ENGINE REMOVAL COMPLETED

The engine and gearbox removal began early this morning.  

We encountered a few small issues but the entire process was completed in less than two hours.

Now the engine, gearbox and engine compartment can be cleaned and repainted easily.  

The next step is to remove the electrical and hydraulic components from the engine bay.  A great many photos were taken of the location of these components and clamps.

I remain excited...

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tdmccurry@yahoo.com

843-338-2253

ENGINE REMOVAL CONTINUED

Now that the engine and gearbox have been completely disconnected from the car, the engine hoist can be positioned and fastened to the engine appropriately.  

I use the Oberg tilt-lift system furnished by Moss Motors (mossmotors.com).  This apparatus allows you to easily adjust the angle of the engine and it is withdrawn or fitted to the car.

The Oberg is connected to the engine block as shown in the photos below.  

The forward connection is provided by the manufacturer.

The rear connection is made with the most accessible manifold bolt.  The Oberg lug is fitted as close to the block as possible.

Monday morning, the removal process will begin.  I prefer to have three people involved in the process.  One to operate the hoist, one for the Oberg and one to check for clearance issues.

My apologies for the lapse in progress and posts...
Tom McCurry
Tommy's Topless Cars
tdmccurry@yahoo.com
843-338-2253

Comments and questions are invited.

READY TO REMOVE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION

Yesterday we disconnected all the engine wiring, coolant lines, oil pressure line, water temperature line, clutch slave cylinder and exhaust header pipe.  The motor mounts were also disconnected.

The transmission tunnel was removed to reveal the propeller shaft connection.  With the propeller shaft, speedometer cable, transmission mount and overdrive wiring disconnected, the engine and transmission can be easily extracted. 

Next the engine hoist will be moved into position and attached to the engine.  The extraction process requires less than two hours.

Stay tuned...

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tdmccurry@yahoo.com

843-338-2253

PREPARING THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION FOR REMOVAL

Since we will be repainting the engine and engine compartment, it will be necessary to remove the engine and all peripheral equipment including the wiring.  

In a previous post we discussed the removal and restoration of the manifolds. Today we will be disconnecting the engine and transmission from their mounts. We will also disconnect the engine wiring and the remaining heater hoses and fuel lines.

When we have the engine out of the car, it will be cleaned and the gaskets replaced.  Then the engine will be painted the correct color and set aside.  The engine and transmission will not be reinstalled until the body paintwork is complete.

Thank you for your interest...

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tdmccurry@yahoo.com

843-338-2253

BODYWORK CONTINUES...NECESSARY REPAIRS

The removal of the paint from both front fenders revealed extensive repair work from both collision damage and rust.

The basic design of the connection of the inner and outer fenders is problematic.  The rubber seal strategically located at that joint is prone to failure thus allowing debris and water to collect inside the fender.  This is a recipe for corrosion.

The left front fender, shown above has been patched by attaching a sheet metal plate on top of the fender.  This process is certainly better that merely filling the rusted areas with plastic filler or fiber glass, but it too has its issues.  A great deal of filler is required to level that area.

The best way to make these repairs is to completely remove the rusted area and weld a new steel panel in its place on the same plane.  After the welds are made and ground flush with the panels, it will be difficult to detect that a repair has been made.  As a bonus, a minimal amount of filler will be required.

Stay tuned...

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tdmccurry@yahoo.com

843-338-2253

BODYWORK CONTINUES...PAINT REMOVAL

There were several cracks in the finish indicating that there may be an issue either with the metal or the filler that may have been applied.  It is best to remove all the questionable paint related materials and make any necessary repairs.  

New paint is only as good as the materials beneath it.  Also if the adhesion has failed between the layers, there is really no way to repair it without removing it totally.

We encountered only a thin layer of plastic filler on the left side of the car.  However, this was not the case with the right side. The fender had sustained minor collision damage and rather than straightening the metal, a thick layer of filler had been applied.  We will remove all the filler, straighten the metal as much as possible and apply new filler.

This car was painted years ago.  Body repair materials and coatings have improved drastically.  The new body will look much better and last longer.

Stay tuned...

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tdmccurry@yahoo.com

843-338-2253

BODYWORK CONTINUES...FRONT FENDERS AND DOORS IN PLACE

After fitting the floating hinge plates, the doors were mounted and adjusted in the opening.  

The new hinges and mounting plates made a huge difference in the fit.  The doors have been adjusted to align with the cowl and front fenders.  

However, there are still some areas on the fenders, doors and cowl that do not align perfectly with the adjacent panel.  These panels will be stripped down to the metal and realigned if necessary.  The final adjustment will be made with body filler in order to attain the perfect fit.

After the bodywork is complete, all the fenders and doors will again be removed for the final paintwork.

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tdmccurry@yahoo.com

843-338-2253