What are you lot talking about??? Am i too young? Sounds a lot of fun and feel like I'm missing out. If its similar I've rebuilt a 1957 Fordson tractor that had obviously been running on 3 cylinders for a considerable period of time and was none the worse for it. And didn't have to cut or...

Yes I know - I need to get round to pics! It is fun to be able to make the bits and although people will say (t'other half says so all the time) that I am simply justifying it to myself machining work is so expensive round my way that I reckon I've probably saved nearly the cost of both in...

Just nip them up and use a dab of loctite - you're doing no more than filling the holes really. It is agonising but when you get over excited on ebay and buy a big lathe and a Bridgeport mill it leaves you a little short on space!! Fun boys' toys though. I do have a pretty large pile of clean...

Good work still going on. Probably the last thing before putting it back in, but I'd undo the last row of head bolts and nip them back up again. All accessible still, take 2 minutes but will stop any risk of warping heads. Looking forward to the video. At least you've got something to...

Is there some sort of world record your going for Sam that you haven't told us about??? Great work though. Just keep reminding yourself that all of this work is buying peace of mind over the coming years when you are using the engine.

I agree with that - its just the search for that somewhere!!!

No harm in doing a compression test but the fact that the blue smoke only comes out when it is hot does not suggest to me that it is generally knackered just through wear. Blue smoke caused by wear is generally a little bit all the time, perhaps getting a bit worse when it is hot. If there...

Internet forum rule 1: always suggest the worst / most expensive option first! When you say 'plumes' of smoke how much are we talking? If the engine is just generally knackered as a result of wear I'd expect smoke when it was doing anything and just a little bit - not just a lot when it is...

Evening. Just got in myself. Putting various bits together in readiness for a new bulkhead and then chassis. No probs re the rockers. It's very easy to do although the handing of the rockers is pretty obvious! On the oil pump the new base looks good - no problem with that. I made up a...

You won't need the spacer with the cam button. That is only needed if you remove the dizzy drive and go electronic as far as I can tell. No need for the engineering blue when fitting. It's a trial and error fit. Having put the bolt in put the front housing on (remember to use the gasket)...

The adjuster bolt adjusts the pressure on the pressure relief valve - more pressure on the spring, higher the pressure on the relief valve = higher pressure in the engine before the relief valve kicks open. Given the pressure washing (I thought I might have been too late !!!) I'd just whip the...

Exactly what you need to do. £48 for tapping a m10 x 1.25 seems excessive though. Suppose you get the bolt too though..... ?

I'm getting too involved I know - sorry! More mucky though it is if you attack it with water and particularly a jet wash, that's going to get everywhere however careful you are (inlet and exhaust ports spring to mind immediately and then into the cylinders with the valves stuck open). If you...

Probably be alright and not too much a pfaff to change it afterwards if needs be. I just generally don't like re-using those seals given how you usually have to knock them about to get them out of the housing. Should be able to pick one of those up locally anyway if needs be.

Not sure if they will have been sent out by now or whether you might just catch him, but you might as well change the front cover crank seal while you are at it for the couple of quid that it will cost and a new O ring for the dizzy.

Keep trying V8 Tuner. I think it is a man and wife team who also run a garage so he can be a bit tricky to get hold of. Really nice and knowledgeable guy though when you do get through and very helpful. Unfortunately he's of the kitcar mould rather than the landrover mould! Jim Robinson @...

I just went for the polished look because it looks pretty - nothing more than that! Yes - that was the only saving grace on these that everything is nicely rounded anyway so no need to be too careful to ensure the lines are maintained.

Tell me if I'm just making this more complicated for you. Of course, I'd neglected to realise that you are using the old oil pump from the original engine. Have a look at these threads. It's quite a lot of work but as I think is mentioned in one of those threads the oil pump is the most...

Sorry - was clearly being a little slow last night! So - drilling the pressure relief valve retaining nut to make the pressure adjustable is perfectly possible and a good idea. Looks like some good progress is being made. Well done.

Yes, there are some pretty tight tolerances set out in the manual for the key. I was right at the top end but accepted it because of the holes. On the galleries, on one side (by no1 IIRC) there looks like a linking gallery of some sort that you need to avoid. The other side is clear though...