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Salyers890

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project progress up-date

Hey fellas, this post is just to run a log on my progress on the conversion from the spitfire 1500 engine to the 1275 A series in my 76 midget. Hopefully it could come in handy if anyone feels like they want to do the same thing. as always - comments and suggestions are very welcome and encouraged.

Today i just got the engine/trans out of the car and surprisingly the only things i forgot to disconnect were the shifter and the throttle cable. shifter's fine but busted the throttle cable, no biggie. It took me longer to find a spot to put the engine than it did to take it out of the car, lol. only spots on the drive are coolant, not bad.
upon inspection - engine bay seems pretty rust free, minus surface rust on battery tray. hoping to get the fenders off tomorrow so i can degrease it and start to prep for paint. the conversion seems even more straightforward NOW than it did before i had the engine out - switch the pedestals and bolt it in with the new radiator and a new alternator. i'm movin along over here - but still a lot of work to do.

i do have a little question though - driver's side was a little low before i took the engine out - but the drivers side mount was shot - would this have caused a weight imbalance putting more pressure on the driver's side?
 
Re: project progress up-date

Mike, it sounds like you're having fun. I doubt whether a bad motor mount would cause the left side to be low, but I suppose it's possible. Does it sit level now that the engine is out? I'd just about bet that the left front spring is weaker than the right though. No big deal to remedy. Remember that with the 1275, the carbs and exhaust are on the left, so a weak spring may show up even more with the good motor in there. But, a 1275 is probably 100 pounds lighter than the 1500, so maybe it'll be a fair trade.
Jeff
 
Re: project progress up-date

car looks like an english bulldog posing for a picture, head up - chest out (toes in?) lol not really worried about it - suspension is going to get a major rebuild with new A frames one of these days - 'til then i can deal with it...

btw, i'm having a blast after the sun goes down dilly-dallying with the misc parts in the engine bay - i'll post a picture of my 'new' heater box (sanded and painted). i got a little creative with it/ box itself is black, but the clips that hold it together are yellow, engine is factory green, and all pulleys and air cleaners are yellow, along with the exhaust manifold. thinking of trying out those wire dress kits in yellow to contrast the cluttered wires. we'll see how that unfolds. time for bed if i'm going to get something done tomorrow

thanks
mike
 
Re: project progress up-date

Mike

If you are pulling off the fenders, take some tar or good undercoating and cover the insides of the fenders at least 1/2 way up. Do the inside of the inner panel and the top of the rockers while you at it. Make sure you remove any and all rust before sealing it under tar or undercoating.

Frank
 
Re: project progress up-date

thanks frank - i degreased the engine bay today and took off misc parts - but while pressure washing the water took a long time to drain from between the fender and the inside panel - probably leaves or garbage in there = time to pull the fenders off. i hate to do it, but it's a must if i want to keep them. any good rust converters, i got some gel spray stuff from murray's with phos acid that forms a coating over the metal, but i'm weary to use it on panels that i will have to paint. anybody have tips for rust conversion products as i havnen't got rust through on any parts (other than floorpan which is getting replaced as soon as i learn to weld)? the metal is solid but i don't want to paint over old rust ya know.
 
Re: project progress up-date

ok, i haven't posted in a while as i've been busy - but i have gotten something done on the Midge. I degreased and sanded the engine bay, and took the fenders off. this afternoon i painted the engine bay a flat black. a few spots weren't painted due to the steering rack, but i've got a new one ready for when i rebuild the suspension. Does anyone know if i have to pull the motor to get the rack out?

Thought i'd give you all an update - i'll try to take pictures and post later.

mike
 
Re: project progress up-date

new progress - engine and trans in the car bolted in. looks really good, i'll for sure take pictures and post them. only 2 snags
1. oil filter that was on the engine was the wrong size, and after the engine was in, i noticed that there was NO space between the filter and the frame rail - had to pull it out again and get the filter off.
2. inside trans bolt didn't line up EXACTLY, maybe a quarter inch too high - i'll worry about it tomorrow.

a lot less bumps into the freshly painted engine bay than i expected, i think i can get away with 2 or 3 little spritzes of paint and it'll look great. thanks for the help getting to the point i'm at fellas. i'll keep you updated.

mike
 
Re: project progress up-date

Mike, any chance you'll get to drive it at least once before the weather turns rank?
Couldn't you just have removed the filter adapter from the block, rather than taking the engine back out? I've done that a time or two.
Jeff
 
Re: project progress up-date

the lift was still hooked up so it wasn't as big a deal as i'm making it - just a pain in the butt. i better be able to drive it before the weather turns rank or it sits outside for chicago winter - NOT GONNA LET THAT HAPPEN. rewiring and attaching the fuel, exhaust, and cooling systems go on this week hopefully - time dependent of course.

one quick question - i know it's a unibody car - but do the fenders and hood have structural importance? i am going to need to take them off come springtime and i'd much rather just 'hang' them on the car in position than attach everything. in other words, i'm asking if i can drive the car with no fenders or hood to a storage space <30 miles away or will i stress the frame?
 
Re: project progress up-date

Mike, you can drive it like that with no problem. My race car front end is entirely fiberglass, and has no structural importance at all. It's just held on with Dzus fasteners, and comes off in one piece.
As long as driving with no lights or turn signals doesn't get you some kind of award from the local gendarmes, go for it.
Jeff
 
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