So, not touched the car since mid December. That month was unusually mild for the UK and especially so here in Derbyshire.
I left it with the fuel tank fitted. The fuel pump installed after some cleaning, sender unit in with a new longer black wire soldered on at source where it was spliced in badly near the battery box cover. The fuel line rubber hoses fitted......sort of.
They are 75% pushed onto their respective unions but if I remember I did not have the correct jubilee clips and the rubber is at its most difficult when almost in place, so I did the usual fufferfour thing and left them till next time with a mental note to make it first job on the list when the weather improves.......sort of.
Thats because the very last job was to put on the rear wheels. It was at this stage I noticed the dreaded "clunk" from the diff and propshaft. Definitely at least 3/16" free play between wheel rotary movement and propshaft moving. I wonder why I never noticed it before ?. One of the mysteries of life. I'd had the whole axle off and on the bench several years ago, painted and looking good and its lead a lonely and sheltered life since, albeit being painted with cheapo pound shop matt black paint.
It looks a fiddly frustrating job to cure and for sure the tank will have to come out after only just having been fitted. Still, the " cure kit" from MGOC only costs about £14.00 so another unforseen job to the list.
The re-cap thus is this, if I can remember, sat here waiting for the imminent snow fall thats been promised for the last few weeks.
1/. Undo fuel tank connections and drop tank
2/. Re-fit diff spacers ( 2 brass cup washers, 2 fibre flat washers. Clean diff cover mating faces and fit new gasket. Sounds easy but involves partially moving drive shaft on one side 1/4" outwards, and knocking out rollpin and pinnion pin)
3/. Consider re-newing whole remainder of steel fuel line. I have a feeling that this would be a mot failure knowing how keen they are on fuel related stuff. I've just looked at the prices and may defer that option. £114 for the kit ( which I have renewed most of anyway) or £40 for the long pump to engine bay unit. I think I'll clean up the existing then prevaricate a little more.
4/. Test fuel pump.
5/. Fill up radiator, drain and refresh oil
6/. Bleed brakes ( now the front callipers are on the correct side and the right way up)
7/. Attatch bonnet hinge, latch and release cable.
8/. Connect tailgate lock mechanism ( I found the key so I refurbed the lock fully)
9/. Start up and test drive up/down the cul-de-sac. ( after test fitting a refurbed seat )
10/. Wonder when the weather is going to improve ( I think this should be first on the list but in reality its been a constant thing every hour the last 15 years.
11/. Wonder at how expensive the Interior carpets and fittings are, what type to buy and when.
12/. Wonder when to fit in all the home made vynyl interior things like door cards, roof lining.
13/. Wonder how many more lists I have to make.
Here's some photos showing how good the wheels look in comparison to the rest of the vehicle.
Or I just may ignore all of the above and fit some slightly flared arches and re-align the doors again.
More soon I promise folks.
