Burnt out - rebuild

dag019 said:

Is it definitly an m8? I removed the head early this morning but forgot to bring the glow plugs home from the farm. I am hoping to be able to drill it out later this evening just looking for what size drill to go up to.

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Go up to 5mm
Leaves a bit of room round the plug for any mistakes

Hicap phill said:

Go up to 5mm
Leaves a bit of room round the plug for any mistakes

Click to expand...

Took an 8mm drill in The end for go down the centre leaving just a very thin tube left. Annoyingly I left the final glow plug at the farm so removed on of the other to get a gauge on size. Drilled out and then fitted the new plug I removed.



All the valves seemed to hold penetrating fluid no problem but as I have it off and need to wait for delivery on gaskets kit and bolt I think I will lap them in just to be on the safe side. But other than that is is ready for Refitting.

Valves lapped back in and head refitted, final glow plug fitted so progress is being made. Annoyingly i could not find my modern valve spring compressor with the mole grip style handles so I had to go old school with a complete screw clamp, I am guessing I have lent it to someone who has not returned it!

I just have the lift pump, leak off pipes, rear crank seal and clutch to fit and I think it will be ready to swap in. And still need to remove the remaining two turbo studs. I am hoping to get it to the point where it is ready to fit by the end of the week but I am at goodwood over the weekend so sill be next week sometime for the swap if all goes well. I will then do belts and timing belt once it is fitted into the vehicle and I know it runs.

slowly getting there.
Did you manage to source your loom yet?

Had some good meals with a pub/ B&B owner near Goodwood the weekend while In France
Thought @dag019 was here(can you take a photo of your MGA rear lights please)

Hicap phill said:

slowly getting there.
Did you manage to source your loom yet?

Had some good meals with a pub/ B&B owner near Goodwood the weekend while In France
Thought @dag019 was here(can you take a photo of your MGA rear lights please)


View attachment 267738 View attachment 267739

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That one has the very nice wire wheel upgrade. I would love to do that with mine but it is currently original and that’s how it should remain with the family history. Couple of pics of the lights that I had to hand if you need something specific let me know:

I did tell the owner they don’t look correct. I thought they looked like of a trailer board

Bit more work managed this evening. Still trying to fit the windscreen. Having left the seal fitted to the glass I managed to get it to fully seat and stay seated which was progress. I tried fitting it with the frame out and failed miserably. A friend that I trust was adamant the easiest way to fit a screen is with the screen on the floor and the frame over the top:



I can confirm I could not get this to work and cannot see how it would. As the frame is not fixed to anything it moves around too much and you cannot even start the seal without the frame moving and it slipping off. I gave up with this and have started refitting the frame to the vehicle. The keen eyed among you will notice I have not yet fitted the hinges and this is because I did not bring my drill with me today and the bulkhead holes are not large enough for the m8 bolts required. Next time I am there I will fit those and then need to find a willing volenteer to help me Fit the screen.



You will also notice the refurbished heater box is now refitted as well.

I dropped the engine off it stand back onto its pallet and cleaned up the mating faces for the bell housing. Next time I plan on fitting the rear crank seal and then refitting the flywheel ready for the new clutch.



While I have it apart and it is easy I am going to bench test the starter. Is this as easy as using some jumper cables to the terminal and seeing if ot spins with no load or is a proper test more involved?

I am nearing the point of swapping the engine over which means I need to start looking at the front end. I know the bull bars and radiator will need to come out but can the winch and bumper stay fitted or will that need to be removed to get an engine crane in far enough to remove and refit?

Bench tested the starter motor this evening: link

good job I did as both the bendix and the solenoid were stuck. These have now been freed off and I assume (as shown in the vid linked) that is all there is to it and it is good to fit?

Does the winch bumper need to be removed to get an engine crane in to swap the engines?

Measure the height your engine crane will go. don’t forget to add the height of the engine afterwards..::::

(then get the spanners & remove the bull bar & winch set up. As I’m sure these hoists do go heigh enough or have the reach needed)

That's a considerably more sensible bit of starter motor testing than I usually do. I tend to hold them against something solid like a doorstep with my foot and then apply the wires. I wouldn't advise anyone to copy me at home though.

Hicap phill said:

(then get the spanners & remove the bull bar & winch set up. As I’m sure these hoists do go heigh enough or have the reach needed)

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I have accepted I will need to remove the bull bars, I am hoping to not have to remove the bumper, but I have vague memories of refitting he engine from a friends series 1 where we did not remove the bumper and then had to hastily remove it to get the engine far enough in. I am just trying to be lazy but it is probably easiest to remove the bumper.

