Build Day 160.....More Plumbing Bits

A few more bits done today. Firstly. I've fabricated an adapter plate and pipe to fit on the lower water port on the engine block. This port was basically just a hole, with no way of attaching a pipe. This adapter bolts straight on to the block over the hole:





Needs a lick of paint, though.

Next I fitted the electric water pump, ready to be plumbed up to the adapter plate above and the radiator.



Also started looking at the plumbing for the hydraulic clutch. Will continue this tomorrow.

Build Day 159.....Radiator and Fan

I've fitted the radiator and fan assembly today. Took longer than planned as I've had to modify the mountings to place the assembly further forward. This was to ensure the bottom radiator hose will not foul on the steering rack.
Doing this has a knock on effect with the fitting of the nosecone, but it's not insurmountable.

Also finished painting the alternator bracket and fitted the alternator permanently.

Build Day 158.....Alternator Bracket

Not managed much time in the garage today, but I have completed the alternator bracket:




Just now needs a lick of paint

Build Day 157.....Alternator Assembly

I've spent most of today fabricating an alternator bracket. The engine's original bracket was part of the water, power steering and A/C pump assembly. As I've discarded all these pumps, a new custom bracket for the alternator is required.
It's almost done, just the final welding up to do.

I also put the car down on it's wheels for the first time since the engine was put in. This was mainly to roll it forward to a more central position (after it was moved back to give more room for engine installation), but also to see what it looks like and check ground clearance:




The ground clearance is not too bad (about 5 inches), but I do need to raise it a little. The coilover shocks are fully adjustable to allow me to do this.

Build Day 156.....Engine In!

Big milestone today - The engine is in!

Many thanks to John for all his help. We decided this time to try and fit the engine with the gearbox already attached, rather than try and attach the two in the engine bay. This proved to be a good way of doing things and it all slipped in relatively easily.

Here are the pics:

Perhaps things are OK.

Not a build day, but as mentioned in my last post, I was worried I'd damaged the backpate of the engine. Well, I've bolted the gearbox back on on the bench (minus a clutch) and everything seems fine. If anything was bent, it was bent back into place.
So, I've ordered a new clutch plate and this time I will assemble everything out of the car, then look at ways of installing the engine with the gearbox already attached.

Build Day 155.....Bit of a Disaster

Tried to get the engine in yesterday. All seemed to go ok, but once the gearbox was bolted on, the engine wouldn't turn over. Took it all out to find that, for some reason, the gearbox input shaft had not meshed with the clutch and instead had pushed in and bent the clutch friction plate - which is now scrap.
What's worse is that I now think that the alloy backplate, which is attached to the engine, and is what the bell housing bolts to, has been bent out of shape too (by bolting it all up when the input shaft hadn't located properly).
I'm going to bolt the box back to the engine on the bench without a clutch in to see if it's all still true. If not, I'm going to either have to find an new backplate, which may be impossible, or get a new engine.
Not a good day.