dmulally

Rivnuts! Perfect.

Right then. Any ideas how to attach the besides welding on multiple brackets and bolting it on?

Yeah a hard pass on the rope method thanks, Haynes.

So she is in but it isn't all sunshine and lollipops. I have the wrong water pump so have ordered the right single row pulley one. I can use this one on the EA81 hopefully. I have taken the carbs off to rebuild properly. I have the old single carb still there but am in no rush. Lots of little jobs to do now. I'll try and do one a day to keep things ticking over whilst I wait for parts.

Note to self: 1: 185 2: 185 3: 180 4: 175

Welded this back on. I need to give the underside a bit of a grind and paint. Also left some holes incase I want to get fancy with a heater core.

Took these cool steelies in for sandblasting. Fella at the shop suggested I bring in the Imp van. SCOPE CREEP

She runs! But doesnt stay running so Ill need to figure out what carbs they are and run a kit through them. Now I know she is a runner Ill compression test it and start to assemble it correctly. I need to sort an alternator bracket and fan pulley belt etc. Gear box seems to work too. Does anybody know if I can take out that oil pressure sender (which has been cut off so is pissing oil) and the horizontal bolt on the left to run an oil cooler? Or should I get one of those sandwich adapters from ali baba for $10?

Cheers, Willy.

Some before and progress pics of the running gear. The word running is used liberally here.

https://www.angclassiccarparts.co.uk/home/mg-5580/mg-midget-austin-healey-sprite/clutch/clutch-slave-cylinder-gsy113-mg-midgetsprite-1275cc-67 Looks about right. Cheers, gents

Has a bore size of just over 20mm if that helps. So possibly BMC.

To save me having the predictable number plate discussion at Ripco, does anybody know which car this clutch slave is from?

The clutch had fused to the flywheel. Gave it a good sand to get the rust off and then cleaned it up. I scrubbed the rest of it with a wire brush and coated it with light wipe of oil to keep it from rusting again. Ill try and have a crack at starting it before I get too ahead of myself.

Public service announcement: The EA71 has a different bellhousing bolt pattern to the EA81. The Volksconversion adapter I have doesn't fit the EA71 block I have. EXECUTIVE DECISION OVERTURNED

So I have made an executive decision to use the VW box. It will be a lot more faffing about but it will last forever compared to the Imp box and will make it loads more drivable. I popped into my local engineering shop this morning and he had some good ideas in how to do it so I'll do my best to get the engine mounted over the weekend so I can measure it up and get them both down to him next week for cutting and welding. In other news I tig welded up the radiator cap hole in the front rad due to height issues and will put a mini radiator in the rear which I'll use as a filler/bleeder spot. Not sure I'll run a heater or not but with the Subaru water pump and the craig davies in the front I'll have the power/capacity to do so. See how I feel. Which will be bloody cold in winter!

I have a type E gearbox and two essex engines in my shed. Or more like @Adoom has as the scimitar is his problem now. I take it they are different bellhousings?

With some help from the brains trust on my TIG settings I was able to give this a bit of a tidy up. So I need to decide what to do about this gearbox. I have both this and the VW box and two Imps. Also two engines being this EA71 twin carb and an EA81 stocker. These are the specs on the box. Imp: 4th: 0.85 Diff Ratio: 4.8 Overall = 4.08 VW: 4th: 0.82 Diff Ratio: 3.88 Overall = 3.18 Problem is that the VW box when you include an engineer to sort the half shafts and bits and bobs is a $3.5k exercise at least. A theory could be as the EA71 has a shorter stroke it would live with higher RPM's than the EA81 I want to put into the Van eventually. Imp boxes are so shit though and I don't even know if this one works. Open to ideas.

Righto. Drilled it out. So just have to find where I left my 6mm tap and I'll be back in business. Also managed to score those twin carbs. If I can figure out what they are I'll put a kit through them as although I have loosened them up, they were pretty seized. Spewing they only fit this engine and not the EA81 I have off being rebuilt. @Adoom and @cubastreet who is up for another "will it start?" in Carterton? This time I'll bring a crate of ether spray. I forgot to mark where the rotor was pointing on the dizzy so all I need to do is figure out which one is cylinder 1. Easy. Kinda.

Two imps! Although I really need to get down to one which will be the van. So wish I could do an EV on it. Would be perfect.

Plans are for architects. Also in other news I "sold" the red Imp sans running gear and a few other bits and bobs. Swapped it for a stack of roller doors for my big shed.

It's always the last bolt that snaps too. Just when everything is going too smoothly! Oh well. Ill crack on and drill it out.

Question: why was I even born