Some pics for your gratification

Right, just a quick update with a couple of pics.

I finally managed to finish welding up the stainless exhaust brackets and making them look ok. I'm not overly concerned with aesthetics as they will not really be seen; more concerned that they do their job!

I also mentioned yesterday that I'd put up a pic of the finished remnants of the distributor.

You've already seen the cut down version, well this one has an ally cap on (to keep the dirt out). The cap was made from an offcut of 2" diameter bar, chucked(!) in lathe and turned down.

I've managed to get it so it had to be heated (over gas flame) to expand it slightly then slipped over end of dizzy. Left to cool and it's a nice tight fit! Pleased with that.

I'm going to be selling my tintop so I can look for a diesel van with windows (probably an Espace, maybe a Galaxy depending on who comes up with the right deal), so we'll be down to one car

"Unless I get toy car back on the road." says I.

"Go on then!" says swmbo

So I'm guessing that is permission to get it finished - which means I might get some done tomorrow (well later today).

You should find out tonight!!!

Bye for now.

As you may have guessed there has been a distinct lack of progess this last week and a bit, though today I did cut the stainless for the exhaust hangers.

I've had the ss lying around at work for the last year of so, and have kept on thinking "must do that, must do that".

I've had it work for the very reason that I could cut it out and linnisher one day and weld up the next, but as usual, I've been too busy or too tired most of the time. Today, as we've just completed a fairly urgent order, I packed up an hour or so early and got on with them. I'll be welding them up tomorrow so may stick a pick or two up.

The original exhausts (see pic to the top left) were made from mild steel and even though I prep'd them thoroughly and painted them (heatproof paint, following instructions) they started rusting very quickly. The exhausts have now been replaced with polished stainless jobbies that I a) made and, b) polished. The hangars were also originally made from mild (3mm) and after about a 1000 miles one had broken, the other split half way through, so the new ones are 5mm stainless. I have heard that ss may suffer with fatigue, but I'm hoping that as the new ones are thicker and much, much stronger that they won't flex, and therefore crack.

Nearly forgot, I managed to turn a lump of ally down to fit over the top of the remnants of the distributor which by either luck or talent was heated then a shrink fit. Looks nice, so I'll put up a piccy of that too.

Anyway, gotta go. You may be lucky and get two posts over one weekend.

Fingers crossed!