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1971 Series IIa 88" Overhaul

SeriesG said:
That's the main reason I rebuilt the original: I don't trust the replacements. That being said can I trust the rebuild kit to not be Chinese junk? Probably not but it's done now so good enough. I'll likely buy a new one to keep in the toolbox when I go on an excursion.
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You can still buy genuine fuel pumps. They're made in Turkey these days I think but sold as genuine parts and come in Land Rover packaging.
 
This is why you need to invest in paint stripper :p

Though I do appreciate the proper cleaning and tapping of a whole block. I love knowing all the fixings are going to be ok before I realise i've just put 2 grands worth of parts into a block I need to strip and coil insert then re-clean the swarf from...

I was thinking recently that I should get rid of my old plug in drill(s) as why would I use them when I have a handy battery one. But then of course, you can't beat the raw never ending power of a good solid corded drill for wire wheel work on things like this and other castings.
 
I had a long day at work today and wasn't planning to "work" in the garage tonight but I was happy to find two boxes of goodies had arrived at the house while I was away so let's open em' up and see what we've got! That's kind of like work right? 😁
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I ripped into the little one as it was from Shakopee Minnesota which meant that it was my rebuilt distributor from Jeff at Advanced Distributors! I'm pretty pumped about this one as Jeff's services come highly recommended and I know that whatever other troubles I run into, a good spark at the exact right time won't be one of them. I mean just look at the thing - it looks like brand new! (original housing on the right for reference)
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It IS new. Nope... no it's better than new really. Jeff took a whole bunch of information from me and basically re-made my distributor into a new unit, perfectly tuned to my exact needs. And it came with a wicked refrigerator magnet too! Is it weird that I'm this excited about a rebuilt distributor? 🤣
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Of course the proof is in the puddin' and I haven't actually tried it yet but I'm very confident that ignition won't be a problem from here on in. Don't worry - we'll be talking about this again in the near future when I get this project on the road. Thanks Jeff! 😄
 
Okay so now let's see what came in the bigger box. This one came from LR Centre in the UK. I've gotten several orders from them now and am very impressed with their inventory, prices, and service. Their website is very good and I use it a lot. This particular order was for a Britpart timing chain set, Britpart starter brushes, Lucas temperature sender, Corteco front crankshaft seal, and Mann oil filter. I'm aware of the hit-and-miss reputation Britpart spares have but I thought I'd take the chance on these pieces and see what happens.
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The Britpart clutch slave looks a bit cheezy and may need a bit of fettling to make work but I think it'll be okay. The OEM Lucas sending unit looks impeccable as does the oil filter and front seal, but the timing chain set is somewhat disappointing. Firstly the idler gear tensioner unit looks to be maybe OEM, which is good but...
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The gears are terrible. The tooth profile and finish on the gears (sprockets?) is awful. A quick measurement across the root of the tooth gullets on the idler gear shows the new part to be over 0.050" undersize of the worn out original and its finish looks like it was chopped in there with a hatchet. (used on the left and new on the right for the first pic and new on the left and used on the right for the second) Much the same news for the crank and camshaft gears.
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The new chain is sloppier than the worn out one that came out of the engine. All this is rather disappointing but not unexpected. I was hoping to avoid the rather high cost of using genuine parts in this area but it looks like I'll have to bite the bullet and order better stuff. You win some, you lose some... 😔
 
Big Sandy said:
For the critical engine parts, Turners Engineering, every time.

I know somebody who fitted one of those blue box chain sets. Failed after a month, wrecked the engine. Nuff said.
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So I got in touch with Turner and they said that the Britpart gears are made in India and are all that's been available for several years now. They do however carry good quality chains and appear to have a decent idler gear too. The Turner representative suggested reusing my original cam and crank gear. I guess I'll order what I can from them and poke around for some decent used parts. I guess I could make a set but I'd rather not.
 
SeriesG said:
So I got in touch with Turner and they said that the Britpart gears are made in India and are all that's been available for several years now. They do however carry good quality chains and appear to have a decent idler gear too. The Turner representative suggested reusing my original cam and crank gear. I guess I'll order what I can from them and poke around for some decent used parts. I guess I could make a set but I'd rather not.
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Least they are helpful, both Frida and Richard have always been happy to give advice to me in the past.
 
SeriesG said:
Indeed. Frida responded to my email with helpful information and advice at what I would rather think is after business hours. Above and beyond for sure. I will definitely be giving them my business.
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I ordered new connecting rod bolts and nuts as well as a new non-Britpart timing chain from Turner. That should set me up about as good as I can get. I dug around in my parts bins and found the used but decent set of timing gears that came with the vehicle as extras.
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I think these should do. They're much better than the worn out pieces that were on the engine and MUCH better than the new pieces from the Blue-Box timing chain set I bought. All this together will hopefully work well. I also ordered a new 80 amp GM 12 SI style alternator from Summit Racing to replace the worn out Lucas 18 ACR unit that came with the vehicle. Back on track! 😁
 
SeriesG said:
So I got in touch with Turner and they said that the Britpart gears are made in India and are all that's been available for several years now. They do however carry good quality chains and appear to have a decent idler gear too. The Turner representative suggested reusing my original cam and crank gear. I guess I'll order what I can from them and poke around for some decent used parts. I guess I could make a set but I'd rather not.
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The old ones you have look better than the new, so unless there is wear that we cant see on them I would use the old sprockets.
I would definitely buy the best quality chain you can find as that will be the part that wears, stretches and breaks.
I dont ever recall hearing of an engine being junked because of failed timing sprockets/gears, its always the chain/belt that goes.
 
I don't know if they still make them, but Zeuss used to do a timing gear set that replaced the chain. Kind of have a feeling Santana used them? Expensive option though, I'm thinking, even if you can still get them.
 
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