One Three Four Two

Ho-kay. Time for some clean, precision work on a big lump of cast iron which when assembled correctly, should be torquey, long of stroke and fantastic in the exhaust note department. B Series engines are as simple as they get, this was the third time I was taking one apart so there were no major challenges.

Having very little money, and not much time now either, no machining work was to be carried out. The engine is in good condition and the bores, crank and cam bearings were only slightly worn, so there was potential for many miles left without spending a fortune. A full strip down and reassembly replacing all the expendable items was therefore sensible.

Eventually, I would like to get the block relinered, line bored, get the crankshaft straightened, reground, have the liners bored and fit new pistons, get the whole lot dynamically balanced, add new camshaft bearings and get 3-angle valve seats cut. When I can afford it. Mild tuning will also take place, that does not compromise her usability on the road. So a mild road cam, and a cylinder head which I will port for torque rather than higher revs, with bulleted manganese bronze valve guides, but probably fitting 1.56” inlet valves to keep the torque where I want it.

The block was stripped and parts were inspected. New bits were ordered, meanwhile the paint was removed from the outside of the box and the inside was thoroughly cleaned with a paraffin gun, which was very effective at removing oil and sediment and re-depositing it over the stupid modern car which the father insists on driving. The oilways seemed clear enough so I decided against removing the brass gallery plugs, there was no build up of sediments . The waterways were poked with long pointy objects until there were no limescale deposits left. This is obviously a major cause of engine overheating, causing uneven cooling and blocking the passage of the cooling water through the block. The final step in the cleaning process was giving the block a thorough cleaning with a lot of water and soap and washing powder. This works well as long as all surfaces are kept wet at all times, and the whole thing is dried as quickly as possible then soaked all over with rust preventative, or in the cast of the exterior of the block, the first coat of paint was brushed on as quickly as possible.

In the absence of a pressure water, a stiff bristled hose brush was used to supply water and scrub away dirt. Lots of soap, a lot of water and cleaning every nook and cranny in the block, paying particular attention to the webbing and reinforcements where the dirt had accumulated and was difficult to dislodge. I was extremely pedantic about cleaning the engine parts and maintaining all was sterile, out of necessity. The worst engine wear happens after a rebuild when specks of dirt wreck the new bearings within seconds. All the oilways and waterways were flushed out thoroughly, and I was only happy when I could run a clean tissue anywhere inside the block and have it remain spotless.

WD40 a-plenty on the inside, the engine was moved into the early summer sun to dry quickly, with more WD40 as it dried out. This was done very carefully as it is incredible how quickly corrosion will kick in, and it’s already happening long before the naked eye can see it.
Time to get some paint on the outside of the block to stop that rusting, too. Finest BMC Emo red was brushed on, 4 coats in all and it dried lovely and glossy. Yes, I know that black is correct for the 18Vs, but with a red engine it is far easier to see oil leaks at night, so red it was. I also love the colour.

The new main bearings and thrust washers were fitted, the crankshaft added and the main bearing caps torqued up one at a time.

One exceedingly clean block, with the first coat of paint done, and the new main bearing shells and thrust washers fitted.

The crank endfloat was fine, and there was only slight resistance to rotation at each stage. Perfect. The pistons and old rings were re-used, they had plenty of life left in them for now. New big end bearings of course, everything still turned over smoothly.

The crankshaft and camshaft in place, awaiting the pistons and connecting rods, and the oil pump. This photo gives a false impression of how carefully the engine was rebuilt, keeping it spotless inside.

As the engine appears to have been rebuilt for hillclimbing, then rebuilt again for use on the road, is consisted of a strange mixture of parts. The nicest being duplex timing gears in good condition, and these, with a new timing chain, tensioner and camshaft thrust plate, were fitted one the camshaft was inserted. The cam was timed and was near enough spot on, on the nearest tooth, verified using a dial gauge. A new oil pump was fitted, this had a little bit of porting carried out, and all sharp edges were removed. The distributor drive was inserted, the sump fitted and that was the bottom end done.

In the meantime, the cylinder head was being tackled. The waterways were carefully being cleaned, to prevent the head overheating and cracking. The ports were thoroughly cleaned out with an air die grinder, then the valves and seats were ground.

Grinding the valves, whilst on the phone to Richard. Good times.

New stem oil seals, and the valves were fitted. The rocker assembly was practically unworn, so that went back on, and the same went for the pushrods which went back in the block. A nice Payen head gasket was fitted between the thoroughly cleaned mating surfaces, and the head lowered onto the new head studs.

Valves in place, and a top quality head gasket from Payen. Resin impregnated, and with an extra line of sealent to cope with the dodgy seal which can sometimes occur along the ignition side of the engine. The chap around the corner from me who used to rally a late 60s GT told me of the times he used to go for long distance motorway blasts, and lost a fair bit of coolant water out the ignition side of the gasket!

Torqued up, the timing cover was fitted, and the engine was ready to go in as soon as the gearbox was done. I decided to spray the tappet chest cover and crankcase breather casing emo red, along with the rocker cover, for a smoother finish.