3. The Progress & Plans Thread!

[Bibs]

Well not got much done on the car today, popped out on my bike for a little ride and ended up here in Blackpool.....

As you do!!!

[markt]

Question Troy... Are you going to leave all those bits as is, or take a sander to 'em and get the raised areas back to the aluminium? Looking good either way and i do like the crackle finish

[Guest Troy Halliday]

I have cut back the paint and sanded them back, I will work down through the grade papers untill it looks shiny. I'll post a pic when they are all done.

[Advantage]

Well done both chaps!

Have the gaskets/bearings etc turned up for the engine, yet?

[t70]

You guys all Rock!!!... I wish I could have been there!.... Also wish I would have been able to book my flight at a different time... oh well....

[Bibs]

Have the gaskets/bearings etc turned up for the engine, yet?

Erm, if they look like this then yup

Many thanks to our anonymous benefactor for another delivery, we couldn't be doing this without you

Some more pics from SuperSi...

[Advantage]

Ding flippin' dong to the engine bits!!! And good effort to the supplier!!!

Simon, you appear to have cracked the bottom left hand side of the radiator cowling when you installed it, because it was fine when I left the other day....

I'm telling Troy.

[mayevora]

If we can't believe how good this Esprit is now looking - I can only imagine how BigSi's is going to take it

Edited May 7, 2007 by mayesprit

[Simon350S]

Ok dudes and dudettes......

Back from blackpool...... I'm well knackered...!!!!!!

Best get these pics on here for you to take a ganders at.......

First up the rad install.....

Replaced the old rotted 'special' oil cooler washers..... used our new stainless ones and filed the respective flats using, well..... a file....!!!!! Then cut the bolts to length.....

Bolted the oil cooler and radiator (the one which Graham broke the cowling on...!!!!) onto the intake ducting....

Rebuilt and mounted the fans to the rad......

Placed the new spanky looking assembly on carpet so not to scratch it.....

And then jacked it into place........

Bolted the whole assembly to the car, the difficult way with the nuts inside the front compartment, to help reduce the likelyhood of any corrosion... (ran out of stainless bolts......!!!!) and used plenty of copper grease.....

Hey presto..... all finished.....!!!!!!

Edited May 7, 2007 by Simon350S

[Guest Troy Halliday]

Good work Shrek , I'll be up on Thursday mate. See if we can't jump start the heart of this beast.

[Simon350S]

Front hub assembly was pretty sraight forward, after I found enough bolts and washers...!!!!!

Not sure what the office would think of my use of the laptop....!!!!

Loads of copper grease to keep BigSi happy.....

Bunged it all togeather......!!!

Discs cleaned up a treat with the nylon brush in the drill......

And there we are done....!!!!!! Well appart from the hub nut.........!!!!!

Next on to the missing anti roll bar bush spacer.......

As previously stated, the lower shock absorber bush was just what I needed

So set about pressing it out with my special bush abusing tools... (I am the bush master...!!!!)

I was well chuffed until I compared it to the old one and discovered the outside diameter was too big...........

Clamped it in my vice and proceeded to remove approx 0.5mm around its entire circumference, flat by flat by flat......

And then around it again on the points between the flats..... and then again...... and again...... and then with a fine needle file to make it round..... and finally polished it off with a little wet'n'dry paper......

Hey presto....!!!!!

Here it is compared to the other one.....Had to file approx 3mm off the length to match the original....

Perfect....!!!!!!

[Simon350S]

Single man working aint much fun.....

Had to make do with an old piece of worktop to lend a helping hand.....

Couldnt get the nut on the end of the anti roll bar for love nor money..... couldnt put any pressure on the nut to start the thread as I ran out of hands........

More head scratching and came up with this...... A jack under the mounting point allowed the correct angle of penetration..... Masking tape around the lower arm and the anti roll bar meant I could now put presure on the nut to allow the thread to start......

And there we are all fitted.......

Next the spacers.........

Oh what fun...... a bit of a pain due to the number of them.....

But here we are all done........ Lush...!!!!

[Simon350S]

Having got the new fuel line and alloy ends I decided late one night, about 2am, having just ordered pizza and already drunk copious amounts of beer, to have a bash at making them up.......

First up was the oil feed line to the turbo.......

Heavily taped up the new fittings to ensure no damage was caused to them..... soft jaw vice used...... and an adjustable spanner as advised by the pro as it has nice large faces to reduce pressure points, also it can be adjusted to take into account for the tape....

