Pan Off

[BDA]

The guys I was talking about went on at length about the superiority of beam type wrenches over click type. I don't dispute any of their arguments but every engine I've ever built, every engine I've ever known of being built by a buddy, and every engine I've ever seen being built were built with click type wrenches. They may not be dead nuts but they are certainly close enough!

I was intrigued by the electronic torque wrenches because they seem to have a lot of the benefits of both types but I don't need a new torque wrench.

As I believe you've said before, better to overthink than under think!

[jbcollier]

The best torque wrench is the one that is regularly calibrated and its useable range covers the intended application.  I have seen both beam and click type that were off.  One engine job (not by me, thank goodness) dropped a rod not long after and the beam type torque wrench tested out at 15% low.

With regards to "over compressing" an oil pan gasket buy supporting an engine on its oil pan, there is enough surface area to the gasket that it is not an issue.

[Bryan Boyle]

Done.  Pretty sure it would be easier if the lump was out, on a stand, and upside down, rather than me being under the car working over my face.  All tightened down in two stages...little push-out of ultra black...then snugged up to 6 ft/lbs.  Will check tightness tomorrow.  What a messy/achy job. 

Next up...manifold, cross pipe and muffler system.  New studs in the head, fresh brass nuts, new washers, new metal/fiber gaskets.  Then going to run in place for a while to see if there's any weeps/leaks.  If there is...well, the lump is coming out and go though the whole thing top and bottom.  This was just to buy me some time.

Thanks for all the suggestions...ended up going with ultra black on the block and half-moon channels smoothed out, cork gaskets layed on it while still sticky, a smooth layer of ultra black on the pan flange and front/rear seal areas, with a dab in the corners on the blockwhere the half moons meet the flange...letting it sit overnight, filled with 4.5 US Quarts of VR-1 20w-50 oil),over night...tomorrow or saturday...attack the exhaust so I can start her up. 

It's wine-o-clock somewhere, right?

[BDA]

Congratulations on completing the installation of your oil pan! 

What are the brass bolts for? Did you mean brass nuts?

At 8:22pm, it’s definitely wine-o-clock in all of eastern US! 🍷

[Bryan Boyle]

Congratulations on completing the installation of your oil pan! 

What are the brass bolts for? Did you mean brass nuts?

At 8:22pm, it’s definitely wine-o-clock in all of eastern US! 🍷

duh.  Long day upside down under the beast.

[Bryan Boyle]

Well...mounted the header...but not without some percussive maintenance on the outer pipes...they heavily interfered with the shift mechanism...the pipes come out from the header flange about 3/8-1/2 inch too far...I know some on the old europa list had talked about this...not a big deal, but thinking that if the entire set of pipes where they are welded to the flange were about 1/2" shorter...it would be ideal (the center pivot to heim center was right at the specified 2.75" center to center...) and give a bit of clearance.  Also, with the block-mounted clutch cable fitting...the clutch cable would have more clear space to run, since even with adjusting (ahem) the pipes...it's still less than 1/4 inch.  Needless to say...got the exhaust system all plumbed in, those clamps I found work a treat...and the car really sounds good (and suprisingly quiet in the cockpit...to the point that I now notice that I think the rear bearings are going to be needing attention soon...)

And...oh btw...relocating that clutch fitting to the block really really helped with both feel and response of the clutch.  If you've not done it yet...highly recommended.  Can't wait to see how a new clutch works with the modified arrangement (when I put the resealed lump back in after working on it this winter...).

So...took her for a 10 mile run.  4.5 quarts of VR-1 oil, all buttoned up, clutch adjusted...and the pan doesn't leak.  BUT...still has leaks, looks like from the back of the head/block joint, and along the head/cam chamber seam.  Guess the next step will be the head gasket.  But, the BIG puddle under the car which would normally (since I've owned her) be there from the half moon seals wasn't after I parked her over the cardboard mats in the garage to see where the weeps are.  Guess I know what I'll be working on this winter. 

