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well, weekend #3 and the 3rd update in my teardown of the Midget. I spent a LOT of time this weekend searching for the right socket, searching for the right wrench, trying the vise grips, searching the haynes manual, and then just going for it, and using a hammer instead. it started saturday afternoon. I had to drive up to San Clemente to pick up a bunch of stuff my wife bought on ebay, but by 1pm I was halfway in the engine bay and doing everything I could to get the motor out. I had to take off the oil filter which wasn't bad. then the distributor, again not much in the way of drama. then came the starter, I think I'm starting to hate british automotive design, it was just about the most frustrating thing I have ever done. but I would not be let down, you see, because there is still an engine block attached to the tranny, and about 2 more hours of daylight. I decide theat since I don't have an engine hoist on hand, I would take as much off the engine as possible to facilitate removing the block with my own two hands. I suppose I could rent one, but whats the worse that could happen? I get the car on jack stands but I can barely get under the car in any manner that involves turning a wrench. so I put a nice block under the car, and then put the jack on that, and slowly raise the jack, while adjusting each jack stand as I went on. until the car was at a reasonable height. I then got under the car and took off the oil pan. I prolly spent a half hour whacking and tapping and the pan wouldn't budge. I grabbed the manual and it said to hit it. I swear to you all the next wack and the pan hit the deck. WTF! anwyay, I get down under there, and start taking the connecting rod bolts out to get the pistons out. can somebody tell me why on once side the socket fits and the other is a complete PITA? must have take 30 minutes to do 2 bolts. anyway, the tep dropped and there is almost no light left, gotta wait until tomorrow.
well sunday is here I had to go get my hair cut, and then find a place to get my truck smog checked. waist about an hour of the day truck still needs to get smogged. today I don some coveralls, and get back under the midge, using a wooden stake I gently tap out the 1 and 4 pistons, get out from under the car, and do a quick wipe down, and wrap them up and get back under the car to get out 2 and 3. after that was done, start at the bottom of the bell housing taking the bolts out, not much of a problem. I must also note that I had to basicaly rip the exhaust manifold out of the car. the bolts on the manifold also sheard as soon as I tried to loosen them and that will have to be drilled out if reused. back to the bell housing the top bolts were starting to give me problems. it seems I didn't have a 1/2 inch box wrench, and using my 1/4 and 1/2 breaker bars and socket were too large to get the top two bolts out, so I proceeded to hammer the **** out of the area where the heater box is since I'm gonna replace that whole area anyway. well, the water inlet to the heater core took one for the team, one stray whack and the tube just flattened. so it may be an easy thing to replace, or it may have been its ticket to the junkyard. so I finally get the top two bolts off and my wife points out to me that she found a 9/16ths and a 1/2 box wrenches, yeah I can get the motor mounts off and I don't have to buy new wrenches!!! so the moment of truth. I get the motor mounts free, and put some boards under the motor so that the block wouldn't fall down. I then spent about the next hour wiggling, prying, hammering, jercking, and generally messing my back up something fierce. I finaly get the block free of the tranny, and lo and behold I get a nice river of red rusty water poured down my legs (thank god for coveralls) and all over the concrete. well I then spend the next hour getting the clutch, flywheel, oil pump, bearings and I got the bolts off the timing cover, but I don't have a socket big enough for the crank shaft bolt, so my next question is what size is this beast? I think it is 1 1/8 but I could be wrong. well, I got everything under tarps until next weekend. I hope to get all of the wiring, hoses, and other cords and lines freed up, as well as, finish dismatling the motor, and also drop the transmission, so I can get the car back on all 4s and then drain the gas tank. also a funny story, I have reason to believe that the transmission fluid was NEVER changed. I took the drain plug out and absolutely nuthing happened. this stuff is thicker than jello. in fact there is still a mound of it in the drain pan. it looks like a black island in a sea of oil. yuck
well sunday is here I had to go get my hair cut, and then find a place to get my truck smog checked. waist about an hour of the day truck still needs to get smogged. today I don some coveralls, and get back under the midge, using a wooden stake I gently tap out the 1 and 4 pistons, get out from under the car, and do a quick wipe down, and wrap them up and get back under the car to get out 2 and 3. after that was done, start at the bottom of the bell housing taking the bolts out, not much of a problem. I must also note that I had to basicaly rip the exhaust manifold out of the car. the bolts on the manifold also sheard as soon as I tried to loosen them and that will have to be drilled out if reused. back to the bell housing the top bolts were starting to give me problems. it seems I didn't have a 1/2 inch box wrench, and using my 1/4 and 1/2 breaker bars and socket were too large to get the top two bolts out, so I proceeded to hammer the **** out of the area where the heater box is since I'm gonna replace that whole area anyway. well, the water inlet to the heater core took one for the team, one stray whack and the tube just flattened. so it may be an easy thing to replace, or it may have been its ticket to the junkyard. so I finally get the top two bolts off and my wife points out to me that she found a 9/16ths and a 1/2 box wrenches, yeah I can get the motor mounts off and I don't have to buy new wrenches!!! so the moment of truth. I get the motor mounts free, and put some boards under the motor so that the block wouldn't fall down. I then spent about the next hour wiggling, prying, hammering, jercking, and generally messing my back up something fierce. I finaly get the block free of the tranny, and lo and behold I get a nice river of red rusty water poured down my legs (thank god for coveralls) and all over the concrete. well I then spend the next hour getting the clutch, flywheel, oil pump, bearings and I got the bolts off the timing cover, but I don't have a socket big enough for the crank shaft bolt, so my next question is what size is this beast? I think it is 1 1/8 but I could be wrong. well, I got everything under tarps until next weekend. I hope to get all of the wiring, hoses, and other cords and lines freed up, as well as, finish dismatling the motor, and also drop the transmission, so I can get the car back on all 4s and then drain the gas tank. also a funny story, I have reason to believe that the transmission fluid was NEVER changed. I took the drain plug out and absolutely nuthing happened. this stuff is thicker than jello. in fact there is still a mound of it in the drain pan. it looks like a black island in a sea of oil. yuck
