Pulled out my engine today

[RichardM]

I would expect tensioner needs compressing, why is there a hole through the shaft? Pin to hold plunger in place while fitting?

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Get the old tensioner in a vice and see if you can get it back in the holder..i know you said the new one was fitted 6 months ago but the only parameters that have changed is new chain and slippers, this combined could have a big effect on spacings plus trying to push against the spring as bob mentioned,Try slacking the oil feed back nut off before you insert the tensioner as it looks like those small ball bearings sit in a seat similar to an offloader valve and the plunger could be hydro locked with oil....

As you and Melvyn suggested, tensioner issue. I think because of all the new items, the rail peg protrudes further than it did before.

 

[CKJDJK]

The tensioner has a ball check valve in it to stop the plunger returning fully when engine stopped with not oil pressure. The new tensioner is effectively hydraulic locked. Take end cap off and drain oil out. Then plunger will return fully allowing you to bolt it up. Oil pressure will set the tension once engine running. Spring will give initial tension.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Back on track, heads bolted down and a couple of ancillaries bolted on.

Inlet manifold just sat there for the picture, needs to be bolted to the lower manifold first.

Will get the oil pump and sump on tomorrow +++.

 

[Ashley Burton]

@RaceDiagnostics What was the problem in the end?

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

All new parts means that the chain is tighter than before and peg on the tensioner rail sticks out further. The tensioner (6 months old) itself is not ratcheting but was being held in the previous position by the oil captive in its body, so I emptied some out and it retracted more easily and can now be bolted on.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Engine flipped over.

Oil pump and its chain tensioner.

Then the sump.

Throttle body and lower manifold.

Upper and lower intake manifolds bolted together.

There are lots of bits to be bolted on.

Progress.

More progress.

Done for the day.

 

[Ashley Burton]

@RaceDiagnostics Looking good

 

[Bullet2012]

I can nearly, almost, just about hear it running already.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

For anyone wondering about the pipework.

Air is fed in before the throttle body but after the air meter and goes through the idle speed screw (yellow) and in parallel the warm up idle speed controller (red) (basically a thermostat that closes when hot). The crank case ventilation (green) from one head is then also fed in where the pipes join back together, before being fed back into the inlet manifold after the throttle body. The crank ventilation on the other head feeds into the air filter box. There is also a cold start injector (you can just se the blue electrical connector), it fires for just a couple of seconds when starting the engine from cold.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Time to get all the rocker arms in.

Then the injector seats.....

.....and injectors.

Then the air flow meter.

New O ring for the fuel distributer.

Now this is a bit concerning, 7 of the fuel injector outlets on the distributer looked like this.

One looked like this, seems like there is something missing.

Mounted to the air flow meter.

Fuel damper next.

Then all the injector fuel lines.

Finally for today I got the alternator and oil damper mounted.

Maybe a days work left on the engine now.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

@RaceDiagnostics Stunning work, I'm looking forward to the video of her fired up and running!

 

[roofman]

@RaceDiagnostics Stunning work, I;m looking forward to the video of her fired up and running!

yea me too

 

[jpmillermatic]

that is a thing of beauty the way you have done it!

JP

 

[Ton-up]

@RaceDiagnostics Stunning work, I'm looking forward to the video of her fired up and running!

And if it wont run or something goes bang, just put it in the living room as an ornament, fantastic work, it looks superb!

 

[Gareth_16V]

One looked like this, seems like there is something missing.

Can I say that it's looking absolutely fantastic? It'll be very satisfying to open the bonnet to see that in pride of place underneath, and it seems like it will go as well as it looks.

Is the missing piece a small filter in the injector 'ole?

 

[DavSki153]

Back on track, heads bolted down and a couple of ancillaries bolted on.

Inlet manifold just sat there for the picture, needs to be bolted to the lower manifold first.

Will get the oil pump and sump on tomorrow +++.

This is a class thread. Looks stunning.

 

[T689]

Great work @RaceDiagnostics and great thread, you have spent a lot of time and effort, engine looks amazing and should go on for many years.
Looking forward to the video of the engine running.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Can I say that it's looking absolutely fantastic? It'll be very satisfying to open the bonnet to see that in pride of place underneath, and it seems like it will go as well as it looks.

Is the missing piece a small filter in the injector 'ole?

I found a picture of another FD, it look the same with one "filter" missing (top left), strange.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

First job was to pick up a few new parts from Mercedes, exhaust studs, odd ball small head bolts for the fan and some rubber grommets for the PS trans cooler hard lines, £35.

Then onto fitting the dip stick tube, held in with a shrink fit.

New O ring for distributer.

The trans cooler lines are bolted to the sump using these clips and grommets.

Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on these sheet metal exhaust manifold gaskets, they came in the engine gasket set, the original OEM ones are a thicker gasket type. I don't have a good feeling about the metal ones.

Exhaust manifold temporarily fitted till I decide on the gasket type.

Heat shields fitted.

Polished up the oil filter housing.

Next will be the rear cover but will need to get the engine off the stand first so I may leave that a while.

I could also do with a bit of warmer weather for painting of the pulleys and balancer etc, its not been above 3 degC here for a month now.