Caroline's Project-series 1

[ladybeamer]

Took the hood (bonnet) off for easier access-so much better!

I've got the carbs off and found water in the manifold they sit were on. It's aluminum so no rust but it was nasty looking where that went into the engine.

got the exhaust off the engine, trying to get the exhaust off to clean up or place but can't get it apart under the car.

removed the radiator reservoir, thermostat is rusty and nasty, goop in the hose going to the radiator.

I took lots of pictures and marked all hoses and wires as to what they came off of. I labeled a bunch of sandwich bags for the nuts and bolts.

Kind of glad I have to do this, I'll have a chance to really clean the car up and do it right. Looks like the motor mounts need replaced, they're all smashed and cracked. Are they easy to find?

 

[wipeout]

wait!!! .. stop..!!!..

dont do anything else...I'm going to send a camera crew and we're going to make a "reality show" about you and you're tear down. You are quite the character and we need to get you a manager and make this a cable show.

In fact, all the regulars here should be in on it. Look, if two disfunctional bikers can do it, you guys can do it too. What do we call it?

"British Car Makeover"?

"Sunbeams On Your Mind"?


Just remember folks.....if they can make shows about custom bikes, or catching stupid crabs, or even how they only solve 40 percent of murders in 48 hours...they can make a show about rebuilding sports cars.

and no.... I don't think Chasing Classic Cars is the same thing.

 

[63 Beamer]

You can find the motor mounts here:

http://www.rootes.com/catalogindex.html

 

[Andrew]

Yes, rootesvideo on YouTube

Yes, here is the like to the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q621t1VILuo

You can also search "RootesVideo" and find more on YouTube.

Regards,
Andrew

 

[Ron67Alpine]

Took the hood (bonnet) off for easier access-so much better!

Snip...
got the exhaust off the engine, trying to get the exhaust off to clean up or place but can't get it apart under the car...snip

I had the same delema w/my exhaust. It's sections have been welded and won't slide through that middle cross member. After much internal debate, I cut the system before the cross member and after. Leaving 8-10" straight pipe, on either side of the cut. I've sanded the system and painted w/1000* paint. When my car comes back from being painted and undercoated, I'll put it back together using exhaust adapters/"splices" and clamps. The splices can be ordered @ NAPA.
BTW, when I got my exhaust off I found the muffler was packed w/(tree)nuts.
Now you're getting into it. There's nothing like the 1st time you fire up a vehicle you've brought back to life, w/your own hands.
Good luck

 

[Bill Blue]

I am wondering if the problem with the stuck engine might be due to an incorrect bolt threaded into something on the rear of the engine, jamming into the flywheel? I have heard about this a couple of times, but don't remember any details. Could someone fill us in? It would be a shame for her to go to all the trouble to put in a new engine to find it is something as simple as the use of a bolt that is a quarter inch too long.

Bill

 

[ladybeamer]

You guys are Great!!! I have only to read this thread to get motivated.
the exhaust appears to have splices in it. I've put some "unstick" stuff on it so maybe I'll be able to pull it apart.
Question 1. -do Sunbeams have 3 horns? I've attached a picture showing 2 of 3 little round things I think are horns.
Question 2. I've attached another picture showing the really nasty thermostat. What problems do I have to look forward to from this? Also note the fuel filter. There is another filter like this hooked up to what I think is something to do with the brakes. picture attached.





I like the idea of a show...Car Crazies

 

[RootesRich]

I am wondering if the problem with the stuck engine might be due to an incorrect bolt threaded into something on the rear of the engine, jamming into the flywheel? I have heard about this a couple of times, but don't remember any details. Could someone fill us in? It would be a shame for her to go to all the trouble to put in a new engine to find it is something as simple as the use of a bolt that is a quarter inch too long.

Bill

Based on Caroline's post that water was sitting in the intake manifold, I suspect the problem is the rings are completely frozen in the cylinders.

I believe the bolt issue discussed some time ago was regarding the flywheel IIRC.

 

[Bill Blue]

Thanks Rich. I managed to miss that important bit of info.

Bill

 

[britbits]

Carolines Project Series 1

So the Ebay seller said it was a running vehicle and the motor is locked up?
Why not address this with the seller and take appropriate action?
Seems that is the first thing befor you start spending money in the various ways folks here are suggesting.

 

[Ron67Alpine]

...
Question 2. I've attached another picture showing the really nasty thermostat. What problems do I have to look forward to from this? Also note the fuel filter. There is another filter like this hooked up to what I think is something to do with the brakes. picture attached.

