Edds Dolomite 1850 - Converted to Sprint.

[eddbmxdude]

Right, I've had my dolly for a while but have never started a project thread. I have just moved it upto my workshop, so thought I'd start one now so I can keep a diary of my progress.

I bought it in August '09 from a guy in Norfolk. It is an 1850 with Sprint running gear fitted. He told me that the carbs needed setting up ,the clutch was slipping and overdrive needed wiring up. I attempted to set the carbs up properly but while doing it I noticed that it was getting very hot. I noticed there wasn't much water in it, and there were big watermarks down the block coming from the waterpump housing. I bought a seal kit and rebuilt the pump. When I put it back in it was still leaking!

Heres some photos of when I first bought it.





It doesn't have an air box either.
There was a big watermark down the side of the block:


I whipped the pump out and the housing was marked.


I rebuilt the pump and refitted it, but then it started leaking from the slot in the block!



I suspect that the underside of the impeller was not flat enough. I didn't bother checking it. Anyway, that was all back in August. After that I got a little fed up with it and lost my enthusiasm. BUT after reading alot on here and having to walk past it on the front garden everyday and feeling guilty I decided to really get cracking with it.
The day after boxing day, my friend who I share the unit with helped me tow it up there. I set about taking the engine out so I could see what was up with the clutch.
I got everything disconnected and pulled out the lump. Bit tricky seeing as its the first time I have taken out a RWD engine and box, but at least I have a good idea how to do it if I ever need to do it again.

Sorry about these photos. I forgot to take my camera down the unit.
Heres the engine and box after taking it out.



and here is the beast with no engine. I took advice I read somewhere on these forums and jacked the back up as far as I could. Made the whole operation far easier



I didn't get any photos, but I split the 'box from the engine and there is oil in the bellhousing. Im guessing thats why the clutch is slipping! Thats all I got time for.

I will get some better photos next time Im down there. I have a few questions now
Where do you think the oil could be leaking from to get in with the clutch?
What things should I do while the engine is out?
Also, the overdrive unit was wired up. I havent tested it because I havent really had it running but if its not working and its all wired correctly, what could be wrong with it? Anyway of testing it on the bench?
I was thinking, replace engine mounts, steering rack mounts?, do the waterpump, AGAIN! I would also like to put a thermostatic switch in there so the fan cuts in by itself rather than me having to remember to flick the dash switch on, but I have no idea how

I hope im not rambling, enjoy the pictures and have another of the dolly alongside my 15000 mile Mk1 Metro.


Cheers
Edd

[zombeh]

Where do you think the oil could be leaking from to get in with the clutch?

If it's engine oil it's coming from the rear crank seal

Also, the overdrive unit was wired up. I havent tested it because I havent really had it running but if its not working and its all wired correctly, what could be wrong with it? Anyway of testing it on the bench?

Not really, you should be able to check whether the solenoid is working on the bench, if all the wiring is ok and the oil level is correct then it should work.

It's worth taking the overdrive sump off and removing and cleaning both filters while it's out of the car and easy to get to, you will need a tool to undo the plug that holds the pressure filter in but it's not hard to make.

[straylight]

good work Edd, great to see you getting on with it. Removing the engine is hard work but now it is out, you can get to everything.

Engine mounts are hard to come by, but I think Rimmers have just had a batch made up.

While the engine is out, check the oil pump tolerances (in the workshop manual).

I'd be tempted to get the head off, check the flatness of the head and send it away to get it sorted professionally. These cars thrive on that head being 100%. Expensive perhaps, but that is where all the power is coming from. You can check all the tappets/shims yourself easily enough, but a good head place will check camshaft alignment and so on. With the head off you can check the state of the pistons and cylinders, decide then whether you need to do any honing.

At least replacing the rear crankcase seal is easy

While it is all out, make sure your timing chain/tensioners are all serviceable as well. The cost of a new chain is peanuts, the tensioners/slip plates/guides are more expensive.

Other things to look at include the clutch throw out bearing and think about a spin on oil filter conversion, polybush up the front end if it hasn't already been done. The water pump you are sorting (if water is coming from the slot, check the graphite seal which beds up against the water pump impeller, it might be that you haven't assembled it correctly).

btw, the throttle cable spring plate looks like it is on upside down. I'm surprised you can cloes the bonnet with it sticking up like that It is the flat plate that the throttle spring hooks onto, it should sit downwards between the inlet manifold tubes.

stu

[Howard81]

Ooooh, I love the Metro! Looks very clean indeed

The water pump usually needs the impeller machining to get a watertight fit, but looking at your top plate you can see where the impeller has hit it. Not quite sure what is happening there.

