I'm sure you've all seen the huuge threads about my car being broken. After taking it to 3 garages and none being able to say what was wrong without taking the head off and costing me a small fortune i decieded to take the head off myself.
This is my first car, and the first major thing i've done to it. Haynes in hand i started pulling plugs, leads and pipes out. Turned out it was the head gasket that had gone, so the head went off to be skimmed and i spent an age cleaning the rest of the engine up.
That was about a week ago, tuesday i put the manifolds back onto the head and then last night, arseofbox came over from manchester to help me time her up. Asside from a slight issue of the HT leads not being plugged in, she fired up first time. I was chuffed.
This morning i went round to repair the broken CVboot, and drive my baby home. Not so fast.. one of the alternator bolts was a biatch to tighten and i'd got fed up and asked chris (gex) to have a bash at it. He didnt, but i didnt know that. So basically it was left with a bolt missing from the alternator.. i found out when i started her this morning and heard a lovely squeal. A while later, the belt was tense and the car was ready to roll.
In the last month the car has had many new bits.
Plugs
HT leads
Fuel Filter
Head Gasket (and manifold gaskets etc)
Head Skimmed
Timing Belt
alternator Belt
Timing belt tensioner
exhaust manifold studs
and im sure some other bits ive forgotten about!
Took her for a spin earlier and the power is definetly back - and i couldnt help smiling an awful lot. For someone thats not really messed with engines before i think ive done a damn fine job!
Thanks to tom for driving over, and pete for advice and help
This is my first car, and the first major thing i've done to it. Haynes in hand i started pulling plugs, leads and pipes out. Turned out it was the head gasket that had gone, so the head went off to be skimmed and i spent an age cleaning the rest of the engine up.
That was about a week ago, tuesday i put the manifolds back onto the head and then last night, arseofbox came over from manchester to help me time her up. Asside from a slight issue of the HT leads not being plugged in, she fired up first time. I was chuffed.
This morning i went round to repair the broken CVboot, and drive my baby home. Not so fast.. one of the alternator bolts was a biatch to tighten and i'd got fed up and asked chris (gex) to have a bash at it. He didnt, but i didnt know that. So basically it was left with a bolt missing from the alternator.. i found out when i started her this morning and heard a lovely squeal. A while later, the belt was tense and the car was ready to roll.
In the last month the car has had many new bits.
Plugs
HT leads
Fuel Filter
Head Gasket (and manifold gaskets etc)
Head Skimmed
Timing Belt
alternator Belt
Timing belt tensioner
exhaust manifold studs
and im sure some other bits ive forgotten about!
Took her for a spin earlier and the power is definetly back - and i couldnt help smiling an awful lot. For someone thats not really messed with engines before i think ive done a damn fine job!
Thanks to tom for driving over, and pete for advice and help
