Donations gratefully received for Nikki’s swearpot…

[Multiphonikks]

Grrr... Frustrations abound...

Got to Victoria Park today. (Wee, go me - I parked right where the start of the free parking zone is)

Hebe was sounding better on the way in than she did last week before I replaced the Alternator, but she still didn't sound quite right... So...

I decided to pop the bonnet and gently pull the throttle.

Ah, the old trick of diagnosing something eh? ...Wrong.

While I certainly diagnosed the problem, I didn't fix it. One huge, godforsaken bang and I rush to the ignition to turn her off. On returning to the engine bay I find a lack of fanbelt where there should be one.

Fanbelt is lying, perfectly preserved (and in that lovely round fanbelt shape we all know) and not at all in the shreaded-I've-just-snapped way.

Nooo, oh no... that's all to simple isn't it? My immediate thoughts prior to finding said fanbelt in said condition were "oh, great... I can just go to Halfrauds and get a new one"

Ha! Wrong again!

So this leads me to searching for the real cause of the bang. I notice a rather large chunk of metal lying twisted on the ground about 4 feet from the engine bay. It has that horrible warm metal feel and so I know it's come from Hebe.

Yup folks... the pully on the bottom of the engine has broken in two. I guess the hairline fracture I spotted months ago has finally got the better of me.

AA Roadside Relay, anyone?!


I've got Pride in two weeks time, and have a hectic schedule at work. Can someone tell me why Minors just know when you don't need a breakdown?!:!

Grrr.com!

So, to the replacement. Firstly, I have a spare engine with a spare pully, and PyoorKate has a spare pully she's told me I can have (both are at her house so I need to get some kind of plan to get them and my spare engine to my house...) but as to the fitting... D'you all think I can get away with replacing it in situ? Obviously, the Radiator is going to have to come out (again) and I may go and replace the water pump while I'm at it (because I have one just sitting there waiting to be replaced) Would it be easier to pester someone to lend me an engine crane and a spare pair of hands, take the engine out, replace water pump and pully on the engine, replace that clutch (which is on it's final adjustment) and be done with it?

Oh, and can you suggest below a nice line of unoffensive, swear word substitutes for next time I break down in Bath and an old lady is going past with her little poodle... I think I shocked her with both the bang and my colourfull language!

Nikki.

P.S. Andrew, d'you think I could borrow your Engine crane and a big scary spanner? The biggest spanner I have is not (I think) going to be big enough to take this thing off...

P.P.S. Andrew, blame Guy - He told me you had a big one...

[Cam]

To change the pulley, I'd take the front panel off and do it in situ, BUT if the clutch needs changing and you have the time, then whip then engine out.

Thing is though.......... is your current engine OK? If so, then stick with it as another engine might be an unknown quantity.... You might swap it only to have it fail on you..........

If I were you, I'd whip the engine out, change the pulley, waterpump (if it needs it) and clutch, then pop it back in.

When bad things happen and you feel like swearing and the top of your head feels like it's about to blow off, just breathe calmly and think: What would Thora Hird do? Works for me!

[Multiphonikks]

To change the pulley, I'd take the front panel off and do it in situ, BUT if the clutch needs changing and you have the time, then whip then engine out.

Thing is though.......... is your current engine OK? If so, then stick with it as another engine might be an unknown quantity.... You might swap it only to have it fail on you..........

If I were you, I'd whip the engine out, change the pulley, waterpump (if it needs it) and clutch, then pop it back in.

When bad things happen and you feel like swearing and the top of your head feels like it's about to blow off, just breathe calmly and think: What would Thora Hird do? Works for me!

Aye, I think the whole keep the engine is a good idea. I've got good compression on that engine, and I know that the rest is pretty okay (though admittedly the carb is a pile of poo)

As for the clutch? Well... I'm tempted. I was going to wait and replace it when I did the gearbox, but as the gearbox is holding up (and works well in all gears except second) I'm going to stick with it.

Thora Hird? She'd make me walk on newspapers....

[Cam]

Sounds like a plan then. Just replace the pulley and do the clutch when the gearbox is done.

[bigginger]

Victoria Park in London, Bristol or Bath? I can't think of anyone you could nag for an emgine crane, or help transporting an engine... I await the phone call!

