Thread: Time for a Re-fit

Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

Hi John

Don't be too hard on yourself, when you get that head off, treat it with loving care, get the valves tidied up, check it for true and any cracks.
A chance to make a good engine even better.
.

Hey Arthur,

Thanks mate. As you can imagine, I have been a bit crook at myself since mid-afternoon. You're right - in for a penny, in for a pound, eh? Why not extend my repainting to overhauling the head?? Thanks for the encouragement.

Cheers,

John

Originally Posted by Johnno1969

Here's something a little bit different. It's a photo which a mate just sent me: it's me with the Landy in 1991.

That's not you, it's some skinny bloke.

Originally Posted by Johnno1969

The attached photo is not my engine.... I don't think I could ever manage that perfect look (I will be happy with about 60% of that quality...). But I thought I'd post it anyway as it is so pretty. At least it goves me something to aim for and miss badly. We all have to have goals in life.

The reason I found this photo on the interweb was that I have been checking for the correct colour for the oil filter housing (there goes another interesting rivet). I am about to paint mine. In this case, I want to match it as best i can - not too worried about getting the perfectly correct paint, though.

I'm finding this refurbishment an interesting process. It is definitely not a restoration, but more and more I want things to be the correct colour, fitment etc etc etc. I think the best way to think of it would be to imagine if I had had the vehicle from new and not made unnecessary changes along the way to its character (such as changing colours willy-nilly or chopping things up) but rather that the vehicle slowly evolved with practical modifications that suited me. That's basically the end effect anyway. I just need to start with as clean a canvas as I can at this point.

More later today.

John

...although it could reasonably be mistaken for your engine, given its positioning in some bloke's living room, in a house that could just about be yours.

Originally Posted by wally

That's not you, it's some skinny bloke.

There was another photo of the skinny bloke with a dopey looking mate.

I've decided to pretend that the engine doesn't exist for the moment.

Today I started fiddling with making a panel to hold the extra gauges (oil pressure, temp and a gauge for the left hand tank). I've got some nice heavy aluminium sheet, so I'm using that.

The gauge for the second fuel tank is an original item from a Series III which I've always had fitted into a home-made panel. In keeping with this whole project, I am trying to do a better and tidier job of fitting it than I did many years ago. The final effect will be managed through using a bit of an old thread-tape holder as the surround for the gauge (some old dodgy habits never die).....

Here's the panel in progress. The old item is in the frame too, as well as the gauge destined for the irregular hole in the panel.

Is it no wonder these projects take forever? All afternoon filing and shaping the mounting for that gauge.........

Here's the panel for the extra instruments and a few switches. Coming along nicely. I've thrown in a gauge and a switch to get an idea how it'll pan out. I reckon it'll look good.

More cleaning with a wire brush: all the brackets for the steering column. Then got to work cleaning up the steering wheel with emery paper. Final word for these jobs today: Penetrol.

Cheers,

John

A little bit more progress. Painting the fittings and brackets for the steering column, and painting the steering wheel too. No pics at present, but I have had a go at the wheel with Penetrol, then undercoated and am in the middle of topcoating now. Should look good. How long that lasts is anybody's guess.....

John

Here are a few pics. More (slow) progress. The steering wheel has come up quite nicely. I hope it lasts.

Just making up a grommet to fit snugly around the steering column where it passes through the bulkhead. If you look closely at the scribblings on the bit in question, it goes to show that those primary school lessons about how to find the centre of a circle didn't go to waste.....

John