11 Mar 2025

 11 Mar 2025

Well, it turns out the last post from 18 Dec 2024 was a tad optimistic in the hope that the engine would be back in the car late Jan to early Feb. Due to other conflicting engine builder priorities, my engine wasn't completed and collected from Sydney 28 Feb 2025, and very shiny and pretty it looks too!  

There were a few issues with it and the engine builder was actually glad to see the back of it in the end (three head bolts wouldn't come out and one is now slightly compromised), it seems that somehow the brand new engine pulley that was fitted was actually made just slightly too small and in fitting it the crank managed to get bent by the tiniest fraction, though it was enough to lock up the engine and requiring removal and straightening and machining to fix the issue.

Anyhoo, it is now back in the car after surprisingly little actual swearing at it, those engine mounts must have been designed by whoever created the front trim hockey sticks, they are both nigh on impossible to get on and off. 

I know nothing about timing, it is weird magic to me, and of course, it was impossible to start the car. The pictures will show anyone who knows anything about timing what is wrong. I had to go back through an old bunch of photos to see what was wrong (and pestered a couple of friends for advice, they noticed what the old and new pics were showing too) the dizzy was completely out, so the car was overly retarded and there was no way it would ever have sparked at the right time. Turning the dizzy to match the old photograph and swapping the leads back to the correct locations made all the difference. It was running enough to do the initial running in of the engine, and then a short drive before its full retorque and valve clearance adjustment check. It has had the oil and filter changed so far, and things are looking good. Now I just have to clock up some miles on the engine and do another oil change, so I have been doing a few hours of aimless driving around the suburbs.

So we're back on the streets and ready for anything, well maybe not anything, and we need a full running in. Oh, and a steering rack gaiter, well at least one. The two-year-old one has a hole in it already! The car could really do with the roof being sanded back and repainted as well to be honest. Not to mention that "bubble" on the driver's door has returned too, so that needs looking at. It just doesn't stop!

Leaving for the drive to Perth 3 April 2025.