Swiss Tony

Thanks Richard, I am aiming to put the block back in the car without the heads just so that I can get some space in the garage to put the car for the winter.  Then work on the heads and get them back in later. Bought a pile of parts yesterday from James Paddock and they arrived this morning.  Good service, but they havent fitted the parts for me which would have been nice! Swizz

Thanks StagNL, I will get the ROM as the Haynes manual seems to assume I know what I am doing in places that i dont.  Hence the conrods going on wrong!  I suppose I shouldnt blame the manual because it did mention it, just I didnt read it until I had already put 3 of them in the wrong way and couldnt turn the crank. Swizz

I realise that I should have mentioned that it is an original Triumph V8 3litre engine.

On what may be the longest time taken for an engine rebuld, progress is actually happening now.  Block has been honed, bored, drilled, cleaned, new pistons are in and it all still turns.  I feel like an expert already. Having stumbled on realising too late that the conrods have a front and back, and sorting that out, I am looking to the next stage and am wondering: 1. Which ancillaries can go back on, need refurbishing first or need replacing? 2. The pistons rise up to meet the top of the block, so there is no gap.  Should there be, and is it Monarch that sell a gizmo that creates a gap? 3. I aim to get the block bolted to the gearbox and back in the car before winter so that the car can go in the garage.  I will then do the heads over the winter.  Should I do anything with the gearbox (overcoming my fear first as it all seems a bit technical)  Is there an overhaul kit, or should I leave well alone.  (I have only ever test driven the car when I bought it 10 years ago.  It had no brakes so I didnt get much of a test!)  Therefore I dont know how good the gearbox may be. 4. Is there a particular order to follow in putting the ancillaries back?  Is there a guide I can buy? 5. Anything else I should be worried about? I know thats a lot of questions, but any guidance would be appreciated Swizz

John, I suspect, although I am no expert on this, that the glaze break was to check the bores for size and condition which were found to have some deepset rust, hence requiring the rebore. The price for refacing is for each block, hence two times £80. Swiss

On reading their email again, the £340 was for pistons and rings, (County) so its more like the prices I have seen.  It all adds up though doesnt it! Swiss

Eventually, (Why does work and life get so badly in the way of things), I have the engine in at Specialised Engines.  They are charging me the following: Re-bore block £160.00 plus vat Re- face block x 1 £80.00 plus vat Re-face block x 2 £80.00 plus vat. Chem clean block etc £65.00 plus vat. Remove water pump £20.00 plus vat (already done) Glaze break bores and measure block and report £40.00 (already done) The block faces are damaged due to levers being used to prise the heads off. The block needs reboring because of rust damage to the sides of the bores. What suggestions are there for good pistons?  They quoted £340 which seems a lot more than I have seen, and I dont know what brand they are, although they certainly seem to know their stuff and want to do a good job for me. Swiss

2 more pictures

I managed to strip the block down with the exception of the water pump and Jackshaft(?) The pistons at each end have what appears to be little gouges where the valves have hit.  In cylinders 1 and 8 there are 2 dents, in cylinders 3 and 6 there is just one, and the others are clear. Having been frustrated by the engine that came out which was just a solid lump of rubbish, I was heartened with the progress I made,

Pinman, Excellent thanks.  I couldn't believe their prices, but then noticed that they were from 2004!  Just called them and they have just finished a Stag engine, so were keen to do another.  Being in Greys is only about 15 miles from me, so brilliant find for me. The prices they did give me are Rebore £200 and crank £130 and skims £35 each head, so I will go over there next week and see what they can do to help me. Thanks for pointing me in their direction Swizz

Richard, Thanks.  Useful info and I will take some photos of the heads on Saturday when I get down and dirty with my new toy Swiss

Having won an original engine on ebay with the heads removed, I can now make some progress. Called a local engine shop and was given the following prices.  Are they OK, or should I get into extensive research? Rebore £250 Crank £175 Head skim £60 each Valves, reseated and wotsit thingame, £6 each All plus VAT Im in Kent, but travel most of the UK from time to time so dont mind where I take it to be done. Swizz

Ted, You frightened them into submission, and they have made contact.  Well done. I would have been keen to investigate the court process, seeing as there was a contract, agreement, consideration given etc, and my old dusty contract law books would have been dusted off and re-analysed, but at least now I can go back to thinking about restoration again. Thanks Ted, you pulled a blinder. Swizz

