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Old 07-02-2018, 06:36 AM   #114
MacQuigley
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Scotland
Posts: 737
Re: Super Duper Haggis Hauler II - The Resurrection

Well it was a weekend of mixed fortunes, some successes and some annoying disappointments and a near disaster!

So Saturday saw me getting the rear end buttoned up fully. Freshly painted trailing arms back on, repainted axle now complete with new bearings back on and shocks, panhard arm, discs and callipers all on. Had to source new bolts for the shocks as the ones I bought from LMC were far too big for the shocks and there was no chance Id get them through the frame mounts. Fortunately a local fixings company had the correct size and all I had to do was drill lout the frame mounts.

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After that I spent the rest of the day working out what I need in the way of fuel and brake lines and all the fixtures and fittings. Im planning on going PTFE for the brake lines for the first time. Will look much better than copper, especially in the engine bay.


So yesterday with my aim of getting the motor fired up before the end of the summer I decided to fix down the inlet manifold and set the distributor timing. Problem #1 the engine was seized! In truth I was half expecting this as It had sat since I fit the radiator and couldn't get in to turn it over by hand and that was one of my reasons for wanting the motor running.

Anyway, I got it freed up reasonably easily and was then able to fit the distributor and set the timing.


Problem #2 When I went to put in the distributor lock plate I couldn't get the bolt in. Partly this is because of problems I have with my hands resulting in a loss of sense of touch (long story its down to trapped nerves in my neck) and partly because of the threads were blocked, as it turned out with fine sand (must have been when I blasted it. Anyway I cleared it out and tried to fit the lock plate.

Problem #3 Whether again due to the fingers or just plain stupidity I dropped the bolt and guess where it went? That's right straight down the distributor hold and into the engine!

Many expletives later and some throwing of spanners I calmed down (no wonder I have high blood pressure as well!) took the inlet manifold back off and with a bit of luck fished the bolt out with a magnet on a stick! It could have been so much worse and if Id had to pull the engine to get that bolt out Im not sure the build would have restarted for some time!

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Anyway the distributor is back in and I'll set it up tonight, but I could do with less days like yesterday and more like Saturday. That said, although there is a hell of a lot of work left to do I can just about see the beginning of the tunnel if not the light at the end of it just yet. Lets just hope its as straight as a die and not to many twists and bends in it.

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Oh and I also got my "new" bench seat in. Well when I say in its just sitting there at the moment but I think it will do the job.

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And I also got the fuel pumps located. Still to clean these and paint them - they came with the 454.

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