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M_C's '69 Escort Coupe


M_C

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So I thought it would be easy to bolt the exhaust back on forgetting this is OldSchool...

Attempt #1. Deeper sump on gearbox fouled the exhaust balance/cross tube.

Easy to fix with my persuader, aka 30T workshop press to squash the tube.

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Result! Nice clearance under the gearbox sump.

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Loving my new garage light!

Bugger! Now the exhaust flanges do not meet evenly. Gearbox lined up beautifully for new driveshaft, but gearbox tail must be higher than it was.

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Attempt #2. Removed the beautiful packer from under the gearbox mount that I spent a ridiculous amount of time making and re-profiled the holes in the cross member.

While under the car the cross member slipped from its position and BANGED on the exhaust scaring the bejesus out of me...

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Attempt #3. Excellent, now the exhaust flange bolts line up.

But no, on tightening them the LHS muffler is lifted up and now is in contact with the floor pan and fuel line. Probably not ideal...

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More persuasion needed before attempt #4. Trying to bend the tube in the bench vice resulted in lifting the bench instead.

Time to walk away. Riveting on new gearstick shroud was a nice job to make me feel better.

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Oxy torch made bending the exhaust easy. Yay, now it fits!

Took Felicity down to some private industrial land for a bit of a test run with the new set up. Was having too much fun to take pics! New gearbox, short shift and diff are FANTASTIC! Sooooooo nice to drive. I was wondering if the taller diff would affect the acceleration too much, but she still has heaps…

Doing a tight u turn the car bogged down. Oh no, the brakes are binding on.

No that will be the nice tight LSD for nice sideways action.

Bit if a damper when spotting a tiny amount of green coolant trying to weep out of the same place that the front of the engine under the intake manifold. Better check that.

Underseal close to the muffler seems to have some oil in it so got quite soft. Not sure if this is a concern?

Also the water temp gauge has given up and the tacho all over the show so new ones are needed. Anyone recommend a good source for halfway decent ones at reasonable price?

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Help needed!

My @$%#*$(&&*#^@# inlet manifold is leaking water again. Bugger.

After warming the car up on the test drive above the suspicious signs of green coolant trying to weep out of the inlet manifold were seen.

So now my engine looks like this again. Getting lots of practice pulling her apart…

Also learned a new lesson. If you only suppor the front of the car on alxe stands the engine is leaning way back and the coolant does not drain out properly, then when lifting out the inlet manifold the coolant dumps down over the cam and lifters and into the engine... Hmmm, now need a flush and oil change too.

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Something weird is going on with the inlet manifold.

Red circle is the coolant hole.

Blue circles are the bolt holes.

Green circle is the blob of what looks like congealed coolant green jelly. Coolant was also weeping out the front of the motor, -left hand side of manifold in pic and other similar spots around gasket.

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Putting a straight edge across the manifold it seems to be true. And being aluminium it should move a little when tightening it down too?

Any ideas what could be causing this?

My main suspicion is now that the heads have been planed on the face and the inlet side the vee is now too wide making the flat on the bottom left of pic below on the inlet manifold too close to the top of the block and not letting the inlet manifold sit deep enough in the vee to compress on the sides of the vee to seal the water galleries.

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The gasket comes with a cork section to seal this flat and my current plan is to shave this down and replace with gasket gue.

Help…

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Inlet manifold gasket #3 in. Engine reassembled, flushed with cheap oil and new race oil in.

Good news in thermostat and water temp gauges work.

Bad news is a couple of drops of coolant still weeping out.

Good news is weather looking great for weekend.

Bad news is grumpy looking at water leak.

Good news is new tacho bought.

Bad news is I have to work out how to wire it up. The old tacho was done by sparky and seems to be wrong as it goes to the positive side of the coil. Maybe that’s why its all over the show or maybe I just have more head scratching to work out wiring.

Great news. Warmed up engine this morning and weeping coolant seems to have settled down as was not seen.

Now to check suspect bolt and re-torque manifold.

Then spend more time looking at tacho.

Funny occasional thump in suspension when driving could do with investigation too.

Underseal is soaked in oil and getting pretty warm and soft by the muffler.

Hoping the heat shielding is worth the exorbitant fee to protect the fuel line… Vicious cycle, need to use full throttle to use heaps of gas to keep it cool by flowing lots through the pipe, but full throttle makes lots of heat…

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Track day edition 2.