FloydP wrote: Is it the one in Harlow? If it is, it looked quite good in the photos, I thought about it myself especially as it went for a really good price but according to swmbo I need to fit the engine I've got on the bench into the stag before I go buying anymore! Best of luck, Floyd. Floyd, Yes it is the one in Harlow, major advantage to me is that the heads are off! Trouble is the seller is not responding to me.  I had hoped he was on here and would make contact, Matthew Crichton, but I cant find the name here either. Lets hope he does repsond before too long. Swizz

Well I have just managed to get an original engine on ebay. Hopefully that will be the start of sorting things out and moving forward. Swizz

Thanks for the advice guys. I think finding a used original engine and rebuilding that is the way I prefer.  I am not a master mechanic by any means, but can call on one for advice when I need it, so hopefully with some guidance I can rebuild one and get to drive it one day. Richard, I wont be at Stoneleigh, but will be passing you again one day.  Hope you dont start charging storage rent for the boards! Swizz

Putting aside the fact that all I ever wanted from my Stag was to drive it, fettle it a bit, fiddle with bits and pieces and have some fun with it, having rebuilt the bodywork and made a long drawn out and protracted start on the engine, I have reached the point where the reality of the problem is that the engine is going nowhere, ever.  12 years full of water, stuck heads, and the inevitable corrosion leads me to think about replacing it. It was an original engine, but what is the SIMPLE and STRAIGHTFORWARD advice on whether to go for the same or a Rover engine?  Or any other alternative? I am not looking for top speed, just cruising about and enjoying the car for once.  Had it for 12 years and driven no more than about 1 mile on the test drive where I discovered the brakes were not working, which led on to rebuilding them, followed by the floor, followed by blah blah and 12 years of being up on ramps. Im tempted to get rid of it and get something that does drive, but that would be such a shame.  Fed up with it now and looking for a simple way out of this deepening hole I seem to be in. Swizz

Thanks for all your advice. Plan of action: Get some plusgas tomorrow and start soaking.  Carry on through next week.  End of the week try the 2 nut method, failing which buy the stud extractors. Having said that, the stud extractors arent expensive so maybe I will buy them anyway, and try both methods together.  Worst case scenario I have an unused set of stud extractors!  (Or 10 sheered off studs, 2 stuck cylinder heads and an empty tin of plusgas and bleeding knuckles) Swiss

I am off next week although have a list as long as your arm of DIY jobs to finish off, so I will have a go at soaking the studs with a resevoir for a few days, and try the two nut job. Is it worth buying the stud extractors if the 2 nuts fail? I assume I will fit new studs anyway, so dont mind damaging the threads. Last resort will be a motor engineer, but would prefer to be able to say I did it myself.  I suspect they will be needed regardless for skimming and stuff anyway, so if I cant get anywhere they will just make more money out of me. Swiss

Mike, I contacted my local SOC and they just referred me to a couple of garages that probably had the pullers, but wouldnt let them out of the garage. I saw one had gone on ebay a few weeks ago for about £70. To be honest, with the studs, I read so many horror stories describing how difficult it all was that I had a little go, and then thought I would try and get the right kit and do it properly rather than make a pigs ear of it. I will try the two nut job, if only so I can say I tried.  I dont hold out much hope though, and part of me though I would be better with all the studs there so that the puller had an even spread of force across the head. I am very conscious that in the past I have tried doing things without the right tools, done it in a cack handed way and caused more damage than it was worth.  I am now at a point where money is easier to find than time, and so although I have no intention of not doing as much as I can, I would rather buy or have the puller made, and then sell it on to someone else that could use it.  If we all struggle with the job, it may be worthwhile having one made. Swiss

One of the problems I have is time, and rather than spend a whole day and still not succeed, I thought that device looked as if it would do the job in a fraction of the time, allowing me to get on with the next stage. None of the studs have shifted at all, and although I could weld nuts on the end, thats such a faff for me and being useless at welding, it just seemed like the easiest way. The engine turns, but sticks, probably something to do with the water that has sat in it for a while, and so I can see the rope trick being a lot of effort with dubious results. If I cant sort out a puller, I will probably take it somewhere and have it done for me, which is not my favourite choice. Swiss

Having had a few problems getting both heads off, and seen the info on a puller which bolts on and winds the heads off, does anyone have one that I could borrow.hire or buy? I am thinking of having one made if not. Swiss