Monthly Archives: January 2015

No doubt there will be a few expletives flying around before this refurb is done but I have n’t reached that stage yet. Nope – the blanks I’m referring to are to stop the ingress of degreaser, muck and whatever else is going during the cleaning and painting process.

The exhaust ports were the first to get blanked after stuffing them with rags and bubble wrap —

Then it was the turn of the 36Y inlets —

followed by the two little oil gallerys in the sump where the oil cooler lines fit —

I’ve never actually done anything like this total refurb before but having said that – I hadn’t made marmalade either until these past few days and it worked out ok —

At least that ol’ motor is looking fresher today than she was yesterday —

I hope to do a better job of the paintwork than the previous owners did and by the looks of things ——————–

that won’t be difficult 🙂

Little did I realise when I bought the FJ to have something to wrestle with in the chicken shed over the winter months that she would turn out to be such a challenge —

But – today I had a willing helper. Not only does H make a better job of cleaning the frame than I do.

She takes clearer photos too —

Too good in fact. That frame doesn’t look quite so pristine in her pics – and the motor is showing every one of the five previous owners and thirty one years —

I was able to leave the frame in the capable hands of my sidekick and lay the motor on it’s back —

Where the stubborn cap screws fixing the lower oil cooler feed lines to the sump soon surrendered to a bit of heating and beating and unscrewed nicely without further drama.

First intentions were just to refresh the old FJ cosmetics and show her off at some of the local vintage events in the summer but once she’s stripped down it’s difficult not to go overboard and poke and prod even further.

Time will tell 🙂

After another few hours spent cleaning parts it was time to lay the blanket on the ground —

At least I shouldn’t lose any parts this way and it didn’t do Billie Jo any harm either 🙂

FJ1100 Shiny Bits – I wish. There’s a long way to go but it’s early days but I have made a start and she’s coming along nicely —

I’ve got most of the diamond hard chain lube residue off the affected bits and it’s the rusting frame tube joints where the paint has peeled from the weld that need my attention now —

but not half as much as making that old motor look respectable. A previous owner has had a go at painting her and she’s neither one thing nor t’other —

The oil cooler should come off out of the way before I go much further but there’s a couple of stubborn bolts on the lower oil line fixings that will need persuading before I can separate it from the motor —

The motor is original and looks rather sad but I’m sure I’ll find a way to spruce her up a bit. It can’t be that difficult —

Can it 🙂

I spent ten years of my life as a bush mechanic involved in building roads – power stations – dry docks and all the ancillary work that goes with major construction projects in Darkest Africa and the Middle East —

In those sort of places you don’t do things by the book —

you use what you’ve got to hand —

Today the deck chairs came in useful although it wasn’t exactly deck chair weather outside where it was blowing a hoolie carrying winter rain with it —

The book says to drop the motor out of the frame but working solo without jacks or lifting and lowering tackle it was easier to put blocks under the motor —

and lift the bare frame off after undoing all the engine mounting bolts —

A piece of cake really —

Reminds me of playing Musical Chairs in the village hall as a kid but they might prevent nosy parkers knocking my hard won motor off it’s pedestal in my absence as I’m off to spend a few days round the Glasgow hospitals next week for more tests and assessments. Once the medics get their hands on you they don’t seem to want to let go 🙂