Oops, sorry. Thought you were referring to my age again.
Great thread!!
I wouldn't worry to much if there is a little bit off oil in the threads Loctite will still work we use it all the time at work and dont go to extremes drying out the threads. when we go back to a component 3 years later thats been loctited you can tell it's done its job as some the bolts/nuts can be a pita to get off.
Well that's good news. It means what I have done today should have worked well.
Not a lot done today and it's been a day of ups and downs
8.30am I called the local Indi to order some of the copper washers for the squirt tubes and they actually had them in! I went up and got them straight away.
86p for the lot
Bought some new thread lock from TMS while I was out.
Putting the washers on turned out hand, cos the last little on to go is a tightish fit on the thread, you have to turn it on. This was handy cos it held everything together, it would have been a right clart on getting everything lined up and fitted in the tight space of the engine block.
Put some folded blue towel roll over the socket and pushed on to the nut to hold it on.
Little bit of thread lock and bingo, easy job.
At least until I got to the last one! Just tightening it down, thinking I can feel those two copper washers collapsing then it all went slack. Heart sank like a stone and I just started repeating the word NO! I actually felt sick for a moment. I thought I had stripped the thread, but when I dared to unscrew the bolt it easily lifted out to show that I had sheared it off.
I was stunned, I think. The Mrs was just about to drive to Newcastle to take our eldest son to the airport, I was going to stay and work on the engine, but I just packed away and went with them.
On the way I googled stud extractors on my phone and a small set for £3.99 were on the Screwfix site. You have to pass Screwfix on the way to the airport
champion.
Anyway, after being away for several hours got back with the extractors. The smallest one was the right fit for the hole in the bolt (oilway, which was lucky) but the end of it was about 3mm square
I've got a tap and die set, but there was no room to move the little handle inside the block.
Thought I'll have to jam the tool in a small socket, so I cut a 10p coin in to strips (I did apologise to the Queen several times, but I had nothing else hard enough to use)
I used the strips to wedge the square of the tool in to a small socket.
Amazingly it was a very tight fit and extracted the snapped off stud no bother. Couldn't believe it
Ordered another one and another couple of washers from the Indi, which will arrive tomorrow.
Then set about the main bearing caps, checking the bolts. Most were still dry, but I had to clean a few and did those holes too. Everything got a blast out with air.
Bit of thread lock on.
Torqued all the bolts down to 133N.m starting with the centre cap and following the others in sequence.
The crank still turns nicely by hand, not too easily but with a smooth firmness which I'm hoping is just right.
Lucky escape today, I reckon.
