Hillman Imps / Our other cars

[pmcgsmurf]

Looking very good pmcgsmurf. Coming along nicely. Are you doing this lathe work etc. yourself, or have you handed it into a machine shop?

We have a friend with a small machine shop who is an expert in these engines, he is doing the machining work leaving us to do the nuts and bolts and finishing.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Engine coming along nice, should have it back here for assembly by the weekend.

Block bored and honed.




Head skimmed too.


Head was actually warped.

 

[Justintyme]

Engine coming along nice, should have it back here for assembly by the weekend.

Block bored and honed.

View attachment 89909
View attachment 89911

Head skimmed too.

View attachment 89912
Head was actually warped.

Was it out by much ( the head I mean)? Lovely to get them back looking like that. Now you have the engine basics right.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Was it out by much ( the head I mean)? Lovely to get them back looking like that. Now you have the engine basics right.

Not by much but ties in with the problem the engine had.
These engines are prone to a build up of coolant sludge/corrosion around cylinder 4 at the back.
Looks like there has been a blockage here and this has caused the head to overheat slightly in this area.

 

[Bellow]

E

Head skimmed too.

View attachment 89912
Head was actually warped.

Isn't that the old style of head (before the 'straight edge' one) which were warp prone?
Why is it piggybacked to another to get skimmed - to get the face horizontal?
How did the gear ratios work on the BMW conversion? A bit gappy or has the K1 got enough of a torque spread to cope?
Nice Imps BTW - I have a soft spot for lightweight and simple cars - see my avatar!

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Isn't that the old style of head (before the 'straight edge' one) which were warp prone?

Yes but it is the original with engine number that matches car.
Not too many cars going now that still have the original engine fitted.

Now though with a better water pump and high efficiency radiator overheating is not that common.
A lot of the problems in the past were due to the poor efficiency of the radiator.

Why is it piggybacked to another to get skimmed - to get the face horizontal?

Yes, easiest way to level it by bolting it to a mate.

How did the gear ratios work on the BMW conversion? A bit gappy or has the K1 got enough of a torque spread to cope?

It works well, you have to rev it like a bike to get to the power band and you can easily do 70 in 3rd.

Nice Imps BTW - I have a soft spot for lightweight and simple cars - see my avatar!

There is a lot to be said for simple cars, simple = easy to fix.

 

[Bellow]

Yes but it is the original with engine number that matches car.
Not too many cars going now that still have the original engine fitted.

'Original numbers' car then. I'd imagine that is pretty rare.

Now though with a better water pump and high efficiency radiator overheating is not that common.
A lot of the problems in the past were due to the poor efficiency of the radiator.

Modern tech to the rescue. Reminds me of Charles Morgan and Megasquirt on his SM and W115. Replace worn carbs or dodgy old injection kit with much better fuelling.

Yes, easiest way to level it by bolting it to a mate.

Couldn't really be any other reason.... Cunning - I like!

It works well, you have to rev it like a bike to get to the power band and you can easily do 70 in 3rd.

That must be pretty short geared. A mate has a first series fortwo with a 185hp Honda Blackbird engine that will nearly do 70mph in first gear. Top end of fourth is around 110mph - and it gets there very very quickly. Tempted to do the same but with an R1 engine. If you'd been in his - you'd be tempted too. Not least because.....

There is a lot to be said for simple cars, simple = easy to fix.

And a sight cheaper usually. My fortwo wants a new ESP/ABS ECU. £1700 please. Or bin the system and install the R1 engine?

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Bit more work on the engine (well quite a lot actually).

Crank polished and ready to go back in.


Back in


Bottom end all buttoned up.


New pistons


Final top end adjustments (ended up changing pistons, going +20 thou re-boring and re-honing)


Re-cut valves


New seals (added to exhaust, original does not have seals on exhaust valves)

Head ready to go back on.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Engine running after first rebuild.

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Then after going +20 thou. and making a few other changes.
Sounds a bit tappety but is using running in oil (thin) and will be run, then re-torqued and oil changed to thicker oil.
There is a little but of wear in the cam followers/buckets so this will be addressed after the run-in period.
We may tighten the gap to the valves to reduce the tappety noise depending how bad this sounds later, simple enough job on the cam carrier.

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[grober]

Imp Engines - The Imp Site
How much does the sump [casting?] play a part in that long walled block stiffness?

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Imp Engines - The Imp Site
How much does the sump [casting?] play a part in that long walled block stiffness?

