115/3067 bought back from France

[Kevin Birch]

Hi Gary, it was my car, and am sure it was probably done when new pistons and bearings installed, so didn't matter then. The cam has had a once over from a retired mechanic a few doors away and says there is nothing wrong with it, so will not change it, as I've read the threads here with quality of modern cams and issues people have had. I'll do the rings and bearings, timing chain and sprockets, new followers core plugs etc. I know if you replace the camshaft and followers, you need to break it in, do you need to do the same if just replacing the followers?
Next question, I know the head gaskets need modifying to increase the water flow, but I've seen that the block can be drilled to make figure of 8 water galleries so they line up with the head, is this a good idea, or not. Looking at the block it would appear to be a quite simple operation.
Quite happy with it no major machining to be done, there is some water staining to some of the crank journals, small patches all over the inside of the engine, this is a sign of the engine probably not being used much and not getting up to temperature, and condensation collecting inside it, nothing really to worry about.

[Grant]

Good news all round then Kev really.. I'm chuffed for you, I personally dislike all these new cams, yes they are cheap and nasty, if your cams is good then use it, I don't think there is a running procedure with followers but it wouldn't hurt anything to do a 20 minute @ 2000rpm with them would it,
Personally from my experience Kev there is no need to open the head gasket water way, Interceptors only get hot when this small waterway in the gasket gets blocked from poor maintenance coolant, it then furs up and blocks that small slot in the head gasket, if you have good clear water ways in the gasket and head they won't get hot. A good preventative is to run them on 50:50 Antifreeze and distilled water ... The ones I have done before I have left the slot as should be and never had a problem , by opening the waterways you stop the heads reaching and running at the correct temp due to the flow change. .. 383's don't get hot in the bay like the 440's do, and even the 440's I've done havn't got hot once these ways in the gasket are clear and left as a slot

[Kevin Birch]

Cheers Grant, will probably just do the gasket mod to be honest, hoping to do Swiss trip next year, so it could get a little warm up the mountains.
Long way off now from putting it back together, as engine bay needs sorting, gearbox has got to go away for rebuild, and heads for unleaded conversion. Bank manager is going to love me.

[Grant]

Cheers Grant, will probably just do the gasket mod to be honest, hoping to do Swiss trip next year, so it could get a little warm up the mountains.
Long way off now from putting it back together, as engine bay needs sorting, gearbox has got to go away for rebuild, and heads for unleaded conversion. Bank manager is going to love me.

Did you notice crudd in the gasket waterway slot Kev out of interest?

[Kevin Birch]

Quite a bit Grant, with one hole in the block completely blocked, hence the different coloured exhaust valves on one of the heads. I'll give the block a real good flush through, taken the core plugs out already.

[Kevin Birch]

Not much to report at the moment as work is getting in the way of the pleasure that is engine rebuilding. Gearbox is now with Steve Payne, for full rebuild, and am now sourcing my engine parts.
Will be at the NEC on Saturday, to try to source materials for the engine bay, and will also spend time on the stand helping out, not that I've let anybody know, but I'm sure they'll appreciate some extra support.
Both mine and Eddie's cars are now engineless, so that's 40% of last year's JOC stand cars with severe inertia

[Eddie]

Yes Kev, last years show cars are in pieces

I am going to the NEC on Friday, so like you say any fact finding will be shared with you.

I am sure when we are both finished we will have a couple of very nice engines and bays between us

[Kevin Birch]

Came home from work today to find this bunch of goodies had arrived. Not ready to fit any of it yet, but can't wait to get started. One question, the Felpro gasket set contains 24 valve stem seals, in 3 bags of 8 and 3 different lengths, when my heads had 16 seals all the same length,( the longest ones,)

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[Eddie]

A lovely photo Kev.

