Thread: Replace the radiator, fix a nasty oil leak

Yesterday I blocked off the inlet ports and cleaned up the engine with high pressure degreaser and then a water jet. Dryed it with air and then sprayed diesel on the internal bits. Sort of came up ok. The timing marks don't quite line up indicating some wear in the chain or gears. The motor seemed much too easy to turn over with a socket on the crankshaft. So I'll see if I can check the compression. I'll squirt some oil down all the bores. Then connect the battery, plugs out, and spin it over and see what I get. I feel a full rebuild coming on if the bores, heads, and crank are ok. I want a good engine as there may be a trip to Melbourne and also to Perth next year towing an old car on my tandem. Actually I prefer to drive my classics but the Mrs doesn't. She likes air con etc.

IMHO you cam is probably worn from the lack of oil changes. It is the most prone part of the engine to wear.
Have a look at the lobes through the lifter holes. Any discolouration of the lobe tips or worse bits missing from the edges is bad.
If so the lifters will also be concave instead of convex so also need to be replaced. As a quirk of history AFAIK they are the same as a Holden 3.8.
The cam chains are always a bit sloppy. Nothing to worry about as they are so short.
Rear main seal will probably leak so good Idea to replace.
Regards Philip A

following up on phillipAs advice..

when you build it and time it dont ever be tempted to do any of the build rotations or timings by snicking the crank backwards you can get a bit out and
while it wont stop it from starting or do major damage but if your going for the edge of performance and knock its enough to drive you nuts.

Today I got a chance to finish off the compression test. The two middle cylinders on the left bank are 60 PSI and 90 PSI, and the front cylinder on the right bank is 90 PSI. So engine out and a full rebuild or just buckled heads or headgasket. The rest of the cylinders are 135 PSI. I might get a chance to work on the engine out bit tomorrow.

Got both engine mounts out and they were both broken. A mate and I washed the sludge and are both convinced that sand has been put in the engine. It is definately not carbon bits as there are some of them as well. Both the colour and shapes appear to be different.

Is there any trick in seperating the gearbox and engine. All bolts are out, exhaust, auto drive plate bolts, etc. I've rocked and pulled and put a wooden wedge in between engine and fire wall. Perhaps the bell housing has been glued up with silicon like the gearbox end of the sump was, and did that take some getting apart.

Well there’s four flex plate bolts and fourteen bellhousing bolts, if they’re all out it should uncouple. Could be glued up, but I don’t know what good it would do.

Finally the engine is out now I need to strip it and measure/check all the bits. What I cannot believe many of the bolts are old whitworth threads and so are the so called 18mm hex heads. Not only have the people from UK managed to make it a difficult engine to remove they are still using whitworth bolts.....I really don't believe it. I have left blood all over the fire wall as a screw point through the fire wall drew blood every time I moved the spanner one hex at a time. I hate my v ate.