I wouldn't think very much but it may help a little.
The bolts on these are not all that tight so not sure how much this would help the light engine with the heavy sump.

To be honest it would be fair to say the blocks were not very stiff at all.
This particular block is what is referred to as a "curly block" as it has less material at the top as well as a lot of other little things that lets us know it is very early.
They quickly went to a straight edge at the top as this meant more material so more stiffness.
No one wants the old blocks or heads (with no oil drain) for doing anything (tuning/modding) with, they all want later heads and blocks.

Then there is us, we (me) are weird, I don't even want a heater blower, keep it original I say, well certainly this one, we have others with all the nice little mods.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

On another note, went to collect engine today in a W212, came with with W212, engine and an ML 270!

 

[Justintyme]

Bit more work on the engine (well quite a lot actually).

Crank polished and ready to go back in.
View attachment 91408

Back in
View attachment 91409

Bottom end all buttoned up.
View attachment 91410

New pistons
View attachment 91411

Final top end adjustments (ended up changing pistons, going +20 thou re-boring and re-honing)
View attachment 91412

Re-cut valves
View attachment 91413

New seals (added to exhaust, original does not have seals on exhaust valves)
View attachment 91414
Head ready to go back on.
View attachment 91415

View attachment 91416

The satisfaction after fitting the shaft, and turning it for the first time.... then adding the pistons and pump. !!!

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Engine back in and been out for first test run.





Have done a few subtle mods that wont take away from the originality.

1. Changed the sold thrust bearing for the clutch to a roller type bearing (on solid you get that noise and engine labours when pressing clutch).
2. Switched over from positive to negative earth.
3. Added a temperature sender (this model never had one).
4. Added an Oil Pressure sender unit.

Not run any wires to the front yet for the gauges, may do this and fit some period gauges on one of those little bracket units.

Also like the idea of having the sensors talking to an android app and having this on a phone or tablet so going to see of one of the lads can knock something up using an arduino or similar over bluetooth.

She also has a reconditioned water pump fitted and we changed the front windscreen seal as it was well perished being nearly 57 years old.

First test run was about an hour round local, will have another run out on Wednesday morning.

Then at lunch time it's off to Glasgow George Square for the Monte Heritage run, ready just in time.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Mildred made it safely along to George Square in Glasgow for the start of the Monte.

Conditions on the day were terrible, driving rain and winds, we passed many cars on they way there and back that had aquaplaned into the crash barriers.
Even with multiple police cars sitting with blues on many drivers were still determined to drive way beyond a safe speed.

We had to do a stopover on the way home as trains had been cancelled locally so we picked up a couple of the young ones that had got stranded half way between Glasgow and home.

All in a good day out, hats off to the organisers, Glasgow Council for giving us the run of George Square and then SDCCC who laid on the haggis neeps and tatties etc. when we got back.

 

[Justintyme]

Mildred made it safely along to George Square in Glasgow for the start of the Monte.

Conditions on the day were terrible, driving rain and winds, we passed many cars on they way there and back that had aquaplaned into the crash barriers.
Even with multiple police cars sitting with blues on many drivers were still determined to drive way beyond a safe speed.

We had to do a stopover on the way home as trains had been cancelled locally so we picked up a couple of the young ones that had got stranded half way between Glasgow and home.

All in a good day out, hats off to the organisers, Glasgow Council for giving us the run of George Square and then SDCCC who laid on the haggis neeps and tatties etc. when we got back.


View attachment 91881

So all went well on "The Maiden Voyage"... attracted a lot of admirers, I'd say.

 

[ToeKnee]

As you all like engines, here's my old 383ci Chevy V8, pictured whilst finishing off the ancillaries. Just shy of 500bhp and just over 500ft/lb torque. Went in my cobra replica, 1100kg and no driver aides except my right foot.

 

[D-18]

Oh, we're getting all 'Crocodile Dundee' now are we?

'That's not an engine, this is an engine.....'

 

[pmcgsmurf]

As you all like engines, here's my old 383ci Chevy V8, pictured whilst finishing off the ancillaries. Just shy of 500bhp and just over 500ft/lb torque. Went in my cobra replica, 1100kg and no driver aides except my right foot.

Very nice, bit of a difference to the little engine in Mildlred.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Oh, we're getting all 'Crocodile Dundee' now are we?

'That's not an engine, this is an engine.....'

That's cool, I like that.