With today being my last day off for a while, I had some domesticities to attent to - hair cut, visit to the Doctor etc (he thinks I should pull the motor too).
I was debating whether to pulll the motor, or stick to plan and finish up front first (brake lines, tank, fuel tap, fuel line, grommets etc).
In the end my decision was made for me as Mrs LT decided she'd take the kids out and about. This meant I was going to be by myself. I really didnt fancy trying to remove the motor single handedly for the first time in over 20 years, as one slip and I could cause major damage. I'm sure my Dad will be more than willing to help, although I'm ready for the rant abut how high I'll need to lift the car to get it out.
So, I decided to try and finish off up front.
The original steel brake lines had been repaired (!!!) at some point, so there was no option but to replace them with a nice new set of Nickel/Copper ones....
I used a normal tube bender for the larger radius curves, but for tighter radii, I made a make shift jig in the vice using a socket as a form. Why not just bend it round your thumb I hear you cry...? Sorry, just cant help myselft sometimes!
After far more faffing about that I'd anticipated, the new hard lines where formed and in place, along with the original low pressure master cylinder fluid feed pipe.
One might argue that the lengths of tube supplied in the kit are a little on the long side, hence the imaginative bends here and there, but I'm more than please with the way it now looks.
Because the long front to back brake line is in very good condition, I am in no immediate rush to replace it (although a new one was in the kit and I might well replace it anyway) but I really struggled to get the thread of the fitting into the hole on the master cylinder. I fiddled around for ages trying the get the threads started, desparately trying not to cross them, but with no joy. I tried one of the old fittings in the new cylinder to make sure the threads are the same (which they are) but dspite all my wiggling and jiggling and trying from every possible variation of angle, I couldn't get them started, so I have to assume the first thread on the fitting is slightly damaged, as I checked the cylinder and an old loose fitting went in first time. I'll wait until my Dad gets back from holiday and scrounge one of his thread dies to clear it out. No major issue but it kind of halted progress.
With time on my side, I decided to have a sweep and vac of the spare wheel compartment to make sure it is as solid as I remembered from when I first saw the car.
After a quick tydy up, I was not disappointed!
Like the rest of the car, absolutely solid as a rock, and a real joy to behold.
Of course I couldn't just leave it like that, so I drenched it in waxoyl to preserve for the future. The waxoyl 'wets up' the surface rust and makes it look worse than it is, but I'm happy in the knowledge that it is well protected.
Until I can get the threads clear on the brake line fitting, and until I've a helper to assist in the engine removal, that's about it for now, other than when I removed my gloves, I noticed I'd sliced my thumb open on something.... but no idea what? :lol:
I can supply...
25/36hp Crank-Flywheel shims - 3 sizes
NOS king pin thrust & fibre washers - all sizes
Cloth braided nitrile fuel hose safe for modern fuels
PM me for details...