DRL152K Marina based roadster rebuild

[martinclan56]

So a bit of investigation and much discussion later resuted in pulling the engine to investigate the clutch issue. I had used a NOS clutch cover, plate and bearing, but to be on the safe side I have now purchased a new boxed set of the 3 components. The clutch plate and cover are completely different in appearance to the NOS items but probably similar in function. The bearing however is a different story. The bearing I originally installed, supposedly the correct item, was 16mm high. The new bearing is 19mm high. I have since put everything back together and refitted the engine and am pleased to say I now have a clutch that works!


nos_vs__new_clutch1 by Robin Martin, on Flickr

nos_vs_new_clutch2 by Robin Martin, on Flickr

clutch_bearing by Robin Martin, on Flickr

[martinclan56]

Engine installation now complete and I have a working clutch. It's a long story but the main problem was the release bearing which was the wrong size.

Yesterday was a big milestone as I turned the engine over on the starter for the first time and established that I have good oil pressure. Always a fearful moment particularly as the engine hasn't been used for many years (20+) even though it had been rebuilt.

I have also now fitted all the ancilliaries and all the cables and pipes. Even with a simple engine like this there is a lot of plumbing.... The next step is to double check the timing, rig up a temporary fuel supply and fire it up. What could possibly go wrong....

A few pictures of the completed engine install.

Traditional SU HS4 carbs. Still thinking about how to add an air fiter as there is very limited space between the front carband the bonnet. Home made heat shield to hopefully aleviate fuel evaporation.
engine_lh by Robin Martin, on Flickr

Accuspark distributor (Chinese hmmmm) and tiny Denso alternator. HT leads need a bit of tidying up and I am probably going to fit some right angle plug caps.
engine_rh by Robin Martin, on Flickr

Completed exhaust system. I had the section with the flexi, which joins the manifold to the silencer, made from a drawing. Always a tricky thing to do with a 3 dimensional object like an exhaust. But it fitted after a little fettling. It looks a bit low but at the current chassis height there is about 5 inches of ground clearance - the same as the sump.
exhaust_complete by Robin Martin, on Flickr
exhaust_connection by Robin Martin, on Flickr

[martinclan56]

It's alive.....

Click the its_alive link adjacent to the picture for the video.

its_alive by Robin Martin, on Flickr

[martinclan56]

I had intended to paint the rest of the car in September but the other half has rather inconveniently broken her ankle big time. It's very debilitating - no weight on it at all for 6 weeks and then very limited for a further 6 weeks - so I am now chief cook and bottle washer (and nurse) for the foreseable future. Ho hum.

However I have managed to spend the odd hour here and there in the man cave, and have been doing a lot of thinking! As a consequence I have completed something I would have done later which is a decent air filter arrangement for the twin SUs. It's quite difficult to acheive on the Marlin as the front carb in particular sits so close to the bonnet side. As a consequence most cars either have no air filter at all, use horrible pancake filters or have a huge hole cut in the bonnet side and top.
Anyway - enough words - here are some pictures.

air_filter1 by Robin Martin, on Flickr

air_filter2 by Robin Martin, on Flickr

To say I am pleased with the result is an understatement :-)

I did have to relieve the return on the bonnet side which is there for stiffness. But I have replaced that with another piece of ally angle about 5cm down. Still held with clicos in this picture.

air_filter3 by Robin Martin, on Flickr

[Ye Ol Ripper]

Sorry Robin but I don't think that air filter arrangement will be ideal because the air filter is at the bulkhead end and there will be a lot of heat in that area under the bonnet. The problems will be most apparent on a very hot day when the power will drop off dramatically.

Potentially it could work as is, with either bonett louvers or alternatively running a cold air feed flexi trunking from the gap above the radiator and under the nose cone.Then running the Flexi trunking along the drivers side and pointing at the foam air filter.