Gulp.... here we go....
Time to start the assembly!
First I checked the locating of the crank oil feed quill, which, for some reason, my Dad had left out of the engine when it was last buil! How the big end was getting oil I have no idea.....
I only ordered this recently, I had no idea it was supposed to be there until I spotted it on the Speedway Service list of parts and wondered what it was.... If I hadn't lost the little seal from the timing cover and had to order new ones I'd never have known about this part.
I also checked the crank-shaft oil feed line was clear:
Yup!
I then set up the timing side crankcase on a few blocks so that it would sit easily, cleaned up the remaining lithium grease which was on the thrust washers on the crank shafts, fitted the bearing cage and rollers on that side, and dropped it into the case:
Fitting the bearings was a lot of "fun" - they're soaked in R30 and have a tendency to try to pop out when you're pushing the next one into the slot: this little so-and-so made a bid for freedom and I lost 10 minutes hunting for the git, eventually I DID find it on the floor, I think it somehow ended up under my shoe!
Second set of bearings all in:
I then cleaned up the case mating surfaces with Sika Wonder Wipes,
Then again with meths on a clean bit of cloth.
Just a fraction of the blue paper and wipes I went through....
The Threebond was a lot more fluid than I was expecting, and I lost a bit of time hunting for a nozzle amongst my other tubes of goo - unfortunately couldn't find anything to fit so I had to just dispense from the tube.
I think this was a little too much - but there wasn't a "huge" amount of overflow on the outside of the cases.
Note that on this side of the cases (the Timing side), there's a "wall" or "lip" on the inside of the mating faces - this provides a locating key for the other side and a partial "labyrinth" seal, it also means that hopefully there's a lot less chance of the Threebond getting into the inside of the cases if you apply it to this side of the cases (as opposed to the other half), well - that's my hypothesis anyway...
I fitted the other side of the cases, used the small bolts to hold it together and align them, then fitted the workshop legs and cleaned up the small amount of excess 3Bond that oozed out. (the Wonder Wipes were very good for that).
The next step was to fit the output side crank seal - this is a modification to the original engine, I'm guessing from F500 racing, and I really ought to try to find another one at some point.
I 3Bonded one side of the gasket (the cases side) and fitted the ally seal mount.
Interestingly, the 3 holes are NOT in exactly 1/3rd circumference locations, the screws wouldn't screw down until I rotated the mount 1/3rd. If I remember I may etch an "up" arrow into the ally just to make it easier next time.
Test-fitting of the timing wheel - as I was looking at the cases on the legs, and the wheel hanging on the wall I had a sudden panic that it wouldn't fit!!
But it does.
It's a nice tight fit on the output shaft splines. I also like implementation of the fine-adjustment collar.
Woodruff key, splines, output cog and fixing nut, There's also a couple of large washers that fit over the nut which stop the cog sliding off.
I rummaged around in the box-o-bits but couldn't find another nut of the right size and thread to temporarily hold the splines on the shaft: this nut is the right size, but wrong thread, but it'll do for now just to stop the splines falling off.
I need to make up a pointer for the timing wheel: current thinking is to just use a bit of wire-coat-hanger and one of the mounting studs to hold it in place, can't see any problems with doing that, so will do that when I get to that point.
Next job will be the barrel studs (copa-slipped, and with a touch of grease on the rotating bits), barrel, with 3Bonded paper base gasket, quench the head gasket : Ooo - a heaty bit, watch out for fireworks!, and the head, rocker box, then timing gear..... should be fun!
