Weekend Work

Got some stuff done this weekend. Nothing spectacular, but progress all the same. My largest goal this weekend was to get most of the cooling circuit put back together or at least lined up and ready to go. I painted the new water pump housing, radiator support and heater return pipe, not necessarily in that order.

I gasketed and installed the water pump housing. I need a new water pump, however, and I will order that from SpitBits in a day or two.

Fresh paint and install. Makes everything else look kinda yucky!

 I also fitted up the new heater return pipe. Some interference issues here with the throttle rod. Not sure how this supposed to fit, but I wouldn't think it's different between the Mk1 and Mk2 motors and that it definitely shouldn't touch. ** In discussion with my favorite forum, it may be the fact that the gearbox is removed and is causing the engine to rotate back a bit since there isn't anything supporting it from the rear now. **

Heater return pipe fitted.

Throttle bar hits right up against the heater return pipe.

I also mounted the heater control valve, though I actually did this a few weeks ago. No exciting pictures of that since it's not exciting.

Outside of that, it was mostly cleaning and taking stock. I figured out that the kit I ordered from SpitBits for the heater and radiator hoses was actually the Mk1 kit vice the Mk2 kit. I did order the right kit, but I was sent the wrong stuff. Nigel replied to my Sunday email with about an hour and I am confident will make it right come Monday. I have another order to make and hopefully we can get it all in the same box. Upon receipt of those items, I should be ready to get the cooling and heating circuit all installed. On a side note, I found some interesting differences between the Mk1 and Mk2 heaters, but didn't take any pictures. I will for my next post.

Finally, while double-checking my completed gearbox, I decided to get a new copper washer for the bottom clutch housing bolt, a new (and improved) release fork pin, its sleeve, and its bushings. While doing that, I learned that the bottom bolt that gets the copper washer should be shouldered instead of fully threaded. Since I didn't remember checking for this during reassembly, I pulled each of the five bolts, one at a time so as not to destroy the gasket seal, to find where the shouldered bolt was. It wasn't. Guess that's an indication that the gearbox has been apart before! SpitBits to the rescue again!

What should be a shouldered bolt and a copper, vice brass, washer. Both on order!