Hoisting the engine

[hanleyclifford]

Looks great, Bill. But lose those brass hard 90 fittings for the nice smooth plumbing style cast 90s.

[ILikeRust]

Well I worked on her a bit more this afternoon to set up my "test stand". It is replete with ignition on/off switch, push-button starter switch, oil pressure and water temp. I wired it all up so now it's very nearly ready to run.

Tomorrow I'll finish the last tidbits and see if I can't fire the old girl up in my driveway on the test stand.

Watch this space...

[ILikeRust]

Almost ready!

I need to run out and see if I can't find some new RJ12C sparkplugs - I stopped at CarQuest yesterday, but they don't carry them. I also need to get 30wt oil and fill the crankcase. I'm going to "borrow" the gas tank off my pressure washer or lawnmower just to gravity feed gas for the 15 minutes or so that I will run it.

But here is how she looks right now, on my high-tech, scientifical engine-running test stand:





Dig my redneck hi-tech throttle control:



And the view from command central:



Yes, the wiring certainly does not meet ABYC standards! It's temporary, I tell ya! Temporary!! Don't bust my - er, chops.

[ILikeRust]

And here's a query:

The MMI overhaul manual says that as soon as the engine hits 150 degrees, re-torque all the head bolts. OK, fine.

But how the heck do you do the one next to the thermostat? The hose barb coming off the thermostat goes directly over that head bolt. There ain't no way you're getting a socket on that sucker to torque it!

The one next to the manifold can be exposed by rotating the elbow on the manifold about 45 degrees forward - this gives just enough room to slip a socket on it. But you can't do that for the one next to thermostat.

I suppose I could put a 90-degree elbow on the thermostat, to divert the hose out of the way of that bolt, but why introduce another bend there, when it's a straight shot across the head to the manifold - and especially since once the head is torqued, it won't matter if that hose covers up that bolt.

I'm thinking maybe just use an open-end wrench and give it a little tug to snug it up by feel, relative to how much force it takes to do the others... I don't know how else to do it...

[Kelly]

I'm thinking maybe just use an open-end wrench and give it a little tug to snug it up by feel, relative to how much force it takes to do the others...

Perhaps this is not very reassuring, but that is exactly how I did it given the same problem of access to the nut. I have not had any issues going on three years later...

By the way, great job on your work and documentation/illustration. Some of your "temporary" set-up looks better than my "permanent" modifications!

[TomG]

Bill,

Great work!

As for re-tourquing the head bolts beside the thermostat, how hard would it be to loosen the SS hose clamp on the thermostat hose then use an open-end wrench to remove the hose barb from the thermostat (simply turning the barbed fitting inside the hose)? Would that get the hose and barbed nipple out of the way enough to get the torque wrench on the nut?

Great pictures and thanks for taking the time and making the effort to post them for us to see and learn.

[ILikeRust]

HELP!

So I've got it all hooked up and I'm following the MMI manual for starting up the "new" engine.

First thing to do is crank the engine with no spark plugs in until you get 20 psi oil pressure.

I'm not getting any oil pressure. Zero. Zilch.

My neighbor, who restores and rebuilds old Alfas, Fiats and Abarths into race cars and knows a lot about engines, came over to help me and we're both thinking that the oil pump isn't priming for some reason.

I know for absolutely sure that the oil pump is in correctly, with the gear meshing with the crankshaft, etc.

I even took out the oil pressure sender and safety switch just to see if any oil would squirt out of the passages. Nothing. We've cranked and cranked and it just will not pump oil.

Any ideas?

AAAARGGGH!! I was really hoping I could get this baby running before I had to head to L.A. tomorrow. I'll be out in L.A. for 2-1/2 weeks!

[edwardc]

Check your pressure regulator screw setting. Could be too far out.

Also, be sure the ball and rod (or the older style cone-tipped shaft & spring) regulator pieces are actually installed!

[ILikeRust]

Yup, been there; done that.

Much to my chagrin, I am starting to conclude that I am going to have to drop the oil pan.

You know the oil channel that runs along the inside of the crankcase? The one that has a few small screw plugs in it here and there?

I know for sure that I carefully counted those screw plugs to make sure they were all in place before I closed up the oil pan.

I looked on the outside of the block to make sure all of the plugs and fittings are in place where they are supposed to be - including the plug behind the carburetor.

Everything is accounted for.

I just found a screw plug lying on my bench.

The only thing I can think is that I somehow missed one inside. You're not going to get any pressure at all if one of those plugs is out of the oil passage inside the crankcase.

No more work on it for today. We're preparing for our neighborhood Memorial Day cookout, and I have to fly to L.A. tomorrow for 2-1/2 weeks.

So the whole massacree will have to wait until after I get back home...

[ILikeRust]

Bill,

Great work!

As for re-tourquing the head bolts beside the thermostat, how hard would it be to loosen the SS hose clamp on the thermostat hose then use an open-end wrench to remove the hose barb from the thermostat (simply turning the barbed fitting inside the hose)? Would that get the hose and barbed nipple out of the way enough to get the torque wrench on the nut?

Well, except for the fact that you're going to be dealing with an engine that's at about 150 - 160 degrees F, and when you undo that fitting, very hot water is going to come out.

And you're supposed to re-torque the head a few times, until the nuts and studs stop turning at 35 ft-lbs.

[13jeff13]

Great Work

Looks Great Bill. I have hit a wall with my rebuild. Literally. We had some pretty destructive storms roll through our neighborhood the past couple of weeks and Have been dealing with some storm damage around the house. Couple of downed trees, and demolished deck have kept me from my boat projects. 70 mph winds almost blew the be-trailered 30' Grampian into my front yard,, thank god for the 3000lb of lead in her belly.

Keep up the great work, maybe by the time you return from your trip, I will have some progress.


Jeff

[thatch]

The missing plug

Bill,
Truly sorry to hear about the oil pressure problem. After going over my "bench" A4, I have come to the conclusion that the most likely oil galley plug to overlook is the one that is on the transmission end of the block that is hidden by the camshaft drive gear. A good picture of this gear can be seen on page 5-1 of the Moyer manual. By rotating one of the large holes in the drive gear to about 7 oclock that 1/8" npt hole will be exposed. Access to this area, of course involves the removal of the upper transmission housing.
Tom

[ILikeRust]

Bill,
Truly sorry to hear about the oil pressure problem. After going over my "bench" A4, I have come to the conclusion that the most likely oil galley plug to overlook is the one that is on the transmission end of the block that is hidden by the camshaft drive gear. A good picture of this gear can be seen on page 5-1 of the Moyer manual. By rotating one of the large holes in the drive gear to about 7 oclock that 1/8" npt hole will be exposed. Access to this area, of course involves the removal of the upper transmission housing.
Tom

That actually would be preferable to removing the whole oil pan, which would require removing the flywheel and flywheel housing (and likely requiring replacing that big gasket). At least I can take off the reversing gear housing by just taking the bolts out of the rear circular plate and letting it hang loose on the output shaft.

I discovered I had a slight oil weep at the junction of the reversing gear housing, block and oil pan anyhow, so maybe I'll be able to clean everything up and seal it better...

It all will have to wait until late June at this point...

[thatch]

Bill,
If you check the photos in post #85 of this thread you will see some other shots of the gear that that plug is hiding behind. Also, please check your PM's if you haven't already, It concerns your So. Cal. trip.
Tom

[jpian0923]

Dam the luck. We are all rooting for you.