Friday, November 19, 2010
Basic Engine Teardown Prep For Restoring Classic Cars
Classic Cars The leading source for self Basic Engine Teardown Prep For Restoring Classic Cars. Free self Automotive Classic Cars resources. Includes sites related to self Classic Cars you can access from here!
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Rebuilding and restoring a classic car engine while providing personal satisfaction will undoubtedly take up a great deal of your time. For that reason alone it's important that you do as much preparation work as possible before tacking the "easy" part of disassembling it. Keep in mind that specific engine removal procedures are not the same for all cars and if in doubt don't hesitate to pick up the service manual for your specific make an model.
Engines from the classic cars of yesterday consist of many fewer components than even the simplest of today's engines. Even so, this doesn't diminish the importance of taking great care when disassembling a class auto engine. Before beginning, video tape or take pictures of the engine and all components connected to it from every angle. And document anything about the engine that is unusual. Remember that at the beginning you will not know exactly how well the restoration project will go. You may have the engine in pieces for day, weeks, or even months. It's very easy to forget where certain components of the car came from. And there's nothing more frustrating than having one or more parts left over when the re-assembling is complete.
Don't throw any original part out - even if you have a replacement part for it. Save them all in a box until the engine has been reassembled and is running. Label parts as you remove them to avoid confusing similar looking components. You can use tags to label them or if the part is not an internal engine component, you can inscribe them with identifying marks.
Before you begin make sure you have adequate eye protection. Also, you'll probably find that wearing a pair of mechanics gloves will help to save your knuckles. Also, make sure that the engine is cold. Also, in some cases you may have to remove the car hood in order to get enough clearance to remove the larger parts of the engine.
When disassembling the engine you don't want to damage any of the components connected to the engine. So begin by removing all accessories from the engine block and head starting with the exhaust and intake manifolds. Now you can begin to disassemble the engine block. The important thing during this stage is to not force anything unless absolutely necessary. Using brute force on any part of an engine will do more harm than good. If studs have rusted try using a rust penetrating lubricant before attempting more drastic measures.
If the penetrating lubricant does not work, try a stud remover. Tap the head GENTLY but Again, don't force them. It can't be stressed enough that you should be as gentle with the stud as humanly possible. As a last resort, if the stud still cannot be removed, you may have to find someone familiar with arc welding techniques which can be used to remove studs.
As part of your tagging, number all of the piston tops, connecting rods, rod bearing caps, and other components that come in multiples. Tag other components such as the valve lifters, push rods, and valves as to their position.
If you properly do the auto disassembly prep work before beginning your engine restoration, you have just made your restoration job immensely easier.
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How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive 19 Ed: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot
First published in 1969, this classic manual of automotive repair equips VW owners with the knowledge to handle every situation they will come across with any air-cooled Volkswagen built through 1978, including Bugs, Karmann Ghias, vans, and campers. With easy-to-understand, fun-to-read information -- for novice and veteran mechanics alike -- anecdotal descriptions, and clear language, this book takes the mystery out of diagnostic, maintenance, and repair procedures, and offers some chuckles along the way. This edition features new information on troubleshooting, new photos, and an updated resource list.Price: $25.00
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Dodge Neon 2000-2003 (Chilton's Total Car Care Repair Manual)
Manual contains hundreds of photographs and illustrations of repair procedures. Trouble codes, wiring diagrams, factory maintenance schedules and glosary are also included in each manual.Price: $29.95
Jaguar XK120 - What Was It Like
Classic Cars The leading source for self Jaguar XK120 - What Was It Like. Free self Automotive Classic Cars resources. Includes sites related to self Classic Cars you can access from here!
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It's 1968, My older brother leaves for Sacremento State College in the ex-family 1957 Desoto which he purchased from my parents for $150.
He gets settled in his dorm and his classes. He starts looking at the classified ads (we were raised on classified ads). He gets excited about a Jag XK120 ad because a good friend of our Dad's brought one by the house a year before - he was selling it for a friend, and we all were transfixed by the car.
My brother makes a deal with the owner and trades the Desoto for the 120. We get "word" in the bi-weekly phone call about this sports car Craig got for the Desoto.