[BDA]

Glad to hear everything got sorted and at least the pan leak is cured!   

Sorry the hear you may need new rear wheel bearings! That's not a fun job! I don't know about head gasket replacement but I'd guess that won't be a lot of fun either! At least you get to drive it for a while before you have to do those.

[jbcollier]

Always nice when things work out well!

TC engines have limited breathing capacity.  Adding an extra breather in the cam cover can help quite a bit.

[Bryan Boyle]

Glad to hear everything got sorted and at least the pan leak is cured!   

Sorry the hear you may need new rear wheel bearings! That's not a fun job! I don't know about head gasket replacement but I'd guess that won't be a lot of fun either! At least you get to drive it for a while before you have to do those.

Well...like the SO says: at least she knows where I am...eiither in the garage, walking around the block, or binge watching something she found on Netflix that we both like.

Fun?  Actually, as the A&P who was training me related...the satisfaction with working with your hands (most of my time for real is spent on a computer figuring out complex configurations of network security monitoring programs) is that when it's done, you can point to it and say "it was broken and now I fixed it".  Hard to argue with that; there is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes from seeing a problem, reducing it to components, assembling it back, and it is fixed. 

[Bryan Boyle]

Always nice when things work out well!

TC engines have limited breathing capacity.  Adding an extra breather in the cam cover can help quite a bit.

You know, I had a similar problem in my S2: if I left the dipstick in and went for a drive, when I got back the entire side of the engine and frame was covered in oil that got blown out the crankcase through the dipstick tube.  I had a buddy sit in the car and press on the accelerator while I watched...when he rev'd the motor, the dipstick would rise enough off the felt seal on the rod...which meant that the crankcase was pressurizing...which I confirmed with an old airspeed indicator that was out of service...plumbed the pitot fitting with a short piece of hose, stuck over the dipstick, and I could move the needle.  I also rebuilt the crankcase venting system to original Renault configuration with used parts from Sports Car World before Frank passed on, so that may have helped too.

Right now, the car is missing the tube from the head to the carb box, just vented into a makeshift catch can that I stashed in the rear in front of the rear light.  Thinking that the system may need some vacuum to assist in venting the crankcase?

I like your idea of an additional vent in the front of the valve cover; I know the usual suspects sell the fitting...I guess it would be a case of removing the VC, finding a spot (low in the center of the front so I don't interfere with the chain?), drilling for the fitting and running a hose to the catch can.  Right now, I'm just venting the catch can to the atmosphere through a small filter....maybe it might be worthwhile to plumb the vent to the stromberg air box to pull a slight vacuum (and recycle the separated vapor back to the intake?)

Thoughts?  Of course, I could also use the solution I did on the Renault motor...I just put a rubber cap on the dipstick tube, threw the dipstick in the trunk, and when I got to a show or wanted to check the oil...pulled the cap off, slid the dipstick in for show or for checking...and when time to drive off...reversed the process.  It did keep the side of the engine clean (after hosing it down a couple times with varsol..)...but the dipstick on these things are a bit out of the way...

[jbcollier]

Definitely thumbs up for using air box “vacuum” to assist with engine breathing.

[Bryan Boyle]

Definitely thumbs up for using air box “vacuum” to assist with engine breathing.

Ordered the fitting(s) and grommets this morning.  Now to plumb it all up.  Thinking of still using an air/oil separator in the mix: bring both the right rear (where the hose that connects to the stromberg) and the new fitting up in the front back to the can, and the air outlet of the separator plumbed back to the carb box.  Still thinking on this; pretty sure that I can hide the separator in the rear where my existing "catch can" (actually, a bit redneck engineering: it's an empty gallon jug that the hose coming off the head in back of the carbs is poked into with a filter attached to the cap so it's pretty much at atmospheric pressure...hey, it's hidden, ok?  Just a stop-gap to get past the fitting on the head which was just open to the side of the block...and THAT was messy...) is located.