Day 63-65

Well, I had to go back and re-read my last post since it has been so long!  I see it has been about a month since the case went together.  Needless to say, waiting for my cylinder heads and then finding time off was hard to come by, so I was a bit anxious to get started again.

While I wasn't working on the car, Paul the guy I fly with, sold his house.  Since he hasn't found a new one yet and is crashing with a buddy, I let him use my ample storage space/living room :)






It is also now spring!  Err something like that.  It has been unseasonably warm and this tree (not sure what it is) has great maroon leaves in the spring/summer/fall and these awesome flowers!

I put the pistons and cylinders on the engine.  Installed the pulley and pulley tin.

Unfortunately, I had everything bolted on (even the heads which are in the next few pictures) and was putting on a final part called the rocker arm.  This, essentially, is what opens and closes the intake/exhaust valves.  Well, needless to say while doing that a washer slipped out of my hand and down a push rod tube into the engine case.  I tried rocking the engine, rotating it on the stand, cursing, and although I could hear the washer rolling around I wasn't able to fish it out.  After about 5 hours of work assembling the engine I had to tear the entire thing down to the case halves.  Just like how it was nearly a month ago.

I found the washer...

It went together a bit easier since I had done it before. I finished around 1215am and had to wake up at 5 for work.  Worth it though because we all know I wouldn't be able to sleep if I hadn't it done it anyway!

The next day on a break in between flights I put the rockers on (underneath the black covers on each side of the engine) and managed to not drop a washer into the engine.  Hooray!  I also put the oil cooler on which is that tall upright piece.

And finally today I spent most of the day messing with engine tin.  Some of the pieces have already been to powdercoat but I had to wait for the cylinder heads to test fit the rest.  So I did that and will send the remaining tin out to powdercoat.

Tomorrow I have to modify the fan shroud for some thermostat flaps and some other odds and ends.  After the powdercoat comes back, final assembly and hopefully running!