It's been a very frustrating morning.
I decided to investigate the problems that developed on the Beamish Run, starting with what I thought would be the easiest one, the clutch adjustment.
I thought wrong, didn't I? The clutch adjustment was fine, it hadn't slipped at all. What I did find was a cracked bellhousing. Sometime between putting the engine back in last year and now, some of the engine to gearbox bolts had gone AWOL allowing the bellhousing to flex when the clutch was used. This eventually cracked it.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I found some more bolts and resecured the bellhousing, hoping that would solve the problem. Well it fastened the gearbox to the engine OK but did nothing for the clutch.
On the way home from the Beamish I had some semblance of a clutch but now, no matter what I do to the adjustment I cannot get the clutch to release. Something must have come adrift inside the bellhousing or the carbon thrust is damaged. Either way, the engine has to come out.
Looking on the bright side, I will be able to change the cracked bellhousing for the good spare I have on the shelf. I'll also address the engine oil leak which has been present since I did the crank last year. Hopefully this time I'll be able to do it right.
Discussions are ongoing with the chancellor of the exchequer about going for a 5 speed conversion while everything is out of the car. I'm not holding my breath.
For now my spare time will be spent trying to get the 71 GT back on the road again. That in itself is a challenge. I'm checking and servicing parts as I put them back on and running into problems with bits that are past their sell by date.
It's all part of life's rich pattern and we'll get there in the end.
I decided to investigate the problems that developed on the Beamish Run, starting with what I thought would be the easiest one, the clutch adjustment.
I thought wrong, didn't I? The clutch adjustment was fine, it hadn't slipped at all. What I did find was a cracked bellhousing. Sometime between putting the engine back in last year and now, some of the engine to gearbox bolts had gone AWOL allowing the bellhousing to flex when the clutch was used. This eventually cracked it.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I found some more bolts and resecured the bellhousing, hoping that would solve the problem. Well it fastened the gearbox to the engine OK but did nothing for the clutch.
On the way home from the Beamish I had some semblance of a clutch but now, no matter what I do to the adjustment I cannot get the clutch to release. Something must have come adrift inside the bellhousing or the carbon thrust is damaged. Either way, the engine has to come out.
Looking on the bright side, I will be able to change the cracked bellhousing for the good spare I have on the shelf. I'll also address the engine oil leak which has been present since I did the crank last year. Hopefully this time I'll be able to do it right.
Discussions are ongoing with the chancellor of the exchequer about going for a 5 speed conversion while everything is out of the car. I'm not holding my breath.
For now my spare time will be spent trying to get the 71 GT back on the road again. That in itself is a challenge. I'm checking and servicing parts as I put them back on and running into problems with bits that are past their sell by date.
It's all part of life's rich pattern and we'll get there in the end.
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