The above photo tells it all. Ringo is NOT up on jackstands in our driveway anymore, nor is his engine dripping 30 weight all over the pavement. Yesterday, I successfully completed replacing his #2 piston and cylinder.
The reassembly actually started Friday night when I carefully installed the oil and compression rings before cautiously tapping the assembly, bound by my ring compressor, into the well-oiled cylinder. I then took that over to the engine, guided the open rod end with its lubricated bearing half onto the crankshaft while inserting the cylinder into the bore of the engine block. Next, the cap with the other bearing half slathered with grease went on followed by the two nuts which were torqued down per the manual’s specification. With rain predicted, I wanted to get the crankcase cover reinstalled to protect the bottom end from moisture, so I went to my stash of gaskets, selected the best one available, placed it between the freshly cleaned surfaces and installed all the bolts again torquing to manual values. The fan assembly then bolted to its bearing that sits on top of the crankcase cover. The finally activity for the night was removing the oil pan, cleaning it thoroughly removing any crumbs (and there were a few), and reinstalling.
Saturday morning I got most of the shrouding installed before it was time to knock off and attend Mikhaila’s cheerleading completion.
Yesterday, I made it out to the driveway around 1:30 and had Ringo on the ground and running two and a half hours later. In that time I: removed Luna’s alternator and put on Ringo’s engine in place of his which had excessive axial movement; swapped the small plastic choke tripper from one of Luna’s carburetors (I’d broken it during disassembly); hooked up all the wires, hoses, and gas lines; remembered to tighten the front transmission mount nuts; attached the rest of the shrouding; replaced the oil filter; and filled the crankcase with Shell Rotella 30 weight. Before connecting the coil wire, I cranked the engine until the TEMP/PRESS light went off. That ensured oil would immediately flow once the engine started plus it served to refill the carburetor bowls. I did a dance in my head when, after reconnecting the coil wire, one more turn of the key rewarded me with a smooth running powerplant. While one of the lifters was clacking, I wasn’t surprised since the engine had sat for so long, and, sure enough, the clack went away within fifteen minutes. I made many checks under the engine as I occasionally blipped the throttle. Happily, nothing was dripping. TYL!
This morning, he started right up and provided me with a trouble-free commute to work, as well as nice run to the mall at lunch. Sadly, there are still a few less significant issues that need addressing - and I plan to do so before returning Ringo to Ariel. First, the transmission shifter cable still leaks. I have tried the heatshrink tubing fix and it didn’t work. I’ve also tried the cut fuel line with silicone and hose clamps and it didn’t work. Today I ordered a roll of Rescue Tape, and, hopefully, the proper prep and installation of this magical stuff will stop the drips. Second, the dashlights do not work. I’ll fix that this evening by bypassing the dimmer rheostat on the headlight switch. That means a pull of the knob should result in maximum dash illumination. Third, I really want to pull the driver’s seat out and swap the upholstery onto the new, firmer seat I got a few weeks back, and then install that into place. Fourth, I need to install the lower shrouds with thermostats since Fall has come to Baltimore at last. Finally, it’s been a while since the backup lights worked, and that should be an easy fix I can also affect tonight.
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