Mr K
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,993
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Well, i set out on a mission to fix the emissions problem, and the poor running... after changing then setting up the new carb last night, along with the timing i decided the cam had to go...
From about 2:30 today until about 6:30 went something like this:
Stage 1:
'lets remove the rocker cover, check valve clearances, if they are OK i shall remove the radiator, water pump, crank pulley and timing cover...'
a short while later i established that the valve clearances where fine... so stripped off the bits needed to get the cam out.
Stage 2:
'i will just take off the rocker shaft and use a magnet on a stick to pull the cam followers up to the top, and hope they don't slide back down - allowing me to remove the cam and insert the new one'
so, i did as planned... but they all moved pretty freely, and there was no chance of them staying at the top! was a long shot anyway... leaving me with a problem as if i took the cam out the followers would end up in the sump.
Stage 3:
'hmmm, Sh!t, i have 2 options, take the head off lift out the followers, do the cam and re assemble, or pop the sump off and try and poke them up front underneather...'
the head option was chosen as this meant i could look into my oil leak, and i had a nasty feeling the head gasket was abit leaky so i could kill 2 birds with 1 stone.
stage 4:
'i will just take that head off'
10 Min's later and the head was off, problem was it had clearly been leaking water and the like, but not around the bores... and the other problem was the liners sat at all sorts of heights, some nearly flush others far too high... this was going to cause problems in the future.
stage 5:
'this engine is abit poo, i shall remove it and fit that one over there instead ***points across garage at an Essex v6.........with another reliant engine in front of it****'
this seems a good plan, as i know this engine is fine and runs sweet as a nut. so thats where i am now, just swapping bits across the engines. will have it in tomorrow morning hopefully - i can normally change the engine in the kitten in about 1:30 - 2 hours - and I'm half way there.
i also stopped to do abit of un successful grit blasting, that was unsuccessful as i ran out of child's play sand (which i had freshly baked to dry it out) due to using a total loss system in the garden.
all in all a semi successful day, and the fruits of my labors will come together tomorrow.
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Last Edit: Apr 4, 2006 21:51:01 GMT by Mr K
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sounds like youve been having fun mate! why were the bores at different heights? were they like this when the engine went in? Hope it all goes swimmingly tomorrow J
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Mr K
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,993
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haha, yea fingers cross all will be well, i don't realy know why they have sunk... i built the engine from a bottom end that came with the car and is very low milage... weird - one head stud was stripped and got oversized, tapped, and replaced with a peice of m12 studding, worked ok but wasnt ideal. yea, I'm pretty confident it will all be sorted tomorw, so i can get on with some more fun jobs... like tidying the wiring, and doing the last of the triming.. and building my new engine.
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Nothing like something going ahead as planned eh?
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Mr K
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,993
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Nothing like something going ahead as planned eh? lol, well, the engine had been sitting a long time before i built it - and i think the rings are a bit stuck in the pistons as it was very heavy on the breathers, and the oil was black as anything within a few miles. also, 3 and 2 plug where a nice biscuit brown, and 1 and 4 where black? any idea? the head gasket was weaping water a bit because i hadnt set the liner heights (DOH!) because i buit it about 2 years ago and didnt realise they needed to be as precise. it would also appear that the cam i had was... well of odd settings (not the fast road cam, just chuck it in on standard settings that i was sold it as! but slightly used race cam for £18 is always going to be fishy )- which will be investigated. pretty mushc finished off yesterday afternoon, but the throttle cable decided that the inner would pop into the outer, then be so splayed out that it wouldnt come out! soi left it until this after noon. so, the new engine is in! i set the disy to a 'i think there should make it run' kind of postition - turned the key and first time was alive!!!! it runs smooth as a babys bottom, aposed to it being as lumpy as a old mans scrote, and more importantly it smells sweeeeet at the back, aposed to stinking of petrol. i will set it up later... and take it for a test razz, Will it be doing more than 55mph by the cross roads....... you will have to wait and see!!! more pictures tomo.
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Last Edit: Apr 6, 2006 16:32:08 GMT by Mr K
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Mr K
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,993
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Ok, the kitten has shat its self....
was running fine, took it for a test run where it went abit spluttery, then died.
waited a while and it started and we got it home, if i pull off number 3 plug it makes no difference, but the plug is sparking, the piston is going up and down, and the valves are all moving as they should. the engine is also suddenly breathing heavily.
head gasket? piston rings? piston? valve seats?
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can you do a compression check?
Sounds like you have as much luck with these reliant engines as my dad did with his.
