Lofty's Sprint Yellow Fabia vRS Mk1 - "Project Daffodil"

[hutchysrs50]

It was about 6 years ago now on my first 1.9 SDI

Since that time the garage I worked in bought the tools to do the job. I just find it crazy how wound up some members get about it!

[Lofty]

So, take one perfectly functioning fabia and pull into a thousand pieces- seems a normal thing to do?

 

 

 

Engine and box are being generously donated to the missus black fabia, so it's gonna be a good couple of months before this engine bay sees another power plant

The bulkhead is clean as it is, but it'll look a lot better in the coming weeks(promise!)

Look at the state of my garage, looks like a fabia breakers FFS

 

Edited 29 March, 2021 by Lofty

[Carlodiesel]

You need a bigger garage.

So you can work on it even if its raining or snowing.

[pip_vrs]

Did you get my cheeky PM mate? :-P

[Lofty]

I did Phil, I'll let you know when the back axles off and you're welcome to them then

[pip_vrs]

Awesome mate, do they brake as well as they look?

[Lofty]

They do help an enormous amount tbh

[Lofty]

The festive period is almost upon us so perfect timing to get the engine block and crank back from Southy who's done a cracking job on the machine work.

Overbore to 81mm which will give it a capacity of 2.0 and coupled with the new 2.0 ceramic coated Pistons and forged H beam con rods will help it along as well.

 

 

 

The block surfaces will now finish being treated and painted and finally we can start the engine build.... beats watching Christmas telly for sure!

Edited 29 March, 2021 by Lofty

[hutchysrs50]

So bloody jealous... every update is great!

[Lofty]

So, it's Christmas Eve, do I choose to attempt last minute shopping or have the morning in the garage fettling a heavy lump of pig iron.. hmm the garage was the obvious winner.

The machined 2.0 block had been collected from Adam (Southy on here) on Monday evening so today was the day to get it prepped and painted.

Before it had been took to Adam I'd spend ages chipping away at the crust of corrosion that affects the front of these cast iron blocks, got it back to bare cast iron then gave it a soaking in Bilt Hamber deox gel, which was then pressure washed off.

The surface then flash surface rusted like you wouldn't believe lol, but I knew that underneath it was pretty good, so I set about the block again with various tools and brushes till the surface was clean.

 

 

 

Masked up everywhere that needed it and got today's weapons of choice out...

 

 

Bilt Hambers fantastic Hydrate 80 rust converter, Bilt Hambers Electrox Zinc primer and then the VHT wrinkle black.

Three coats of Hydrate 80. This goes on light blue but dries as it's doing its thing to pretty much black.

Then three thick coats of the Electrox Zinc primer

 

 

 

Once dried with the aid of the fan heater and hot air gun it was time for two heavy wet on wet layers of the wrinkle black.

 

 

 

 

This is then cured and flashed off with the hot air gun which takes a while but soon cures it and starts the process of wrinkle/crackle

 

 

 

So that's the block done. All the mating surfaces will be cleaned up, all thread holes will be chased out with a tap then we can start building it all up.

Pleased with how it's come out, it'll suddenly look a lot different once all the other plated and painted bits find their way back onto it. Right now the blocks sitting in the warm in my downstairs bog as that's the warmest room in the house lol

Edited 29 March, 2021 by Lofty

[Lofty]

Not a very exciting update today but it's something that I wanted to double check before building the engine up.

Piston ring clearance is something not a lot of folks bother checking and it's quite hard to find the recommended figures anywhere on line, but I did.

Three piston rings on each piston, two upper compression rings and the lowest one being the oil control/scraper ring.

 

 

Broke out my trusty ring removal pliers..

 

Top ring went in first, pushed down with the upturned piston to ensure its square in the bore

 

 

Then the gap measured with feeler gauges

 

 

Measurements were 0.40mm for the top two and 0.35 for the lower one, same across all four bores and all the rings were checked for uniformity.

Just waiting on the postman to bring some plastigague so I can check the bearing clearances then I'll start building it up

Edited 29 March, 2021 by Lofty

[Lofty]

Too cold in the garage for prolonged tinkering but the list of jobs is getting less.

Sump is now painted and clear coated

 

 

 

 

Oil dipstick tube looked worse for wear after being eased gently from the block (new one on the right just in case you were wondering)

 

 

Again, this was prepped and painted up

 

 

 

The oil filter housing of the donor engine could have been used but it made my teeth itch looking at it...

 

 

 

So the only fit and correct thing to do was replace.

 

 

 

 

 

This will be prepped and painted/clear coated the same as the sump, to allow it to remain easy to clean etc.

