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Time to start on the engine.
I really didn't want to get too deep into it but I'm starting to feel a bit 'in for a penny'. While it's this accessible it might be best to have a shufty.
It ran ok before the strip down and I know it's a military refurb engine so it may not have done too many miles.
So looking at the smooth sides of the block and by the original duck egg blue colour that shows through the horrible hammerite green I places I reckon it's a 3 bearing crank. The top end has metric fastenings though so I think that is from a later 5 bearing engine. Is that possible? The oil filler cap is in the rocker cover and there is no filler neck going to the side of the block. It's a bit of a Heinz 57.
It has been standing on that pallet for a long while and although I have been putting a drop of oil down the spark plug holes and turning it over every now and then I do worry that it might be hiding some horrors.
I bought that engine stand ages ago. I had always fancied the idea of being able to spin the engine over to get access. Having said that it was easier to just leave the engine on the pallet until now.
I did my homework, asked questions and watched a lot of youtube but it was still very scary dangling the engine on the stand for the first time. Just 4 bolts supporting it from one end just didn't feel safe. I attached the gubbins a bit too low at first making it too top heavy. If I had left it like that the first time I tried to rotate it it would have gone over with such a rush it would have probably tipped the lot over. Attaching the bracket higher allows it to rotate smoothly especially as I greased everything really well when I assembled the stand.
Next it will be a really good clean before taking the sump of to see what sort of gunk has settled in it.
I should really take the head off and check the bores but there's a part of me that's thinking just bung it back in and keep your fingers crossed.
Core plugs and seals (rear crank) are a definite and a good flush out of the waterways.
I'm sure many other bits will crop up as we go.