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1972 Fiat 130 1985 Talbot Alpine 1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 + 1986 Mazda 929 Koop + Wagon 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 BEST CAR EVER!!!!!!!! 1979 Datsun B310 Sunny 4-dr 1984 Audi 200 Quattro Turbo 1983 Honda Accord 1.6 DX GONE1989 Alfa 75 2.0 TS Mr T says: TREAT YO MOTHER RIGHT!
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Unfortunatly it does sound like rings or a piston, with spark and fuel and still no bang then theres probably no compression If you want me to pop round just say mate, even if its just for moral support or to make the tea J
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Mr K
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,993
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cheers mate, I'm off to ARE tomorow to grab a compresision etster... its about time i got one., and to get a head gasket, as i will need one for one of the engines soon.
unfortuantly the mot is monday first thing, so your at brands most of the time, but cheers for the offer.
the girl friend has her overalls with her so will get her to muck in...
plan is:
compression test.... then hope fully i can change number 3 piston and rod with the crank in situ from undeaneth the car.... but i need to check the room i have as I'm not sure if this can be done, if not its head off too.... and if that is the case lets hope the liners are sitting true.
worse case = head off, liners out, pistons out, resit liners etc but keep crank in the engine, and the engine in the car.
lets see how long that plan lasts.
i will keep you posted.
I'm pretty sprised its done this to me to be honest, they are normally pretty damn strong little engines, but I'm dealing with two engines of dubious pasts.
Thanks again
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I agree about the Reliant engines being tough..I look after a fleet of 5 3 wheelers for a customer and although he does a lot of miles in them I've never known the engines to lose compression or give major problems. They rattle and tap a bit,rather like Skoda engines but they just keep going and tbh they go like stink too in a straight line! This customer I mentioned runs a gardening and log cutting/supplying business and tows trailers loaded with tools/lawnmowers and logs with his trusty Reliants!
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Mr K
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,993
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well, tried to get a head gasket, but looks like the only place with them is the pukka reliant places who take their time with delivery.
so, i cant take the head off the engine in the car, and I'm pretty sure its not the head gasket- but i also cant get the piston and rod out the bottom because of the crank, soooooooooooo the engine is now all disconnected and ready to be lifted out, to have the crank out and check out the offending piston and replace it if its needed.
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Last Edit: Apr 7, 2006 21:57:19 GMT by Mr K
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balls balls balls, itll go smoothly soon mate i promice!
J
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Mr K
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,993
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fingers crossed i will be a dogey ring or a hole in a piston.... i can also get a look at the valves up the bore, and change / grind in what needs to be, so long as its only minor.
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Do you want a 1200 Cortina engine to put in there? You'll just need to find a gearbox on eBay for a tenner or whatever silly price people can't even give them away for ;D
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Mr K
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,993
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haha thanks for the offer jonny... well stripped the engine last night and pulled out number 3 piston.... and found: oh dear, so ive pulled a replacement out of another engine, and am just off to rebuild, and fit the engine, followed by setting it up, and turning over that rear brake shoe.... all intime for the MOT first thing tomorow. what would cause a piston to do that? the bore is a little bit scored, but nothing major - this engine only needs to get me to the mot station, through an mot, and back.
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I'd say probably a broken ring has done that. I might take the diagnosis a bit further from what's been said earlier in the thread. If the liners can move in the block you'll find where the pistons come to the top of their travel they wear a step into the bore. I reckon what might have happened is where the liner has moved the ring has hit the step and that's what broke it. Maybe.
One thing, if you change just one piston and rod you might find the engine is out of balance so it might be worth swapping all four and the crank over from the other engine. For the extra effort it should leave you with a useable engine that won't need a rebuild for some time.
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slater
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,390
Club RR Member Number: 78
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Kitten progress; Pics!slater
@slater
Club Retro Rides Member 78
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Lack of oil or bore washing from a rich mixture i would say (it did fail emissions!). Could be broken ring too.
Is there much wear in the bores?
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That's true, also could be a poorly gapped ring which binds in the bore when it gets hot and breaks.
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Mr K
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,993
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well, all is done... engine rebuilt. the liner was solid, i only replaced the one because it weighed in very simular to the old one.
slater; there was very little wear in the bore, and this is a different engine since it failed the emissions.... it had been stood so a ring might of got stuck - but its life was pretty un known.
time to go and install it
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Excellent mate, well done fingers crossed for tomorrow.
Id say it was bore washing from a rich mixture, racer86 had exactly the same thing with his chevette that ended in broken rings.
J
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