Hmm. Best laid plans, and all that

Well, I'd been hoping to get a bit of time on the car over the weekend, but things just didn't work out that way.

Got up a bit later than expected today, having got to bed a bit later than expected last night, then had to go shopping.

I'd been thinking of going to the Model Engineering Exhibition at the Ally Pally today (it was on yesterday, too) but decided against it, as I'd only spend money (and time) that could be better used elsewhere.

Anyway, I've been watching a programme on Information TV called The Painting and Drawing Channel (see www.paintingdrawingchannel.co.uk or www.saa.co.uk) and have decided I'd like to have a go at painting. Now, unfortunately for me, I can't draw for toffee, but I still managed to spend a couple of quid (that could have been better used elsewhere!!!) on materials etc. No wonder Artists charge so much for their work, have you seen the price of paints!! I may have to try using a couple of gallons of Dulux instead. Fortunately, I have a friend who offered me a "how-to" session as he's quite good:), so I think I'll take up his offer. Just need to find the time. Just need to find some subject matter. We have a very old bridge which should be a challenge as it's set in a steepish valley so greenery, trees, water, brickwork, and maybe a bit of sky too. Who know, I may add a surfer to the background just for a laugh.

Anyway, got back from shopping and decided I'd have a tidy up in the garage, as it was getting to the stage where I was having to step over things, and still not touch the floor.

I've got a Jag IRS (2.88/1.00 f/d ratio) which I'm going to either have to get rid of, store elsewhere or flog as it's big, heavy and in the way. I originally bought it for Deimos but have been persuaded by people who know better than me to use something else. Who knows, I may have to build that T bucket I've always wanted.

The Jag unit has been replaced a BMW diff (2.28/1.00) which will be going in, though I may "pre-make?" the rear subframe, so when I'm ready it'll simply be a matter of unbolting prop and uprights, cut out old, weld in new. Sounds simple, but that'll probably be another two year "winter project".

What I have noticed on the car, is that I'm going to have to remove the steering rack to get the crank pulley off. Not a major job, but could have done without it. Still I might be able to leave steering arms in place, and just undo rack. I don't need much more space.

Anyway, I'm off, just got to pop out for a couple of minutes, then I may get to the garage.

I haven't forgotten, don't panic!

Just thought I'd better let you know I haven't forgotten about the blog, it's just that not much has happened.

I think I managed to clean out all the tissue paper from the ports - using a mechanics grabber.

I've just "done" the wiring for the coil pack - done used loosely as it still needs finishing, but all wires are in respective brackets. The coil packs need a home somewhere in the engine compartment, and I'm currently thinking that'll be towards the front, but (obviously!!) behind the rad.

I've more or less finished the ecu loom and am currently trying to decide where to put the ecu. It needs to be dry (so not under the seats as car has tendency flood when it rains!) and away from the high temps of the engine compartment. That means probably bolted to bulkhead, under the scuttle.

I've set myself a target to speed things up (I've already renewed my road tax and as of today wasted £6.89 (14/366ths of £180, for those interested:)). Anyway, the car needs to be on the road, and tested for a week or two by the 9th March as I'm organising (with a friend) the marshalling for the Pioneeer Run (veteran m/cycles London to Brighton) from Pease Pottage services to Pyecombe Roundabout and it'd be nice to have toy car for that.

Anyway, gotta go the wife has just made me a nice cup of nice. Aren't I lucky!

More at the weekend hopefully.

Lack of progress - forecast

Last night I decided to try and clear some of the tissue from the three cylinders that it's visible in .

Firstly I tried a piece of stainless wire, with a small sharp hook bent onto the end. That was boring and slow. Next up was petrol. Everyone likes a big bang, so I found an old syringe (used for measuring hardener for glassfibre resin actually) and squirted some fuel down the driver's side cylinders.

Got a long length of piano wire, wrapped a piece of masking tape to the end, lit it and using this, lit the fuel vapour in cylinders.

Had some very, very loud bangs. Unfortunately (in this case), petrol tends to burn very quickly, so didn't seem to have much effect on the tissue.

I also tried chucking petrol in all the pots, putting plugs back in, leads on and spinning it over, but I think I still have the inlet tracts blocked on the rest of the cylinders, as it didn't want to fire properly.

And so, the reason for the title hereof, I think I'm going to have to wait till the weekend, and strip the inlet manifold off (and interoolers etc) and get out what I can from the other end. I may even get a blowtorch. I will not be taking the heads off.

So, from me, till possibly Saturday evening....

Wish me luck

Success and, oh *%^&$&%^&

Yep, one of those days. Started off reasonably well, got up late (still recovering), and popped into work where I had a spare distributor and crank pulley, which I picked up.

Had lunch then we went into town to get some bits and pieces (me: nuts and bolts/her tv for the kitchen). Anyway I succeeded, she didn't:)

Got home and decided I'd make a start on getting the crank pulley modified for the trigger wheel. Having read in various places about using a lathe to skim off a couple of thou here, another couple there, I wasn't particularly looking forward to it.

Anyway, this is a pictorial history of how it went. Start off with one reasonably new pulley

And take it apart. Note the lack of lathe work required!

Then remove the rear section as a) it's surplus to requirements and b) it's where the trigger wheel is going to go.

Then figure out where you want trigger wheel to line up (I used a couple of 5mm spacers to bring it away from the rest of pulley, as recommended), and bolt it all together.

The other job I set myself to do was cut down the spare distributor. I'm going to use coil packs for ignition so the dizzy becomes redundant for sparking purposes BUT, the dizzy is driven by the camshaft, and the oil pump is driven by the dizzy, so it can't be lost completely. It just has to be reduced in size.

Take one distributor

Remove cap and innards, then cut off most of what's not required

Can't leave it looking as rough as that, so remove oil pump drive from bottom, pull out inner shaft, and shorten (the bit sticking out, on right side), turn for 10 minutes in lathe, and hey presto:

Just need to make a cap, which I'll do after I sort out the "Oh *%^&$&$%&".

This you really don't need to know about. Well, you do, but I don't want to tell you for no reason other than it's so embarrassing.

Doing engine work, cleanliness is rather good. So, when you have an inlet manifold, with all ports pointing up, you get a bit concerned about stuff falling in.

So you put tissue or rag in the holes.

Some time later, you decide that as you need to get tdc on engine and you want to turn engine by hand, it would be a good idea to remove the plugs.

Imagine one's surprise coming upon tissue paper in the cylinder bores. The engine still turns over freely, so I'm guessing nothing has jammed up.

So tomorrow, well later today, I take a hooked piece of (softish) wire and start fishing it out, then get the vacccum cleaner, then a bit of petrol and a match (maybe!).

Wish me luck:)