What can I say, sorry there hasn’t been an update for a while I have been flat out trying to get stuff finished.
So the last few bits started arriving and I got busy.
There was an informal deadline fast approaching and I really wanted to get it done.
Many evenings were spent in the workshop.
Replacement engine lid catch fitted. I really need to find a supply of replacement springs for these.
Intake went on, I was still waiting for the injector seals at this point apparently Toyota doesn’t consider them one of the gaskets required in an engine overhaul set.
Speaking of stuff not included in a Toyota overhaul set we have the O-rings* on the oil filter housing.
I tried sourcing them but Toyota has discontinued one and there isn’t much option for alternatives.
I tried some Viton O-rings with the correct size diameter but they were just too thick and unyielding, there was no way it would compress enough.
Looking at the ones that came out they are very flexible and that got me wondering about silicone O-rings.
Lo' and behold I found some. ID and OD were within the right size range and they had just enough girth to compress slightly between the plates.
They don’t fill the groove like the originals did but they fit and have enough compression to seal.
Next is exhaust manifold. Any of you lot gifted with good memory might remember that it was goosed.
I happen to have a good one on the shelf it just needed a broken heatshield bolt removing.
After trying to weld a nut onto the broken stud and burning out my retinas in the process when the welding helmet refused to work I blindly grabbed for the drill and removed it the hard way.
Heatshield back on and manifold fitted.
Toyota manual calls for a blob of goop in the sharp corners of the cam covers so that gets applied and the covers get bolted down with new seals.
Again, Toyota doesn’t include the little rubber washers for the cam cover nuts so I used some others. I do wonder if an O-ring and washer would do in place of that.
Making good progress.
The next evening the fuel rail goes on with the new seals.
And the engine comes back off the stand so I can fit the backing plate, flywheel, clutch and gearbox.
Grease the shaft and slip on the release bearing along with the fork.
Ready.
And lift the gearbox on.
The engine crane jack needs a rebuild as it keeps losing pressure so I dropped it onto some blocks for the night
The other garage had removed the headlight motor claiming it to be faulty. I’m not sure what testing he had done but I put 12v to it and it span fine so it goes back on.
Once the engine is back in and I’m once again able to reconnect a battery I will give it a test.
Early Saturday I got cracking.
Car pushed to the communal workshop which has a pit, making fitting engines a lot easier.
The engine crane is a bit useless on the uneven gravel yard between workshops and also wouldn't be able to lower the engine into the pit but luckily, I have a manoeuvrable hydraulic arm. It just happens to come attached to a mini digger.
IMG_20200222_074935 by
Egil Jones, on Flickr
I apparently didn’t account for this when I sized up my workshop doors though. The door is about 2" too short to get the digger in, so I dragged it forward of the crane for handover.
And by 8:30 that morning it’s in. It has to be the fastest and easiest I have ever fitted an engine into a mk1, lifted straight up and bolted in no issues.
Wiring, pipes and other connections later the last thing to fit before fire up was the exhaust.
Which had a big hole in it.
I welded a patch on it which I won’t subject you all too as I had to do it blind due to the lack of a functional welding mask.
Disconnect the king lead and crank it a few times to get some pressure in the oil system then fire it up.
It fired on the first crank which was nice but was running like a bag of spanners which was less so.
The problem I have here is I didn’t hear the car run before as it came to me in a box if bits so I had no idea if it was something I did or an existing problem.
Massive amounts of over-fuelling and after a couple of minutes of testing I pulled to plugs to find them sootier than a sweeps ear ole'
I checked timing, fuel pressure regulator, injectors, distributor position and Map sensor all to no avail.
I found someone had been fiddling with the MAP adjustment screw and had set it all the way to lean.
The problem here is if you set it all the way to rich or lean it totally ignores the screw and resorts to 0 adjustment as a backup for a failed pot.
Set that properly but it didn’t make a difference.
many hours had passed at this point and I was grasping at straws or more accurately vacuum lines I checked the lines and vsv to the fuel pressure reg, then in a wild last ditched prayer I checked the lines to the MAP sensor and found a blockage roughly here.
Right in the middle of the hard-line it was blocked solid I couldn’t shift it by blowing. So a bit of welding wire poked in and I managed to scrape it out.
Back together and it sounds beautiful.
Dizzy adjusted and the fueling set properly and it was sounding like the smoothest mk1 engine i have worked on.
Consistant usage and high mileage must agree with it.
The next day i got the last few bits bolted on like undertrays, driveshafts ect.
Not forgetting his infamous towbar that has claimed many shins.
Then took him for a drive.
Did about 10 miles making a quick stop for fuel and it ran beautiful aside from an ever so slight lack of response.
I got home made a small adjustment to the timing and then i noticed the oil.
It was pouring out of the sump.
I tried tightening it but that wasnt doing it.
At this point the owner turned up to collect him and i couldnt hand him over.
Luckily i have another tube of compound which should do it.
Sent the owners to a local pub for some lunch and i got the sump pulled back off.
Cleaned it all back and noticed something i should have seen the first time.
Look at the bottom right corner of the sump from the previous photo.
You cant see it? allow me.
See it yet?
yep the metal around the bolt holes is dimpled up possibly due to someone overtightening it with a gasket rather than using the recommended compound. so that was touching and leaving a gap between bolt holes that was purely relying on the compound.
Get a bit of pressure and the oil hot and it just blew through.
No photos as i was too busy trying to get him back together.
So i went round tapping down each hole to be inline with the flange, reapplied the compound and refitted.
After waiting a few hours drinking tea and chatting with the owners waiting for the compound to dry we fired it back up and prayed.
There was no sign of any leaks so it looks like we got it.
And off he goes.
Wish i had a photo of him leaving but I forgot.
The drive back to his home went well and they seemed very happy to have that particular family member back. I have only heard that everything went well getting him home and noone has mentioned oil leaks so fingers crossed we got it all.
The End.
Epilogue:
Yes the headlight motor worked fine.
