It Lives, its Alive Again

The estate was reborn at about 12.40 this morning. Started first turn of the key after a few small issues.

I started the day by fitting the top hose air bleed and then filled with coolant.

I went to the garage for a couple of gallons of petrol and tipped it into the estate tank. The poor electric petrol pump still didn't deliver petrol so after investigation in the tank area I found that there was not enough petrol in the tank to cover the pick up pipe so back to the garage to get another 2 gallons. I got some very strange looks there as I went in my electric car.

Anyway petrol in, the pump picked up petrol and filled the carbs.

The big moment, it fired and ran first turn of the key, a little smoke from the manifolds. First job top up the power steering pump as that had run dry filling the rack. That done full and easy power steering.

Topped the coolant up then, engine still running.

Then filled the rest of the autobox with ATF fluid as the level had dropped with the torque converter filling.

Downsides, no rev counter so that needs investigation, but coolant in the V from the water pump. Bugger, that might have to come out again. It was a NOS unit with new seals so why it leaks is a mystery.

The engine cooling fan doesn't come on either, so I need to look at that.

But it drives, it goes forwards and backward under its own power. No nasty transmission noises. Could only check first (drive) and reverse as my drive isn't long enough to get it up to speed. Servo seems to work too, no idea about the ABS yet.

But it lives, and the engine sounds so nice - I haven't even played with the carbs yet, or mixture, just left everything set at the factory default.

Oil pressure good too. Engine really quiet and no vibration, you could balance a coin on it when it runs.

I am so so pleased, hard to describe really but a very happy moment in my life.

Anyway I have put it away in the garage for now, while we open the champagne and celebrate.

I'll attend to the small glitches next week, they are not much in the scheme and size of the rebuild. the worst is the water pump, which may fix itself, they do sometimes leak and then stop. if not its no big deal to take it out and replace the seal, although I may get one of those new ceramic seals fitted.

I did take a little video on my iphone, if its any good i'll put it on youtube. But I was so excited my hands were shaking!

First video on youtube at  http://youtu.be/qI5_Z3BgCP8
(sorry about the shaky picture - I was soo excited)  
second video http://youtu.be/BGkbFKjgevk

It was a fantastic moment after all these hours of work