Grecian White/Apache Red 225

[Bluehaze]

Must commend you on your drive Craig. Nothing like repeatedly having to remove engines and strip them down (at least the bottom end), to address stupid niggly things like this. I hope you can beat this flu.

[Craig Allardyce]

Thanks Richard,
just about over the flu now. I've pretty well finished reassembling the engine and box today. Just waiting on the side-plate to come back as I've decided to re-chrome it while its off. I made a start on converting a regulator to electronic today as well. Looks like it will come together well and the unit will fit easily inside the existing unit (have removed the 3 bobbin coils). I'll still keep the original as a good original spare.
How did you go at the trimmers the other day?

[Craig Allardyce]

I gave my tired interior lining to Betta and they did a great job of making up a new one for me and it fitted perfect.
Graham

Yes but did you get random stars or pattern ones?

Hi Wayne,

has your headlining turned up yet?

[Bluehaze]

Hi Craig.
Glad that regulator wasn't hiding a wasp nest or something similar. The trimmer went great. The wheel arches on the back seating area were the last bit of trim required, and like the rest if Alan's work, it's flawless. Drives a bit quieter too.

[Craig Allardyce]

I saw this at Performance Ignition in Nunawading the other day. Good one for the shed I thought.

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[Craig Allardyce]

Todays update, and pictures of course!

Finished converting and my generator regulator to full electronic control. Am really pleased with the result and now I have really good stable voltage control. Voltage sits steady at 14.3V when battery is up to charge. Unit is not visible at all and you would never pick it.

I gutted and old regulator (thanks Richard!) of all the contacts and bobbin coils. I utilised the existing mounting points and Bakelite insulation plates. Connections where made through those points with fine thread bolts and nuts to the new regulator. Voltage output connection was via the brass contact for the old cut out coil. The only additions where an earth an a 25 amp inline fuse. The regulator was adhered to the original cover using silastic, this should also help with heat dissipation. I then packed it with foam to stop and rubbing and vibration with the fuse holder and wires. Once done it looked no different to the old unit as was a dam sight cheaper than an Ebay special.

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[Craig Allardyce]

Engine together and back in now. Rear main leak and clutch noise all gone! Feeling confident with the car and did a good 20km run up the Princes Fwy. Smiles all round!!!!!
Only sticking point now is I ended up fitting an alloy side plate as the old chromed tin one couldn't be redone as it was too far gone. The alloy side cover seems to let too much oil get to the draft tube and when I park up it leaves a 2cm puddle on the ground. Think I'll pull the tube off try some breather mesh in the hole. Hope it fixes it or its the side plate off.......

First milestone though today; done the first valve clearance on it in about 10 years. Some things you never forget. Anyway its all good in that department and so far nice and quiet so I'm happy with the cam grind in that respect.

More work to go though. Still to fit mudflaps, door trims, and do some door realignment once the seals settle in. Also looking at doing some hard pipe work for the heater hose as it looks crap with going over the top of the engine.
Once I have a few hundred miles on it, it will be time to make a start on setting up the weber and Jack Meyers headers.

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[parisian62]

Hi Craig

She looks bew-da-ful! Well done mate.

Miles of smiles!

Stewart

[Blacky]

You must be stoked mate - she looks a million bucks , but then again , it IS an FB

[bootlegger]

Well done. Beautiful car.

[muza]

Awesome. Love the color combo!

[Craig Allardyce]

Thanks everyone for the compliments. Its good to be back in the seat again. I gave way to someone driving a black FX sedan in Berwick the other day. All I could see was a older bloke giving me the thumbs up and he got one back too. Looking forward to some cruising down the track.

Ended up trying some breather mesh in the alloy side plate and annoyingly it is a dismal failure. Looks like the side plate will have to come off for a bit of rework. In comparison to the old tin one it looks like the baffle plate not being sealed against its top edge is allowing splashed oil to run down the inside of it then directly to the breather tube hole. Also the baffle plate is nowhere near the length of the old tin one.
The saga continues.............

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[Grimbo]

Wow!

Well done on a beautiful car, it looks brilliant. Also thanks for the tips on all your trouble shooting along the way.

Cheers
Grimbo

[Craig Allardyce]

Thanks Tim,
yes, 4 weeks to go till the big day. Car wise I still have a few things to do before it is useable for the wedding.
Fingers crossed the rear main holds out. There is some early tell tale leakage but no major drops (nothing like before). I'm hoping it eventually swells up with time and use and the initial wetness dries up.
I have spoken to Aussie speed about the side plate and they of course never have heard of this problem before (oil out of the breather). My fix is to make up a longer baffle plate the mimics the original one and have it tig welded in place. I think most of the oil is coming from the return oil gallery just below the breather plate. The camshaft sits below it and it has oil thrown on it from the conrod squirter hole. I think there's a fair bit of oil being thrown around in that area for cam and lifter lube which is collecting in the area above via the return gallery port. Also the spigot that the breather pipe goes into has an internal lip which is acting as a catch area. It needs to have a drain groove in it to allow any oil to drain out.
After that there's still the door trims and stainless to polish and fit, realign doors and adjust strikers, and redo the boot seal and its a goer for the wedding. Once the wedding is done its prep time for the Nationals! There's still a few accessories to be refitted such as tow bar, vacuum windscreen washer unit, gear lever lock, and whatever else I haven't done. So far the build time has been 15 months and its been flat out in all that time. Hoping to kick back a bit soon and enjoy it all.

original baffle. Note the length of the plate and oil drain holes at lower edge. Top edge of baffle is closely fitted to side plate wall.

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Offending lip that needs a drain

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High splash area directly below breather port.

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Piss poor baffle plate in my opinion!

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[Craig Allardyce]

Judging by the lack of posts you're out driving the wheels off this car

yeah right!
about 5 hours on the die grinder yesterday fixing this bloody alloy side plate! There's still plenty of work to do on the car......oh and some wedding prep if I can fit it in.

Off to the shed now