Thread: A freshen up for Willy

Cheers Charlie... Thats pretty well what I was doing, I followed your steps again and still had no luck! I gave Gav a call (thanks for the help mate) and set it all up AGAIN I swear it was all ok! I gave in and asked my neighbour for a hand to crank the engine so i could check for spark again... turns out he used to race motorbikes and was pretty clued onto it all!! none of the valves were seating completely because I didn't do the valve clearance after the Cylinder head had it's haircut... set up the distributor yet again and got three cranks before the battery karked it. But he did fire and almost kicked into life! I had no idea there was such an adjustment.... I'll charge the battery tonight and hopefully I can get him tuned and sent away for a new exhaust system tommorow! Thanks for the advice everyone!
Cheers, Andy

Ah; good news then!

I was going to mention valve clearances but for some reason didn't.

Four good rules for tuning an engine, in the following order, are;
1. Test compression - if OK proceed to 2.
2. Check/adjust the valve clearances.
3. Check/adjust the ignition system including new parts.
4. Adjust/service the fuel system.

Cheers Charlie

fantastic! got Willy running sort of ok... Hard to tell with no exhaust the section of pipe I cut when I pulled the head off seems to be missing so he's a little loud at the moment! My attention now is on the exhaust system. My intention was to put a 2 inch system through, Midas in Briar Hill said it'd be $400-500 for a 2 inch exhaust with muffler.. or upwards of $500 -600 if I wanted it made with mandrel bends..

I have been thinking about making up my own using mandrel bends... as a quick price guide I've worked out that on ebay I could get:

2 inch Muffler for $80
180 degree mandrel bends for $20 each
weld on steel flange for $13 each
have not priced steel pipe yet
plus I'd need new hangers

It looks as though I could make my own mandrel bent system for under $300
once I get the pipe work to the gearbox I should be able to run it down to the rear of car through the PTO holes that are on the chassis I don't think it would be too difficult.. am I making it sound easier than it is? I'm a plumber, it seems to me that I'd just be welding steel instead of gluing UPVC pipe...
I'll price up a length of pipe and maybe get some other quotes. Anyone got any thoughts on this?

Cheers Andy

If you have a MIG, a grinder some patience and some skill. Then yes, you can do it yourself. Your trade puts you in good stead for this.

I put my exhaust back together the other day with my arc welder, which is a bit of a pain and I wouldn't recommend doing a whole system with one...

Cheers - Gav.

I made a complete system for my P6 once for $300 including two stainless mufflers; every bend was done with any oxy torch. The quoted new price was $1100!

To bend exhaust tube with an oxy:
1. Grip the end of the tube with a vice, supporting the inside of the pipe with a socket, or a piece of timber to prevent it crushing.
2. Bend a piece of 1/8" welding wire to the correct shape - it helps immensely to have a hoist or a ramp!
3. Lie the wire on the tube and mark where the first bend is to commence.
4. Heat a strip on the outside of the bend about 10mm wide but no wider, until it glows dull red; the strip must run across the pipe and be diametrically opposite at its ends.
5. Apply pressure to the unclamped end of the pipe and start the bend. Be careful not to bend it too far or the metal will thin too much.
6. Repeat the heating process about 30mm away from the first bend. Keep checking with the wire. The gaps between the bends can be done later when the metal has cooled a bit.
7. The pipe will become an oval where it is bent so every-now-and-then unclamp it and squeeze the bend in the vice to push the metal back to a circular shape.

The most important thing is not to make the red-hot bit wider than 10mm.

ADVANTAGES;
* Smooth bends with no constrictions.
* Good for jobs where no pattern exists.
* Cheap
* Great for custom work.

DISADVANTAGES
* Slow to make.
* May need specialist equipment such as oxy set; tube expander for joins etc.

Cheers Charlie

Thanks Charlie I'll give the a go sometime! I have oxy, mig and even arc at home plus all the flaring and expanding tools at work but I had a rude reminder of SWMBO in laws invasion (moving her stuff into *our* house)... I'd love to do it myself but I think I'll just get it done for me so it's done and I can escape of a weekend! every weekend! looks like willy will be finished in the next couple of weeks so keep your eye on the upcoming trips section, I'll have more than a few trips organised from march and aprill.. Hopefully no longer!

cheers, Andy

I've finally got willy back exhaust is all sorted! Took him to Midus in the end, the only real reasons being that it was close and I knew the job would be done in time for the invasion... Got a 2inch system right through with a new muffler, cost $760!! thought that was abit of a sting as the 2 inch exhaust I had made up for my old green series 2 was $350. I guess that was 7 years ago and it was a swb. But! still worth it I reckon!

I'm still trying to tune him up, but he starts within a few cranks now with only the choke on (no more pumping of the go pedal) there is a bit of a flat spot but I put the new china zenith on that I bought for him a while ago, I had that on when i bought it but it had an awful flat spot so I pulled off again. I was hoping after seeing the condition of the head that it was the valves and air sucking in from the inlet manifold causing the problem but i think now its just that crap carby.

all up it took about 6 weeks and cost me around... $1300? for that He now has:

Reconditioned head (with abit of a trim)
Electronic igition kit with electronic distributor,leads, coil, triple ground plugs
2 inch exhaust
new indicators, parkers and brake lights
proper hoses and piping for the donaldson airbox

hopefully in the next few weeks i'll sort out that flat spot and be finished with my plumbing exams leaving me free to get away when I want to. And with luck the poo troll and toy yoda drivers won't poke fun anymore asking willy over heat or willy make it home!

Cheers, Andy

Is the vacuum advance working? Just thinking about the flat-spot,

Cheers Charlie