Back on the Road

Balance bar arrived for the crane plus some 1 tonne dee shackles. Just need to organise a few more bits and pieces for taking the engine in and out. As well as the usual hub nuts, engine oil, filter, box oil, coolant and drain/level plug washers, I need to consider a pair of new driveshaft seals, clutch and bolts and nuts for the ball joint clamp, as they are nyloc nuts.

I’ll check the bellhousing isn’t covered in oil. If it is, it might be a leaking at an input shaft seal, so I might as well replace that while I’m at it. The crankshaft seals and timing belt are all new following a recent bottom end rebuild.

Used the angle grinder tonight to cut a new alternator tensioner bracket out of a poverty spec mounting and tensioner setup. Did a bit of fettling over the last week and finally have the car back on the road for the first time since PPC in the Park. Chopped up a poverty spec lower alternator mounting to liberate the necessary section, then tidied it up, drilled the extra mounting hole and painted it up with POR15.

New custom alternator tensioner bracket:

Fitted (note that the zinc plated (gold coloured) adjuster that attaches to the alternator bottom mounting doesn’t have enough thread on it naturally, so this has to be tapped so that it will mount as shown):

Need to order a few bits and pieces to go with it too. Biggest progress recently has been tidying up the garage which now has a 12ft long worksurface down the back wall and a generally much tidier appearance. All set and ready for the next phase of the project…