Putting it back together

[Bob_Salmon]

There is plenty of information available for individual tasks but I have been unable to locate an overall plan for a complete re-build. Obviously, many of you have done this and I would like to pick your collective brains.

It also occurs to me that such a flow style plan would be helpful to many DDK members in the future - it could become a classic on the most efficient path to 'back on the road' status.


So, starting with the bare tub, primed & painted, are we agreed that the first step is to install the loom?

Step one - Install loom.

What should be step two?

Bob

[Bob_Salmon]

Can somebody start the chart by confirming that fitting the loom should be the first step. Alternately, does anyone know if the full reassembly information has been published elsewhere?

Bob

[chris68]

I've stripped and nearly finished rebuilding my '68 car, so here's my advice. Basically it's just about thinking what parts need to go on first because they'll be obscured later on.

1. Get the front and rear suspension, hubs, brake discs, calipers and wheels on, plus steering rack, column and steering wheel so you can move the car around.

2. Feed the cable loom from the luggage compartment, through the centre tunnel and around the engine bay. Fit fuse panel, switch gear, instruments, lights, wipers, engine electrics etc and test as much as possible. Fit a temporary ammeter in circuit while testing to check the current draw matches the load you've switched in.

3. Fit pedal box, brake master cylinder, brake fluid reservoir (including pipework) plus brake pipe, fuel line(s), handbrake cables, clutch cable, speedo cable, gear level and linkage, throttle linkage plus anything else that passes through the centre tunnel. It's much easier to do this before the engine and transmission are fitted because you have space to get around the engine bay to feed things through.

4. Assemble the rear handbrake shoes, springs and adjusters onto the rear hubs and connect the handbrake cables at the hubs and hanbrake. Adjust them as per the book.

5. Fit engine bay rubber seals, oil tank, engine mounts, heater valves, brake pipes (hard and flexible) to rear calipers (you may as well do the fronts aswell) plus anything else that's going to be hard to get at once the engine is in.

6. With engine and transmission connected as a unit and starter motor, oil pipes and support brackets fitted, raise the rear of the car (I used planks under the rear wheels) and bring the engine / transmission below the engine bay area supported on a large trolley jack. This is a tricky balancing act as you need to make sure the jack is supporting the engine / transmission around its centre of gravity. Raise the engine gradually and fit bolts through support brackets into engine mounts (4off). Note, it's also easier to fill the transmission with oil before its in the car.

7. Fit heat exchangers and silencer. You could do this before fitting the engine but I thought they'd get in the way so I fitted them afterwards.

8. Connect up all the cables, pipes, linkages and engine electrics and earth straps plus fit petrol tank and drive shafts. With fuel in the tank and oil in the engine, check your in neutral and crank to see if you get oil prressure. If it looks good have a go at starting it.

9. The rest you can do pretty much do in any order and this is stage I'm still at now.

All this takes a while so good luck and keep posting questions when you get stuck. Feel free to drop me a line, I'd be glad to help where I can.

All the best,
Chris

[Bob_Salmon]

Thanks for that Chris. Can't wait to get started

Bob

[jtparr]

Bob
good idea for a post


Chris

thanks also for that, as (hopefully) around christmas time I will start to reassemble (my then) newly painted car

mine had to have the suspension on so it was a rolling shell to go to the painters, however I might install the handbrake as a first off when she comes back, just to secure her on the garage floor

although I have bought an engine bracket from MB Engineering I like the idea of installing the heat exchangers after the engine is in place, as its much easier to support the engine on more wider planks when removing/installing, so rather than run the risk of damaging the new (in my case) exchangers when installing this could be a good idea

when you say test the electrics as much as possible, in your point 2, is that because you also connect a battery ?


thanks Jonathan

[chris68]

Hi Jonathan,

Good luck with the rebuild.

One problem with fitting the handbrake early, is that it gets in the way when trying to route harness, cables etc throught the centre tunnel. Having access through the handbrake aperture makes the routing alot easier. In the meantime you could just use a couple of blocks to chock the wheels and stop the car moving around.

I used a small trolley (two square pieces of mdf screwed together and fitted with castors) to rebuild and fit my engine / transmission. This meant I could wheel the whole thing around and then with a large jack under the trolley, lift the whole lot into the engine bay for fitting. It seemed to work quite well.

Concerning the electrics, I tried to check the continuity of wiring as much as possible and then I connected the battery to check operation of the lights, wipers, etc. You just have to be cautious because if there is a short circuit somewhere you don't want to set fire to you wiring loom.

p.s what car is it and any pictures?

All the best,
Chris