Why do things never go according to plan???

[prefectopop]

I had my week all planned... I went and bought all the service parts for my Prefect to give it a bit of TLC and a tune up before the Ashford Diner meet on Saturday. I wangled a day off work to spend with my stepdad who helped me/taught me how to gap the points and do the timing etc etc. Then it all starts going downhill.

 

We find no2 cylinder is running about 50 PSi down to the rest. Check tappets - nothing wrong there. Hmmmm. Next, we can't get the engine to idle quite right, try adjusting the mixture and tickover but just can't get the CO readings up to where they should be. Managed to get it running and took it for a blast round the block - smiles all round seems to be running pretty well.

 

Then on the way home the exhaust starts blowing. Think hmmmm, I know there's a stud that keeps working loose, will tighten it up again, maybe its just the vibrations of the engine. WRONG!!! Appears the thread is stripped on the block . Secondly all the way home the car wouldn't pick up (was lurching at low revs and would take ages to return to idle once my foot came off the throttle. I suspect linkage is jamming. When I get home I notice a little more oil just below the cylinder head/block. My hopes were of a leaking rocker cover gasket, but 2 and 2 together (oil leak around head gasket, no 2 cylinder down on compression) is starting to lead me to more sinister conclusions. So its been put away in disgrace for the time being.

 

All in all I've taken 2 steps forward and about 14 back. My quandry now is do I just get it back on the road for the beginning of the season or do I take it off the road and sort all these problems properly i.e, rebuild the carb, tap a new thread into the head, take the head off and sort out the dodgy pistons and whatnot... If I'm going that far I might as well have the engine rebuilt, ported, balanced and generally beefed up.

 

Oh woe is me - all I wanted to do was service and tune it

[antz]

sorry to hear about it!

 

youll get it done eventually

[Jimbob-Squarepants ©]

You see, you planned your day, that is the problem. You are not alone mate, I for one try not to plan anything, because someone or something bites you in the backside

 

I had fun yesterday, I have been saving up some pennies so I can rebuild my engine for the Angle Box, & what happens yesterday morning??? The postman brings me a letter from the DVLA for an £80 fine for a vehicle I no longer own

 

Get your engine out, dust off your spanners and get stuck in mate

[prefectopop]

I had fun yesterday, I have been saving up some pennies so I can rebuild my engine for the Angle Box, & what happens yesterday morning??? The postman brings me a letter from the DVLA for an £80 fine for a vehicle I no longer own

 

One word for that matey - BUGGERATION!!

 

I think I agree with you on the engine front - just a massive pain - firstly to get the engine out I have to drop the engine and gearbox out of the bottom of the car which is a total pain in the arse. Then I'd better start reading some books as I haven't the foggiest idea where to start with pretty much any of it. Something tells me I'm about to learn!

[Jimbob-Squarepants ©]

I used a slightly different word to that, but Buggeration isn't far off

 

Yeah, get stuck in, it's all nut's and bolts, just take your time, have a brew on the go and you will be fine

 

Don't forget, there are plenty of people on here that can help with advice etc. I for one included Your not alone mate

[Twinkle]

what engine is in it m8?

[Andy504]

Never mind bud, jus bight your bottomlip an get the spanners out, or do what i do when things go t1ts up and throw tools round the garage, doesnt do your car any good but gets rid of a bit of frustration.

[Jimbob-Squarepants ©]

Never mind bud, jus bight your bottomlip an get the spanners out, or do what i do when things go t1ts up and throw tools round the garage, doesnt do your car any good but gets rid of a bit of frustration.

 

LOL, I have felt like doing that recently

[prefectopop]

Thanks for the kind words - I'm just in that bleak position now where all I want to do is beat the bloody thing bazil fawlty style.

 

Its running a 1600 crossflow - was built in 1989 so I was planning on dropping it out for a rebuild at the end of this year. My mate Wayne (CHUD on here) says he might have another carb to try on it to see if many of the faults with tuning are from that. He also reckons he has another exhaust manifold better than the one on it that might fit but needs to check.

 

I think its crying out to be rebuilt and got up and running properly.

[fairlane500]

Thats real bad luck mate

But if it makes you feel any better I'm still rubbing mine down.Now that really is a pain in the arse.

Hope you get it sorted ok.

Sean.

[prefectopop]

I find an old fiesta door and a lump hammer does wonders for frustration relief...

[prefectopop]

Thats real bad luck mate

But if it makes you feel any better I'm still rubbing mine down.Now that really is a pain in the arse.

Hope you get it sorted ok.

Sean.

 

Thanks matey - I think more than bad luck I was just in denial about it. Good luck with you're rubbing down - have you found any nasty surprises under the paint yet?