Summer is coming. Craig has made friends with the man who runs the dorm. Craig will be his "Stand-in" and will run maintenance operations for him, for the summer. Craig sees an opportunity to help his 12 year-old bro (me). If I can find the money for the flight, he'll put me to work prepping the dorm units for paint.
I mow lawns. I get it together, and fly to SAC. Craig was going to pick me up in the Jag, but the week before he raced a 1968 Charger to SF to see my other brother in the Navy Brig! He had the carbs on the 120 too lean, and burned a piston at a constant 115 MPH - burned it right on through.
When I saw the 120 I fell in LOVE! The FIRST thing we did is get to work pulling the engine in the parking lot of the dorm. Craig arranged for a long block to be delivered. We changed the head - the 120 was an "S" and the long block had the mild head. As time dragged on past 9PM, I could not take it, and said good night.
At 7AM the next morning I scrambled out to the parking lot to see my brother working on the car. "What time did you get up", I asked. "I didn't go to bed", he said! We worked together and had the "blue bomb" running by noon.
I was NEVER as excited as when we pulled out into SAC traffic with no brakes! We were taking the ONLY transportation we had to go find brake parts! How did we stop? Well, the XK120 has a "fly-off" hand brake - it doesn't "set" until you push down on the top of it. My brother simply pulled hard on the long chrome lever to stop the 3600 pound, two seat "drop-top" giant piece of art!
Anyway, we got it fixed. We got the dorms painted and my dear bro paid me much more than my 12 year-old effort was worth! I flew home with a new LOVE in my heart - I had to find an XK120 of my own!
Do you want more XK120 stories? Let me know. I did own 5 before I was 20 - not to mention my E-Types.
Here's what to do next:
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Mobil 1 94002 Synthetic 15W-50 Motor Oil - 1 Quart, Pack of 6
Mobil 1 15W-50 Motor Oil is formulated with SuperSyn, an extra-high viscosity synthetic fluid, plus extra anti-wear additive to provide extra protection for severe service applications such as towing, hauling and racing. This motor oil is recommended for high performance vehicles including turbocharged and supercharged engines where a thicker oil film is desired. Mobil 1 15W-50 is also recommended for older valve train designs that may benefit from a higher level of anti-wear normally not required for newer generation vehicles. It will also provide better anti-wear protection for higher valve spring tensions in certain racing engines.Price: $54.39
Bentleys - The World's Fastest Lorry
Classic Cars The leading source for self Bentleys - The World's Fastest Lorry. Free self Automotive Classic Cars resources. Includes sites related to self Classic Cars you can access from here!
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Bentleys have always had a reputation for being powerful cars, but as opposed to the Lamborghinis and Ferraris of this world they're also known for being reliable, durable and possessing an almost rugged look when compared to other top cars. They're not like the tiny, sleek, fragile Italian cars. They are beasts.
Because of this, they were referred to as "the world's fastest lorries" in the 1920s by Bugatti, who were their main competitors on the racing circuit at the time. Although Bentley have certainly come a long way and passed from one owner to another a few times, they've stuck by these design decisions to become the cars they are today.
After Volkswagen took over they dramatically increased and modernised the production of Bentleys, increasing the amount that were produced each year. Rather than harming Bentley's reputation as an exclusive car, the increased production brought them back into the eye of the public as one of the luxury car brands. They also became popular with footballers, driving them even further into the limelight. In fact, demand was so large that the Crewe-based factory couldn't keep up, and some of the work had to be moved to Germany temporarily.
Production of four seat convertible models also helped them further, keeping the Bentley image of durability but combining their reputation for making great larger cars with the fashionable convertible models that had proved so popular in recent years.
The manufacturer also presented Queen Elizabeth II with an official state limousine for her Golden Jubilee. The car is now used for official travel to engagements or meetings and to ferry her to and from church whilst she's staying in Balmoral Castle in Scotland or Sandringham House in Norfolk. There's also a special hood ornament which depicts St George slaying the dragon that replaces the flying B seen on other Bentleys whilst the Queen is on board.
Through investment, increasing production and gaining attention through acts like creating a state limousine, Bentley have managed to storm back onto the front line of luxury automobiles in the last decade and have created a wide range of quality cars since then. By recognising what made them popular in the first place and capitalising on that in an age of small, sleek cars, they've really come back to the forecourt.
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