CHAINED UP

Job Done! Bright but cold weather allowed me to get on with fitting the new timing chains etc. All went very well,  but I wouldn't have remembered where everything went without the help of the YouTube instructional video. With the jack shaft sprocket bolted on and and the crankshaft sprocket tapped all the way home, I got the chain around all three sprockets, still keeping my timing marks lined up. The only difficulty was that the spring loaded tensioners were supposed to be retained closed until a red plastic tab was withdrawn when it was bolted into position, but as I withdrew them from their plastic wrappings they sprung apart. I did find that you could compress the spring and get it to stay compressed whilst I carefully bolted them into place. Picture below shows the left side chain in place

The next day I tackled the right side chain, which was simpler as there was only the crank and cam sprockets to wrap the chain around. I torqued all the bolts up to either 10 or 20 PSF only my small torque wrench was calibrated in Newton/Meters, but I found a comparison chart on line which showed 14 and 28 PSF respectively.

I fitted new paper gaskets and tapped in a replacement crankshaft oil seal and squirted plenty of silicon gasket glue onto the bottom of the timing cover where it would seal against the sump pan. Carefully positioning the cover ensuring that I didn't damage the the head gaskets between the heads and the top of cover, I gently coaxed the cover into place with the help of my little plastic hammer. Seven bolts to the sump, four to the underside of the heads and 10 into the crankcase. It was then that found that the two bottom bolts were too short and wouldn't tighten up. so 2 slightly longer bolts have been ordered. Finished.

Obviously not finished as the next day whilst I tidied up I spied the oil deflector that should have been fitted over the crankshaft in front of the two sprockets, on my work bench. I swore, but there was nothing for it, the cover would have to come off. With deflector in place it only took about half and hour to get all back into place and bolted up tight. Now I can start on the  brake callipers.

TIMING CHAIN REMOVAL

Christmas and New Year celebrations at last all over and I couldn't wait any longer to get back into the garage. It was too cold to contemplate keep putting my hands into a bucket of cold water whilst using wet 'n' dry emery paper to rub down the red Hammerite in the engine day and as I had already removed the crankshaft bolt, I decided to get on with replacing the timing chains, guides and sprockets.

I pushed the car far enough out of the garage so I could spray on degreaser to the front of the engine and bay and after vigorous brushing I gently hosed it clean. I downloaded the Rimmer Bros., YouTube timing chain instruction video onto my computer which I set up on the scuttle and I was ready to go.

First off was the air cleaner, carb elbows and cam covers, exposing the cams, the picture was taken after the chain and cam sprocket were removed.

The numerous bolts securing the timing chest cover are all different lengths so I inserted then into a piece of cardboard in the right order to ensure they went back into the correct holes.

The tricky bit is separating the bottom of the cover from the sump gasket, I did as shown in the video with a scalpel, but still manage to leave a short length attached to the cover when I tapped it loose, hopefully some silicon gasket sealer should ensure an oil tight seal on reassembly.

I followed the video procedure, using tippex to highlight the essential timing marks,the cloth at the bottom is to ensure nothing falls into the sump whilst I undo all the bits and bobs. I started to remove tensioners, sprockets, chains and guides on the right side with no problems

The left side removal was a little more complicated as the jack shaft sprocket nut was reluctant to undo, but using the same procedure for undoing the crankshaft bolt, it came loose and now only the two crankshaft sprockets had to be removed. using my large puller they easily slipped down the shaft over the woodruff keys and now everything was off.

 

Now I could inspect everything, in fact the tensioner and guides seemed to show minimal wear with little extension to the tensioners, indicating very little stretch of the chains but there was damage to some of the teeth on the crankshaft sprockets and some scarring at the bottom of the inside of the cover, so I decided to replace everything. In the meantime I reseated the exhaust up pipe to manifold, it had obviously been blowing and I eventually realised the upstand protruding from the up pipe was preventing the flanges mating properly. I ground off a couple of mm from the upstand and with a bit of silencer glupe I now have a nice tight joint, which should considerable improve the exhaust note and stop the mild backfiring on overrun.

 The timing chain cover has been cleaned, but still have to remove the remaining bits of the old gaskets and all the new parts ordered, best quality German chains and properly hardened sprockets etc. should be here soon.