Club 80-90 Forums

Smiffo wrote: ↑27 Oct 2022, 19:51 Oooof...

I would have been sweating if faced with that - well done.
I'm looking at your photos wondering if I really have the space and tools to make it a realistic endeavour ( if I were to find I needed to go over an above. )

Maybe I need to think about that first and foremost. i.e. where would I realistically do this, how long would it take etc etc.

Fortunately I don't 'need' to do this now, but a little voice keeps nagging me that one day it will present itself as imminent 

Like most things in life, Steve, l'm trying not to overthink to a point of not moving forward.

I did the case sump plug with the full knowledge if l mess it up then l can give it to an expert and let them re-tap up to M16.

You can always borrow my tools (and time) when it comes to your turn.

Stesaw Steve had a much rougher time with his rebuild. Remember the case stud removal fiasco by a local (to him) company?

Stesaw wrote: ↑27 Oct 2022, 19:38 You're a braver madman than I to be re-drilling your case
Good job Stu

More cleaning to get rid of all that swarf

Took a garden hose to the internals. Dried off with compressed air. The finished off with a light spray of lubricant.

Hey Presto, perhaps you should try some better tools for the job.

It's a shame we stopped investing in precision engineers years ago. You've got soooo much to learn.

Not for loaning. To avoid any doubt, the wrench

Finally got my parts from Brickwerks, delayed by strike action from Post Office or Parcelforce staff.

Went about changing the small end bushes using the non stretch rods from an early DG engine; these were given a health check (for twist or bend) by the company l used for case cleaning.

The claim by Brickwerks these are semi-finished bushes in need of honing only is a bit misleading. They will need drilling, reaming and honing. More of this later.



I watched a few videos beforehand and it all seems straightforward. So to work.

Set up a press. In this case using a vice with soft metal inserts covering it's jaws. A 19mm socket (but your 19mm socket may differ in diameter) as a drift. A source of heat. Hot air gun or blow torch. And lastly an appropriate sized spacer for the removed bush to fall into. I used a wheel bearing with an internal 27mm diameter.



Set on an old crank bearing for correct height.



Heat the crown of the conrod for a couple of minutes.



Line up rod and new bush against the old one and drive it out in the vice. The bearing l used is not wide enough to fully release old bush. But simply remove rod from vice and knock it away with a small hammer.



Then put rod back in vice with socket or appropriate size drift and another small turn to centre bush.



I put a pen mark to remind me where the bush join inserts the conrod at about 90% from top. Apparently the least amount of wear from gudgeon pin at this position. Keep bush join away from oil holes.



And the next one done.



After all four are fitted insert each rod back in a vice and drill out the two oil holes. I did it in two stages. 2mm and 3.5mm oil lubricated drills. I placed a smaller socket inside the bush to stop drill bit getting grabbed and damaging opposite internal side. Ask me how l know.



Should come out in reaming. I have spare bushes, though. First stage drilling.





Ready for reaming. Old bushes in centre.



A family friend and old school independent engineer will ream and give final bespoke hone for each rod matching new gudgeon pin. Seeing him on Saturday.

Nice one Stuart 

Nice work Stu 

Sending a love tap back, fellas.

On to the crank. Time to refit cam and dissy drives.

There's a captured crank bearing to fit before drifting on cam gear, a spacer, then dissy drive gear. This bearing need's fitting in the correct orientation to match crank journal oilway. So check it in your casing first.

Standard crank bearing to left of camshaft drive. Then spacer and distributor drive gear.



Fitting the camshaft drive gear involves heating to 80c and driving it over a woodruft key, with the two marks facing outwards. These two marks (at 3 o'clock) correspond with a mark on the camshaft gear.



I heated the two gears in water using a 80c thermostat suspended in the same saucepan as a guide. No photos.

Next, to find something of the appropriate diameter and strength to knock on the heated cam drive gear. I found the shaft of an axle stand the ideal tool; a heavy and a strong platform to hit with a club hammer.

Set the crank upright on a solid surface. Or fit a flywheel. Align the gear to fit over the key and start whacking with (ln my case) axle stand shaft until cam gear is against the shoulder on the crankshaft.





Slide on spacer (photo taken later on. Hence dissy drive gear already in place).




Meanwhile the dissy gear has been simmering away, waiting for similar abuse using a homemade, sand-filled, copper pipe drift.




This was by far the most awkward of the two gear drives. I found it most difficult to get it aligned with the woodruft key. Three attempts later, and a bloodied fingernail, left me going go for broke. Get it on. Whack it down. Success!

Fitting circlip, using inappropriate tool.



Another bearing and oil thrower.



And another woodruft key. But which way round?

Flat end toward oil thrower.
The dizzy gear is always the easier of the two - what were you doing with that drift?? I use the same tube to fit both gears.

Sent from my moto g(30) using Tapatalk

Thanks.
The camshaft gear went on easily enough. But l thought using the heavyweight axle stand shaft for the dissy gear an overkill, and worried about damaging it. So l rapidly knocked it down with a homemade copper pipe drift instead. I was amazed how swiftly it lost it's heat once out of water. Just a few of seconds before easily bare-handled.

Nice one Stu.
I still enjoy following this post with interest !

brilliant work mate, been following this from the get-go. I've refreshed a load of IDI diesels but this is why I always ran away at splitting a flat four case.

Thanks to both.

More coming shortly.

Tomorrow lm riding my motorbike to meet with Jeff the engineer. An old family friend and a brilliant independent engineer. The type of fella who makes his own carbs to fit old Brit or european motorcycles. He might let me ride his Belgium made1920's FN.

Stock photo.

good cheap snap ring pliers linky

Thank you.