Good to be back

After a year off the road due to epilepsy I am back again - and it's really good to have the freedom.

Just as pleasing - UNJ now has an MOT so as soon as it is April with a new tax disc I'll have the chance to do some Triumph motoring

Getting it back together

And the next 3 hours!

This mainly consisted of getting the gearbox onto the "new" engine but it was very reluctant to play ball. I had just about got it on when I realised something was wrong as the clutch actuating arm was pointing straight down and wouldn't move.

Ho hum. Took it all apart again and found the carrier for the release bearing had parted but at least it was relatively easy to put it back in place. This time I made sure the actuating arm was fine - or at least that was what I tried to do but when the gearbox wouldn't go back on that sort of got lost in my mind set! Eventually I decided this wasn't a one man job and called on the assistance of Bryce's dad Steve and we soon had it in place.

Strangely Steve seemed to think this was a moment of weakness on my part and suggested I might want to buy a BMW M3! Well thanks for the help Steve but I could do without another car thanks.

From there it was a case of bolting on the starter motor and  both inlet and exhaust manifolds. These manifolds went on and off one or two times until I was happy but nowadays I seem to have more patience so it was no hardship really.

Here's a photo of it all hanging together.

A very pleasing afternoon all in all but I think my back will know about it for sure!

Free standing

Another 3 hours on the 2000 today and lots of progress made.

It's difficult to cover in detail really but here's a few pictures.

This is the rebuilt original engine on the stand ready for more bits to be swapped over.

A difficult one was the pulley as the retaining bolt didn't want to let go on the old engine but with help from Bryce, a large bit of bar, a large bracing bar and a large hammer it let go and was swapped over.

Then the other end for the fitting up of a new 3 piece clutch. This was carefully put in place in alignment as marked when the engineering company did all the bottom end balancing - see "WD".

With that done I fitted a new release bearing too.

Having removed the engine mounting from the old engine I then lowered it to the ground, took the lifting eyes off it and transferred them to the new "engine". Finally, at the end of the day the "new engine came off it's stand where it has been for 6 months and was on the engine crane ready for the gearbox to be mounted next weekend.

Here it is "free standing"

Halfway there?

Had a good 5 1/2 hours on the cars today.

First I cleaned off surface rust on the Rover and applied Curust. So far so very good, the only rust I have found really is of the surface variety as you can see from this photo of the offside sill and door bottoms.

I would have taken more photos but the batteries ran out on my camera!

 

After an hour doing this I switched back to PMW although I can't show any proof of course.

I painted the engine bay with two coats of Venetian blue which is good enough to look OK and help preserve the car further.

I also retrieved the remains of the wing aerial from deep inside the wing itself and sprayed some waxoyl in.

Then swapped various bits over from the engine I took out to the rebuilt original although I couldn't fit the inlet and exhaust manifolds as the engine is still on a stand and they fouled. I did get the thermostat housing and water pump swapped over but I need to get a whirly gun on the front pulley bolt so I can swap that over.

I also got the engine and gearbox separated ready for refitting and removed the clutch as well as the starter motor. I can't make further progress though as I need the spigot bush turning down to fit the lightened flywheel.

Meanwhile, I am compiling rather a long list of parts needed whcihwill delay things somehwat due to budgetary constraints!

Looking great

My Club Triumph friends will think I have lost the plot here!

Not only featuring my wife's Mini Mayfair but admitting I polished the chromework on it as well as washing the car (oh the shame of it).

Does look great though. Photos were taken for insurance purposes.