Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[MikeEdwards]

I have something similar for swapping wheel bearings. I've never used it for that (yet), but I have used it along with other bits and pieces for various other uses, like pulling suspension bushes out.
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1976 Vauxhall HP Firenza, 1976 Vauxhall Sportshatch (x2), 1986 Audi coupe quattro, 2000 Audi TT

[Rootes75]

So, after plenty more head scratching we had another go at our Hillman engine today...

I wanted one more go at getting the pistons in before dropping the crankshaft so today we tried again.

I opted to feed the con rod up as far as I could from underneath, this was held in place by my Father squeezing his hand up past the crank. I heated number 1 piston and sat it in the bore as deep as the first ring, in this far the con rod top could be lined up by putting my little finger in the hole. Then I pushed in a cold gudgeon pin, and with a suitable sized drift I could tap it fully into place with a wooden mallet.

It worked, took about 20 minutes all told but it worked. So we gave the others a go and within the next hour or so all pistons were in and with no rings snapped!!

Very pleased we gave it another go but it's a pretty difficult job if that's the way it has to be done!!
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[Ray White]

Well done with that Hillman engine. I thought you would manage it somehow!

[badhuis]

Excellent!
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a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment

[Rootes75]

Just goes to show walking away from it when it's not going right is probably the best thing to do. Don't go too far when it appears to be going badly as its difficult to go back.

Step back, think it through. Have a good plan and patience.

We tried this way before and simply couldn't do it, we couldn't get the gudgeon pins in trying it before and I didn't want to damage any parts forcing them.

This time we worked out a method and tried it, after a couple efforts we found a way of making it work. We are very pleased we didn't have to drop the crankshaft!!

Next weekend out plan is to attach the con rods to the crank, we have new bearings and sump set so fingers crossed bottom end will be complete this time next week.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[Bitumen Boy]

Time spent thinking about a problem is rarely wasted... and thinking often starts by locking up the garage and putting the kettle on.

[Rootes75]

One further issue we have come across....we started looking through the box of stripped engine parts...there are only 15 cotter halves...should be 16 obviously...
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[Rootes75]

Been down the yard, more sorting of engine parts.

We are definitely missing a valve cotter half...and one piston circlip...
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[Rootes75]

Well, more time spent rebuilding the Hillman engine. 3 pistons in but the fourth we managed to crack a ring even when using the ring tool.

After withdrawing the offending piston we found the top of the cylinder has a burr that you can feel with your fingers. Obviously the ring was getting caught on that.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[Rootes75]

I am seriously losing my patience with this Hillman Minx engine, what a difficult little engine to work on. It also doesn't help rebuilding an engine that someone else stripped 20 or 30 years back!!!
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[MikeEdwards]

Tried again to get my tailgate to line up. I've spaced the hinges down as far as I can (the torsion spring will foul on the bodywork if I go any further) and it's pretty good, probably as good as it can be unless I can think of something else to do.
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1976 Vauxhall HP Firenza, 1976 Vauxhall Sportshatch (x2), 1986 Audi coupe quattro, 2000 Audi TT

[Rootes75]

Continued working on the Hillman engine. All pistons now in and connected. Everything torqued up ready for the sump to be refitted.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[Rootes75]

Oil change on our Commer complete.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[consul 57]

finaly got around to changing the consul to neg earth so i can fit the electronic ign, alternator & elec windscreen wipers.
had to rewire a few things but it starts and runs for now.
sadly i now need new tail light bulbs as i fitted led ones about 3 years ago and of course they are neg or pos earth and cant be used on the other polarity!
been meaning to do this for about 6 years! first real work i have done on the old girl for about 6 months.

[MikeEdwards]

Last year I fitted a USB socket to the Firenza, I did a lovely neat job putting in place of the old lighter socket. Trouble is, while it's a good place to put a lighter socket - easy to hand just to the left of the steering column - it's a terrible place for a USB socket because the wires trail across the bottom of the dash and the gear lever. So I removed it, put the old dash insert back in, and made a custom bracket so the socket can sit on the passenger side of the dash. Once I've sorted a new phone bracket, it'll make the cable runs much neater. Only trouble is that there's a dodgy connection somewhere, so I need to have it apart again to sort it. Also ran the car in anticipation of taking it to an event this morning which I abandoned due to rain.
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1976 Vauxhall HP Firenza, 1976 Vauxhall Sportshatch (x2), 1986 Audi coupe quattro, 2000 Audi TT