Thread: Engine rebuild!

The best I can offer is good luck! I went though about 3 sets of them just trying to put it together. Every time I tried to get that block in it would shave off a bit more cork - or just break the 'top' off the T.

In the end I think I coated it heavily with oil and slid it in.

By the way - that head looks awesome!

try soaking the cork T pieces in water overnight, this should make the cork more flexible, works wonders with old cork gaskets as well.

Cheers Chris

Originally Posted by Chris72

try soaking the cork T pieces in water overnight, this should make the cork more flexible, works wonders with old cork gaskets as well.
Cheers Chris

A couple of drops of dishwashing liquid in the water helps soften them, then clamp the tee pieces in the vice over night using something plain held against the vice jaws to prevent any marks appearing on the surface of the tee pieces.

I need to do this in a day or two, when I start assembling a Fergy TEA 20 engine.
.

Thanks Arthur,
I have the corks clamped in some soft jaws of the vice. Will leave them overnight then see how they go!
If that's a no go then I will try soaking them.

Cheers, Mick.

Hi,

There may be another two ways:

A drawing would be better, but I will try to describe a piece of steel bar about 6 mm (or more) thick and maybe 40 mm long (from memory), that is bolted, using sump bolt holes and bolts, next to the gaps that the cap and tee seal slides into, and is chamfered, using a fine file (clarification - don't do this in situ, in case of a slip of the file that knocks the land about), such that the "sharp" edge of the guide is flush with the edge of the sump mating face of the block, and the chamfer sort of squeezes the cork as the cap is slid down. I made some years ago, worked fine, but finding them may be a tad tedious. Way easier to make more if required.....

Another way I have heard of is the use of thin shim, or feeler guage to guide it in. Never tried this because I made the widgets described above.

Both methods require lubricant as previously described.

Cheers,

Gumnut

Originally Posted by drifter

By the way - that head looks awesome!

Thanks Chris,
it's had a clean up, a valve grind and one valve replaced. I didn't get hardened valve seats as the vehicle won't do a lot of kays. The motor had an original 120K on the clock (one owner) and was in pretty good nick really. I have just honed the bores and fitting standard rings and standard bearings. One piston had a few little marks on the top and I assume a piece of valve may have broke off at some time and caused this. It was still registered but had been sitting for two years when I picked it up. When I got it home it fired up very easily but after a few days started to smoke a bit. As I was pulling the motor out for other reasons I decided to strip it down and go through it.

Cheeers, Mick.

Originally Posted by mick88

Thanks Chris,
it's had a clean up, a valve grind and one valve replaced. I didn't get hardened valve seats as the vehicle won't do a lot of kays. The motor had an original 120K on the clock (one owner) and was in pretty good nick really. I have just honed the bores and fitting standard rings and standard bearings. One piston had a few little marks on the top and I assume a piece of valve may have broke off at some time and caused this. It was still registered but had been sitting for two years when I picked it up. When I got it home it fired up very easily but after a few days started to smoke a bit. As I was pulling the motor out for other reasons I decided to strip it down and go through it.

Cheeers, Mick.

Mine had been sitting for 10 years and was very smokey when I fired it up. It had the original pistons in it - and a big fat lip at the top of the bore - so I had it bored out and new pistons and rings. It runs now but still smokey so I need to get the head properly done and I'll probably get the hardened valve seats, new guides, etc. After I get the Stage 1 roadworthy.