[Multiphonikks]

Hehe... Victoria Park in Bath of course ;)

And are you Free on Monday?! I have an extra day off (Company holls)

N

[bigginger]

Yeah, Monday's no bother, email me where you are now and we'll sort it out. I never thought that possesion of an engine crane would become the central pillar of my social life...

[Cam]

Erm, Nikki, if you are not taking the engine out...... what do you need the engine hoist for?

[bigginger]

Good point - but if you are, or just want a hand... Possibly a god (EDIT could be a good idea too...) idea to do it while the radiator and front panel are off anyhow. Have you got another 'box?

[rayofleamington]

I've done it with the engine out and it was a pain.
El's car Willberforce did the same thing in April (similar, except that the bang and the ignition light was ignored for another 50 miles - the boiling over finally put a stop top the journey)

So anyway I tried the way that someone on here recommended - and it was done in minutes (I was very happy except when remembering having done it the hard way before).

1) Remove the radiator (keep the antifreeze/water if it comes out clean).
2) Put something on the pulley bolt (I used a heavy duty set of molegrips, but a huge pair of stillsons would be better) - put a piece of wood between the tool and the engine bay floor, then crank the engine over!
The bolt will undo with a 'pop'
3) everything else is childs play! Flatten the tab washer before fitting the new pulley and knock the side up after refitting the bolt however I doubt the tab washer will do much.

[guydenning]

P.P.S. Andrew, blame Guy - He told me you had a big one...

...he does have a wonderful tool - ooer, fnarr fnarr

[NZJLY]

Been there, done that. It is not an easy one to diagnose in the dark I also seem to recall using similar language as described above ;)
I have read that a mini one (Pulley) is better (stronger), so may be worth swapping.

[Cam]

Yes, the later crank vibration damper is a better pulley and looks like this:

http://potteries.mmoc.org.uk/Members_Ca ... 417_02.JPG

[Pyoor_Kate]

Aaah, like wot you get on an Ital engine...

See now Nikki, we should go to the Scrappy at the weekend

[bigginger]

Just been - but no Itals, or anything BMC. Did get my Ford alloy wheel nuts though. Also inspected Mondeo rear drums, hoping they'd have a nice big rim in the centre to ease my mind about fitting Sierra wheels to an Escort axle and relying entirely on the (extended) hub bolts to hold them. The escort drum has a tiny flange, and with a view to fitting later ones (8") thought that the Mondeo/Sierra might have a bigger one... but no, it doesn't have one on the drum at all. Don't know if the Sierra does, being RWD. Any ideas, anyone (Cam!)

[Multiphonikks]

Well, we're going to do the clutch at the same time... Hebe's got to do a nice long trip and I've got a company holiday so... :/

I'll also put the new waterpump on for good measure prolly...

Nikki

[rayofleamington]

Well, we're going to do the clutch at the same time...

even if so - I'd still recommend removing the pulley whilst the engine is in the car and using the starter motor to free it.
You have to take the rad out anyway so might as well do it then, just before unbolting the engine from aeverything else.

[bigginger]

Sounds worth a shot to me

[Cam]

Big G,

The hub bolts are MASSIVE compared to the standard Moggy ones! Of course, it's better if they touch the hub centres though. Does your axle not have extending hub centres then?? Can you post a picture?

What drums have you got on yours then? I have 8" ones on mine. Here is a picture of my axle:



My Escort axle has quite a deep hub centre, but it has RS2000 halfshafts (perhaps they are different??). The Sierra wheels fit it snugly BUT if you don't watch it (like I didn't) then they will fix themselves to the centre with light rusting! It took AGES to free them off (wheel spinning with the wheel nuts loose and bumping up and down kerbs!). Also if you fit 185 tyres they are VERY close to the leaf-springs and actually touch if you corner harshly. I fitted JLH spacers to solve the rubbing problem but in the end I got hold of some newish cheap Peugeot 206 (I think) steels wheels which fit much better and have more of an offset.

[bigginger]

I'll take some pics and have a closer look at the hubs, there's probably something missing - there appears to only be the rim on the drum itself. As for clearance, yep, it needs some thought - at the mo, I'm shoving on Sierra alloys with 195 ( I think) tyres on, with the intention of getting the chassis rolling, but from trial fitting, they look very tight, way to close to the springs for comfort... Axle not fully mounted just yet (perches not welded on), so hard to judge, but I don't think those wheels will be staying, but they were only £30 from the scrappy. The offset's wrong, and I don't really want that sort of width.