Starting to strip... the 1275

[drooartz]

Working on the old fashioned floor-engine-stand, I was able to strip off pretty much all of the ancillaries and fittings from my 1275. Pulled the clutch, distributor, oil filter housing, and a bunch of other assorted bits. Used up quite the pile of ziploc baggies.

Only oops was breaking the little plastic sleeve that the dipstick sits in, It was coming out nicely, then it came out all at once, leaving a bit of broken plastic in the hole. Woops. I'm assuming I can get the rest out from inside, and will be able to replace it somehow when I get there.

So what should the next target be? Do I pull off the valve train and remove the head? Is there anything in particular that I should be measuring or inspecting as I'm working the next step?

 

[Baz]

Get the head off it Drew, then the oil sump.
If you're re-using the valve train, tappets and rods, keep them in order, strict order.
I had a machine shop do all my measuring and inspecting etc, they have the tools and talent etc.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Keep them in order even if you are not planning on reusing them. Sometimes plans change.

 

[regularman]

I broke my plstic dipstick tube off too, but it doesn't seem to affect it any. If you wipe things off fairly good you can use a black sharpie to mark things. I just took a motor apart that I had marked on the rods and the marks were stll there after being driven for a year. Much easier to read than a scribe.

 

[Bugeye58]

Drew, it looks as though you're going about things in a methodical fashion. Now comes what may seem to be the hard part. Throwing things away.
I know (or think I do, anyway,) that you were considering a mild performance build. Here are my humble recommendations of things to trash, no looking back, throw them away!
Head studs. Buy quality replacements, preferably ARP.
Rod bolts: Ditto. The ARP bolts aren't that much more than stock replacements, which now may be made in Peshawar, Shanghai, or Mumbai. If you've ever seen a fresh engine destroyed by a $5.00 fastener failure, you would be a believer. Main studs / bolts, nuts. Same reasoning applies.
Spring for the stainless thermostat housing bolts. Trust me on this one, you'll appreciate it later. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
Oil pump. No questions on this item. This is your engines heart, and who needs a new body with a bad heart?
Timing chain. Pitch it, and have a very close look at the gear set.
Look hard at the crank pulley. Check the rubber ring for cracks, dry rot, etc.
Camshaft plate. Bye bye.
Oil pump drive spider. Look at it very carefully. Better yet, toss it.
My old adage, which has served me well through the years, is "When in doubt, throw it out."
Resist temptation to keep things that are critical if they fail, but "Look OK."
That'll bite you in the butt, every time!
I'm certain Hap is going to echo what I've said, and between us, we have a couple of years experience doing this! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
Jeff

 

[drooartz]

I've no problems throwing out stuff, Jeff. No issues here spending the money to do it right, other than remembering to be patient while waiting for the funds to accumulate!

I'll be coming back with pictures and questions after each bit of disassembly. The disassembly part is fun, and does pass the time while the bank account refills.

 

[Bugeye58]

Drew, I have no doubt that this is all going to be done correctly. I kind of wrote what I did for others who may be going this route, and would be reading this thread.
If you have any questions at all, PM me, but I think Hap and I pretty much agree. Usually. About most things. Except when we don't! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif
(Hap, sorry, couldn't resist!) /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
Jeff

 

[Trevor Jessie]

I guess I'm just a pack rat. And, most of my engine building experience comes from when I was a teenager and I "needed" the car. There were many parts that I reused because when I got into the engine I found extra required machining would consume my budget. However, when I build my next A-series, it won't be the same. The car is no longer my daily driver, and it can sit and wait for me to get the money to do it correctly. I guess I should take a hard look at my "parts" pile and start tossing some things... what is scrap metal going for these days? $23 a ton?

 

[Bugeye58]

Trevor, there's nothing wrong with being a pack rat. I went through many years of reusing a lot of bits due to economic necessity, and I certainly refuse to bad mouth anyone for doing so now.
But, and here's the rub, using a questionable part on a rebuild, such as a connecting rod bolt, can prove to be a more costly alternative to biting the bullet and buying a new item.
Believe me, I pulled of some pretty makeshift solutions in my early days of doing this, and I think it has made me a better wrench over the years, particularly with LBC's. Now I can look back and ask myself "How in the he11 did I ever get away with doing that!?" And, at this stage in my life, I can probably afford to err on the side of caution.
I'm all for economy and ingenuity, but have the benefit of experience to tell me how far I can push the envelope.
And so it goes.
Jeff

 

[drooartz]

I am planning on keeping all the bits, but only on reusing what makes sense. I certainly won't chuck anything until the rebuild is done. I do like that the parts for these cars are all small -- makes it easy to store extra greasy bits without taking up too much space. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

 

[Bugeye58]

Drew, I know you'll do it correctly, but if you want a bunch of extra greasy bits to hang on to, I can send you a bucketful.
Peter Egan once wrote of a friend who had the fool proof solution to this problem. His solution was to box up eveything, put a date on the box, and if it hadn't been opened in five years,(Or whatever the time limit was) pitch it. Peter thought that it was a great idea, and asked his buddy if it really worked. The reply was, "Of course not!"
Jeff

 

[Bayless]

Well, of course it didn't work. You never need that obscure stored bit until two weeks after you finally pitch it out.

 

[Bugeye58]

And I think that was the entire point of Peter's article. It should be considered as being as much of a truism as Murphy's Law.
Along with O'Tooles' Corollary to Murphy's Law:
"Murphy was an optimist"
Jeff

 

[racingenglishcars]

Jeff, I am very glad to see your words of wisdom. I will print this out and put it on my garage wall.

My car is down to pieces. My engine is down to pieces. I have never been in the financial position to throw things out just because they were old. You are right about the cost / benefit factor, and hope I will follow your philosophy to better ends with the Sprite.

Donn

 

[Bugeye58]

Thanks for the comment, Donn. I don't know if I've ever uttered any "words of wisdom" in my life, but the bits on this thread have served me well over the years.
Jeff

 

[kcbugeye1275]

This last winter I have had a motor rebuilt with the highest level of expertesse and with only the best parts. I have had a lbc off and on for 30 yrs. and this is the first one with this type of motor. I have now driven it 300 miles and it is a totally different and still the same. Its all fun, but the sc motor really pulls. I still don't have my front end from the bodyshop, and yes I do get a lot of looks. But, it does make the motor easier to show off. It was worth the wait for the funds to accumalate to have something truely nice.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

300 miles? It hasn't even started to loosen up yet.

 

[jlaird]

Heh, Miss Agatha is up to 75 miles and starting to feel real good. I think the whole car starts setteling in.