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Bloody Hell
paulbeyer - 27/5/02 at 10:16 PM

I spent all weekend preparing my garage for the donor. Painted the walls, put in new lights and sockets everywhere and even replaced the old fuse board for a Gucci consumer unit.

Whent round Grannies to pick up the Sierra Sapphire, drove it straight into the garage only to discover it only fits length wise with the front bumper hard up against the back wall and about 12 inches either side.

The Conrodkid can vouch for the fact that I aint no racing snake so I reckon I'll have to grease up like a cross channel swimmer to get any where near it.

Let the games begin....

By the way I just took the bonnet off so that must mean I have officially started.

James - 28/5/02 at 03:47 PM

Hi Paul,

Just spent the second weekend stripping my donor- 2.0 GLS Sapphire.

It's all been far simpler than I thought it'd be. I took the engine/gearbox out first- using hoist I'd just bought meant it could all come out in one ie. with all ancillaries etc. still attached. This means it's much easier to get the rest out afterwards.

Unless you've got a reason not to I can recommend cutting out the whole slam panel area- this makes it much, much easier to get the engine/gearbox out as you don't need to tip it as far as the 45° it says in Heynes. Even easier would be to take the bumper off too and then the engine could come straight out horizontally.

Also, label everything! I've done 95% of the labelling I should have but there's still a couple of things that it's been a slight challenge to work out what they're for later!

Anyway, I'm probably telling my Grandmother how to suck eggs so I'll go now.


James

stephen_gusterson - 28/5/02 at 06:32 PM

I took a mk3 granada apart for my donor.

I got the whole thing to bits in about 15 hours and the only thing i cut off was the little thin panel across the rad where bonnet latches to.

The longest time was getting the wiring look out. I wanted as much as possible so i could use it to trace the efi and abs out.

the back suspension and engine and box comes out really quite easily.

atb

steve

PS

a stipped car makes an excellent cat trap. Once I had the gearbox out, the local cats would get in throu the stick hole, and sit in the car sun bathing. Make sure you dont ship tabby to the crusher!

ChrisW - 28/5/02 at 07:20 PM

Hmm.. I need to 'get rid' of a stray cat which keeps getting into my place (and beating the crap out of my cat). Perhaps I need to borrow someone's Sierra shell?

Chris

theconrodkid - 28/5/02 at 07:30 PM

You can borrow my dog Chris,he will get rid of most cats ps see u sunday

James - 29/5/02 at 03:18 PM

quote:

the only thing i cut off was the little thin panel across the rad where bonnet latches to.

The longest time was getting the wiring look out. I wanted as much as possible so i could use it to trace the efi and abs out.

the back suspension and engine and box comes out really quite easily.


That's what I cut out too although I did take it out all the way up to the wings and cut out the verticals too as I didn't want sharp metal around the place- I've bled enough for this project already!

If I'd ever taken much out of a car before I'd have thought it'd have taken me about that long too but I kept stopping to read Heynes for help!


I've been wondering how to store the master cylinder and pipes etc. as last thing I want is for the barrels to rust in the year it'll be before I need them again- any ideas?

Cheers,

James

mark_rayfield - 29/5/02 at 04:15 PM

Do you guys all have engine hoists hanging around the garage?

I've just about stripped my mk2 escort - everything except the steering rack and the engine/gearbox.

The track rod end nuts have rusted solid to the uprights, so I might have to cut them off and look for some new ones! Unless anyone has ideas that are beyond my feeble mind...

Back to the original point - my engine is considerably beyond a weight I can lift even after I've taken basically everything off it. It's drained of coolant and oil, and has no peripherals attached at all! Only thing holding it in the car is a trolley jack and the engine mounts.
Any bright ideas for lifting a 1300 crossflow?! I suppose I could always shell out to rent an engine crane, but I feel this could ruin my attempt to build my own sports car for less than £250. On a more serious note, I just don't have that sort of cash to spare if it's avoidable!

Glad to hear there are some other builders who haven't actually started building yet!!

Mark

David Jenkins - 29/5/02 at 04:32 PM

Have you got a big strong pal? Are you big and strong?