Having tested the starter my next job is to fit the rear crank seal and refit the flywheel housing. It has been over 10 years since i last prepared a 200tdi to fit is the glencoyne website (link) still the gospel for doing this as I cannot remember what I did last time. Is the below still the best method for conversion? I am awaiting a counterbore drill bit and a soon as I have that will be good to go for the final steps in getting the engine ready to fit.

From the website:
"There is a stud in the flywheel housing at about the eight o'clock position which needs to be removed and there may also be two steel dowels in the rear face of the flywheel housing (one next to my thumb in the photo below). These must be removed if present. To remove studs, simply run two nuts onto the stud, then turn them against each other to lock them together. If you turn the innermost nut anti-clockwise with a spanner, the stud should now unscrew from the flywheel housing. The dowels usually pull out quite easily with Mole grips. If they are really stuck you can drill them or grind them flat.

Now you need to counterbore the four holes in the bottom of the flywheel housing to take M10 x 80 Allen bolts, then drill and tap the housing M10 to take the four extra studs (one at around three o'clock, then three more at the bottom). The housing has blind holes in exactly the right places for the four studs. The stud above the hole at three o'clock needs to be swapped over to the new hole. The photo below shows the housing modified and fitted to the engine with all studs and bolts in place apart from the three holes at the bottom, where I normally use M10 x 30 bolts rather than studs. Note the four Allen bolts at the bottom of the flywheel housing, which go through the housing and into the block stiffener:



To do this properly you really need a pillar drill, an M10 counterbore and an M10 x1.5 thread cutting tap, as well as the Allen bolts which are hard to buy in small quantities. Also you need to fit a new oil seal, and these can be difficult to fit without distorting them unless you have the right tools."

I have an old school nut & bolt shop where you can buy singles nuts & bolts.
They are metric only since they moved though. If you need anything picking up I can do this. They would sell taps/drills etc.

only problem is they don’t open on weekends anymore

Hicap phill said:

I have an old school nut & bolt shop where you can buy singles nuts & bolts.
They are metric only since they moved though. If you need anything picking up I can do this. They would sell taps/drills etc.

only problem is they don’t open on weekends anymore

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Thank you, I have the taps and hardware that I need in the garage already, I carry things like that in stock so repairs are easier and I do not have to go shopping or wait for delivery. The only thing I didn't have to follow the instructions was the counterbore drill bit which should arrive over the weekend. It was more a check that this is still agreed to be the best method and things haven't evolved or changed.

dag019 said:

Bit more work managed this evening. Still trying to fit the windscreen. Having left the seal fitted to the glass I managed to get it to fully seat and stay seated which was progress. I tried fitting it with the frame out and failed miserably. A friend that I trust was adamant the easiest way to fit a screen is with the screen on the floor and the frame over the top:

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I have failed to install the windscreen once again. this time with the frame fitted to the vehicle. Despite using lots of lube and roping in a volunteer failed to get the screen to seat and managed to tear the rubber seal after about half a dozen attempts. so another seal has been ordered I will try once more and then give up and see if autoglass or similar will do it for me. I have done this twice before and do not remember it being this hard previously!

Although I failed with the windscreen I have made some progress with the flywheel housing. The counterbore bit has arrived so I will pick up my pillar drill from the friend who borrowed it tomorrow get that sorted over the weekend. I have drilled and tapped the other holes required. And removed the locating studs. I have to say I whole heartedly disagree with glencoyne comment about “Thedowels usually pull out quite easily with Mole grips.”
They required the housing the next carefully heated and even then put up fight!

I have also noticed that I am a stud short. Does anyone know the part number? I think it might be ERC9240. Can anyone confirm?

You're doing some great work there Dag

I didn't have to take my bumper off.

Al2O3 said:

You're doing some great work there Dag

I didn't have to take my bumper off.
View attachment 268944

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That gives me hope I can just remove the bull bars. How much room did you have as I ah e a winch bumper and I see yours is standard?

dag019 said:

That gives me hope I can just remove the bull bars. How much room did you have as I ah e a winch bumper and I see yours is standard?

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Going back a while now Dag, three or four inches if I remember correctly.
This is the best angled shot I've got.

Sorry, I can't remember exactly. What's your winch bumper look like? Got a picture? I think it could be tight.

Al2O3 said:

Going back a while now Dag, three or four inches if I remember correctly.
This is the best angled shot I've got.
View attachment 268945
Sorry, I can't remember exactly. What's your winch bumper look like? Got a picture? I think it could be tight.

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It is a husky winch with the standard husky winch bumper.