View attachment 1154

I like the idea of a show...Car Crazies

For some reason I can't get an enlarged picture, so can't see what's in the 1st photo.
The thermostat, should just pull out and plan on getting a new gasket, if you keep the engine. At some time you may want to flush your system, but if you are gonna put another engine in it, why bother. Even if you keep the engine and do a rebuild, you'll get a chance to flush it, then.
The gas pump/filter has the clear glass bowl. The white plastic thing, in your photo, is a valve, on your vacume assisted brake booster. You won't know if it works, until you get the engine running. There are rebuild kits for the booster.

 

[ladybeamer]

So the Ebay seller said it was a running vehicle and the motor is locked up?
Why not address this with the seller and take appropriate action?
Seems that is the first thing befor you start spending money in the various ways folks here are suggesting.

It was on ebay but I bought it after the supposed winner backed out so it wasn't purchased through ebay or I would have taken that route. I've contacted the seller but he insists it ran. I made the purchase knowing there was a possibility it was not correctly represented and I took the chance, no one to blame but myself. So I move forward to make it run.

The gas pump/filter has the clear glass bowl. The white plastic thing, in your photo, is a valve, on your vacume assisted brake booster.

The glass filter at the top left of the picture-it looks just like the fuel filter but it's connected to the big round thing the plastic white thing you mentioned is hooked to. The fuel filter has liquid in it, the one hooked to the brake thing has no liquid. Does brake fluid go through a filter?

I tried emptying the fuel tank to get the gas out of the filter but there doesn't seem to be any gas in the tank. How do I empty the fuel out of the lines and filter? Is there a way besides just opening the filter and letting it pour out? I have put a big plastic pan under the engine incase any kind of fluid runs a muck. The pan was also handy for catching the stray bolts and washer while dismantling.

Has anyone tried cleaning parts with a dry ice blaster? We use one at work for cleaning molds, equipment etc. and I was thinking about trying it but don't want to ruin anything.

Anyone know if the little round things are horns?

 

[sunalp]

Caroline, Yes those little round things are horns. Your car should have 2 of them, the point that yours has 3 isn't surprising.

When I got my S3GT, the DPO had 4 types of horns hooked up including Fiamm Air Horns, and none of them worked! He went as far as drilling numerous holes in the wood dash to accomodate them.

Oh those cute little DPOs! Whatever would we do without them!
Cheers!
Steve

 

[Ron67Alpine]

...The glass filter at the top left of the picture-it looks just like the fuel filter but it's connected to the big round thing the plastic white thing you mentioned is hooked to. The fuel filter has liquid in it, the one hooked to the brake thing has no liquid. Does brake fluid go through a filter?
I tried emptying the fuel tank to get the gas out of the filter but there doesn't seem to be any gas in the tank. How do I empty the fuel out of the lines and filter? Is there a way besides just opening the filter and letting it pour out? I have put a big plastic pan under the engine incase any kind of fluid runs a muck. The pan was also handy for catching the stray bolts and washer while dismantling.
Has anyone tried cleaning parts with a dry ice blaster? We use one at work for cleaning molds, equipment etc. and I was thinking about trying it but don't want to ruin anything.
Anyone know if the little round things are horns?

Hmmm, I've never heard of a "gas" filter hooked up to the brake booster. I didn't have anything like that on my SV and cannot think of a single reason, it should be there. Maybe someone w/more experience w/the SII could be more definative. IMO there would be nothing wrong w/just removing the glass bowl, to drain the fluid out of it. I did just that w/mine, but didn't have anything below it to catch the fluid. The filter/pump, as well as the brake booster, are probably gonna need to be removed and cleaned/ rebuilt, anyway. I drained what little old gas from the tank and lines by disconnecting the fuel line from the filter inlet and gravity draining into a gas can. My understanding is the dry ice blaster is one of the most gentle media for blasting, perhaps talc is more gentle. The nice thing about dry ice is that it disappears, if any gets into the little areas that would clog w/other media. I wish I had access to one. Again, perhaps someone w/more experience w/blast cleaning will chime in.
Your car seems to have a "fluid" in places it shouldn't. It may be "normal" to have old gas in the filter, but you shouldn't have had any in your intake manifold. Have you drained the oil, and was there any water mixed in it? When you drain the fuel filter, check to see if it's gas or water-gas. I'm starting to wonder, if your car may have been flooded?
Good luck

(edit) I just had a thought...could the "filter" hooked up to the brake booster, possibly be some kind of brake fluid reservoir? Again, I have no idea about how the SII was set-up, I'm just getting familiar w/my own SV and this is just a guess.

 

[wipeout]

could this car have been a victim of a flood?