If the answer is 'yes' to both questions, get a length of scaffolding pole, tie ropes from the pole to the engine, and each take an end of the pole on your shoulders.

LIFT! ... then walk forwards a bit. Keep your toes well away from harm, and make sure that you have a 'landing pad' prepared before you start.

Two reasonably strong people can lift an X-flow block if they can get a good grip and keep their back straight (very important).

A third pair of hands is useful to undo the connectors you forgot to undo before starting to lift, clear obstructions, etc.

Have fun!

David

theconrodkid - 29/5/02 at 05:36 PM

You could allways un bolt the front cross member and lift the body off,its a lot easier
ps mind your nuts

john_s - 29/5/02 at 05:56 PM

Hi.

quote:

Do you guys all have engine hoists hanging around the garage?


I've cheated. I've borrowed an engine hoist from one of the plant hire companies we use at work (perk of the job when you look after hiring plant for a building company!). Very much in the locost spirit i thought! If only i could beg / borrow / steal everything else i need!

Most hire depots should have them, and a lot of hire companies will hire items out just for a weekend at reasonable rates. Not quite as locost, but shouldn't be that bad! I must admit that i don't know what the going rate for engine hoist hire is. If i don't forget, i'll look in a catalogue at work tomorrow and post it when i get home.

John

stephen_gusterson - 29/5/02 at 06:11 PM

I've been wondering how to store the master cylinder and pipes etc. as last thing I want is for the barrels to rust in the year it'll be before I need them again- any ideas?
James




I just poked tissues into the joint holes and taped over with masking tape the pipe ends. If you are really nervous, make em nice and oily and keep em somewhere dry.

atb

steve

interestedparty - 29/5/02 at 06:23 PM

If you were to strip out the crank, flywheel, rods and piston would you then be able to move the bare block? As the engine mounts fix to the block you ought to be able to get quite a long way before some kind of lifting gear becomes essential. I don't know what a bare 1300 block weighs, but it can't be that bad, can it?
John

ChrisW - 29/5/02 at 10:08 PM

quote:
get a length of scaffolding pole, tie ropes from the pole to the engine, and each take an end of the pole on your shoulders.


Was going to suggest exactly the same. My housemate and I lifted a 1300 Valencia and FWD gearbox out of a Mk4 escort using that techique - no probs. Straight onto an old pallet for a soft landing.

BTW In terms of weight, the block is a reasonably heavy lift on your own once it's been stripped right down - I managed it and I'm hardly Mr T.

Chris

paulbeyer - 30/5/02 at 12:22 PM

I'm going to start stripping my donor this bank holiday weekend. I'm wondering what bits I need to keep from the rear and what bits can I bin straight away? I know I need the central diff, drive shafts, hubs and brakes for my MK Indy chassis but do I need to keep anything else? I have no room to store any thing other than the parts required so will have to bin everything I don't need as soon as it comes off the donor. Again with the front end I assume I only need the hubs, brakes and steering rack.

Apart from the obvious engine, gearbox, propshaft, wiring loom and various ancillaries is there anything else I need to keep?

Hope you can help.

Paul

mark_rayfield - 30/5/02 at 03:28 PM

Once again you have outdone yourselves.

Cheers for all the advice guys. I'll have a go at stripping the engine in situ, but if it gets a bit much (I seem to remember last time I tried it it wasn't too keen on the idea) I'll probably go for the chopped cross member idea. Once I've taken the steering rack out it shouldn't be a problem holding the engine up as I've got a couple of trolley jacks on loan from mates.

If all the above fails; me and my strong mate will be seen loitering around building sites for a few weeks looking for a stray scaffolding pole. Any ideas how to distract builders without the use of an attractive bird?

Has anyone tried 'penetrating oil' for tough nuts (as in to loosen them, not grow them) or something similar - it was suggested to me by a mate?

Any further advice also welcome, but thanks a lot for all comments so far.

Mark

David Jenkins - 30/5/02 at 03:55 PM

quote:

Has anyone tried 'penetrating oil' for tough nuts (as in to loosen them, not grow them) or something similar - it was suggested to me by a mate?


Mark,

PlusGas is as good as any - available in your favourite auto store, as they say.