Was pretty worried about the leak! Third inlet manifold gasket looked good after warm up and flush with cheap oil. But after dumping oil the weeping started again as engine cooled down leading to the swearing starting again. This was Friday night... The second gasket showed signs of leaking in other places above the cam and lifters not just out the front and the dipstick was doing a milky impression. Bugger. A couple of heat cycles and re-torquing bolts dit not change it. Too late to rebuild it again as have to get Sparky going as well. –Mates Mk2 4dr Escort.

The plan came down to just frickn go, monitor it and see what it does. I had resisted throwing a radiator stop leak in as what else is that going to gum up inside and what is really causing the leak…? But as last ditch effort siphoned out some coolant and threw some in.

Sighting lap, same result: Weeping, swearing and milky dipstick. On the first go in anger they held us for ages on the dummy grid to clear the last group just to build the anticipation…

Car ran really well. Surprisingly well balanced and bit of grunt with great soundtrack. New SuperCheap tacho was well over-reading so I ignored it. Maybe bad idea as I think I valve bounced it up the back straight and the olde Essex is not a big fan of big revs. Back in the pits and quick up the bonnet. WOOOOOHO no leak and clean dipstick!

I love my new friend.

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On the second run in anger I was giving her the berries and after 5 laps got pretty Hot water temp. Carried on to see if changed much and didn’t really help situation… Stopping in pits the coolant started to boil so poured water over radiation when running fast idle to get temp back and stop the boiling and hotspotting.

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Third run was getting braver with corner speed after 5 laps cat was Hot and seems to be starving for fuel as big die and splutter up back straight. Sausage dog fuel tank getting hell surge with lots of left corners and pick up on right of tank I think and filling fuel line with air?

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Must be on the cruizing lap as Shaneo is close...

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Last two runs were fantastic for first 4-5 laps before heat and not fuel left me to cruise the last few. Laps started about 1.41 and got down around maybe 1.30's? Heaps more to come. Time for new ally radiator and sort out fuelling.

Tires had a bit of work. Surprised how well they hang on. Must try harder.

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Beer & Chips time

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SENSATION DAY!

Great to see the guys down there too. Cheers to my brother for the pics.

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Fuel serge may just have been lack of fuel…

Went to tap some petrol out after running out in the lawnmower, but only a couple of tablespoons would come out. Wow, that was 18 litres for the track day! Thirsty Olde Essex at WOT.

Still don’t like my sausage dog tank shown here loose. Its bolted up behind rear “firewall of many holes.” Checking prices for fuel cell.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Shaving mounts was not enougt to get supersized radiator in.

Notched by the hand of BMAC. Big Thanks! Again!

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Mucho head scratching and sampling found two hose runs that are close to what I need. And dumpster dive in mates spring factory turned up a perfectly sized slinky crush preventer for the bottom hose. Took some persuading to fit inside the hose!

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Convoluted run of bottom hose. Slinky was needed!

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Nearly there! More work than I was expecting. Or maybe my fabrication skills are a bit slow?

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Had to move booster to fit top hose. Now to finish mounts, flush coolant in engine, pressure and road test before Hampton on Sat!

Weather looking Good. Getting Excited now!

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So my cunning plan of being ready early and having a day to spare has now reverted to another late night before track time…

When filling the radiator with nice coolant the radiator disagreed with my assessment that BMAC’s welded was top notch and started to drop coolant on the garage floor. Bugger.

Ally Rad’s timing was perfect as BMAC & Shaneo pulled into the drive just at the same time. BMAC to the rescue again! Pulling the radiator out, again, a small crack was discovered and fingers crossed it will be watertight by this avo.

Looking under the car after a shakedown is a good thing as I discovered my quickie fix of copper wire does not make a split pin. Both nuts on the front sway bay were trying to work their way loose off the TCA’s which would have sub optimal results on the next run.

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After a midnight finish getting the car ready the track day went a lot like this, fast and a little sideways.

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What an Awesome Day! New radiator kept the temp well under control and rock steady at 85 degrees no matter how hard I spanked it. And I hit it pretty hard earning the nickname Grounds Keeper after I had a couple of off's.

Turn 4 is great fun to get a slide going on coming out and up the hill. First off was getting too sideways here, I can hold it, I can Hold.. No I can't I could see the grins inside the guys helmets as 3 went past.

Second off had a bit more pace. Dragging Shaneo up the main straight I got the infamous turn one all wrong. Went in too hot and wide, out on the dirty marbles and the grass was calling. Two wheels on the grass and I find grass has a heap less traction than the black stuff and sideways I go with the back trying to overtake the front. Clutch it and she straightens up so I get back i the black and still ahead for Shaneo. I think he was laughing so hard he backed off...

Some more pics of the fun: Big thanks to Doug of the pics.

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