AdamElphick wrote:

I will swap over the Stormers as not only are they nice looking but the tyres are a bit better than on my RR Sport wheels. I'll need to find some really cheap and crappy wheels for it so the scrap man can take it away when I am finished with it - any ideas for the cheapest option?

Do the breakers need to have wheels on it at all? Most around here have a lift on the back of the truck or drag it on with skates. Alternatively let it go with your own wheels then follow it down there and take them off on arrival?

Thanks guys - I'll check with my local breaker to see if they can collect with no wheels first then - if not a set of old wheels is in order..... roll on the dryer weather so I can finally get it sorted - really miss driving the old guy about!

Rcutler wrote:

AdamElphick wrote:

I will swap over the Stormers as not only are they nice looking but the tyres are a bit better than on my RR Sport wheels. I'll need to find some really cheap and crappy wheels for it so the scrap man can take it away when I am finished with it - any ideas for the cheapest option?

Do the breakers need to have wheels on it at all? Most around here have a lift on the back of the truck or drag it on with skates. Alternatively let it go with your own wheels then follow it down there and take them off on arrival?

Thats what I've done as well with other stuff - local scrapyard is only too happy to let me take the wheels as it saves them disposing of the tyres. If its just a shell (which the cars i've got rid of have been there) with nothing much salvageable off it you may be better finding a yard that doesn't do salvage parts and just processes metal as they will almost certainly let you keep anything you want as long as you can remove it. Or find a reasonable recovery truck driver and see if they can drag it on (just make sure they know before coming to you that its not got any wheels!)

Finally started the job of breaking it up - i think one more day and the engine will be out. Then its suspension bits off, then doors etc (as will be useful to someone), then that's about it apart from the odds and sods you like to keep like nuts and bolts and wiring. Hopefully another day this Bank Holiday will be reasonable and I can get on with things more. Really wanna get Michael back on the road as I really miss driving him!

BUGGER!!!! Managed to snap an exhaust manifold bolt! I seemed a bit tight so I put loads of release fluid on it and left it till last - slight turn and SNAP!

I am guessing I can drill and tap it when the engine is out?

Got most of the rest of the bits off the engine ready for removal - plus jet washed it all as it is really oily as the valley gasket has leaks at the rubber seals..... Theoretically just the drivers manifold (some bolts or at the flange for now) and the bell-housing/Flywheel bolts to do now.

I would suspect it was put in cross threaded by whoever had it off last. I've come across a couple like that but have never understood why they break when coming out and not when being wound in.

Hopefully I can drill it out once engine is out and I have more space. I can do it while doing the core plugs etc.

Just as a matter of interest, what's the engine in your donor car and what are you planning on doing with the engine bay iring loom? ;-)

If I read correctly, it’s a 4.6 gems, but I could be wrong,

gordonjcp wrote:

Just as a matter of interest, what's the engine in your donor car and what are you planning on doing with the engine bay iring loom? ;-)

Both 4.6 GEMS - so no loom changes needed - old loom will be used for the odd connector no doubt as they are bound to fall to bits or need re-soldering LOL

That's probably why Gordon is asking. On mine the temperature gauge sender and intake air temperature sender have had to have the plastic cut back and the wires soldered to the pins after they broke off where they enter the plug. Gordon's car is the same age as mine so I suspect he has the exact same problem.

Ah OK - well once I've finished if there are any plugs people need I can cut them off with some wire attached. I'll strip the car of wire anyhow as it's always handy to have different gauges of 12v wiring to hand.

Or do as the breakers do, with copper at £3.90 a kilo, weight the loom in as scrap. After you've chopped the plugs off of course.......

Oh never thought of that!

OK, well after sorting the snapped exhaust manifold both (other thread about Helicoils) I managed to heave the replacement engine in to place yesterday.... All went well after a lot of pushing and shoving (and swearing at the engine for not staying straight on the lift as i used my 'tipping' device to try and align the bell-housing up!).
By the time it was getting dark I was reasonably happy that at least it was sat on its mountings and bolted up except...... I'd managed to mangle up one of the knock sensors on the passenger side - literally bashed the plastic part of the sensor off! This bloody engine does not want to go in. Looking at this tiny sensor it seems to be REALLY expensive for some reason - anyone know an alternative source? I can find a second hand one on eBay for £25?
Also the Crankshaft Position Sensor - the one from the spare car is the older type - but the one on mine is newer but got bent by the reluctor ring some time back - I bent it straight again but wondered if i can either use the old type (with a wiring adapter I can make up) or do I need a new one do we think?
Thanks again as always.

Are the crank sensors interchangeable? Looking at the pictures on Island's site, they look different but are the mountings the same? In all honesty, considering it is one of the few things that will stop the car dead in it's tracks and the price, I'd be inclined to fit a new one to be safe.

I'll get a new Crankshaft Position Sensor then.... probably best.

Any idea about the knock sensor? There seems to be one both sides?

Yes there is. I left them in when my engine went to V8 Developments (minus heads) and when I picked it up they said that one of mine was faulty (the top plastic bit was loose) so they'd bunged one in that they had kicking around. As I understand it, they are a sort of microphone that listens for pre-ignition and the ECU can work out which cylinder and back the timing off. Whether just on that one cylinder or all of them I've no idea. What the affect would be of not having one I don't know. It may think the silence means all is fine or it may detect it is missing and back the timing off just in case. I've never heard of anyone having to replace one so they must be pretty reliable so a used one should be fine.

Thanks - something else to order!

I will get this bloody engine in soon!

AFAIK the knock sensors are a piezoelectric device, which turns pressure/vibration etc into an electrical pulse.

From what I've read, it detects knock on all 4 cylinders on the bank, so the ECU will know when it's fired the spark plug and it will then obviously be calibrated to expect a reading off the sensor at a certain time after that. If it doesn't get it, or the timing is out, then it will either adjust the timing, or log it as a misfire.

As they are somewhat solid state devices, and not really known for random failure, second hand would be fine IMO