Still waiting on the postman for a fair few bits and bobs

Edited 29 March, 2021 by Lofty

[fabianski47vrs]

Absolutely amazing thread so far.

Attention to detail is unbelievable.

Can't wait to see more updates.

Keep it up.

[Lofty]

Not much gone on the last few days, been having a few chill days whilst being off work.

Unpacked my forged rods, weighed them and they were all exactly the same, 569g

 

 

 

ARP rod bolts as well

 

 

Bottom end assembly will start one night in the week, hope to get it built up to the point I can accurately measure piston protrusion so that I can order the right thickness 2.0 8v head gasket.

Piston oil spray jets have all been cleaned, blown through with solvent, dried off and refitted to the block, all torqued up to 25nm as well.

Next pics will be more interesting I hope

Edited 29 March, 2021 by Lofty

[pip_vrs]

Next on my list is forged rods.

[Lofty]

I have a massive list of jobs to do, in fact the list develops sub lists when you get into it.

The new cylinder head has been ported on the inlet and exhaust sides to the gasket line and as I'd got to strip, clean and prepare the BLT inlet manifold off the Jabba engine I thought I'd document what I've done.

Take one particularly nasty inlet manifold that's been "modified" with an EGR/ASV delete pipe, has been drilled, tapped and fitted with the devils own water methanol injection nozzle and also drilled and tapped for a boost pressure take off - again to work as a trigger for the methanol injection pump.

 

 

 

 

 

Methanol injection nozzle

 

 

Not too heavily gunged up for 100k miles

 

 

I'll come back to the gunge in a minute, in the meantime it's obvious as soon as you offer up the inlet manifold gasket how much of a step there will be between the manifold and the head, granted it's on the small side but as it's free to do, I thought I'd have a go at opening up the manifold to match the gasket, yes I probably realise it's bugger all difference but why not

Original port at the top, modified one at the bottom

 

 

 

Essentially I bolted the gasket in place and filed and dremmelled my way out to it.

 

 

I went over and over the areas with a tiny abrasive wheel in the dremell to make it as tidy as possible.

But wait... what about all the crap, aluminium filings and stuff that's now nicely embedded in the gunge in the manifold I hear you ask.

Well, turns out that in the workshop at my employer we have a trick ultrasonic acid bath for the big EGR diesel recall that we are doing so the manifold is going in there tomorrow for 24 hours. It'll come out clean as a whistle! Promise.

I have an EGR and anti shudder valve coming which are also going to be modified, more on those soon

Edited 29 March, 2021 by Lofty

[skodalad]

Decent update mate, shame someone has tapped into the side of it. If you need one I have a few spare knocking around for a few pennies

[Lofty]

The tapping into the side of it is a good thing Jack. I'm retaining the methanol injection so it's saved me doing it lol

[skodalad]

The tapping into the side of it is a good thing Jack. I'm retaining the methanol injection so it's saved me doing it lol

 

Fair enough then mate, I suppose its a good job then.

 

Question, How do you remove the the metal section of the oil dipstick tube??

 

And do you have a link to a new one??

 

Cheers, Jack

Edited 5 January, 2017 by skodalad

[Lofty]

The dipstick tube is an interference fit with the block, you won't twist it out or pull it out from above because it'll be stuck fast.

To get it out you have to drift it out from the inside of the block, be patient but hard with it. You'll destroy it getting it out for sure.

The new one just taps into place, put a tiny smear of RTV round the collar for good measure and it'll be fine.

Part number is 06D103643E

[skodalad]

The dipstick tube is an interference fit with the block, you won't twist it out or pull it out from above because it'll be stuck fast.

To get it out you have to drift it out from the inside of the block, be patient but hard with it. You'll destroy it getting it out for sure.

The new one just taps into place, put a tiny smear of RTV round the collar for good measure and it'll be fine.

Part number is 06D103643E

 

That's as close to a perfect reply as you can get.

 

Top man. Ordered.

[Lofty]

Inlet manifold has been fished out of the acid bath and as usual the Lexus kit has done the job.

Hard to photograph how clean the insides are but I've had a go.

Before..

 

 

 

 

After..

 

 

All the black carbon sludge has gone, left the finish of the raw cast aluminium.

The outside of the manifold will be prepped and painted this weekend. New manifold gaskets have been sourced from TPS

 

 

 

 

Edited 29 March, 2021 by Lofty

[hutchysrs50]

What colour are you painting the inlet manifold?

[DanHam]

My guess is crackle black :)

[Lofty]

Metallic silver, keeping it looking OE