 

[puff4]

Question 1. do Sunbeams have 3 horns? I've attached a picture showing 2 of 3 little round things I think are horns.

Yes, these are horns. Yours don't look like factory ones, so perhaps they are aftermarket. Normally a Sunbeam has two Lucas "Windtone" horns (one high pitch and one low pitch), and they look like this:

ON EDIT: I stand corrected. Yours are probably original earlier Lucas ones, though there should only be two. See the picture in this eBay sale of an original car:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...0336412841&sspagename=STRK:MEWAX:IT&viewitem=

Question 2. I've attached another picture showing the really nasty thermostat. What problems do I have to look forward to from this?

This is normal for a car that's been sitting and/or has not had the coolant changed out regularly. Sunbeam thermostat castings can corrode pretty horribly, and may become brittle and crumbly, although yours looks fine for now from what I can see. Just clean off the corrosion, test the thermostat using a pan of hot water on the stove and a thermometer. The thermostat should be marked as to opening temperature in degrees F, and if it checks out, reinstall it with a new gasket and some sealer after flushing out the motor with clear water. Then fill the motor with a 50/50 mix of good brand-name antifreeze and distilled water (the kind you buy for your steam iron works fine). Note: If the thermostat housing ever gets too far gone, a supplier in the UK has new ones, albeit at bit of a price.

Also note the fuel filter. There is another filter like this hooked up to what I think is something to do with the brakes. picture attached.

The glass bit on the top left of this photo (and also visible in the previous photo) is the top of the fuel pump, attached to the right side of the motor's block. It should not in any way be attached to the brakes! The knurled knob on top can be rotated anti-clockwise and the bail tilted to one side to remove the glass bowl and clean the fuel pump's filtre screen. Never over-tighten this knob.. snug will do, and check for leaks.

There *is* a small dry filtre under a plastic cap on top of the brake booster (the 7" round drum-shaped cannister attached to the right inner fender well), and this filtre is shown in the centre of this photo - but this is nothing to worry about.. they last forever. If you want to check it, it's secured with a single phillips screw in the centre, but I caution that the plastic caps go brittle over time and are easily cracked. Replacements are available.

P.S. - Any chance you can get us larger pictures to work with? I'm having a hard time with these postal stamps!

 

[ladybeamer]

The glass bit on the top left of this photo (and also visible in the previous photo) is the top of the fuel pump, attached to the right side of the motor's block. It should not in any way be attached to the brakes!

There is a fuel filter full of liquid as you describe but then there is this one as well.

P.S. - Any chance you can get us larger pictures to work with? I'm having a hard time with these postal stamps!

I'm having a hard time downloading due to the size of the file so I've had to compress them quite a bit. Suggestions on how to properly load decent pictures?
Have you drained the oil, and was there any water mixed in it? When you drain the fuel filter, check to see if it's gas or water-gas. I'm starting to wonder, if your car may have been flooded?
I've not yet drained the oil-project for the weekend, as well as the fuel filter.
I don't think it's been in a flood, at least I see no signs but can't say for positive.

Yes, these are horns. Yours don't look like factory ones, so perhaps they are aftermarket. Normally a Sunbeam has two Lucas "Windtone" horns (one high pitch and one low pitch),

Thank you, it appears to have 2 original lucas and another one added. There's also a large security alarm horn-sounds like an old 40's police car siren

 

[Alpine 1789]

I'm having a hard time downloading due to the size of the file so I've had to compress them quite a bit. Suggestions on how to properly load decent pictures?

Caroline: the best method seems to be registering at a site that lets you post pictures for free, then just embedding the links in your message. People here use multiple sites; I've been using ImageShack and it seems to work great. When you load a picture you can specific the size. My free registration only allows a limited amount of storage, but I haven't hit that yet.

 

[Ron67Alpine]

Caroline: the best method seems to be registering at a site that lets you post pictures for free, then just embedding the links in your message. People here use multiple sites; I've been using ImageShack and it seems to work great. When you load a picture you can specific the size. My free registration only allows a limited amount of storage, but I haven't hit that yet.

Agreed, Jim...I've been using Photobucket. It allows hosting of video also. If it has a limit, I haven't hit it yet.

 

[ladybeamer]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Stone
Caroline: the best method seems to be registering at a site that lets you post pictures for free, then just embedding the links in your message. People here use multiple sites; I've been using ImageShack and it seems to work great. When you load a picture you can specific the size. My free registration only allows a limited amount of storage, but I haven't hit that yet.

Agreed, Jim...I've been using Photobucket. It allows hosting of video also. If it has a limit, I haven't hit it yet.

I'll set that up this evening. Be prepared to see lots of pictures with lots of questions.