Today was more about getting ready to complete the engine rebuild more than doing anything practical. In doing this I did look into the liners that remained in seven of the eight valve guides. In doing so I stumbled across a page from Lindsay Porter’s book on rebuilding a Series 3. This told me all I needed to know given the photos were in Turner Engineering’s workshops and my head was a Turner unleaded head from 1995.
Now I am not second guessing the wisdom of Turner nor that of Mr Porter, but there is something that doesn’t sit right about thinning the wall of an interference fit component to fit a liner that has a longitudinal split. I will be replacing the guides as LR intended. Only time will tell, but new head was at 29k miles and we have seen the state of the replacements 33k miles later.
I did find some time to start on the springs. Only enough to remove the centre dowels, pry opened the clips and press out the bushes. I have heard stories of drilling out rubber, hacksawing through the bush outer….. but fortunately I have an hydraulic press!
A 19 mm impact socket worked nicely as a drift in conjunction with a narrow head on the press, and all eight came out with relative ease after the first crack of it releasing.
Tomorrow, whilst waiting for various engine parts, I shall clean the springs ready for reassembly, with graphite grease.
In other news the engine / axle paint has now arrived so I am starting to plot a course to rolling chassis.
Land Rover Series 3 Air Portable ‘Lightweight’ 05 KD 28 