2003 POTY Award
David Jenkins - 17/8/03 at 10:34 AM
I hereby accept this fine POTY* Award trophy for 2003, for continuing services to stupid mechanical engineering...
Following a couple of threads in the "Engine" section about my continuing lack of oil pressure, I decided that I just had to get the engine
out again, for deep investigation.
So last night I looked in the Haynes manual for the Escort, so remind myself about the steps involved in removing the engine.
Step 1: "drain the water system by disconnecting the bottom radiator hose, and undoing the block drain plug." Er - I can't find the
plug...
Step 2: "disconnect the lead from the oil pressure switch which is located just below, and forward of the distributor". Er - my oil pressure
switch is on the other side...
Get the picture? 
I had my switch and oil sender screwed into the drain hole, and the drain hole plug in the oil switch hole. PILLOCK!!!
Put them where they belong, and all works as designed. BUGGER!!
Still, now I know that I have oil pressure...
David
*POTY: Pillock Of The Year
P.S. Anyone else done similar stupid things in the course of their build?
[Edited on 17/8/03 by David Jenkins]
Mark Allanson - 17/8/03 at 12:12 PM
looks like you had low water pressure all the time?
David Jenkins - 17/8/03 at 06:21 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
looks like you had low water pressure all the time?
Never got hot enough to build up pressure... 
DJ
Alan B - 18/8/03 at 01:10 PM
David,
Pretty impressive and definitely worthy of a nomination.........
However, I have a feeling you may well be beaten......
Marcus - 18/8/03 at 08:38 PM
I must come close with the oily rag blocking the inlet manifold so no dust gets in only to bolt the bloody carb on and start the engine!
Said cloth got wrapped round both valves on No. 1 cylinder.....head off survey damage to my amazement - none!
Engine now runs like a good 'un
Marcus
David Jenkins - 19/8/03 at 07:39 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Alan B
David,
Pretty impressive and definitely worthy of a nomination.........
Thank you Alan! In my defence, I had never rebuilt a car engine before, and there had been quite a period between stripping the block and getting it
back from the reborers. I may have mixed up the back and front of the block, and the holes in question are on opposite corners... that's my
defence Your Honour, and I'm sticking to it.
quote:
However, I have a feeling you may well be beaten......
Shouldn't be at all surprised. 
cheers,
David
[Edited on 19/8/03 by David Jenkins]
Stu16v - 19/8/03 at 07:59 PM
Unfortunately I am not eligible for the 2003 awards, but a few years ago I built a single seat BEC powered car.
It wasnt until I came to push it out of the garage for the first time that I realised I had f**ked up.....
When I moved the steering wheel clockwise, the front wheels moved left..
Yes, I had fitted the steering rack upside down.....
eddie - 20/8/03 at 03:11 AM
heres a hint:
get hold of a digi cam, and photo each stage of a major component strip, thus you can see where all those things in that box of bits came from...
David Jenkins - 20/8/03 at 08:13 AM
As it happens, I did take pictures of the engine before stripping - that's how I finally worked out what I'd done wrong.
Unfortunately, I didn't look at the photos during the rebuild...
cheers,
David