Brooklands

All fools day. Seems appropriate to be writing about last nights exploits today. I decided to get everything
ready for an engine start - I don't have the exhaust headers but I need to prove it will start so that I can
finally wrap the wiring.

So, I fitted the rear earth point, connected up the pump and sender wiring and fitted the pump fuse. The
problem was that as soon as I connected the battery the pump chattered into life, which isn't supposed to
happen. I then spent three hours tracing the loom trying to work out how I had power to the pump and
auxiliary items circuits with the key removed from the ignition.

And the reason? When connecting the looms together the enmgine comes with the alternator and charging
circuits embedded within the engine casing, so the old alternator wires weren't needed. I wasn't confident
enough of this assessment to remove them, so I just taped them up temporarily, and like a bloody idiot I didn't
isolate the ends first so they were essentially connected together. D'oh d'oh d'oh (as my son would say).

And of course, it was then to late to wake the neighbourhood by starting the engine.

Another week away so little progress. Got into the garage on Saturday and decided to go for it. So, first
thing was to make sure I had sparks at the plugs - which I didn't! You have to be very careful whern testing
this as if the plugs aren't earthed you can blow the ignition system. It took a while to trace it back, but it
turned out to be a bad connection on the wire that provides the 12V feed to the ignition circuit. Once that
was sorted I left the plugs out and turned the engine over until the oil pressure light went out, at which
point I replaced the plugs, put some fuel in the tank and let the pump do it's stuff. Problem was it didn't
stop clicking, it just slowed down which sounded like air in the fuel pipes. Even venting the pipes didn't
stop it, but I decided to try for a start. It did try very hard and you could hear it popping as though it
wanted to go, but ultimately it wouldn't. I ran out of time at the point but decided the next thing was to
connect up throttle and choke cables so that I could see if that caused the problem

I tried that on Monday evening but it still won't go, although the cables are jury rigged as I haven't got the
right terminators. The strange thing is that I can't smell fuel around the outlet ports, which I should do
until it gets going, so I think perhaps I need to look at the fuel supply. I also need to recharge the battery!

The engine starts! You have no idea how chuffed I am with this - the neighbours had the sight of me
dancing a jig in front of the garage. It wasn't exactly unobtrusive either as it has no exhausts and was
spitting flames. Click here to see a short video (388Kb) - for live effect turn the volume right up :-))

I had been thinking through why I had the problem. The crossflow I re-built was equally difficult to start
and that was crossed over HT leads and the timing being way out. The BMW twin is wasted spark i.e both
plugs spark around TDC although only one cylinder is at the top of the compression stroke, the other is at
the top of the exhaust stroke.

So I looked at the timing "can" which has about 10 degrees rotation available (which is of course 20
degrees of crankshaft rotation); it was almost completely at one end of its travel, so I centered it. I also
clamped the chokes on and tried to start it. Almost immediately it sounded better. On the second attempt it
fired. At present I have the throttle cables running by hand - these and the choke cables is the next job,
along with tidying up the wiring. Chuffed!

I set myself the target that I would drive the car out of may garage by the end
of this weekend, unfortunately it wasn't quite as simple as that. On thursday
evening, knowing that the engine worked, I tidied up the cabling around the
engine bay, putting exposed wires in convoluted tubing and fixing the fuel pipes
in place (they were jury rigged up until now).

On saturday I connected up the throttle cables. This seemed to take an age as it
was a case of getting all of the cables the right length (left and right are
different) and making sure that there is adjustment in the system. On sunday it
was a repeat performance for the choke cable. This was harder as I had to
make up a bar to convert one choke pull to two choke cables, and alos make a up
a small panel to mount the choke pull onto. In the end it went in the corner to the
right of the driver below the dash.

Finally, I fitted some protective plates where the loom and fuel pipes pass the
cross members underneath the car - not strictly necessary but why not while I
have the access.

So, I retrieved the 2CV wheels stashed in the loft and fitted them. I had to
borrow Dave's large jack to get it off the axles stands. First impressions are
that is is so low after having it in mid air, and there isn't too much clearance
'twixt sump plate and ground - I feel some altercations with sleeping policemen
coming on.

And then I drove it out of the garage. Only it wasn't serene, because I got it in
first and it took off with the clutch pedal depressed, straight towards Dave's
Audi parked at the end of the drive! Apparently, my face was one of sheer panic
- fortunately the brakes worked.

So we fiddled with the clutch adjuster, but there was no way we could get it to
release. I'll call Phil next week, but I feel and engine removal coming on as Dave
thinks it may be the clutch plate is in the wrong way around. I can't believe I
would do that, but there is no easy way of proving it!

Sorry that there hasn't been any updates for a while - I was working abroad
and then went away for Easter. If it's any consolation I spent a lot of time
pondering the clutch problem.

This evening I jacked the front up and had a look from underneath at what was
happening - basically the clutch fork goes so far (which isn't far enough) and no
more. So either your truly is incapable of installing a clutch, or the arm is
fouling somewhere. Either way, the engine has to come out. Oh joy, oh bliss, oh
bugger!

Started work on that when Craig Kritzinger turned up to take the 2CV lump I
have had lying around (long story) and we had a long petrolhead thing (it would
have been rude not to!), so I didn't get much further.

One final comment for tonight - Stu (yes, Stu from next door), click here to
remind you of home. If you're not Stu probably best you don't!

Not much progress this weekend albeit not for the want of trying. Friday evening
and saturday were busy, but on Sunday I had a couple of hours in the morning, so
I went out determined to get the engine out at least. I swear that at some point
in the past I bought a 3/8 drive UJ but could I find it? The problem is that I
can't get straight at the bolt, and there isn't enough room for a spanner to rotate
(see pic).

So off I go that bastion of all things technical (not), the local DIY centre. I
could have had a number of pretty lamps to go on the dashboard, or any number
of plastic storage boxes, and I did consider the BBQ offer for alfresco cooking
on the move, but of sockets, no. I went to two places, between them they
mustered two 26 piece sets and one seperate ratchet handle. Wow! I asked at
one of them for a 3/8 drive UJ or wobble drive, and I might as well have beem
speaking Greek. It wopuld appear that if you are capable of knocking a nail in
without the wall collapsing, you are too technically adcanced for them.

So the mission failed and I have to go to a real tool emporium today if I can find
a free slot.

And so I got to look at the clutch problem. Two things were
immediately evident, the clutch release arm was forwards and
wouldn't move back, and there was evidence of the clutch plate
being stuck to the flywheel. It was hard to see exactly what had
happened but what I surmise is this. The releae bearing runs on a
short tube that the primary shaft runs through. The bearing is held
to the arm with a wierd spring clip arrangement. I think that the clip
had worked loose and allowed the bearing to slip off the front of
the tube, jamming between clutch and tube. This did release the
clutch plate, but also forced the clutch plate onto the flywheel. As
Peter Donbavand stated, it is impossible to get the clutch plate on the
wrong way. I also took the opportunity to take some more metal off
the centre rib of the block just in case the release arm was fouling.

And so back to re-assembly. This time I took some careful
measurements using the gaerbox/engine face as a reference to work
out where was the right position for the adjuster to be. It worked
out to be roughly that there was just room on the threads for the
adjuster and lock nut, but no more. This is sensible for a new clutch
plate. Mating the engine and block was not easy (especially as I was
on my own) but by 9:30 it was all back together and the engine was
connected up. Unfortunately, it was too late to inflict it on my long
suffering neighbouirs, so we'll have to wait and see if I fixed it.
The air will be blue if I have to undo that bolt again!