Project: Wilks

[XtremeMarine]

JC; We still haven't seen photos of Fionna. Time to start a new thread, bro.

Greg; Looking great. It is actually a law in stone, that if you are to drive a series, you must have both types of Rover(s) along for the trip. Good to see that you are covered. Cute pups.

[Gregory G. Sprock]

Hi Guys,

Just so you do not think I am slacking off, I started sandblasting the aluminum panels for the bottoms of the doors, etc. The pitting is pretty bad and I may have to replace them in the future, but a little paint goes pretty far. I don't have photos now, but will post more after the weekend.

Otherwise, I am going to start putting more time into the engine tomorrow. I may build a temporary stand and fire that mother up over this holiday weekend. Will keep you posted, of course.

Regards,

Greg

[Gregory G. Sprock]

Well, no new photos today, but I got the following done:

Torqued the Head
Timed the Camshaft (It was out by almost 20 degrees)
Timed the Injector Pump
Installed the Injectors
Installed the Cam Train Oil Line
Installed an OEM Thermostat (Thanks Michael!)
Dropped the Pan

The last was a very interesting item. The plaque on the side of the motor says it is a factory remanufactured unit and all the evidence looks great. The timing train looks out-of-the-box new, the capture nuts for the mains and con rods also look pristine. There was some sludge in the bottom of the pan, but a lot of that came from when I pressure washed everything and it ran through the oil return journals. All of the gaskets have Hylomar everywhere and I will have to replace each gasket because of it. Not complaining, mind, just noting that this engine was built properly and probably recently.

Really, the engine would run if I flipped it over with a bit of fuel, but I do not want to do that until I have oil in the pan and water in the jackets. Diesels heat up unbelievably quickly and I do not want to damage any progress.

[01001010]

Wow. That is excellent news! Wilks will roam the lanes once again real soon!!!

[Gregory G. Sprock]

Although the power plant is the soul of the vehicle, there is still a lot to do beyond that. I will probably start on the firewall now as I will be waiting on parts to continue. None-the-less, the engine was a big concern and now I feel much, much better about it.

[Gregory G. Sprock]

A couple of photos for you: The first ones show the bottom of the motor and you can see the great condition of everything. The second set is the exhaust timing dial that I built to check for max open stroke. This was a nice addition because I am dead certain everything is right.

Since I now need parts (again), I started taking out the hydraulics. The master cylinders are sitting in the bed of the truck now and I will take them to work for disassembly, cleaning, and rebuild. Does anyone know the correct color for these components? I found they were all pretty much one color - rust - and while this may be authentic, I do not think it was the original

Best to all,

Greg

[JaSprock]

Would you make that thing make noise already? JEEEZ

[Gregory G. Sprock]

You guys must excuse my nephew. He was raised by wolves under a rock inside the barn. You get the idea.

I have been swamped with work, plus have been sick for the last week and change, but today I got a shipment of parts in from Rovers North, so the desire to get moving again will be revamped. The gaskets and glowplugs where what I was waiting for, now I need good weather.

Hope everyone else is doing okay.

[reverendALC]

wow. i'd sell my soul for that green machine. make yours look like that

[Gregory G. Sprock]

To which green machine are you referring?

[Gregory G. Sprock]

It is my tactic to remove a part, restore it, and then shelve it for later. I try to keep the original fasteners together and replace those which need it, so that reassembly will be straight ahead. I have found that, combined with a good photo library, I can get things straight again.

I am hoping to get back on the power plant this weekend, but in the interim, have focused my attention on the hydraulics. You can see a "Before" and "After" of the clutch and brake masters. The cylinders themselves have not been rebuilt, but they have been disassembled and cleaned, so everything is intact.

I don't know if this sort of thing is helpful or not, but I would offer to take pictures of my shop, equipment, talk about tactics, etc. if anyone has questions.

Hope everyone is fine.

[Gregory G. Sprock]

Okay folks, I sent off the last of my coursework for this semester of grad school classes. So now I can focus some attention on the Rover again. I wanted to start today, but the rain came in Biblical proportions. Rats.

Maybe tomorrow. Anyway, I should start showing things happening soon!

[XtremeMarine]

It's still coming along great, Greg. Keep those photos coming, lol.

[Gregory G. Sprock]

Thanks Man!

I finally made some time for the project and pulled the firewall out yesterday. It is sitting in my shop and I have to pull everything off before I strip it for repairs. The windshield frame needs a little more and then off to the blaster.

Hope all are well.

Greg

[jake_ak_cent]

greg, let me just say i find your posts to be very helpful and entertaining. thank you for posting and keep up the good work.