Hi Ralph...They look well clean..I think its normally easier to get them sand blasted but you have done a blinding job..Its been over 30 years but when i worked at a local piston service company we used to use piston ring expanders to re-fit new rings and then a piston ring compressor to fit the pistons into the cylinders..Some might say that you might not need them but im sure it would be easier!!..Mind you it has been a long time so i could be talking twaddle..
http://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=L&ai=Cx8dUok-5...
Awlfrauds do a piston ring compressor..
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=p...

Sorry if im trying to teach you to suck eggs...Ziga

Hi Guys
Not posted much as been a little busy, what with having some issues with the pistons not matching and still waiting for the block to return which am happy to report will be this Thursday.

Still working on the car and have painted all the front chassis and suspension and finished off a few more engine parts and am about to commence a full engine bay respray and start the re-build off the engine this weekend, so should have loads of pictures to post, cheers

Cheers Jimbo
This car has really taken hold mate and poor old car had not been cleaned for about 4 months and he was look pretty poor to say the lease, so out with a bucket and a quick polish and i dont remember him looking that good , still its been a long time now so here's a few pictures and hopefully the engine will be built and ready to install soon, cheers

I've always liked dark red metallic/burgandy

One of my favorites.

1st car was this colour and i had racing bike sprayed the same.



Jimbo

If you are gonna put the new rings on Ralph be very very careful coz they will snap just like that,you think you can just tweek em over the piston and slide em down but not always that simple mate,been there and got the tee shirt with lads mini engine.

Hi Guys
Well am starting to think this car has it in for me so up early yesterday to re-build the engine only to find that the box containing the new main bearing kit only had the small ends in it grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr o well if its not one thing, it another, still one things for sure, You an't gonna win Mr 350i, so you may as well give up

Cheers Superwedge that makes me feel a little better

Well even with the weather being so bad, i still continued with the car and as you can see in the picture's the car must of had a re-spray at some point, thus the mass over spray in the engine bay, now i have spent alot of time on the engine trying to make it look the best i can and there's on way i am putting in back in this mess, so have started to address the situation by preping it ready for a re-spray which i was hoping to finish this weekend but weather permits

Still when it was peeing down was under the brolly in the garden seeing if i could polish these items, still a little way to go and some painting still to be completed on the PAS bracket but i think there look good once finished, cheers






Water pipe and pas bracket not finished but getting there, the pas bracket will have black bolt flanges etc



Thanks for looking

Hi Zig
Cheers Mate, would have had that engine re-build but as posted, no bl****y shells, still cracking on mate and if you have time be great to catch up, cheers Ralph

Nice polished header tank Ralph!
Any idea where you got it from, or where I could get hold of one similar?

Cheers mate,
Very much appreciated.
I'll be giving them a call after the bank holiday.
Cheers for now
Mark