Discussion
Thanks for the positive comments 
I've been grabbing a few hours here and there to progress things.
A very stressfull 30 minutes had the cases back together and torqued up. The Loctite starts to set as soon as you close the gap so you have to work fast to clamp the big ends and the case perimeter in sequence to stop the case distorting and try to minimise the leaks. All the big through bolts have little O-rings in a bevelled washer just to make it really fiddly.
Other non visible jobs were fitting a few external parts to the case, the timing chain ramps inside and the oil pressure relief pistons.
Tonight I replaced the spigot bearing on the flywheel and made a start on the pistons/barrel assemblies. The ARP tapered ring compressor is wonderful, a bit expensive for a one time use dedicated tool, but it's so easy to use and zero risk of ring damage.
Tomorrow I hope to have all six assemblies on the case and maybe even put a head or two in place. It will depend just how much of a fight the gudgeon pin circlips decide to be!
I've been grabbing a few hours here and there to progress things.
A very stressfull 30 minutes had the cases back together and torqued up. The Loctite starts to set as soon as you close the gap so you have to work fast to clamp the big ends and the case perimeter in sequence to stop the case distorting and try to minimise the leaks. All the big through bolts have little O-rings in a bevelled washer just to make it really fiddly.
Other non visible jobs were fitting a few external parts to the case, the timing chain ramps inside and the oil pressure relief pistons.
Tonight I replaced the spigot bearing on the flywheel and made a start on the pistons/barrel assemblies. The ARP tapered ring compressor is wonderful, a bit expensive for a one time use dedicated tool, but it's so easy to use and zero risk of ring damage.
Tomorrow I hope to have all six assemblies on the case and maybe even put a head or two in place. It will depend just how much of a fight the gudgeon pin circlips decide to be!
Absolutely brilliant read (woe aside) - can't believe this thread is over six years old! The phrase is over-used but this qualifies as a heroic undertaking. There should be a special badge fort this kind of stuff - show the web is about more than skin flicks and cat videos (thank flump!) 
Hopefully having all us fellow PHers willing you on adds a small amount of impetus (even if the car does that well enough itself!)
Hopefully having all us fellow PHers willing you on adds a small amount of impetus (even if the car does that well enough itself!)
Big day in the garage today, some 10 hours, but also some progress you can actually see.
And where I finished for the evening:
Almost without a hitch other than improvising a ring compressor when the oil scraper decides to exit the bottom of the final cylinder whilst tapping home the gudgeon pin emergency measures are required!
20 minutes of fiddling but it's back in. The other option would have been to strip the complete side of the engine I'd just built. So motivation was high!
I also took a little video of the proper ring compressor in action. Awesome!
Untitled by Gary Suggate, on Flickr
And where I finished for the evening:
Almost without a hitch other than improvising a ring compressor when the oil scraper decides to exit the bottom of the final cylinder whilst tapping home the gudgeon pin emergency measures are required!
20 minutes of fiddling but it's back in. The other option would have been to strip the complete side of the engine I'd just built. So motivation was high!
I also took a little video of the proper ring compressor in action. Awesome!
Untitled by Gary Suggate, on Flickr
As usual it's been a while!
The next job from the above shots was to fit the rockers and set the camshafts in the base position.
However whilst fitting the rockers I found the last one (it's always the last one...) was cracked. So I can't put any of them back in. And I couldn't get this one back out without removing the timing cases. 5 hours of work wasted! Still better I find it now than when it snaps at 6k on some random French back road.
Some time passes and a new set of rocker shafts turn up and I get back to where I started, trying to time the cams.
Detail inspection of the shim that controls camshaft end float on the RH cam showed a groove was worn into it, so I've stopped again waiting for parts.
I've stripped it all back down in readiness and thought that dry fitting the exhaust might be a good plan.
It almost fits, what to you expect for that much cash? Perfection? A small clash to the RH cambox will need relieving, and the locating tab appears to be upside down as it's lifting the exhaust up. It's a shame, but nothing that can't be overcome.
All this is setting the build back and it's so hard to determine what the next issue might be until you are actually ready to finally assemble it. As it's taken so long the MOT ran out today, so first drive will have to be to the MOT station which is far from ideal!
Plan is to get to Spa for the 24hr GT race at the end of July, but that is looking sketchy unless it all goes perfectly from now. Parts arrive from Porsche on Wednesday so back on it at the weekend, Fathers day will be a full 12hr garage session.
The next job from the above shots was to fit the rockers and set the camshafts in the base position.