1st fitting all done........

Cut the pipe to length using a junior hacksaw after first taping up the area to help reduce splaying of the braid as it was cut

The pipe is taped where it exits the fitting, this is to ensure whilst the pipe is being clamped down a maximum of 1/8th inch (I think) can be pushed out, any more and there is a chance the seal may not be correctly made.....

All done........

Old and new fittings side by side.....

Next up the carb fuel lines...... Using my spare setup as a jig......

Old ones are pretty pants.......

Yum yum yum.......

Well that about wraps up my weekends work I guess......

That was a very brief description and I can assure you it all didnt go as swimmingly as described.......

Even managed to almost kill myslef again.......

Simon I hope you like the end result as I've scarred mysle for life because of you....!!!!!!

End of update, I'm off to bed in a sec....

Simon

Edited May 8, 2007 by Simon350S

[Tentenths]

Outstanding effort that man

I'm in awe

[wiseraven]

Nice work Simon. Particularly like your solution to the lack of hands problem.

You should take that finger to A&E immediatlely- they might still be able to save it - it's amazing what they can do these days.

[Advantage]

I feel a bit queasy after seeing all that blood

Good single-handed spannering, Simon!

[kccparis]

Simon,

well done mate!!........ I am one of the hundreds of regular lurkers that had to come out the cupboard and say "well done" and a very big thank you also too the whole team at LEF together with the mysteroius benefactor of spare parts thats made this the best posting ever this year.

Well done guys keep the photos comming..even the quesy ones.......

[dodgy]

bit of a dilemer here, i was coming down in the Esprit on friday and was going to stop and go to the Oxford meet on Sun morn, but, the weather

So now it looks like :- Honda fri/sat,drive home Sat night, then Lot Sun to Oxford.

Now the boss at work has offered overtime on sat could do with the cash, but soooooo pi##ed off with an ass at work, giving everybody greef, thinking of missing out on the

Edited May 9, 2007 by Dodgy

[Guest Troy Halliday]

Ok kids I am getting ready to post on Simons thread "removing the head and cam towers" with an update on what I have done to his car. Don't forget Simon thinks I am rebuilding his engine for him andd know nothing of any of this. I am going to post couple of pics with very little detail saying that my cammera has screwed up and I need a photo recovery software (erm sound familiar). Don't rush to post but if you have previously replied to his thread then please feel free to post saying what a pain in the arse it is to do certain things. I will tell Simon Sunday that I have found something wrong with his engine, but think someone said they had a spare one and to post on the forum to see if anyone has one. Dodgy could you PM him and say you have a spare one (you proberbly have got one sitting in your boot ) and get my details from him so you can send them direct to me.

I know this seems a little cruel but it will at least make him feel like there is progress and will help me delay the return.

[Advantage]

Subtifuge...I like it!

[dodgy]

[Artie]

Wow, looks smashing, awesome effort guys! Still wish I could be there to help. AWESOME job guys! Can't wait to see BigSi's face when he gets presented with his NEW car! Someone be sure and have a camera to capture his expression when he sees it!

Artie

[dodgy]

OK, it seems to have been going a little slower than we wanted, but we are not at panic stage yet.

Shrek fitted the rad in nicely as you have seen in a previous post ...... unfortunately he forgot to fit the mesh grill

so , while he was in the Isle of Man this w/e, one of the jobs was to fit the mesh , to do this however, the rad has to come out again

here is our solution for fitting the end crank seal to a casting

the engine cleaned ready for build

and the carbs on, and some added 'bling' to the hoses on the engine

Edited May 13, 2007 by Dodgy

[Bibs]

Thanks Dave, it's looking super bling :lol:

Just spoken to Troy, he's quiet unwell so having an early night but has made some, if not magnificent progress today. Punky is down there too and they are pretty close to getting it back on it's feet and the engine/gearbox back in.

Only a few more parts to go, some clips and some fluids so fingers crossed we're gonna make it

Hope you feel better soon super mech smurf Troy

[Artie]

Thanks Dave, it's looking super bling :lol:

Just spoken to Troy, he's quiet unwell so having an early night but has made some, if not magnificent progress today. Punky is down there too and they are pretty close to getting it back on it's feet and the engine/gearbox back in.

Only a few more parts to go, some clips and some fluids so fingers crossed we're gonna make it

Hope you feel better soon super mech smurf Troy

Brilliant guys, keep it coming!

Artie