Valve Cover Hold Down Bolts/Garage Clean up/Project Discussion

Time in Garage: 2 hours on Saturday

Not a lot of time spent in the garage over the last week ...Social events in the evenings during the workweek and other distractions/interruptions/ priorities this weekend have dominated my personal landscape trumping Triumph work sessions.

I did manage to get my valve cover hold down nuts  un-seized which is another step completed in the engine block reassembly.

Spent about an hour tidying my garage. Heading out to do more of the same today.

Stopped to talk to a neighbour yesterday while walking my dog. After some conversation about his new fence the topic shifted to how my Triumph project was going? As the conversation progressed I started feeling more and more defensive. I admitted to him I was growing weary of having the car disassembled in my garage but I also didn't want it to become a Kijjiji statistic (unfinished project) and to be sold returning 25 cents on the dollar! I cut the conversation short and moved on. Lots of sensitivity related to the topic for sure?

Fuel Pump/Spin on Oil Filter Install

Time in Garage: 3 hours

I cleaned mating surfaces for the fuel pump and oil filter.

I had previously purchased a spin on filter conversions from Moss Motors. I had to clean out the old dried up rubber gasket from the existing filter housing before installing the aluminum housing from the kit-  a task that took much longer than expected. The new assembly (with the bright orange Fram filter) looks great against the newly painted engine block. Unfortunately I was unable to do the final install because the oil gauge line is in storage and not easily assessible. The line is needed because it acts as a spacer on one of the studs.

 I  was unable to do the final install on the fuel pump because I couldn't locate my previously purchased gasket...

1957 Tub Sold

Last week I started parting out the '57 by selling the tub to a fellow enthusiast. The decision was not an easy one to make but I think serves both of us in the most beneficial way. My rebuild fund gets a boost in $$$, the spare tub is no longer sitting around taking up space and I still have access to the parts I need to finish off my car. More parts will be sold as the build progresses.

Oil Pump/Oil Pan Installed

Time in Garage 3-1/2 Hours

A good day in the garage yesterday....installed the new oil pump cartridge. Pretty straight forward other than my not checking the oil pickup configuration before installing the cover so I ended up pulling the cover off one more time. Tolerances look good. I ran the oil pan sump bolts through another cleaning cycle utilizing my Eastwood tumbler. Applied gasket sealer to the oil pan gasket and installed the newly painted Oil pan- torquing down the bolts to spec. Satisfying to see the bottom end buttoned up. I applied some paint to the bolt heads for rust protection. Looks good too.

Engine Painting

Time in garage 4-1/2 hours

Cleaned up the engine block one more time and painted it with Duplicolor engine enamel.
Removed oil pan (again) and cleaned exterior in preparation for painting.
Reviewed manual to determine torque values for oil pump installation
Checked out Alternator kit. Read literature.

Good day all round...

Summer Solstice Garage Time

Time in garage : 2-1/2 hours

Worked on the front suspension (replacing nuts etc and installing a missing bolt that was misplaced for the rack and pinion mounting bracket) plus refitted the right hand brake calliper. It required a slight grinding modification to the body of the calliper where it mounts to the support bracket to address some excess material the was causing the calliper to rub against the rotor ( and bind) when tightened down. A simple fix that worked well.

The previous weekend found me cleaning off my work bench in order to free up a working area and cleaning up generally. I have some ideas for future improvements in storage efficiency that need to be done based on my limited space availability.

I purchase an alternator replacement kit from Moss Motors that was on sale for $50 off..by looking at the installation video I determined it would be easier to install with the body off the chassis than on so I splurged so I can have it on hand. 

I have an offer in hand for my 1957 tub only. Currently contemplating my next steps! 

Modified Moss Rack and Pinion Mounting Bracket

Time in garage:45 mins
Task: Modification of steering assembly bracket

Last week I had some welding done on my mounting bracket by a local firm to my specifications. After a couple of trial fits and 2 sets of measurements I took the plunge and drilled out the new mounting holes. The bracket looks great and I think will resolve the clearance issue between the steering shaft knuckle and frame.