David

john_s - 30/5/02 at 05:46 PM

quote:
Any ideas how to distract builders without the use of an attractive bird?


If they are anything like the lads who work for us, no need to distract them, just wait until brew time / lunchtime, and they'll all disappear into the site cabin.

It takes a small bomb to get them back out again.

John

stephen_gusterson - 30/5/02 at 06:40 PM

quote:
I'm going to start stripping my donor this bank holiday weekend. I'm wondering what bits I need to keep from the rear and what bits can I bin straight away? I know I need the central diff, drive shafts, hubs and brakes for my MK Indy chassis but do I need to keep anything else? I have no room to store any thing other than the parts required so will have to bin everything I don't need as soon as it comes off the donor. Again with the front end I assume I only need the hubs, brakes and steering rack.

Apart from the obvious engine, gearbox, propshaft, wiring loom and various ancillaries is there anything else I need to keep?

Hope you can help.

Paul


I dont know your donor but...

What about rad and header tank?

If you are using efi remeber the controller and the impact switch from the rear of the car.

Seat belts too?

Hand brake cable and lever?

I kept all of it and junked what i didnt need after a few months. But even then you throw away something you later need.

Ah yeah. what about the wheels? even if your not gonna use em, the car needs to stand on something and get covered in paint and crap during the build.

keeping the jack might be good too.

see what i mean.....

any switches you can use from the dash? The heater assembly.

did you mention steering wheel and column?

atb

steve

paulbeyer - 30/5/02 at 09:36 PM

I won't need stands to put my Indy chassis on when it arrives. There'll be a friggin scrap metal mountain in the middle of my garage to keep it off the floor.

Seriously though, what prompted the first question was the fact that I stuck my fat head under the back of the donor and saw a hell of a lot more metalwork in the Sierra rear suspension that I imagine I will be able to find a new home for. If that is the case, what with space being a premium I might as well get rid of what's not needed as soon as it comes off of the donor. I just wanted to check with you guys just to make sure I wasn't getting rid of something of major importance.

ChrisW - 30/5/02 at 10:53 PM

How about going through the Indy build manual (if there is one?) and making a list of everything you need. The rest (switches, anything plugged into the loom, etc) should be obvious? You could do the same with 'the book' I guess but its not so concisive. Just stack all the bits in the corner of the garage - remember a Locost is a lot smaller than a Sierra!

Chris

James - 31/5/02 at 02:01 PM

I've stripped everything except the back axle off my Sierra (damn those drum brakes- but atleast I'll have a fun Saturday morning ) and everything so far fits either in the boot or on a small table in the garage.

James

ChrisW - 31/5/02 at 02:59 PM

Ahh yes! My Escort's boot became temporary storage for donor parts until it went to the scrapper. With the parcel shelf in (remember mine was a mk4) nobody could tell!

Chris

James - 31/5/02 at 05:07 PM

Hmmmmm, that's just made me think of something....

Sierra- no engine so no weight a front, boot full of engine parts etc. so very heavy...

...resting on four axle stands, the rearward pair being somewhere quite far forwards.

I wonder if it'll be pointing skywards when I get home?




Oh well, should make an interesting 'modern art' statue for the driveway!!!

DEAN C. - 3/6/02 at 11:53 AM

quote:
I won't need stands to put my Indy chassis on when it arrives. There'll be a friggin scrap metal mountain in the middle of my garage to keep it off the floor.

Hi, I am 3/4 through my Indy build so I'm past all your problems,although more keep coming up.
chuck the rad it's too big,keep all the steering inc. column,swithes,key etc.
Dash switches are crap but save instrument pod in case you fit this later(lots of MK builders have done this)behind a perspex panel.Save the handbrake but I'd bin the cable if I was you,if its not new you will only end up chopping it in frustration,and you dont want an old cable to keep sticking on its test!
Header tanks fron the sierra are not a good shape but thats up to you.
You dont need anything else at the back apart from the bits mentioned,diff,shafts,hubs,brakes.
Good luck,Dean.
PS. Dont forget that when built up your car is much wider than a locost due to having standard length driveshafts and matching front track width,so its as wide as a sierra!
Handles much better than a book Locost though,Chuckle ,chuckle!Where is my FLACK JACKET!