Bet you can’t wait to get started on this lot

[Grant]

Hello Kevin My Ole Fruit
Yes ...as Eddie says .. lovely bits
Kev... on one of the bags of Stem seals it will have the number 12419 .. they are for really early heads pre-1964 intake stems.. so
dis-regard those
The other packets ... 12764 should be larger seals than the other packet.. these are for the exhaust Valves my ole fruit Bat and the other packet should be marked as 70537.. they're the intake stem seals cus I'm a or a C.U.Next.Tuesday

[Kevin Birch]

Thanks Grant, that is what I thought, but knew somebody here would know, especially you.Nothing wrong with being a C U Next Tuesday, so long as you don't lack the warmth or depth
The oil pump is for a canister type oil filter, so just swapped the cover plate from my old one, after re-facing it with a bit of 120 wet & dry to remove the light wear marks on it.

Set about the bulkhead today, to try and remove the air box Pictures show it now out, after fighting for 90 mins undoing (read grinding off the heads) the 5 fixings and then trying to lever it off. There is no way I would have been able to get it off with the engine and 'box in, as I would have been able to get a long pry bar in to break the seal that "stuck" it to the bulkhead. Interesting that on the top of the box is overspray, of a lighter metallic blue, which would tie in with what somebody (I can't remember his name) told me at Rejen last year that the last time they had seen the car it was lighter and the interior was a dreadful white colour. The box is not too bad, just the middle bottom section, and one tube outlet needing replacement. I will need to straighten out the bottom edge, which are the witness marks to how mush leverage I had to use to unstick it The rest will respond to rust treatment and waterproof coating.
Whilst this is out I will deal with the wipers, washers and anything else I can access to overhaul and give a little love to. I can't believe a gearbox oil seal is leading to so much work. All for the good of the car of course, but you can see how you start with one broken bolt and end up with a full blown restoration.

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Evidence of earlier light blue colour.

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That bottom edge should be straight, so much force needed to lever the box off

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[Kevin Birch]

Spent today sorting the airbox out, removing and stripping the wiper mechanism down to its constituent parts. Airbox has now had new bottom section and drain tube made and welded in. I've coated it inside and out with stone chip so it won't rot out again, after I grit blasted it to remove all rust. Not bothered about the look of the outer finish, as it is covered in Hardura when installed, so nobody will see it. I've also removed the scuttle grill, just to free up the nuts, this is painted on mine, was the original chromed, or just painted silver?

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[Kevin Birch]

Managed a few hours today in the garage, started to scrape off the old Hardura and underseal, and revealed some rot hidden under a poor repair. A nicely riveted repair to the front LH inner wing, covered with underseal to disguise it. Removed it to find holed section behind and some filler in the bonnet gutter. All ground out now and ready for a proper welded repair to go back in. I did expect to see some rust, and am quite happy with what I've found on this side, as the square tubes are solid, and the damage is superficial.
Interesting to find evidence of the original white in which the car left the factory, and also that the body under the oil filter bracket is bare metal, with no primer, white topcoat or underseal having been applied
Just used a blow torch and scraper to remove most of the underseal, will use wire brush and petrol to remove whats left, a truly horrible job

Riveted repair patch.

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Patch removed, showing rust beneath.

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Rot removed, note bare metal where filter bracket is mounted.

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This triangular section had a small hole in it, so ground it out completely, the metal was quite thin.

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[Eddie]

It’s great that you have been in the position to strip the old hardura off. At least you can address the rot properly.

I can definitely recommend the 2 pack paint I used on the engine bay. Now it has cured it really is hard has nails. I know you will be covering a lot of yours back up with Hardura but maybe worth bearing in mind.

It’s moving on though Kev, I am sure you will produce a top job. Looking forward to seeing it when finished.

[Kevin Birch]

Nothing done over the Christmas period, had to sort out the suspension and brakes on the daily runner. But last 2 days have finally stripped everything out from under the bonnet, including all electrics, brakes and removed another riveted repair from the driver's side and the rust it was hiding. The relay box is in a poor state, but now I've straightened it, just need to de-rust and paint. Just more underseal and knackered Hardura to rip off before the repaint begins. Will probably remove the front suspension too, so the front tubes and crossmember can be painted at the same time.