Good morning people,
This is just a small write up on yesterdays progress and a MASSIVE thanks to Nigel, JP, Steve and Mike and to the others of assistance offered and gratefully accepted including engine mount (Chris) and other odds and sods in my quest to get the 165 running prior to sale or usage (preferably the latter)
Forcast was very grim the day before and i must admit i was on a bit of a downer on that score, but when Nigel, Steve and JP knocked on the door the sun was semi shinning and my mood had brightened
After a quick catch up and a turn of a couple of stomachs at pictures of foot damage lol (and an obligatory tour as much as i could to find and show where i thought car bits were) we decended down to the car
First things first, which was to give the keys to JP to open the drivers door where he informed me that the lock barrel was not there !! ( mood not getting better as meant that in either the previous night or the one before another attempt had been made in breaking into "Ezzy " resulting in the lock barrel no longer being there !!
I cant even see why, as there was/is nothing on show in the car but a little junk, no stereo, one boost gauge, no seat, no tools etc so i still have no idea as to what they were after... ok back to the rest of the day
After trying to remember as to where i had put the locking wheel nut tools as had moved them from car after previous break in (typically that meant another struggle upstairs ) everyone went about with relative efficiency removing drive shaft and disconnecting propshaft. The bottom half of the car i had already nearly managed to get out with only a few bits left for total removal which was completed very quickly in my eyes whilst i managed to install new fuel injector sills ( i know, i know easy job ,,, but hindered by the fact i picked a job that needed manual dexterity of which when you cant feel your fingers was a bit of a silly choice by me but hey ho lol
The next time i looked up the engine was out and the gang were nicely puzzling out splitting the gearbox and transfer box. This again was done relatively quickly with only a few hold ups and thoughts to be had and trips upstairs ( which again thanks go out to all as many times they done the stairs for me to save my legs ,,, appreciatted)
Mike had turned up by then after a different route
and got straight stuck in with the rest of them and started checking over a couple of bits i had not quite finished or was unsure of on the newly rebuilt engine in a friends garage... so water pump was tightened, and some investigation as to why distributer was not fitting
In the meantime JP was as happy as a sand boy in the engine compartment (with white clean t-shirt) cleaning the bay ( had had a friend start to do it the previous night but needed a little more as she was not as thourough and mini skirt was not best attire (in her eyes lol) to be bent over car ) in his own little world i think..
This resulted in a quick run out with Mike to get some engine degreaser as the gearbox, transfer box and underside of the car needed quite a bit of cleaning up ( Cheers for the lift Mike )
New engine was hoisted over to the car, and Steve set to work reconstructing the puzzle of my engine, clutch and gearbox...the rain kept threatening to come and the biggest thing to drop out of the sky was a massive loud splat of a seagull emptying the contents of its stomach over the newly cleaned engine compartment... typical... but meant i could get involved a little again lol
Time was running away fast ( and again a big thanks to JP as i heard he had had other plans later that day and stayed on reguardless !) They managed to get the clutch back on eventually and then the bast@rd gearbox and the transfer box mated up to the new engine ( only one real problem which should be no problem really in that still have not got a passenger side manifold stay as had to cut off both originally to remove head but had one spare one so that is on)
From there it was cleaning up time and someone even managed to put the old block into friends garage without me noticing.. poor ole Nigels back and knees playing up after all his continuous hard work throughout the day ( you're a star mate ) There was no time left to do anything else but to put the new engine back inside the garage for another day and i think we all were knackered ( i know i was even though i had done hardly anything but was suprised i managed to last that long downstairs and by now could really feel it and incorperated my daughter in trying to help with the tidying up of which she did and looked after me for the rest of the evening )
So that was our day... a lot of progress made, a little time to get to know a few of you a little better, and a great boost to my moral.
All this was accomplished through the kindness of people in this club who without i would of been literally stuffed with the full probability that if things dont go on the good side with my leg the car which has helped me out in many unexplainable ways would have to of been sold for scrap basically as i think on my own even with keeping foot etc i wouldnt of been able to get as far as we did yesterday in at least a year as i know the foot "hole" will take at least that to put any real pressure back on it so wouldnt of been able to do anytihng heavy or things that required bending the arch of my foot
So,,, as per title MANY MANY THANKS to all involved from Me, Millie and of course "Ezzy"... ohh and my mother who popped in also wanted to say thank you to you all of which i have now duly passed on
Was a good day,,, a tiring achy one for me but a good one
Now to post on ideas on camshaft/dizzy in appropriate section
Jingo ( Chris )
