Right back to where I started four years ago

[ukkid35]

My car is back in its natural habitat at last, a foot off the ground on axle stands (of course this is not typical of other Cerbs, only of basket cases that are tracked to death)

[Jhonno]

Well, at least as you've done it before, it will be easy this time..?!

[ukkid35]

I'm really hoping I can get it all done by the end of September in time for DN13. I'm going to the EdFest in a weeks time, so that isn't going to help, but I have all of September free. No intention to get the heads skimmed again, not that there's enough left to skim anyway, so that will save time too. The cam timing part still scares me though. Might as well replace the cam chain this time too. Got to decide whether to faff around getting the manifolds ceramic coated, really not sure.

[ukkid35]

The evidence piles up

The oil seep from headgasket around cylinder 1
No soot in exhaust port cylinder 1 (unlike all other ports)
Endoscope showing damp inside cylinder 1 (not so easy to see but definitely glistening)

[ukkid35]

The teardown continues at a good pace



I hate AJP8 head bolts with a vengeance

[ukkid35]

Work so far

Evening one - lift and remove under trays
Evening two - remove exhaust and propshaft
Day three - remove cooling system
Day four - remove induction system
Evening five - remove gearbox

I'm typically spending 3-4 hours each evening and 6-8 hours each day. I am glacially slow I know, but this is lightning fast compared with my first attempt.

[aide]

ukkid35 said:

Work so far

Evening one - lift and remove under trays
Evening two - remove exhaust and propshaft
Day three - remove cooling system
Day four - remove induction system
Evening five - remove gearbox

I'm typically spending 3-4 hours each evening and 6-8 hours each day. I am glacially slow I know, but this is lightning fast compared with my first attempt.

I have a cooling system pressure tester that may be useful when you're reassembling, it's such a pain getting the hoses perfectly watertight without over-tightening the jubilee clips.

[jammy_basturd]

ukkid35 said:

Work so far

Evening one - lift and remove under trays
Evening two - remove exhaust and propshaft
Day three - remove cooling system
Day four - remove induction system
Evening five - remove gearbox

I'm typically spending 3-4 hours each evening and 6-8 hours each day. I am glacially slow I know, but this is lightning fast compared with my first attempt.

That's pretty good going doing it alone! Took me the best part of a couple of weekends and many evenings to get my engine out!

[jammy_basturd]

aide said:

I have a cooling system pressure tester that may be useful when you're reassembling, it's such a pain getting the hoses perfectly watertight without over-tightening the jubilee clips.

Just looking at one of these for myself - do they all replace the reservoir cap? Thus not actually testing the cap itself?

[aide]

jammy_basturd said:

aide said:

I have a cooling system pressure tester that may be useful when you're reassembling, it's such a pain getting the hoses perfectly watertight without over-tightening the jubilee clips.

Just looking at one of these for myself - do they all replace the reservoir cap? Thus not actually testing the cap itself?

I have two pressure testers, I think one of them has a cap tester, but it's for my old jag.

One has a set of generic rubber, cone shaped, expanding header tank bungs (if that makes sense) and the other one has around 12 different size header tank caps with a nozzle on top to connect the pump with the pressure gauge attached.

[julian64]

Why take the gearbox off to take the engine out?

If you've gone to the trouble of getting the propshaft off why not lift the engine and gearbox out as a single unit?

BTW gunsen sell a easibleed brake bleeding kit which is a bottle with a number of differnt sized caps, one of which fits the expansion tank, and a lead to plug onto the shrader valvue of a tyre. Wasn't expensive

Its pretty good for bleeding brakes, and works well as a pressure tester for the water system.

[ukkid35]

julian64 said:

Why take the gearbox off to take the engine out?

If you've gone to the trouble of getting the propshaft off why not lift the engine and gearbox out as a single unit?

I don't have the option to pull the engine, because of where my car is I have to work with the engine in the engine bay. This is a pic from four years ago, and where I should be by Thursday.

[ukkid35]

julian64 said:

I think you are some sort of masochist. Mike (Saunders) and his dad used to tell me they could remove the engine and gearbox (together) from a cerb in a little less than an hour. I've never managed that, but it took me less than a days work.

