EA81 Overhaul thread

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 6:27 pm

IT'S IN!!!!!

Went and picked up the crane, started at about 9:30 AM and it was in by 4:30...took so long because it took three tries, after the first and second I was about ready to chuck it, lining up the engine mount studs and lower flywheel housing studs to go in their holes together at exactly the same time the hardest part. We ended up pulling the engine back out twice and re-setting, changing the angle that it hung on the crane each time. And also the clutch took 5x longer than I thought it would to put together (apparently the "universal" clutch alignment tool isn't universal enough...

)

On the third try (after lunch) we had it sitting almost perfectly flat on the chains, and had the gearbox jacked up as far as I dared. Ended up getting the flywheel housing studs in first, sliding the engine back on those and then dropping it down so the engine mounts went in the crossmember holes. After all the frustration it just popped straight in, no problems

Did up all the nuts and bolts, put the starter back on and the oil filler and that was it for today. Tomorrow I believe is exhaust system, radiator, all the bits that are sitting in the boot of the car. Then it's intake manifold and final assembly, then first startup?

Doubt if I'll get up to that by tomorrow though...

Pics...
Step one:

Got the new bearing in its place

Flywheel was a real pain, got heavy pretty quickly when you're trying to line up bolt holes...

Clutch lined up and cover installed

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 6:29 pm

First approach angle, turned out waaaay to steep

Second angle, still to steep

Third angle, almost flat and it popped straight in!

Where it's up to now, ready for external components

'

Post by **TOONGA** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:37 pm

looks great well done.

before you start it crank it over with out the plugs in, to get oil moving thru the engine.

TOONGA

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:37 pm

You forgot over all this time -Jonnos trick. Undo those mother tight nuts of the engine :(member to chassis bolts to the lowest position both sides, raise car on stands to allow :(member to drop gives more room less angle required to line up clutch and engine mount studs - if only the had threaded holes not studs.

Well done so far. Done a rag count , Surgeon Sam?

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:40 pm

Looking at your brake master with twin pots, I only have one pot feding the two circuits on my 10/84 Brumby, what year is your bullet? Same as fitted to the STi Brumby I had a short ride in, thought it was a bitser

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:15 pm

Will do Toonga! I need a new sump plug first though, should be able to turn one up at work on the lathe in no time, maybe stainless?

Jonno, did think about loosening the x-member bolts, looking back now I don't know why we didn't would have made life easier. Oh well, next time

Too right about threaded holes not studs, another little thing that would have made life easier. The car was made in 1981 (we got it in August 81', must be her 30th birthday by now

) Whether the master cylinder is original or not I have no idea, it could well have been replaced at some point. Question, do they all have vac-lines going into them? Is that vac boost? This one has a vac-line in, but it doesn't seem to make a blind bit of difference to the braking

littlewhiteute · Post by **littlewhiteute** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:24 pm

Sorry to say, but you have WAY TOO MUCH GREASE on the gearbox input shaft.

It will be all over the clutch plate within a week.

If your cam has been reground, do not crank the engine with the plugs out.

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:15 pm

littlewhiteute wrote:Sorry to say, but you have WAY TOO MUCH GREASE on the gearbox input shaft.

It will be all over the clutch plate within a week.

If your cam has been reground, do not crank the engine with the plugs out.

Bugger, looks like it's out again tomorrow then

Should there be any grease on the input shaft anyway? service manual says so but I don't see what it's for. Cam hasn't been reground by the way.

That is very annoying, thanks for the headsup.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 11:20 pm

Yeah, a coating of non melt grease on the splines of input shaft coz the clutch plate slips along on them as you clutch/declutch.

Watchful eye of Gary there.

If you scream out for a real input shaft off an EA81's 4 speed box you might get one for next time

That is the vacuum booster that gets manifold vacuum to assist.

There is a test that can be done to check booster, involves running engine so you need to wait a little while before undertaking that

, then find RX L Series rear disc set up for 25% better brakes

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 11:45 pm

Looking good mate!

Cheers

Bennie

littlewhiteute · Post by **littlewhiteute** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:10 am

Yes, a TINY smear of grease (about a tenth of what you have there) is all that's necessary.
It won't stay there forever, think about what was there when it came apart.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:41 am

and a warning about undoing those eng:(member to chassis nuts - after thirty yars may be too tight to successfully remove them without a prior soak of CRC556, a hit with a rattle gun and long socket. I killed one and ended up with a mess, grinding off the top of the captive bolt head and bashing through, replacing with a free bolt. Sen others with same predickament.

