The Dark Wob

Dry days are ok in the winter, salt still gets on them but I think the benefits of a run outweigh the cons.

The Reverend Bluejeans wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 8:40 am My 1989 BMW has the original brake pipes, dual mass flywheel and wheel bearings after 315'000 miles. The original clutch still had life in it (albeit not much) at 314'000. I did an E36 clutch 2 months ago, still biting at 190k.

Rev, why is it that you use the Swiss system (i.e. an apostrophe) for separating the thousands in numerals?

Because I can.

Plus the Swiss are clever. All that Nazi gold and not a single shot fired.

^ Lol

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Never ever take a car off the road. Ever. Whilst, admittedly, we live in turbulent times - I’ve lost three jobs and we’ve changed prime minister since the bASe last turned a wheel in dismal anger. I know better than most that life can get in the way. Please learn from my error - take out an overdraft, borrow money, sell your body or the parts within it - But do not ever, ever, take a car off the road.

My biggest concern over the weekend wasn’t whether the head had been rebuilt to a satisfactory standard, or whether my long suffering friend would have the skills to put it together. The weather was irritating but not a chief concern, and nor was I particularly bothered about how bored my children would get whilst their oaf of a father stood and stared at two halves of an engine. Nope. The sole item on the worry list was my complete inability to remember where I’ve put stuff. It’s beyond the usual “stupid bloke” stuff; my mind simply can not map where I put things down. I suspect, if I was a child today, I’d be diagnosed with ADHD. As it is, I’m just an overgrown child with no diagnosis and an awful lot of bits to find for a Pinto. Bits I definitely DID have, but was concerned would halt proceedings at the most inconvenient of times.

The head was removed in the 13th October 2018. On the 14th October 2019, 3 months after I dropped it in at the local garage, they telephoned to say that the head was ready. The original plan was to let them fit it for me but, seeing as it took them 12 weeks to do a day's work, I thought it best to "take back control™"

A quick reminder: The car failed it's MOT in 2018 on an oil leak (incorrectly, it didn't actually drop any oil throughout the entire test) and emissions. The old VV carb, which I was quite keen to retain, finally bit the dust and the cylinder head was completely rebuilt - including, quite excitingly, a completely genuine FoMoCo Camshaft which came all the way from Lithuania.

On the basis that refitting is the reverse of removal, have some photos.
Does it go?

Yes. Extremely well. I only wish it stopped as willingly! The brakes have certainly not benefitted from 15 months of unemployment, but they’re good enough which is - in fairness - a metaphor for the entire car. The manual choke cable needs running into the cockpit and affixing discretely, which is a job for another time. Meantime, I can just hold it open and get the wife to start it for me (!)

My friend is concerned that it’s a bit Cammy. I have to say that, at full throttle, it sounds wonderful; a real parp erupts! It is now wonderfully responsive and, best of all, dry as a bone.

As always, my thanks to my old mucker (Alf892). I’m not sure why he suffers a fool such as me so gladly - but I’m forever grateful that he does.

Well done on getting it done and back together, re it sounding possibly a bit Cammy -

Did you run the cam in when you first started it? There's normally a list of things to do to break it in.

Mine needed the valve clearances re setting after, 500 miles. IME Number 3 exhaust will always require adjusting, it's the most difficult one.

Fantastic! Glad to see that Sierra getting some love. I was a car obsessed four year old when the Sierra came out and to say I loved it was an understatement. To this day though, I'm sure yours is the only grey grilled one I have ever seen.

I have to agree with our Bornite - SORN can so easily mean Spares Or Repair Now....Good work, nice to see. I do actually just somehow find the money and get stuff fixed now, especially in a country where there are only about 15 pleasant car-fettling days a year and I work 9 of those.

DodgeRover wrote: ↑Mon Oct 28, 2019 9:15 pm Well done on getting it done and back together, re it sounding possibly a bit Cammy -

Did you run the cam in when you first started it? There's normally a list of things to do to break it in.

Mine needed the valve clearances re setting after, 500 miles. IME Number 3 exhaust will always require adjusting, it's the most difficult one.

Yep. New oil after an hour or so. I will ditch that in a few hundred miles too and we’ll look at the tappets and clearances then too.

I still need to fit the manual choke cable. At the moment we’re using the two man method; me holding the choke lever back on the carb and the wife turning the key! It’s fucking boggy for about 10 mins though, even once warm enough to idle, so I think I’ll have to do it tomorrow.

mercrocker wrote: ↑Mon Oct 28, 2019 9:34 pm I have to agree with our Bornite - SORN can so easily mean Spares Or Repair Now....Good work, nice to see. I do actually just somehow find the money and get stuff fixed now, especially in a country where there are only about 15 pleasant car-fettling days a year and I work 9 of those.

I wish I'd found the cash to get my MGB fixed at the time rather than it being off the road for 13 years (and counting as it's still not back from getting new sills).
It clashed with restoring the T2 though which is more useful and was in a far worse state so that took precedence.
If I'd known how much the camper was going to cost and the difficulty of getting one year only parts I'd have done the MGB first though.