Re: Fall/Winter/Spring Projects for 0248k
Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 6:57 am
Well, it's been a bit of a journey, but I started up the newly rebuilt engine today and it purred nicely.
It certainly took longer than I expected. Mostly life got in the way. But there were some project specific gotchas.
Probably the biggest was getting the head correct. When I checked the valve gaps, I found one that one had 0 gap. To get it anywhere near spec, I needed a very thin follower, and a very thick shim. That took several attempts working with Barry Sale who did the head, and Ken @ DBE. Finding a follower that was thin enough, and fit, was the biggest challenge.
While trying to figure out why this valve was so different, I removed a couple of them. Barry had installed seals on the intakes, and I found one of the seals torn. So that took some time - the first seals I ordered didn't fit. Finally Barry sold me another set and an installer tool. So more time.
Then when I got the engine in, my fuel pump, wasn't pumping. So a new fuel pump got ordered. And it didn't pump either. Finally I figured out that the compression fitting for the supply was leaking air. Luckily I had gotten new fittings, which solved the problem. The original fuel pump went back in. The new one came from RDE, and I got the one with the priming lever. But the lever made it difficult, well, for me impossible, to get a socket on the attachment bolts. Hence just sticking with the old one.
So the engine is in. And should run fine this season. But I'll have to pull it back out in the fall/winter (does this ever end?). Why? Because the head had a spark plug thread insert in #2, and it came off on the plug. Barry says he didn't put it in, and he can't identify the type of insert. So I'll run this season with the old #2 plug with it's stuck on thread insert, and pull the head and send it to Barry for a permanent repair this winter.
And probably pull the whole engine, because my new water pump is leaking. Not a lot, maybe 3-4 drops in 24 hours, I can't figure out why - I didn't think there were any issues or oddities when I was installing it. I'd ask Ken what I must have done wrong, but DBE is closed until later in April. So I'll just put a gallon of coolant in the trunk and hope the leak doesn't get worse.
Compression is 145, 150, 150 for 1,3, and 4.. I'll check them again after they've had some miles to get seated.
My body mod to enable me to replace the heater valve without messing with the engine mounts turned out nicely, I'm very happy with that. And of course with having an Elan to drive this spring/summer/fall.
It certainly took longer than I expected. Mostly life got in the way. But there were some project specific gotchas.
Probably the biggest was getting the head correct. When I checked the valve gaps, I found one that one had 0 gap. To get it anywhere near spec, I needed a very thin follower, and a very thick shim. That took several attempts working with Barry Sale who did the head, and Ken @ DBE. Finding a follower that was thin enough, and fit, was the biggest challenge.
While trying to figure out why this valve was so different, I removed a couple of them. Barry had installed seals on the intakes, and I found one of the seals torn. So that took some time - the first seals I ordered didn't fit. Finally Barry sold me another set and an installer tool. So more time.
Then when I got the engine in, my fuel pump, wasn't pumping. So a new fuel pump got ordered. And it didn't pump either. Finally I figured out that the compression fitting for the supply was leaking air. Luckily I had gotten new fittings, which solved the problem. The original fuel pump went back in. The new one came from RDE, and I got the one with the priming lever. But the lever made it difficult, well, for me impossible, to get a socket on the attachment bolts. Hence just sticking with the old one.
So the engine is in. And should run fine this season. But I'll have to pull it back out in the fall/winter (does this ever end?). Why? Because the head had a spark plug thread insert in #2, and it came off on the plug. Barry says he didn't put it in, and he can't identify the type of insert. So I'll run this season with the old #2 plug with it's stuck on thread insert, and pull the head and send it to Barry for a permanent repair this winter.
And probably pull the whole engine, because my new water pump is leaking. Not a lot, maybe 3-4 drops in 24 hours, I can't figure out why - I didn't think there were any issues or oddities when I was installing it. I'd ask Ken what I must have done wrong, but DBE is closed until later in April. So I'll just put a gallon of coolant in the trunk and hope the leak doesn't get worse.
Compression is 145, 150, 150 for 1,3, and 4.. I'll check them again after they've had some miles to get seated.
My body mod to enable me to replace the heater valve without messing with the engine mounts turned out nicely, I'm very happy with that. And of course with having an Elan to drive this spring/summer/fall.