Europa TCST

[TurboFource]

Milestone reached this morning .... On the ground on tires that hold air for the first time in decades

[BDA]

 

[Footer]

Everything is looking very nice.  It’s a lot of work so sit back and enjoy it for a minute.  I spent a year, off and on, trying to solve an overheating issue.

[dakazman]

     Footer,
     lol I remember when my 40-year-old tires looked full when psi was 0. they were rock hard.
  Everything looks really nice. I love the look of the twin cam just sitting there. ITS REALLY IS A MILESTONE, BE HAPPY.
 DAKAZMAN

[TurboFource]

Had a few minutes today so I finished this up.


Before and after...

[SilverBeast]

That's fantastic for a few minutes work.....

[TurboFource]

You got me Silver finished installing modified thermostat housing and hose, used strips of plastic under the clamps instead of high dollar clamps to prevent hose extrusion by the clamps.

[BDA]

You went from the first picture to the second one today?!! Why aren't you driving your car by now?

Seriously, I'd say there was a slight improvement... 

[TurboFource]

I wish I worked that fast!!

[TurboFource]

Found the heater control valve and coolant temperature sensor and cleaned them up to install. The sensor had two NPT adapters to make it fit and in the spirit of "Simplify" I went to the hardware store and bought an 1/8 to 3/8 NPT adapter so there would only be one .... the sensor would only screw in about two threads, not enough. So I ran a tap through it ... looked at the package. "Made in china” so no real surprise I had to fix it     Ran some of the heater hose, they will be run a little different than stock to cool turbo center housing.

[TurboFource]

Graceful me, while trying to clean up my garage so I can lower the body on the chassis, tripped over my mess today and cut my arm rather nicely   I am fine and making progress… it will probably leave a mark 

[BDA]

Bummer!! Get well soon!

[TurboFource]

After cleaning up my arm injury last Monday (it is healing nicely), I was going to put the chassis on my dollies...I noticed movement in the left rear .... So I took it apart to investigate. I assumed because the other side went together fine this side would. The hub did not go all the way onto the stub axle and there was no preload on the tapered bearings. Cleaned up the burr and now have 100% engagement as planned and no more axial movement. Waiting for sealant to cure, then reassembly hopefully tomorrow.

Continuing to clean up my mess....

[TurboFource]

The SVO Mustang I sold my son to help fund this project, blew a head gasket. Since he lives 3 hours away we towed it home Saturday to avoid trying to do this in his apartment parking lot. While returning the UHaul my other son gave me a ride home and he wanted me to drive his car as there “is something rumbling” ….. joy … I think a front bearing is going out…. So yesterday we pulled the head off the 2.3 Turbo motor and it had a blown head gasket as expected and a surprise…. the head is cracked and they are hard to find as they are known to do this     

 

so no Lotus progress this week …. Still got to look at the “rumble” too….

[BDA]

Man, that is a serious bummer!!! I hope you find another head somewhere. I'm assuming your son's head was aluminum. I think back in the day the 2.3 Pinto motor had a cast iron head. I don't know if they are interchangeable but it's a thought (that you probably already had!).