There has been a lot of progress since the last report.
The car was taken out of the rotating jig last year and the rear axle refitted after all the wheel studs, and the axle and differential input seals were replaced.
All the original hydraulic components have been overhauled and fitted with stainless steel sleeves and new sealing kits and stainless brake hoses have replaced those fitted when the car was built.
The engine and gearbox which had been sitting on the sub frame while the car was in the rotating jig were split apart so that the engine could be mounted in an engine stand.
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While the engine was in the stand the front oil seal was replaced. It showed some quite severe wear marks where the original 45 year old seal had been rubbing on the crankshaft pulley. After seeking an opinion on this forum I fitted a double lipped seal and positioned it slightly proud of the face of the timing cover where it is hopefully sealing satisfactorily on the clean surfaces.
A reconditioned steering rack was fitted to the sub frame. All the front suspension components were cleaned, inspected and refitted.
In removing the gearbox off the engine I discovered that two bolts holding the top cover on the gearbox, had been drilled out, rethreaded and two 3/8 whitworth bolts used instead of 5/16 UNC bolts. Helicoils have now been fitted so that the correct 5/16 bolts could be used.
Paul/Flyfisherman did some excellent research a few years ago and found a vee seal which I have now fitted to the gear selector rods on the gearbox and which have eliminated any leakage from that area. The original gearbox mount has been refitted along with a new seal at the back of the gearbox.
A number of threads around the rear engine plate to gearbox adaptor casting had been stripped and the bolts that had been used were packed with thread sealing tape. All of the 5/16 UNC bolts had been replaced with an assortment of 5/16 whitworth of differing lengths. Both 5/16 whitworth and 5/16 UNC have the same threads per inch but the difference in the thread flank angles was enough to cause them to strip when the correct bolts and correct torque was used.
I mentioned in a separate post that the rear engine lifting eye had been removed from the engine. One, part of the late Jonners collection of parts which Alun – xvivalve, and others have been selling, was used as a pattern to fabricate a couple of spares. The original has now been pinned to the wall in memory of Jonners with whom I corresponded over several years leading up to his untimely death.
New solid carburettor mounts were obtained from the club stock and fitted. The car came with a number of spares which included four alloy spark plug tubes. The original tubes had been removed at some stage and refitted with thread seal tape wound around them and then a liberal doze of gasket sealant applied in order to stop them leaking. There was bits of gasket sealant all through the rocker cover for whoever had fitted the cover last had ignored the instruction to only smear a trace on faces of the gasket used.
New fuel and water hoses have been fitted. Then with the engine and gearbox now sitting back in the sub frame, Bob another Sprint owner who lives not a mile from me came round and watched just how easy it was to reinstall the completely dressed engine and gearbox assembly back under the car with only the air cleaner and gear lever missing.
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Once the sub frame was in place, the intermediate steering coupling fitted and the electrics and fuel hoses connected the air cleaner was installed. The clutch slave was bolted to the gearbox and connected to the clutch actuating arm after it had been bled. I find it easier to bleed holding it above the clutch master. The last job was to install the gear lever, tunnel cover, reconnect the exhaust and prop shaft and bleed the brakes.
Then the car was prepared for its detailed Vehicle Inspection. The registration on the car had lapsed and this inspection had to be carried out before a Warrant of Fitness could be issued and its original registration and number plates could be re-instated.
The instructions in New Zealand state quite clearly that the car can not be driven to the testing station for this detailed inspection. I visited the testing station, booked the car in for a procedure which takes nearly a full day and confirmed that it would be satisfactory to tow the car in on the same a-frame with which I collected the car some years ago.
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The car passed through the inspection process satisfactorily and is now being driven, legally, on the road.
There is still work to be done to complete the restoration. The car suffered some minor cosmetic damage to the body when during the series of earthquakes we experienced here a few years ago some shelving collapsed around it.
The repairs to the body and the repainting of the car is now well underway.
Robert