Post 29: Crank it day

27 May 2018
Post 29: Crank It Day!


At the end of my last post I was almost at crank it day but didn't quite make it and left the blog in the lurch.  Well the next opportunity came just a few days later and crank it I did!  Now I did take a video of it, to mark the occasion, while it was running and here it is although not the best.

Whilst congratulating ourselves I notice the pool of oil beneath the bell housing. . . . . a happy end to a long day then - don't think so.  Sleep on it and you never know the leak will go away wont it?? Er - No actually it wont.  Disappointing then as the engine didn't leak before so what have I done then??


I am confident that it wasn't the crank scroll seal but everything points to that so the engine had to come out again.

Engine back out of the car, gearbox removed

I am told by one of my suppliers to fit a lip seal to the rear of the crank regardless of what I find as it will leak!!  Well, after removing the flywheel I could not find any evidence at the back of the engine of any oil leak - really confusing as this wasn't just a drip!


At any rate I took the advice and went for the lip seal installation and purchased a kit.  The 1st stage of installation is to drill and tap the rear face of the block using the flywheel fixing holes in the crankshaft flange as a drilling guide.

Tapping out the M5 threads in the rear face after drilling 10mm deep holes

Then we fit the seal and seal housings.

View of the lip seal in place

With the seal housing in place

Next there was the cutting of the engine rear plate as the new seal housing is now in clash with it - an angle grinder is a wonderful tool and 20 minutes later I have the back plate cut and in place.

Back plate fitted post cutting to clear the new seal housing

Then the flywheel and my home made clutch aligning tool get to work.

Flywheel fitted awaiting the clutch

Gearbox re-fitted and ready for re-integration to the car

Lets hope that the modification works as I am told but still that niggling feeling that this isn't the oil leak but at least a good insurance policy if nothing else.


Whilst looking for the leak I came across another that I hadn't spotted.  It would seem that there is a blanking plate covering a hole in the block - this looks like a fuel lift pump hole to me yet there doesn't appear to be one on these engines - at least no gasket.  The Weetabix box took the hit and donated a gasket to the cause!

Fuel pump blanking plate

Crank it day 2 approaching fast, refit the engine and re-connect it.  Worth the wait and then, yes you guessed it oil leaking.  However, this time the leak is clear to see an it isn't from the crank, rather the oil gauge feed pipe connected to the engine.  This pipe was the original and is a shielded pipe and I think the rubber hose within had perished and cracked.  Not having access to a new part I have just made one.


Engine now running!

Post 28: Dash Wiring

13 May 2018
Post 28 Dash Wiring


A big day then approaches, get the dash wired up and, the fuel tank in and the battery connected its crank it day right?

So early on the bank holiday Monday I started with the dash.  Expectation - trouble but electrics on these cars are a reasonably simple thing, there are no computer signals, messages or electronics to deal with so just a case of connect all the wires.  Previous experience and the schematic go most of the distance! 

In action on the last restoration - a 1960 Austin Healey "Ashley" Sprite

The 100-6 dash about complete, less the oil and water gauge and the Schematic!

Dash installed, oil & water gauge fitted and ready to crank!

There was a moment - when I went to fit the oil gauge.  I could not find the connecting pipe to the engine - that garage thief again.  Searched high & low and gave up frankly so we just plodded on and then as we fitted the dash there was the pipe in the box I had laid the dash on top of.  That was about an hour we lost.  Clearly this is all not my fault!!

So fuel tank in, check, battery in, check. . . .

Battery & Fuel Tank - No room in there for anything else!

Best crank it then??  Commissioning plan and checks complete??  No just switch it on!  Well that all went well - fuel pump on, fuel gauge on, ignition on all looking good.  Plugs in a quick fiddle with the leads and fire up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .