Another world of pain

Another job that I hadn't done before, and should have done before the car went for the exhaust, bit me today. I know it all my fault, but it was still a swine.

Anyway first things first, adjusted up the handbrake cable so I now have a functioning handbrake.

Next up I changed the ignition switch for a NOS unit that I bought a few weeks ago, as the original was a little intermittent and needed the key waggling about, probably just corrosion from being left unused for so long but still a nuisance.

That done it was on to the power steering pipes from the rack to the pump.  I KNOW I should have done them before, but I didn't and today paid the price. I had to remove the new manifold to get at them. The exhaust guys had told me some of the bolts were difficult - I'll say. Two of the bolts needed 2 spanners with different offsets used one after the other - i.e. rotate bolt 1/16 of a turn, change spanner, rotate another 1/16 of a turn, go back to first spanner and so on and on and on and on ................... and before you ask no room for a rachet, even a sub minature one, anyway the manifold did come out ........... eventually, I am not looking forward to replacing it.

That out of the way I managed to bend the steel pipes and get it all to fit, and even leave room to replace the manifold ! The pipes were originally mandrel bent, so I replicated the bending device by forming the bends that I needed round a large socket in a vice.

The manifold needs to go back on, but I need exhaust gaskets first as they had used sealant and removing the gaskets destroyed them - Stags usually run without exhaust manifold gaskets, just manifold to head, but if the exhaust company used them, so am I.

That was the morning gone, and the end of spannering for the day, so I moved on to other items, fitted my original furflex door seals, door ashtrays and window winders - all looking smart now.

Cleaned up the front seat runners

and got the front seats up from the cellar. No prizes for guessing which is the driver's side - the seat membrane has split.

However I just happen to have 2 NOS ones, so I quickly replaced the split one - I am keeping the remaining new one as a spare, as its 40 year old rubber and may not last long

Quick clean of the seats and this is how they look ready to go back in the car (assuming the passenger one fits with the tunnel modifications)

So will it be running for Stoneleigh ?

Possibly, I need to fit inlet manifold and carbs, wire up the cooling fan, do the tappet shims, fit distributor, fuel filler breathers, speedo cable (which has been ordered from Speedograph) and hope it works. I think I need to take 1 or 2 days off from work to do this, especially as I am working next Sunday at the O2 arena

9 hours worked today total now 892