However whilst fitting the rockers I found the last one (it's always the last one...) was cracked. So I can't put any of them back in. And I couldn't get this one back out without removing the timing cases. 5 hours of work wasted! Still better I find it now than when it snaps at 6k on some random French back road.
Some time passes and a new set of rocker shafts turn up and I get back to where I started, trying to time the cams.
Detail inspection of the shim that controls camshaft end float on the RH cam showed a groove was worn into it, so I've stopped again waiting for parts.
I've stripped it all back down in readiness and thought that dry fitting the exhaust might be a good plan.
It almost fits, what to you expect for that much cash? Perfection? A small clash to the RH cambox will need relieving, and the locating tab appears to be upside down as it's lifting the exhaust up. It's a shame, but nothing that can't be overcome.
All this is setting the build back and it's so hard to determine what the next issue might be until you are actually ready to finally assemble it. As it's taken so long the MOT ran out today, so first drive will have to be to the MOT station which is far from ideal!
Plan is to get to Spa for the 24hr GT race at the end of July, but that is looking sketchy unless it all goes perfectly from now. Parts arrive from Porsche on Wednesday so back on it at the weekend, Fathers day will be a full 12hr garage session.
Edited by gary71 on Sunday 12th June 16:32
After some post based shenanigans eventually all the bits turned up from Porsche this morning.
But before that I took out the old oil tank.
...and tried to get the blanking plug out to fit to the new tank:
Increasing levels of violence and heat had no effect so I'll have to come back to that one.
I remade a few connections and wrapped the engine wiring loom, good breakdown prevention!
Then onto the cam timing and the first problem showed it's head:
I'm sure the chains are supposed to sit on the timing gear, not next to it. Arse.
An hour of swearing, manipulating with long pointy sticks and stretched fingers through the sump plate, but mainly swearing with escalating profanity levels, it was back on. My first thoughts turned to having to strip the whole engine again, so I wasn't best pleased.
First cam now done:
And stop for the night as I'm still completely wound up over the cam chains and need a beer!
But before that I took out the old oil tank.
...and tried to get the blanking plug out to fit to the new tank:
Increasing levels of violence and heat had no effect so I'll have to come back to that one.
I remade a few connections and wrapped the engine wiring loom, good breakdown prevention!
Then onto the cam timing and the first problem showed it's head:
I'm sure the chains are supposed to sit on the timing gear, not next to it. Arse.
An hour of swearing, manipulating with long pointy sticks and stretched fingers through the sump plate, but mainly swearing with escalating profanity levels, it was back on. My first thoughts turned to having to strip the whole engine again, so I wasn't best pleased.
First cam now done:
And stop for the night as I'm still completely wound up over the cam chains and need a beer!
A largely productive day today. Cams timed, tensioners rebuilt, bled and fitted, oil lines on, oil cooler on. Rocker covers on, one exhaust on.
Then a minor set back.
This one definitely goes in the 'bloody annoying and expensive but thank God it happened' now category.
I cleaned up the big oil line that fits to the side of the case to fit it before the heat exchanger as access is virtually impossible otherwise.
As I wound it on, not even torquing it up, it snapped the nut under it's own weight!
If this fails on the road the consequences don't bear thinking about. So time for some new parts. For a change!
Still plenty to do with fan, carbs etc but it looks like an engine again!
Then a minor set back.
This one definitely goes in the 'bloody annoying and expensive but thank God it happened' now category.
I cleaned up the big oil line that fits to the side of the case to fit it before the heat exchanger as access is virtually impossible otherwise.
As I wound it on, not even torquing it up, it snapped the nut under it's own weight!
If this fails on the road the consequences don't bear thinking about. So time for some new parts. For a change!
Still plenty to do with fan, carbs etc but it looks like an engine again!
Well. Who would have thought?
Started first turn of the key and settled into a smooth 6 cylinder idle...
I've never been so scared of starting a car in my life, thought of hundreds of hours and thousands of pounds going bang was a bit too much for me
Now to put the rest of the bits on, and work out why the alternator light is on when the ignition is off and off when it's on...
Oh and MOT Wednesday morning!
Started first turn of the key and settled into a smooth 6 cylinder idle...
I've never been so scared of starting a car in my life, thought of hundreds of hours and thousands of pounds going bang was a bit too much for me
Now to put the rest of the bits on, and work out why the alternator light is on when the ignition is off and off when it's on...
Oh and MOT Wednesday morning!
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