It has been awhile but I'm back at my peerless. Got the brakes working...ish so now I'd like to get it running...ish. I had tried spinning it up to build oil pressure but no go, it had some very sludgy oil going on. my gut is telling me it was rebuilt at some point so I plan to take it apart,clean it and put it back together checking clearances along the way. So gotta get the engine out of its shoebox.
Ive run into problems w both the engine snout off and the crossbrace in the engine bay. The snout will take some patience but I'm stumped on the crossbrac! How does that come out?? access seems to be non existent for the bottom two bolts. Any ideas would be appreciated.
(And hopefully this posts as it's my 2nd time typing it.) Thanks. Arthur
It's held by three 9/16 bolts at each end, but they are not easy to get at. One of those ratchetty ring spanners helps, and you may end up grinding the jaws of an o/e spanner down to hold the concealed nuts. It's easier to just grind/drill the heads off and put new bolts in.
But the real fun comes when you want to put it back and the chassis has sprung open just enough to stop the bolt-holes lining up.
TIP 1: Don't leave the chassis lying around with the crossmember out, especially if the front springs are still fitted.
TIP 2: Don't jack the car from the centre (center?) of the crossmember under the engine. The weight of the block + car is more than the tube can bear and it will distort, especially if it's a bit corroded, or the crossmember is out!
Whilst you are down there look carefully behind the lower bump stops and where the tubes from the dash join the turrets, both are known crack points.
you mean you haven't got 14" long fingers with the extra reverse joint....you fool, go buy an MG!
I take it you're trying to remove the cross or strut brace that goes in front of the engine and connects the two suspension turret mounts?
An MG?? I think I puked in my mouth a little bit! Triumph all the way man! (Have a spit, gt6, and will steal my dads tr4)
but yes, trying to remove the brace between the strut towers. I came to think that getting that snout off with the engine connected to the the driveline might be wise. But then again I can bolt something to the fly wheel to mess with it on a stand.
It's held by three 9/16 bolts at each end, but they are not easy to get at. One of those ratchetty ring spanners helps, and you may end up grinding the jaws of an o/e spanner down to hold the concealed nuts. It's easier to just grind/drill the heads off and put new bolts in.
But the real fun comes when you want to put it back and the chassis has sprung open just enough to stop the bolt-holes lining up.
TIP 1: Don't leave the chassis lying around with the crossmember out, especially if the front springs are still fitted.
TIP 2: Don't jack the car from the centre (center?) of the crossmember under the engine. The weight of the block + car is more than the tube can bear and it will distort, especially if it's a bit corroded, or the crossmember is out!
Whilst you are down there look carefully behind the lower bump stops and where the tubes from the dash join the turrets, both are known crack points.
Good Luck
Frank
Absolutely fantastic advice, exactly what I hoped for. Thanks. Hope to get back to it this coming weekend.
I guess you mean the dogbolt that holds the engine pulley and fan. These are really tight, you'll need to wedge the crank with some timber and use an impact wrench, breaker bar, or suitably large percussive tool. Don't be tempted to saw it off, you need to preserve the thread in the crank.
Most of us have thrown these away and fitted a harmonic damper and narrow belt conversion. The damper helps prevent crank fractures and the narrow pulley means you can fit a modern belt and alternator. The original fan struggles to keep things cool in modern traffic and an electric fan does a better job, but draws several amps, hence the alternator.
TIP: Whatever you decide, don't run the engine without either a damper or the original fan fitting. Folklore says this will lead to crank failures.
All this talk of cross braces made me realise that I hadn't seen mine in some considerable time. So long, in fact, that I can't even remembering taking it off.
Anyhow, after a mild bout of panic, a search of the large box called 'bits from front of engine' revealed the cross brace. Badly in need of cleaning and painting but nonetheless, there.
However, I can't remember what attaches to the two threaded studs on the top of the cross brace. Logic suggests it might be the location of the horn(s)?
Oh yeah, cross brace out and engine is out!!! (Sorry to distract the side banter...). Now to clean engine externals and take the lump apart. I'll put the cross brace back in while the engine is out.
yea, sorry we got carried away. I'm not sure you can put it back aND get the engine in...in fact I'm sure you cant but definitely put it in whilst its standing around
As I hinted above, I had forgotten about the cross brace and only re-discovered mine after you started this topic. Therefore my chassis has been repaired and sitting for many, many years without it in place. Given Franks comments, I was really worried it would no longer fit but, amazingly, it slotted right into place.
I'm not for one second suggesting you can happily leave it out whilst carrying out other work and, in fact, you should probably do what others have suggested. I guess I was either just lucky or my chassis rebuilding skills are better than I thought.
A few years ago now I rebuilt the chassis of #278. This car had been raced and rallied all of it's active life and was in a bit of a state. Driven to destruction, in fact.
Anyway, when we cut out the crossmember bolts, the chassis sprung, and it obviously wouldn't go back. It also seems the chassis had been jacked up in the centre of the cross strut under the sump, which was distorted. More interestingly the chassis was cracked behind the lower bump stops, and where the suspension turrets meet the tubes down from the dash. After much head scratching we suspected that the car had been driven/raced with the crossmember missing or loose. However if you look carefully at a bare chassis picture it's noticeable that the assembly has no diagonal bracing to prevent chassis twist. It's really the crossmember that takes most of the load of a front spring as it compresses, and that joint at the top of the turret is where all the twisting stress will end up.
Our replacement chassis had an reinforcing L section added to the under the sump member and some additional bracing for the turrets and bump stops. The footwells and floor were steel plated to further increase the chassis rigidity.
Anyone that thinks that this is getting too serious and compromising originality should try jacking his car under a single front wheel and watching what the chassis does....... Will the doors still open and close? Apparently a period "racing modification" was to run a steel cable behind the seats to stop the doors springing open on corners.
I guess that "original" will be fine if you run 5.20 crossplies, 48 spoke wires, and don't push it. Using sticky 185 sticky, alloys and enthusiasm adds to the strains that this chassis is not well designed to take.
Hoping that this experience/advice is of use. Frank
Nicola Sturgeon.
