An Engine Block

The putting together of Tweety again (my bright yellow Ford F100) is taking as long as expected. It seems that this is a VERY slow process.

I did not think that too much was required on the car but my thinking was WAY wrong! The engine block was rusted and no good due it being re-bored to the maximum. We managed to find another block which is no small feat as the block I wanted was only made 37 years ago. That's right folks, before I was born! It also looks like a lump of old metal and I had serious reservations about its abilities. My new found mechanic friends tell me that it is the real deal! Of course this lump had a large requirement for parts which mainly had to be ordered from the US. Somehow the wrong bearings were ordered and so had to be returned and new ones ordered. Nobody seems to be concerned by the weeks of delay.

In the mean time, the engine bay has been resprayed black. The front suspension has been removed, serviced, and sprayed black. I have agreed the interior specifications and some people are eagerly beavering away on getting that right.

The good news is that this week they started to rebuild the engine and I was on hand to learn how it is done. I can tell you that I have learnt heaps - it really has been fun. I would love to do it myself, but am keen to get a warranty with this motor. Instead, I have chosen to get close with a zoom lens!

Here are some almost abstract pictures looking through the camshaft, and then the crankshaft, main bearing caps, the crankshaft, the bottom end, a portion of the crankshaft, pistons, and looking down onto the upside down bottom end (with dem biiiiiiig cylinders).......