It would appear I made a rather bad mistake on piping up the fuel system, when I took the picture of the fuel pipes they had been moved out of the way to remove the engine.

This moving made the pipe from the fuel regulator (the pipe with the white tape) look like it was coming from the fuel filter to the regulator and that the loose pipe with the pipe protector was from the fuel pump to the carb. Well this is the way I fitted them, wrong!! the way it works is fuel filter to the fuel pump inlet (protected pipe), out of the fuel pump to the regulator inlet, out of the regulator to the carb and the return from the regulator back to fuel tank. Simple. Also the carb return had been blanked internally which you can't see and I was never told so I followed the instructions for the fitting of the carb which states to pipe for the carb return goes to the system return and Weber supplies the tee to do just this. Wrong again, thankfully.

So when it is all back together and correctly piped up it should start first time, I wish.

Some other good news, my TVR Griffith seats have arrived and look great if a little grubby, after all they are 20 years old. I had a go at one of the headrests with a little saddle soap and a rub with conditioner and it has come up lovely, once I clean all of the leather and re-colour them they will look like very clean 20 year old seats.

The cleaned headrest is on the right also the frames need a little work but that's no problem.

Well that all that got done today.

see ya Paul