Help for old Newbie please

[davecopp]

Thanks for advice SteveClem.

Hi Budgie
I only live 1/2 a mile away from the garden centre. I'll keep an eye out for you. What sort of condition was your's in when you bought it?

[Budgie]

Hi Dave, it was in very good condition to be honest it was restored in 2003 with only the wings requiring renewal and a respray and a few mods like disc brakes, alternator conversion, unleaded head, cream leather interior as opposed to what should be red vinyl but it looks the part in my opinion and a stainless steel exhaust and halogen headlights. The underneath is remarkably very sound with only two small professionally welded patches and just painted and wax oiled with no ghastly thick underseal in sight and the engine bay is detailed and engine itself is a nice bright and shiny BMC green. . If you stumble across me some time then she'll speak for herself.

[davecopp]

Hi Budgie. It sounds fabulous. Hopefully I'll see you around. Are you planning on going to any local shows in the near future?

I was interested to hear you mention the unleaded head. There seems to be two lines of thought, some say there is no problem with the original head using unleaded whilst others say it needs to be changed. I assume you are in the camp of the latter.
What swayed you to change it? Can the original head be modified or do you need to exchange it? Is it very expensive?
Dave

[Budgie]

Hi Dave,

The head was done before I bought the car but if it hadn't been done then I wouldn't necessarily go to the expense of having the exhaust vales seats done which is what is required. You can either get it done yourself for a few hundred pounds, depending on where you go to get it done, or exchange the head for a reconditioned one from the usual minor suppliers. There are a number of ways to carry on without getting the head done i.e. putting lead replacement in the tank each time you fill up, bit costly though, an inline lead catalyst which is basically the petrol passing over a lead type "block "in a small tube which supposedly picks up enough lead while flowing over the petrol before it gets to the carb, or leave well alone and simply use unleaded but there are two trains of thought with the latter. As for shows I did attend the Pontardulais show last year and go to as many as time and weather allow [ I'm one of those that do not take my car out in the rain or even if the roads are wet ]

Regards,

Mike

[davecopp]

Hi Mike

Thanks for the info on unleaded heads. I gain a bit more knowledge every time I come on this message board, it's great.

Dave

[davecopp]

Back from Scotland with my engine - but before that - the Scots must be the most hospitable and generous people I have ever met! I had promised to take my 21 year old daughter to Edinburgh on the back of 2 rugby visits I made in the eighties when I was amazed by the fantastic welcome received. I hoped it would be the same this time (but feared not as it was 30 years ago). On the journey up I made a detour to Cupar in Fife to pick up the engine and gearbox before going to Edinburgh. The guy selling it (on gumtree) had kept it for me for 3 weeks and turned down my offer of a deposit. It was advertised in running order from a known local minor that had done 36,000 miles for £115. When I arrived I explained I would have to take the gearbox off - no problem - and he proceeded to do it for me. He then said I could have the speedo for nothing and did I want the radiator, oh and here's a fuel pump and also a brand new coil. I asked him how much and he said £100. I gave him £140 (feeling guilty when I got home I offered to send a further cheque for £25 - which he refused). He and his Dad then put the engine in the back of my car for me.

So to the match. We were surrounded by Scots who were so nice and chatty even when we were winning. The Scottish couple next to us had a flask of rum which was duly shared with my daughter and me. At half time the guy disappeared only to come back with a bottle of red wine and four beakers again to share with my daughter and me (where else does this happen?). Everywhere we went in Edinburgh the locals couldn't do enough to help. My daughter had thought I had exaggerated before getting there but she was absolutely blown away. Even after the match had finished and we had been hammered we couldn't stop smiling (I even said to my daughter I would have felt ungrateful if we'd beaten them!).

Anyway, back to the project. My plan is to clean the engine and then try running it. Should I use gunk or diesel after scraping the worst off? Is it okay to use a power washer if I take the clutch off, leave the plugs in and put a plastic bag over the distributor? Any advice would be much appreciated. Also I assume I should continue this under restoration projects rather than general discussion.

[Budgie]

Hi Dave,

When I recently took both the engine and gearbox out for a gearbox rebuild and clean and paint the engine and bits I used "Muck off" which is around £7 for a litre but it goes a long way. I ended up using less than a quarter of the bottle and I did the engine, gearbox and engine bay but I suppose it depends on how dirty / rusty your engine and gearbox is. It's a pink liquid and available in many outlets but I bought it online . And by the way, if ever you want to sell that lot on then give me first refusal please. ok I've only just seen the attachment pics, I think you'll need something a bit more substantial than Muck off!

Regards,

Mike.

[biomed32uk]

If your stripping it right down then just get the worst off like you say and then have it properly cleaned, my local engineering place will run a block through the hot washer for a fiver. That gives a it real clean, and gets into the oilways as well. Comes out so you can eat your dinner off it, no paint as well.

[davecopp]

Thanks Mike/Biomed

I want to clean and run it before stripping it down so I think I'll try gunk.

Regards

Dave

[dp]

All this talk of sticking engines in the back of hatchbacks. Be sure to strap down with decent straps to something solidso it doesn't fly forwards if you brake suddenly.