[Twinkle]

why dont you sort the carb, did mine on sunday must be a prefect thing!!

do the headgasket and sort the stud out and use it for the summer and then rebuild it over the winter or even buy another engine and drop that in so you can still come out to play?

just otu of interest did the 1600 need ant bulkhead mods to fit?

[prefectopop]

That sounds like the best plan - why is it when things go wrong I always go overboard and decide on total obliteration lol.

 

Ok lets have a plan:

 

1. Rebuild carb

2. Sort out exhaust bolt problem

3. find out exactly where the oil leak is and do headgasket if it is leaking there (which I think it is)

 

Twinkle: there is a small cut-out in the bulkhead to allow the rocker cover to come off (just). To take the engine out I have to drop the gearbox and engine out together out of the bottom of the car.

[prefectopop]

Oh yes and the oil breather on the back of the engine is extremely tight on the bulkhead - If I was doing the installation I would modify the bulkhead simply to make the engine more accessible, as it is it is very difficult to get to the bolts at the back of the inlet/outlet manifolds (had to modify a spanner to get it on them)

[Twinkle]

cheers m8 will have to have a good look at yours sometime, i keep thinking about going 1600 but i really dont want to start cutting mine around

[prefectopop]

You're more than welcome to have a good look over it - once I get it back up and running! Was planning on getting it to the diner on saturday but thats gone out the window now! We're gonna have a grand car moving session on sat night/sunday now instead with all the cars playing musical workshops so hopefully they'll all be in places where they can be worked on more easily

[fairlane500]

Thats real bad luck mate

But if it makes you feel any better I'm still rubbing mine down.Now that really is a pain in the arse.

Hope you get it sorted ok.

Sean.

 

Thanks matey - I think more than bad luck I was just in denial about it. Good luck with you're rubbing down - have you found any nasty surprises under the paint yet?

 

Not at all,she really is solid.All I've found so far are a couple of small repair patches to the floor which look pretty old and I think I will probably cut them out and put some better ones in and the worst bit is the lip around the boot which has rotted out along the top edge.That looks like a pretty tricky repair so I will get some help with that.

Other than that no welding required

All the best Sean.

[prefectopop]

Not at all,she really is solid.All I've found so far are a couple of small repair patches to the floor which look pretty old and I think I will probably cut them out and put some better ones in and the worst bit is the lip around the boot which has rotted out along the top edge.That looks like a pretty tricky repair so I will get some help with that.

Other than that no welding required

All the best Sean.

 

Thats good news. I had the same thing with the boot lid on my black pop. We chickened out of a repair and managed to get a secondhand solid bootlid - think I got it from pop parts plus for 50 quid I think. Not sure if ex-pressed panels does a new boot skin for them or not. Will have a quick look for you as I seem to recall he might have done.

[prefectopop]

Just checked and its a no - joy of the earlier fords. Just don't do what I did which was to grind off one of the door skins only to get home and realise I'd accidentally clicked on the 105e anglia below . 200 quid and many phone calls later and I think we managed to get hold of the last NOS 100E drivers door in the country... Won't be doing that again!

[fairlane500]

Sorry mate I wish it was the lid but what I ment was the channel on the car that runs round the boot opening.

The channel has rusted right through so it will need a U shaped peice welded into the bodywork

Looks like a nightmare job but it is the only bad bit.I have already found a good pair of rear doors which were the other major problem area.

So all in all not too bad.I will try and get the car out of the garage and put up some update pics in the resto section when I get a chance.

Thanks for checking that out for me anyway.

All the best Sean.

[prefectopop]

Thats alright - bit of a bugger about the boot channel - I'm sure if you find a good panel beater they'd be able to fabricate something up for you. Would be good to see some photos of progress! will keep an eye out

[prefectopop]

Things may be looking up for the Prefect. Been asking around and I've been offered a tuned up crossflow to replace the one I have. Its apparently about 60+ overbored (correct me if I've got it wrong), cammed and as tight as, well, a very tight thing. Apparently it was built for a kit car but never fitted. My engine is out as we speak and the new one hopefully will be going in some time this week - big thanks Pete of the BHRA, he's even offered to fit it for me. Going up there tomorrow so hopefully will have some more details then!

[prefectopop]

Been and had a look and found out a little more about my new engine today. Its a 711 block with a polished and ported head (reckon around stage 2). We think its a 1640cc or there abouts. It was built for a kit car about 6 months or so ago but never fitted. Really good compression on it - should go a lot better than the old engine.

 

When we turned the old engine it was a loose as a tart's flange - the new engine is positively virginal lol.

 

Me mate Pete reckons he should have it built up and in the car for the end of the weekend, unfortunately not for wheels day.