Having done that all your problems would virtually dissapear. I stripped an AJP8 down to individual components in a weekend. Its so much easier to apply tools and get bolts out without breaking them with the engine in front of you.

Engine hoist would cost peanuts to rent, and all your problems with trying to work round a Cerb in a tight garage would also dissapear. You'd stop buusting your knuckles, damaging the various bits of the engine, and have a morew fun time of it.

Hats off to you that you want to do it in this way, but I really can't see why you'd want to.

We had that discussion four years ago, and nothing has changed since then. I still work on my car with the consent of my neighbours, and I will not do anything to risk upsetting them unnecessarily.

[jammy_basturd]

aide said:

I have two pressure testers, I think one of them has a cap tester, but it's for my old jag.

One has a set of generic rubber, cone shaped, expanding header tank bungs (if that makes sense) and the other one has around 12 different size header tank caps with a nozzle on top to connect the pump with the pressure gauge attached.

Interesting! Which old Jag do/did you have? This is for a Series 1 XJ6.

[julian64]

ukkid35 said:

julian64 said:

I think you are some sort of masochist. Mike (Saunders) and his dad used to tell me they could remove the engine and gearbox (together) from a cerb in a little less than an hour. I've never managed that, but it took me less than a days work.

Having done that all your problems would virtually dissapear. I stripped an AJP8 down to individual components in a weekend. Its so much easier to apply tools and get bolts out without breaking them with the engine in front of you.

Engine hoist would cost peanuts to rent, and all your problems with trying to work round a Cerb in a tight garage would also dissapear. You'd stop buusting your knuckles, damaging the various bits of the engine, and have a morew fun time of it.

Hats off to you that you want to do it in this way, but I really can't see why you'd want to.

We had that discussion four years ago, and nothing has changed since then. I still work on my car with the consent of my neighbours, and I will not do anything to risk upsetting them unnecessarily.

God I'm getting old. .

Anyway I asked where you were because if you were in spitting distance to brands hatch I was gonna suggest you come over in the car where I have all the bits to help you take the engine out. You could then kart the engine and car away on a trailer to work on the engine at your leisure, leaving your car looking normal on your drive for the neighbours.

I guess however if yo uare that adept at pulling the front off the engine you'd probably not see that as much help.

I've got to post some photos of whats currently on my ramp to show you why its easier for me . Hang on.

[ukkid35]

julian64 said:

God I'm getting old. .

Anyway I asked where you were because if you were in spitting distance to brands hatch I was gonna suggest you come over in the car where I have all the bits to help you take the engine out.

Thanks, I'll save that offer for when the bottom end (or pumps) go, because then I really will be stuffed!

[FarmyardPants]

ukkid35 said:

julian64 said:

Why take the gearbox off to take the engine out?

If you've gone to the trouble of getting the propshaft off why not lift the engine and gearbox out as a single unit?

I don't have the option to pull the engine, because of where my car is I have to work with the engine in the engine bay. This is a pic from four years ago, and where I should be by Thursday.

Probably a stoopid question but why do you need to remove the gearbox if you're working on the engine in situ?

[jammy_basturd]

I assume you can't tilt the engine/gearbox down far enough past the gearbox mounting plates, in order for the timing cover to clear the chassis rail?

[ukkid35]

You really do need to lift the engine by about six inches for the timing cover to clear the chassis rail (so not possible with the gearbox attached - possibly three inches lift otherwise). I doubt titling it would work, and once you've got the propshaft off you might as well pull the gearbox (although that does mean you have to put it back which is much more awkward - I need a friend to help me manoeuvre the gearbox while my gf presses the clutch).

[julian64]

julian64 said:

God I'm getting old. .

Anyway I asked where you were because if you were in spitting distance to brands hatch I was gonna suggest you come over in the car where I have all the bits to help you take the engine out. You could then kart the engine and car away on a trailer to work on the engine at your leisure, leaving your car looking normal on your drive for the neighbours.

I guess however if yo uare that adept at pulling the front off the engine you'd probably not see that as much help.

I've got to post some photos of whats currently on my ramp to show you why its easier for me . Hang on.

This is my garage on sunday just gone








Replacing core plugs on this and giving the engine a dust over was much easier this way. Not a cerb, but equally loveable