Thread: Rebuilding Sid

Interesting day, engine tear down.





Hmmm... new water pump



Head cam off easily enough, but needs a fair bit of work. Corrosion around water ways is quite deep.





Cylinders will need a rebore... Sid’s had a tough life. Some scoring and a very noticeable lip around the top. One piston is missing a bit of metal, all the rings are toast. I’ve kept going, pulled the cam out, that’s ok, but crank needs a regrind, couple of bearings are worn through and some quite bad scoring.

So with one engine needing a bit of work, I wondered.... a few months back we pulled a LD from a field north of Adelaide, the engine looked to be full of wasps nests... anyhow, pulled the head and may be worth buying a lottery ticket.



This heads had a lot of work, a skim (big skim) about 4mm, but it’s been fully rebuilt, even the plugs have been welded.

New valves, springs, seals and guides plus new valve seats.

Cleaned up nicely. (Wasps had only gone a few cm into the head).


The block is in better nick than Sid’s but I think if I was pulling that I would want to send it to the shop. I don’t think that has had work done.

So plan is to rebuild original block and use refurbished head. That leaves me with a decent engine to rebuild down the track (I sense a shorty may be on the horizon).

I’m heading back to the Uk next month so I should be able to squeeze a set of pistons into the luggage.

Bit more investigation, skim not as big as I feared. I was measuring between the two heads but having looked properly, the head off Sid is a 7:1, the recon head was an 8:1. Measuring properly they have still taken about 40 or 50 thou. so don’t think this is an issue, might help a bit!

Engine has gone to the machine shop.

Waiting on information back from machining before I can order any parts but that hasn’t stopped me looking.

Pistons seem to be the challenge....everyone sells them but after much badgering most confess that they are Britpart and I’m just not prepared to go there after the experience with bearings. Leaves me a choice I think between Bearmach and Turner. There are still some original units floating about but cost is prohibitive. Strangely, original bearings are only a couple of $ more than pattern parts.

Any one have any experience or suggestions for parts?

Attention has turned to the greasy bits off the engine.



Oil pump was surprisingly good, mucky but good. The leaky pistons has made the oil black as and it stinks. All pump tolerances were bang in the middle so after a clean it’s gone back on the shelf.

Anyone know what this is? Found it on the bench where the engine came apart. Can’t see it on the parts diagrams....

I think that’s a carby needle.

Originally Posted by Chops

I think that’s a carby needle.

That’s what I thought.... but carb has been on the shelf in the other room for months. Guess it must have dropped somewhere a while back and spinning the engine around it’s dropped out.

Yes neadle valve out of neadle valve & seat in the float chamber . It can't just fall out unless you dismantle the carby. I would say some one has replaced it at some time & droped it on the engine some were & it has fallen on your bench .
It looks like it is out of a Holden carby.

I thought it looked like the one out of a Zenith - but a lot of them look very similar.