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Managed to add insult to injury this week. With the wagon dizzy out, I switched to Grace's ute for daily driving.

It has mainly been doing the driveway shuffle in the last year, with a lot of time on choke. Pulled the plugs, cleaned them, and it ran nicely. Putted around for a few days getting groceries and it was waking up nicely. Creaks and groans from sitting around getting less (the car, and me too) and running better. No spirited driving, top speed around 70km/h.

Took it out to Rocket to pickup some stuff, parked it and got the gear. Came back and it would not turn over. The battery is mebbe 5 years old, and sits idle a lot. It had been turning over OK, but only moderately fast. Figured the battery had crapped out, pulled out the jump starter box. Struggled for a second and then fired.

Oil pressure light came on. Checked wiring, all OK. Has plenty of oil in it. Hmmmm..

Limped it home gently, ran OK when parked. Let it cool down, check oil and water again (all good). Won't turn over by the battery. Mebbe the battery is stuffed (waiting for Number One Son to bring home the battery testerer). Motor turns over by hand (good) but creaking noises over about 1/8 of the turn (not so good).

Remove fan belt to eliminate generator and water pump. Make up a plate to bolt to the harmonic balancer with a square hole for a ratchet in the middle. Curse myself for not making that plate up 30 years ago, and doing it now on a 44º day. Fit plate and turn motor, still creaking over parts of the turning process.

Suspect I have wiped the bearings. No idea how - perhaps the oil pump relief valve jammed open. Some more thinking to do, but looking like engine work required. I have to do the grey-motor-shuffle for the FED in the next few weeks, so this just adds another step to that dance. I think:
a) Speedway short motor out of FED.
b) Worked head off FB and onto speedway short motor. Leave lightly smoking short motor in FB for now for mockup.
c) Speedway motor into Grace's car.
d) EKMart long motor into FED once it arrives from Galloway Engines (mebbe January).

Never a dull moment, but better that the engine randomly craps out on me than having sold it and it craps out on the buyer.

Cheers,
Harv

Bugger


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You must have killed a Chinaman ........

Blacky wrote: Thu Dec 19, 2024 10:11 am You must have killed a Chinaman ........

between Harv and Errol i'm surprised there are any Chinamen left

This has been a fantastic read. The joys of motoring.
Regards Seb

Mick wrote:

Blacky wrote: Thu Dec 19, 2024 10:11 am You must have killed a Chinaman ........

between Harv and Errol i'm surprised there are any Chinamen left

Haven’t broken anything for at least a month mick


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Errol62 wrote: Sun Feb 15, 2026 9:47 pm

Mick wrote:

Blacky wrote: Thu Dec 19, 2024 10:11 am You must have killed a Chinaman ........

between Harv and Errol i'm surprised there are any Chinamen left

Haven’t broken anything for at least a month mick


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see comment re no Chinamen left

Mick wrote:

Errol62 wrote: Sun Feb 15, 2026 9:47 pm

Mick wrote: between Harv and Errol i'm surprised there are any Chinamen left

Haven’t broken anything for at least a month mick


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see comment re no Chinamen left

FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

Fixed the blown head gasket in the wagon (all bar one rocker cover that does not want to seal ), trundled the wagon out and Graces ute back in.

Pulled the utes dizzy…

Said bad words.

Screwdriver down the dizzy hole, and oil pump is siezed. My bet is that the pump screen has let some crap through, it has jammed the oil pump, and the siezed pump took the tang off the dizzy. It has a steel timing gear, otherwise the fibre one might have let go instead of the drive tang… mebbe.

Motor now needs to come out to get at the oil pump. First I need to rig a lifting point in the new shed. One way to christen the shed I guess.

Cheers,
Harv

Harv,

That looks fairly conclusive.

The next step depends on whether you like working under a car. Under "Minor Service Operations" in chapter 6 of the EK shop manual, the instructions for oil pump service are somewhat like this -

1. Remove front engine mount nuts, jack up engine and support with a suitable piece of wood.
2. Remove front suspension assembly.

Evidently without irony.

Rob

ardiesse wrote: Sun Mar 01, 2026 1:13 pm Harv,

That looks fairly conclusive.

The next step depends on whether you like working under a car. Under "Minor Service Operations" in chapter 6 of the EK shop manual, the instructions for oil pump service are somewhat like this -

1. Remove front engine mount nuts, jack up engine and support with a suitable piece of wood.
2. Remove front suspension assembly.

Evidently without irony.

Rob

It’s out.


Cheers,
Harv

Nice engine crane you got there mate


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Very practical thinking there Harv, I like it. Interested to see what you find as you look deeper into the motor.