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:00 pm

Don't worry Jonno, haven't even gotten to that problem yet.

Words cannot explain my frustration at the moment, I'm not usually the swearing type but I feel like pulling the whole F$%&ing gearbox out, I can't see any other way around this.

Problem: tip of the input shaft is not going into its hole. It just won't. What I wouldn't give to have the x-member problem again if I didn't have to deal with this bs. After about 5 or 6 resets of all angles, lifting the gearbox up, lowering it, brute force shaking the entire engine bay around, it's like there's a brick wall at the end of the tunnel for the input shaft. We get the bottom studs in, engine wants to slide back into it's place, but the whole thing is pivoting right in the center, on the input shaft. Out of all the tries yesterday we didn't come across this problem once, now it's the only problem we have.

Funny that we got the engine out again in 20 minutes, but have spent nearly 3 hours getting it back in and we are back to square 1. Had my chance yesterday, got it in relatively easily and I blew it now it's not going in for anybody.

Post by **TOONGA** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 3:32 pm

Check to see if the spigot bearing hole is full of grease, if it is get it out as that stuff doesn't compress

TOONGA

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:42 pm

I think these pics say it all

Turns out the clutch disk had become misaligned somehow, took off the cover and re-did it and the engine slipped straight in first time

It still has a long way to go, everything is in the engine bay but half of it isn't connected. Still have the dreaded distributor to sort out, any tips on what to do here? I had a laugh when the manual said "After removing the distributor, do not crank the engine until it is replaced", Did a bit more than crank the engine

There's still some wires and hoses that need connecting, then the exhaust back on. If all goes well should be trying the first startup next weekend. God knows what will happen when I turn the key for the first time

If it starts at all I'm expecting copious amounts of smoke, backfiring, engine barely running and various liquids spraying from all orifices.

Post by **TOONGA** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:51 pm

well done it looks good

Everybody has a different way to set the distributor.

I find top dead centre (combustion stroke) and then set the rotor to number one. then turn the rotor button about an 1/8 of a turn against rotation. this ensures the cog lines up closer to top dead centre when it meets the gear on the crank (the rotor moves forward as it contacts the gear)

TOONGA

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:52 pm

You have electronic dizzy don't you?
I will try to think to take pics of mine set at TDC of #1, post up some pics of just how dizzy looks at TDC and go from there.

Next weekend? This won't take too long.

Oh yeah, welcome to the club of clutch aligning - bastard always slips out of that purfect alignment when you pull 'em out. If you took a moment to look over your shoulder at the time, a little fella called Murphy is there watching over you

We have all been there before in a refit. And then when does line up and BINGO ya can't believe how easy that try was!! It is worse when you are on your back under a gearbox, weak as piddle from all previous attempts, and the bastard still won't go in and not sure if you got strength to lower it back down on yer guts safely.

Gave me a giggle anyway Sam. Looking forward to helpin a mate next time, let him do all the worry:)

Want a giggle for yourself? P plater came into mates workshop 3PM Saturday with a split radiator hose in his hand. The other end had a broken off plastic radiator outlet of a 12 year old car. All he was trying to do was help a friend (.) (.) and he brakes her bleedin' radiator

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:56 pm

oh, I see the ceramic on the coil - you got points

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:42 pm

steptoe wrote:oh, I see the ceramic on the coil - you got points

Yep sure do. Dad did have it swapped to electronic once, many many years ago but it didn't run properly and eventually something went completely, had it converted back to points.

steptoe wrote:Want a giggle for yourself? P plater came into mates workshop 3PM Saturday with a split radiator hose in his hand. The other end had a broken off plastic radiator outlet of a 12 year old car. All he was trying to do was help a friend (.) (.) and he brakes her bleedin' radiator [\QUOTE]

Hahaha can't blame him can you?

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:31 pm

OK, can't help much then on dizy set up, but actually..... they are easier.

Should be dot on gear to line up with notch on shaft of body, get eng on TDC, then nudge it to 8 dBTDC , shove dizzy in so points are just opening, rotor pointing to #1 and likely to start...from memory.

Gosh, don't fall for stranded damsels in distress anymore. It's all a big act. They have mobiles, dads, brothers, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands or partners. Why is a total strange dude gonna suddenly come to the rescue? (.)(.) dream on !