July 07, 2006
Moron Projects!
Well, mine is moribund at the moment. Remember back before I left, I had been valiantly trying to change out the front crank and camshaft seals and change the timing belt? Well, it seems I am still lacking ONE tool necessary to remove the intermediate sprocket from the shaft. I have tried every combination of cheater, wrench, strap, plier, beaker bar, and incantation to get that one intermediate shaft nut off, and it won't budge. The upper camshaft sprocket bolt I managed to get loose by wedging a breaker bar into one of the holes in the sprocket face and the handle down onto the water pump snout, but there's no way to do that with the intermediate one. Just lots of frustration and damaged knuckles.
Tool? Yep, there's one specifically for this--Volvo camshaft sprocket counterhold 9995034. Of which there is apparently only one in all of Middle Earth. So, I have another supposedly universal-fit tool on order, but in the mean time, the poor old Brick has has to just sit in the driveway, forlorn and hobbled. I just hope I remember how everything goes back together. I did order some other stuff to work on also, but just haven't gotten around to putting on the flame trap relocation kit or the rear camshaft seal retainer kit. Maybe this afternoon. Or not.
LUCKILY FOR ALL OF US, the moron disease infects others so that even if one thing is at a dead stop, other things are continuing to wheeze and bang around for our entertainment. AS IS THE CASE with famous NASA rocket scientist and boat owner Steevil, who undertook while I was away to purchase for himself a brand new (well, for him, at least) white 1973 Triumph Spitfire, which came with a host of spare parts, as well as the ghosts of both Sir Joseph Lucas AND British Leyland! I hope Steve doesn't mind my posting a picture of his new friend herein--
Congrats, Steevil! And condolences in that it seems to have succumbed to an carburetor malady--Steevil reports having to have it flat-towed only days after purchasing it due to some wicked backfiring back up through the induction system. I'm sure it's nothing a little cursing, some Guinness, and a 3 pound brass hammer can't fix.
At least, I HOPE it's only a carburetor problem. I'm really not ready for an engine tear down in the first week I have the car.
Posted by: steevil (Dr Weevil's bro Steve) at July 7, 2006 03:59 PMNate tried to comment earlier that he thinks it might be the timing is off, which does make more sense--if it's completely rebuilt and just had a new timing chain, it might have gotten off by a tooth or two, or the distributer might be loose and advanced itself a bit on the muchish side.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at July 7, 2006 04:03 PM" have tried every combination of cheater, wrench, strap, plier, beaker bar, and incantation to get that one intermediate shaft nut off, and it won't budge."
Tried a torch?
Posted by: DaveH at July 7, 2006 04:29 PMWell, not yet--let me try the tool I have on order before I burn the thing completely to ashes on my driveway.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at July 7, 2006 04:46 PMNate, car ran OK Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning. Problem started Monday evening when I tried to accelerate hard coming out of the NASA main gate (found out that the roll bar is a useful push handle, and that being fat, old and gray gets people to come over and help push). Since the problem started suddenly, I'm worried about it being a stuck valve.
Posted by: Steevil (Dr Weevil's bro Steve) at July 7, 2006 09:35 PM