Curiosity and all that...............
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 11:46 am
Hi,
Well I was warned by another member that if the engine tap at the back of my 948 engine didn't release water when turned on that it would be a head off job to unblock the waterways and so it was.
On the plus side whilst I was cleaning up bits with the wire brush I discovered the engine number under the rust:
9MUH353597[frame]
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It was suggested that this was an Austin engine because it had a mechanical fuel pump fitted (since blanked off and sold), other than confirming it's a 948 engine if anyone can decipher the number further I'd be interested to know, it appears to have been originally painted red, if that means anything??
Unblocking the waterways involved a long drill bit and a hand auger through the hole at the side where the tap connects, it took a while but I got there and flushed it through. After some cleaning out and freeing up the tap seems to work and seal up again too, so it went back on, though I have a new replacement put to one side in case.
Although, like others on here, I'm not too impressed with the quality of some modern parts. The tap on the bottom of my radiator was seized up but I had a new one, so I undid the old one and put it on the bin pile, wound in the new one, opened and closed the tap mechanism a couple of times to see it worked okay and....... snap!!
[frame]
[/frame]
Faced with no other choice I removed the new one, retrieved the old one, put it in a vice, tapped it with the hammer to free it up, then hammered the turning handle flat / straight (as it was distorted when on the car - another reason I assumed it was knackered and just replaced it) and tried it, it turned and moved freely once again, I then jetted it with water to clean it out and refitted it. After all that abuse the old 'knackered' one now works a treat.......
.... they don't make them like they used to!!
Unfortunately one thing I cant fix with a hammer and some elbow grease is my exhaust manifold.
This is the curiosity part. In my wisdom I decided to undo the two halves of my manifold, for those not aware the manifold on earlier cars separates, inlet and exhaust. I did this firstly out of curiosity, secondly I thought it would be easier to remove as two separate items and I could (and have) keep the carb and inlet manifold together and put to one side, rather than dismantle it, as the carb has been recently rebuilt / refurbished.
The first two studs cam out easily, which I thought was a good omen....the second two snapped! And too close to the manifold body to be easily extracted!!
[frame]
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Anybody got a spare exhaust manifold with studs??.....
While I had it all apart I have replaced the water pump, the engine had been cooled by plain water, hence all the rust and crud, I intend to properly flush it through with Holts two part cleaner, which I have used before and find works a treat, before refilling with the appropriate anti-freeze. I'm then fitting a new thermostat (there was nothing under the housing by the way) under a new housing which has a hole in the top for a sensor for a temp gauge.
Something that surprised me is that there is no hole in the engine block for a temp sender on these engines.
I had expected the old water pump to be thoroughly rusty and worn out but again the old parts surprised me. It is actually in quite good condition and cleaned up rather well, also the pump rotated smoothly and without any slack or wobble, so it has been reprieved and gone into my spares stock. One odd thing though, it seems to have some sort of adjuster (?) screw on top.
Is this the original pump, surely not? [frame]
[/frame][frame]
[/frame]
Finally a small memento of it's time in Tasmania, Australia, the manufacturers stamp on the radiator......[frame]
[/frame]
I have treated the radiator to a repaint but will be sad when it finally comes time to replace it, as I will loose this but these things are cheaper to replace than rebuild.
Well I was warned by another member that if the engine tap at the back of my 948 engine didn't release water when turned on that it would be a head off job to unblock the waterways and so it was.
On the plus side whilst I was cleaning up bits with the wire brush I discovered the engine number under the rust:
9MUH353597[frame]
It was suggested that this was an Austin engine because it had a mechanical fuel pump fitted (since blanked off and sold), other than confirming it's a 948 engine if anyone can decipher the number further I'd be interested to know, it appears to have been originally painted red, if that means anything??
Unblocking the waterways involved a long drill bit and a hand auger through the hole at the side where the tap connects, it took a while but I got there and flushed it through. After some cleaning out and freeing up the tap seems to work and seal up again too, so it went back on, though I have a new replacement put to one side in case.
Although, like others on here, I'm not too impressed with the quality of some modern parts. The tap on the bottom of my radiator was seized up but I had a new one, so I undid the old one and put it on the bin pile, wound in the new one, opened and closed the tap mechanism a couple of times to see it worked okay and....... snap!!
[frame]
Faced with no other choice I removed the new one, retrieved the old one, put it in a vice, tapped it with the hammer to free it up, then hammered the turning handle flat / straight (as it was distorted when on the car - another reason I assumed it was knackered and just replaced it) and tried it, it turned and moved freely once again, I then jetted it with water to clean it out and refitted it. After all that abuse the old 'knackered' one now works a treat.......
.... they don't make them like they used to!!
Unfortunately one thing I cant fix with a hammer and some elbow grease is my exhaust manifold.
This is the curiosity part. In my wisdom I decided to undo the two halves of my manifold, for those not aware the manifold on earlier cars separates, inlet and exhaust. I did this firstly out of curiosity, secondly I thought it would be easier to remove as two separate items and I could (and have) keep the carb and inlet manifold together and put to one side, rather than dismantle it, as the carb has been recently rebuilt / refurbished.
The first two studs cam out easily, which I thought was a good omen....the second two snapped! And too close to the manifold body to be easily extracted!!
[frame]
Anybody got a spare exhaust manifold with studs??.....
While I had it all apart I have replaced the water pump, the engine had been cooled by plain water, hence all the rust and crud, I intend to properly flush it through with Holts two part cleaner, which I have used before and find works a treat, before refilling with the appropriate anti-freeze. I'm then fitting a new thermostat (there was nothing under the housing by the way) under a new housing which has a hole in the top for a sensor for a temp gauge.
Something that surprised me is that there is no hole in the engine block for a temp sender on these engines.
I had expected the old water pump to be thoroughly rusty and worn out but again the old parts surprised me. It is actually in quite good condition and cleaned up rather well, also the pump rotated smoothly and without any slack or wobble, so it has been reprieved and gone into my spares stock. One odd thing though, it seems to have some sort of adjuster (?) screw on top.
Is this the original pump, surely not? [frame]
Finally a small memento of it's time in Tasmania, Australia, the manufacturers stamp on the radiator......[frame]
I have treated the radiator to a repaint but will be sad when it finally comes time to replace it, as I will loose this but these things are cheaper to replace than rebuild.
