Stripping my Series 1 Jota engine

TheWrongTrousers

TheWrongTrousers

Senior member
Location
South London
Ok the engine is out and the head is off. I spoke to Keith at the ILOC and all the tools are in stock. Keith wasn't sure what else I needed but he will lend me what he has got.

As far as I can tell i will need the following:

* alternator puller
* alternator rotor holder
* primary drive crank holder
* Crank holder (woodruff key)

I have the green workshop manual.  I have my own motley collection of tools.

I can see that the green book says i need a gudgeon pin extractor. Well, that isn't in the tool library so can anyone suggest what i could use a a substitute ?

In general, can you tell me whether there is anything else I will need to take this thing to bits ?
 
you don't need a gudgeon (wrist) pin extractor, just wrap each piston in turn with a cloth that has been heated and left damp (use gloves) in a pot of boiling water, that will warm the piston enough to be able to push the pin out with suitable "pusher", eg a bit of wooden dowel.

If you needed to ask that, then I would very respectfully and cautiously suggest that you might need a little bit of knowledgable help while you get stripping, lots of minor high jumps on the way.

CLEM
 
No doubt about that Clem. Thanks for the tip. If you have any others, or if the information in the green book is is known to be incorrect in any way  do please let me know.
 
Good luck with the strip down,I would suggest taking lots of reference photos as you strip it,we always think we will remember how things went together but after a few weeks of refurbishing has passed doubt and the memory gremlins creep in.
It's reassuring to have photos to look back on and help out.
Good luck,where in south London are you?

Steve
 
I'm in the same process as you are.

I usually, and have done so, take off all the bits on the side whilst the engine is in the frame. It allows you to put it in gear and block the engine if need be.

You'll need the crank woodruff key blocking tool (probably) and the alternator rotor extractor.
Buy yourself an electric impact wrench. It'll cost you less than ?100 and allow you the get the crank nuts, left and right, off without any special tool.

For the gudgeon pins, do as Clem says and use a tool to push out the pins. Use no force, you'll risk bending the rods.
Otherwise, use a threaded steel rod, nuts and washers and a piece of tube of the appropriate size to pull the gudgeon pins through by tightening the nuts.

I don't remember anything wrong in the Green book concerning technique but be wary of dimensions and maybe the head nut torque figures?
They aren't complicated engines but need a little finesse on some points and as Clem says, not an engine to learn on.

Paul
 
Thanks Paul, that's a great help already. I was aware of the dodgy torque figures. Taking photos is something I always do on trips into the unknown. A very good tip that one. I am in Lewisham, Steve. No doubt I will pop up here when I have a question
 
Hi Tom!
It may be too late, but Clem gave me several top tips. Put the cam related bits, so shims and buckets, blocks etc into egg boxes labelled up ..inlet and exhaust kept apart. And if you get to the gearbox, slip the gears and spacers onto rods of some sort so you keep the order right.
My own tip is to take great care of gasket surfaces , i.e dont rush the cleaning by scraping too hard  with a hard scraper! Nothing more annoying than a leaking motor on rebuild. And dont force the pistons with rings into the barrels when lowering the latter, as easy to break rings.I recall it helps to have some bits of wood to support the barrels..I think there is a video or article by Red on that somewhere. As mentioned before  you will find it very difficukt to lower the barrels unless a good number of studs are removed. There are tools to take rings off/ put on but with great care you can do it without. Get good gaskets  , some bad head ones out there apparently. You will need circlips for the oistons too.And dont scratch them when cleaning...and mark which goes where!.Goes on and on , mainly common sense...that is usually my problem😄
 
I use a hot air gun to heat the pistons when required.
Less messy than wet towels.
 
I use a pair of really thin wall piston ring clamps, do the outside pistons first then the centre one. The clamps can be manoeuvred through the studs easily enough.
 
pf1 said:
I use a pair of really thin wall piston ring clamps, do the outside pistons first then the centre one. The clamps can be manoeuvred through the studs easily enough.
Click to expand...

I took the steel sheet from some ring clamps and just use that with some jubilee clips.

Paul
 
  Hi Wrong trousers,
I'm about at the same stage as you, head and cyls off,,about to remove pistons and the engine out..
  I like to use zip lock bags for head component sets and most anything else that can be bagged.
I add a piece of paper with the relevant details written in pen.  I find this more durable than marking components or the outside of the bag.
A zip tie(cable tie) will keep  gear clusters and fork internals etc in the order of disassembly.
Have fun..
Paul
 
well if you have the head off, its maybe already too late, its not widely mentioned or even thought about, I don't even recall it being written in a manual, but my own belief is that the head should be "let down" from tension in the reverse order to "torqueing up"  that means doing the 7mm studs nearest the plugs first, then the two 8mm studs front and back of chain tunnel, then the remainder cylinder and cam bearing studs in the reverse order to assembly, just cracking them, then  a tad and finally loosening, maybe not vital but that's what I do, I haven't got to grips with the new Omega pistons with their very thin compression rings yet, only tried once and fucked up big time, I am about to do it again, if I cant find new old stock Asso high comp 1200 pistons, (80.4) ANYONE?
Clem
 
Top tip? Get a helper when lowering barrels, or grow a third hand. Got to feed cam chain up, ensuring actuall remains on the crankshaft gear! And dont forget to put the cam chain guide in to its slot in the barrel before you put the gasket on..dont ask me how i know😉
One important thing is of course to look for wear..cam chain tensioner , pistons barrels, gears..measuring requires the right tools really and some skill. I may have daid it before  but new rings and a light hone if all esle is well seem sensible. You dont need to rush, so can get each professional thing like a hone and timcerting done as you choose..it all adds up, but when mine was apart i needed main bearings and had the crank rebuilt .
 
Gentlemen. A  fine and growing accumulation of collective wisdom here. Clem suggests undoing the nuts in sequence. He can't recall seeing this written down in a manual. He goes on to express a belief that this is the way to do it. I think this is a case of Clem having forgotten more than most people know. The Green Book on page 13 recommends doing this. So Clem's belief is well founded.

I think this is about where I am up to now.

1. heating pistons (tick)
2. rags in the crankcase (tick)
3. undo head and camshaft bolts in the proper order (tick)
4. zip lock bags and labels (tick)
5. improvised ring compressors (tick)
6. take lots of photos (tick
7. get helper/grow third hand (tick)
8. get hold of an impact wrench (tick)
9. pay attention to gaskets and gasket mating surfaces (tick)
10. beware flying circlips (tick)

Any others gratefully received. I shall be proceeding very cautiously and with great care.
 
don't take notice of Nickdav7's tip regarding the cam chain, just remove the door on the bottom of the cases, and the pedestal, split the chain and drop the bugger out completely, don't bother with any feeding it up into the block and head as you build, it is very simple to install the cam chain after the whole motor is built, and what I always do, and saves hassle and the need for a third, fourth and fifth hand, just sit the completed motor on the four gearbox lugs on the bench, and feed the chain in using some stiff straight wire, as in 1/8th gas welding rods, or, a carefully straightened coat hanger.
sorry Nicko!
Clem
 
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