Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[FrazzleTC]

I can now confirm, that it's almost certain that the O-ring has failed. The leak hasn't got any worse, but it's still losing oil, and making a mess wherever I park, so I can be easily traced. This issue will hopefully be resolved in the next few weeks.
In other news, the MOT will be taking place at the end of this week, and hopefully there won't be any big issues.
Today saw the start of a bit of an interior spruce-up. I've acquired a new steering wheel which I've now fitted, and, I finally tracked down a Lucas 608 rear-view mirror, for just £10! This will hopefully make a big difference to night driving, since I use the car very regularly, and found myself getting dazzled with the old Desmo mirror, though I did like the view that it offered. I've also obtained a new dashboard top, and will hopefully fit this in the summer.
Here are some photos.



I also took advantage of the longer evenings, and made the most of drive-it-day. The car ran nicely throughout the weekend, and covered plenty of miles. It certainly doesn't sit idle for too long!

[FrazzleTC]

As mentioned in previous posts, the engine had developed an increasingly noticeable oil leak at the back of the head, which was diagnosed as a failed O-ring at the back of the head. As a result, it was time to take the head off, and replace all of the gaskets, while cleaning everything up, and getting valve clearances perfect. As I'm something of a novice where such surgery is concerned, I enlisted the help of a friend who also has a 2000, to disassemble everything. I set to work, removing ancilleries on the Saturday afternoon, so the carb, heatshield, various hoses, the heater rail, and a few other bits and bobs. This meant that when my friend arrived on Sunday, we'd get a clear run.
The first obstacle that we encountered was in getting the locking pin in place, which was almost impossible. We then measured the valve clearances, which were all over the place. Once the tensioner was held in place with cable ties, we eventually lifted the head off. We then scraped all of the old gaskets off, and set to work, cleaning the head up with petrol. We then rubbed the shims down until they were just right, as I hadn't any other sized shims.
The gaskets were all smeared in a little lithium grease before fitting.
Once the head back on, we reconnected the ancilleries, and after double-checking everything, the car burst into life.
This makes it sound so simple, and quick, but it took quite a while, though it was an excellent learning experience, and my friend's help was invaluable!
I did take photos, but they're not very good, as they were taken in a rush.
The next aim for the 2000 is to get it through its MOT later this week!

[FrazzleTC]

The 2000 flew through its MOT this morning, with no advisories!

[Rick]

Good news eh! Enjoying these updates too, gives a good idea of what's involved in keeping a regular-user classic in good order

RJ
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