Rimmers had the engine mounts in stock earlier this year when Roy (triplecustard) rebuilt my Sprint's engine, so no problem there.

[eddbmxdude]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the advice. I have had a look on Rimmer Bro's website and they do indeed have the engine mounts. I'll be buying a rear crankcase seal as soon as I have confirmed that is the source of the leak too. I have been looking at Polybush kits from Robsport, is it worth getting the complete car kit and changing the lot? Also looking at the solid steering rack mounts. I have a similar looking pair of bushes in the glovebox but in hardish yellow plastic. I will try and remember to get a photo of them next time im at the unit.
I am so eager I really wanted to go down the unit tonight and do some more, but its freezing fog outside so it would be rather chilly. Think i'll give it a miss for tonight.

The metro is rather special. I bought it a year ago from a little old lady with 9300 miles on the clock

[Jon Tilson]

I'd just polybush the rack while its out. Also free up the splines on the flexible couplings and intermediate shaft and change the lower column bulkhead bush. All much easier with engine out. Also have a damn good look at the bulkkhead and treat any rusty bits behind the sound deadening foam.

Rear crank oil seal is worth changing as is the gearbox front cover seal. Be careful taking out the 4 bolts that hold the cover on. Also worth looking at the wedgelock and cross shaft that move the clutch release bearing carrier.

Jonners

[mbellinger]

Also worth looking at the wedgelock and cross shaft that move the clutch release bearing carrier.

Yes, yes and thrice, Yes.

[lwalton]

hiya where abouts are you because i have a couple of new old stock water pump covers if you need a new one just out of interest how much was the rebuild kit for the pump and was it easy to do?

[eddbmxdude]

Hi,

I am in Dunstable, Beds. Are they 6 or 12 vane pump covers?
The rebuild kit I bought was about £17 I think with a couple of quid postage. I think I got mine from ebay if I remember rightly. It was pretty straight forward to do, just make a note of the order in which the components come off the shaft. My impeller was seized onto the shaft so I had to heat it up with an oxy-acetylene torch and press it off with a fly press.

Heres a link to a very useful how-to guide written by Jonners. Helped me no end
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7214&hilit=waterpump+howto

[lwalton]

no idea which ones they are have not had a good look how do i tell which is which?

[sprint95m]

I don't like the look of this.......

I whipped the pump out and the housing was marked.

Those marks to me suggest you have a six vane pump cover instead of the correct 12 vane one or that insufficient gaskets were used to give proper clearance.
If the former is indeed the case, it'll be little wonder your engine got hot, given that the impellor couldn't move. Also, I suspect rebuilding this pump will be unsuccessful because the splined section of its shaft will be damaged.


In 1989 I bought a non running Sprint. It had a new 12 vane water pump fitted under a 6 vane cover, leading to the same symptoms as those you described. The new pump had been fitted by a professional ! I bought a new pump (which was much cheaper back then), fortunately the jackshaft was fine.



Well done for getting back working at your car. A well sorted Sprint is a good car.

[lwalton]

how do you know the difference between the covers?with regards to the fitting of a thermostat to your fan if you search the net for car builder solutions they do these very cheap with the instructions on how to fit i used these guys all the time and they only do quality stuff as they use to build kit cars then got into supplying parts to car builders also quite alot of good bits for dolomite restorers

[eddbmxdude]

how do you know the difference between the covers?with regards to the fitting of a thermostat to your fan if you search the net for car builder solutions they do these very cheap with the instructions on how to fit i used these guys all the time and they only do quality stuff as they use to build kit cars then got into supplying parts to car builders also quite alot of good bits for dolomite restorers

Ah yes, I know of that website. Thanks for the advice. Im not sure how to tell the difference between covers, I just know there is a difference!
Looks like im in the market for a new waterpump too

[tinweevil]

how do you know the difference between the covers?

Here

[xvivalve]

That's a 12v cover and I wouldn't be unduly worried about the markings so long as you refit to the correct tolerance. I would suggest the markings are from where the car has sat idle for a while with the wrong coolant/water mix and are simply manifestations from where the impellar was sitting and started to oxidise; stains, nothing more.