Oxford build

[oxford1360]

Thanks for kind comments, chaps. Much appreciated.

I will have some more pics soon. The front corners are on (complete with rebuilt calipers which were less of a pain than I anticipated) so I have a rolling chassis at last......except that I'm preparing the wheels at the moment.

The engine is also on the bench and coming together nicely. So, with all this going on, it's time for a bizarre pic. Four hours ago, this water pump housing was covered in oil, grease and rust. The inside was worse, with all channels completely clogged with 40 years of sediment, rust, and radweld. I did wonder if it was salvageable.

However, some time in the electro-cleaning tank and a rub with a wire brush and, hey presto!

I just wish I had taken a "before" pic.

If you are ever having trouble with engine cooling, and your engine has never been apart, it may be worth taking a look at the housing. I seem to remember that some of Mr T's channels were completely clogged with crap.

Electro-cleaning is magic.

[oxford1360]

A bit of progress at the weekend, and tonight I reached a mini-milestone of dropping the chassis off the stands so that it sat on its own four wheels for the first time in nearly a year.

I also mocked-up my fake 15" Dunlop wheels. I need to apply the "Dunlop Racing Wheels Patent Pending" decals. They are a bit theatrical and need a couple of tweaks but I quite like them. The track with the adapters looks pretty good and the wheel/tyre combination should fill the arches nicely.

I now have the engine on the bench and the new cam (Spitfire MkIII) is fitted.

I should get the engine finished over the next two weekends and the lighter evenings.

I'm getting close to starting a Sammio/Ribble build rather than an anal restoration of a Herald which it has been so far.

I shall wheel the chassis outside at the first opportunity to get some better pics of the wheels.

Oh, and the engine will be.............green.

[seanick]

All looks really really good. I like your wheels. I recognise the three eared spinners but where did you fin the mounts?
Also, how does electro cleaning work?
questions. Questions!!

[oxford1360]

Originally Posted by seanick

All looks really really good. I like your wheels. I recognise the three eared spinners but where did you fin the mounts?
Also, how does electro cleaning work?
questions. Questions!!

Evening Seanick,
The spinners are sitting on the standard BMW Mini plastic wheel centres. I plan to give them a dusting of silver paint as they are obviously molded plastic at the moment.

There are lots of Google and YouTube returns for "electro cleaning". I read a lot of them but they are all much the same. I started with -
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/andyspatch/rust.htm

All you need is a big plastic container (a dustbin), a car battery, a charger, some bits of old ferrous metal and some cleaning soda - Sainsburys and Tescos sell it for 99p per kilo.

Just wire it up and in no time you will have a bubbling cauldron -

....which dissolves rust and doesn't touch the healthy metal.

[froggyman]

Wow!! The rolling chassis looks great. I am 'green' with envy!!!

[Viatron]

I see you have used the solid rack mount, how secure is the rack side to side? I tried a set but just couldn't seem to get it to clamp enough so swapped back to standard but wish polybushes that came with my polybush kit
Mac

[oxford1360]

Originally Posted by Viatron

I see you have used the solid rack mount, how secure is the rack side to side? I tried a set but just couldn't seem to get it to clamp enough so swapped back to standard but wish polybushes that came with my polybush kit
Mac

I am a sucker for milled aluminium and stainless, and I think the solid mount was an unnecessary purchase. It grips well, but I may well switch to the original mount and the poly bushes that I have. I shall wait and see what the feedback (or jarring) is like along the wonderful (!) Oxfordshire roads.

[Nike55]

Looks great, esp like the wheels - nice alternative to wires.

[seanick]

Thanks Oxford, will have a go with the electric cleaning bit.
:-)

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by oxford1360

... I'm getting close to starting a Sammio/Ribble build ...

Plus I love your industrial scale science project for cleaning parts.

I wonder if I could find something big enough to drop my 2nd hand Spitfire shell into?



Good luck, Paul.

[oxford1360]

Not much progress in the last month due to work, not being well, and an Under-14s rugby tour. But, I should get some more opportunities in the coming weeks. Tonight I had my first few hours in a long time and made a sump baffle. It was quite rewarding.

[garyh]

Good to see you've started again, why did you need to make one for... What are you upto?

[Mister Towed]

Yep, it's got me baffled too. Looks pretty slick. Looks like you're surging ahead. Will it make the grade or will it be a flash in the pan? Etc, etc

[mikmiglia]

I like your work , you are a clever man

[oxford1360]

Thanks, chaps. The baffle is a little indulgence that I couldn't resist - I wanted to cut, grind, drill and weld.

Once you start reading some of the Triumph tuning manuals you feel that you should have one. And, when you look at the location of the oil pump pick-up, it does make sense.

I plan to do some hillclimbs and sprints, and while the engine was in pieces it seemed sensible.

The funny thing is, there are no plans available online and you can't buy one off the shelf. I cut up a cereal packet to build my mock-up.

If you are interested in tuning the 4-pot - from mild to hot - this site is a good starting point -

http://www.totallytriumph.net/spitfi...g.shtml#Golden

And, yes, I know that the 6-pot sounds better.

[oxford1360]

I feel like I am running through treacle at the moment. There is progress on the non-critical path (my pretentious name for small jobs that will be of value later in the build), but real advances seem to take forever.

I managed some time on the engine today. It's getting there - unleaded head now bolted down.

Next job is setting the valve timing. The new duplex system has no marks so I will have to do it "the Triumph way" which is more fiddly than any other engine maker's way.

Oh, and the engine is far too black........it will be green soon.

[garyh]

Morning O, did you rebuild the engine... Just getting the bits machined?

[Mister Towed]

Just watch Paul D's youtube clip again to remind yourself that it'll all be worth it in the end -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGu50Nhwqv4

That (and Phil J's existing videos) are all the inspiration I need to go out and get on with it, even if it is taking forever.

[oxford1360]

Thanks, Mr T, I agree. I know it will be worth it in the end, and I can honestly say I enjoy every minute down at The Glade.

Gary - I bought a (very) short engine and head from Newark Engines / G A Classics just before the owner died suddenly and the company stopped trading. The block is now +40 thou. The head came with valves fitted and some mild polishing. I bought the rocker assembly new, and all ancillaries are new, e.g. water and oil pumps, cam, tappets, etc..

I can take no credit for the difficult bits, I'm just enjoying building a very big Meccano set......even it if takes a long time.

I think it is partly psychological; with bodywork, if you don't get it right, you do it again. With the engine, if I make a mistake, it will go bang. It's a few years since I put one together and it makes me nervous. And, I made a massive schoolboy error yesterday.

[Nike55]

Originally Posted by oxford1360

And, I made a massive schoolboy error yesterday.

Go on tell us... (won't laugh - promise)

(it may save some other poor bu**er (me) who hasn't rebuilt an engine for a few years making the same mistake!