Susan by Tristared

3 minute(s) of a 45 minute read

Engine in last night…

Pressurised the oil system with a power drill on the distributor/oil pump drive.

Let the electric fuel pump fill the filter properly.

Would you believe – regardless of the cold weather - it started on the first turn.


I’m still amazed.

Sadly it’s going to be 2 more weeks until I can get back to it, and put everything else back together.

The anticipation is almost palpable.

12-14-2012

The bead/shot blasting, zinc spraying and powder coating (for the wheels) was all carried out by:

http://www.rfiscreening.co.uk

Ask to speak to Steve. Nice chap - Incredible place - he's pioneered the use of metal spraying (and then polishing) onto wood, with some really eye opening results. The last time I was there was last Tuesday (getting all the forward grill brackets zinc'd) there was a cross section of English oak there that looked like it had been cast in stainless.

1-10-2013

Well the engine’s in… for now. The car has now sparkling acceleration and will cruise at 70mph with 50% throttle (I’m not saying it’s capable of 140mph – obviously) I have to say in this state of tune it really reminds me of a Mk1 Golf Gti I used to own.

Now for the down side. The car has a thirst for coolant on a par with Oliver Reed during a Jacobs water biscuit eating competition. It’ll near as damn it empty the entire coolant system after 5 miles. There are no signs of external leaking so something’s going on with the heads. The gaskets were old Victor Reinz items so I’m concerned that the problem may lie elsewhere, though quite what else it could be is slightly beyond me. I have a suspicion the gaskets weren’t handed… Anyway, I’ve had enough of motoring related issue’s this month and the temperature outside has dropped markedly. This can be February’s problem.

So, another head gasket kit it is, and a flatness check for the heads.

Should have kept the Golf.

3-27-2013

Quite how the hell this happened is beyond me, if something can go wrong it usually does… Somehow I ended up with a gasket kit with two left handed gaskets…

If you fit two left handed gaskets this is what happens…



*Deep Breath*

So good excuse to open up the exhaust port a bit, as I had overlooked this…



…and give everything (another) coat of paint.



Before I stripped the engine I wondered as to what could have happened, I thought maybe the head bolts could have got tired and so bought some 12.9 grade Allen bolts, which have now been fitted…



Looking forward to getting everything sorted this weekend, so I can finally have an eventless journey…