pred8r
28th July 2007, 03:31 PM
Thursday afternoon;
Get a phonecall, its my cousin, "Can you help me fix an inlet manifold leak?".
He has a HZ 308 panelvan, (used to be mine, which I spent WAY too much money on with people who didnt know what they were doing).
He turned up an hour later with a new gasket set. Out comes the rattlegun, top stripped within 30 mins. We start cleaning all the old gaskets off, I find the problem (which is common in 30yr old 308's) water has corroded through the manifold to a bolthole next to it. Its a writeoff.
Its now 6:30 where do we got one from.....cousins mobile has a contact 'holden parts' he rings it, "Yeah mate got about 6 of 'em"
1½hr later and $100 poorer, return with 'new' manifold and refit it. Fill with water (10:30pm)......."why is there a leak?". There was a tiny pinhole in between 2 boltholes, completely unnoticed. We shall fix it...Selftapper and silicon (the fix for all old engines)....It doesnt go tight, just around and around "Oh no".....Bigger selftapper (10mm).....
Cousin - "We have a problem"....yes...."you know the first selftapper?"....yes...."The hole just collapsed and it fell through the manifold and down inside the head".....Oh......Lets call it a night and have coffee.
Friday
Finish work at 1:30 make a few phonecalls, a few visits to a few wreckers (all found have the same problem or even worse "$250 Mate. Coz thats what they go for on Ebay Mate!!"), get a pricematch. Few more phonecalls.
Walk into Autobarn (Not the cheapest but Rocket Industries is in Sydney and the VPW unit is not good. I saw one at a wreckers that looked brand new and it was corroded out, in the same place as the OEM one);
Edelbrock Performer inlet manifold
Thermostat
Thermostat housing
heater hose
blockoff bungs
another gasket kit
Gasket goo
etc
Is there anything else I need?....."that about covers it"...
My logic was this, Do it right, do it ONCE and with NEW parts , install it all off the car and I 'should' get a few more years before another phonecall. I'm also not interested in having all the work ruined by re-using a second-hand $4 part that stuffed up.
If I'm lucky I get it all done before he gets to my place.
I didn't succeed on the last point, I was mid off-car fitup and he walked in. 10 mins later, he gets fits of the giggles....What?....."I just read the name....How much am I up for?"....You dont want to know (he was still reeling from installing the stuffed one)
Took our time, had some dinner, went out and started. Removed the old unit, found the selftapper, cleaned the gaskets off and went to fit new manifold, Dizzy is in the way, (It was a new one I got custom made to suit the cam/application, when I owned the van. Runs 12-16° of advance, can't remember now)...huh?...The manifold was too high and wont go under the dizzy.....stuff it it can run retarded or half engeged until we sort something out. We turned it and install the manifold. All torqued down I turn the dizzy, there is about .5mm clearance between them YES!!!. Fill car with water.
Still cant remember the static timing, not that it matters, the markings on the timing cover dont go that high anyway, timing is set to about ½" past the last mark...Why is there water everywhere.....F**K NO!!!....its ok, radiator hose leak....Testdrive Time, all goes well...."Did you connect the vacuum advance"....nope, did you?...."nope".....connect the advance on the side of the road, another testdrive....Fantastic....11pm...done.....
Cousin still doesnt know how much it all cost yet......maybe Ill make it an Xmas present.
I did have fun, it was worth it.
I love working on old cars (they are simple), I may even attempt another
........one day.........
Get a phonecall, its my cousin, "Can you help me fix an inlet manifold leak?".
He has a HZ 308 panelvan, (used to be mine, which I spent WAY too much money on with people who didnt know what they were doing).
He turned up an hour later with a new gasket set. Out comes the rattlegun, top stripped within 30 mins. We start cleaning all the old gaskets off, I find the problem (which is common in 30yr old 308's) water has corroded through the manifold to a bolthole next to it. Its a writeoff.
Its now 6:30 where do we got one from.....cousins mobile has a contact 'holden parts' he rings it, "Yeah mate got about 6 of 'em"
1½hr later and $100 poorer, return with 'new' manifold and refit it. Fill with water (10:30pm)......."why is there a leak?". There was a tiny pinhole in between 2 boltholes, completely unnoticed. We shall fix it...Selftapper and silicon (the fix for all old engines)....It doesnt go tight, just around and around "Oh no".....Bigger selftapper (10mm).....
Cousin - "We have a problem"....yes...."you know the first selftapper?"....yes...."The hole just collapsed and it fell through the manifold and down inside the head".....Oh......Lets call it a night and have coffee.
Friday
Finish work at 1:30 make a few phonecalls, a few visits to a few wreckers (all found have the same problem or even worse "$250 Mate. Coz thats what they go for on Ebay Mate!!"), get a pricematch. Few more phonecalls.
Walk into Autobarn (Not the cheapest but Rocket Industries is in Sydney and the VPW unit is not good. I saw one at a wreckers that looked brand new and it was corroded out, in the same place as the OEM one);
Edelbrock Performer inlet manifold
Thermostat
Thermostat housing
heater hose
blockoff bungs
another gasket kit
Gasket goo
etc
Is there anything else I need?....."that about covers it"...
My logic was this, Do it right, do it ONCE and with NEW parts , install it all off the car and I 'should' get a few more years before another phonecall. I'm also not interested in having all the work ruined by re-using a second-hand $4 part that stuffed up.
If I'm lucky I get it all done before he gets to my place.
I didn't succeed on the last point, I was mid off-car fitup and he walked in. 10 mins later, he gets fits of the giggles....What?....."I just read the name....How much am I up for?"....You dont want to know (he was still reeling from installing the stuffed one)
Took our time, had some dinner, went out and started. Removed the old unit, found the selftapper, cleaned the gaskets off and went to fit new manifold, Dizzy is in the way, (It was a new one I got custom made to suit the cam/application, when I owned the van. Runs 12-16° of advance, can't remember now)...huh?...The manifold was too high and wont go under the dizzy.....stuff it it can run retarded or half engeged until we sort something out. We turned it and install the manifold. All torqued down I turn the dizzy, there is about .5mm clearance between them YES!!!. Fill car with water.
Still cant remember the static timing, not that it matters, the markings on the timing cover dont go that high anyway, timing is set to about ½" past the last mark...Why is there water everywhere.....F**K NO!!!....its ok, radiator hose leak....Testdrive Time, all goes well...."Did you connect the vacuum advance"....nope, did you?...."nope".....connect the advance on the side of the road, another testdrive....Fantastic....11pm...done.....
Cousin still doesnt know how much it all cost yet......maybe Ill make it an Xmas present.
I did have fun, it was worth it.
I love working on old cars (they are simple), I may even attempt another
........one day.........