Well, in the morning light, I realized the timing chain was correctly
threaded across the crank/cam/jack sprockets, and all the appropriate marks
were line up. So, on to installing the new tensioner, which was fun since I
managed to drop it, and of course the spring shot off across the driveway.
Luckily nothing was damaged. I got the tensioner back together and "locked"
it again.
After installing the tensioner, I moved the new upper adjustable chain guide
until getting the required .1 inch space between the back of the slipper and
the tensioner body, then tightened down both chain guides and the support
bracket.
One question -- While pushing the slipper back and forth to get the .1 inch
clearance, I'm sure the tensioner became "unlocked" again, but since it was
now pressing up against the chain, I assumed that was ok?
After that, all that was left was to put on the oil thrower, dished face
outwards, and press in a new oil seal on the timing chain cover. I turned
the engine by hand several times, and everything seemed to line up fine, but
it took a few minutes to finally get up the courage to close it all up!
Second question, the front oil seal isn't terribly tight around the crank,
and just how does the oil thrower work -- just spins and any oil dropping on
it is "thrown" back up?
Third question -- the one bolt I couldn't torque at 120 lbs. was the main
bolt that holds the crankshaft pully -- because my torque wrench only goes up
to 100 and it is a 3/8 wrench, and I had to use a monster 3/4" wrench from
Sears to put the bolt back on. So, figuring 120 foot lbs. is pretty tight, I
just really leaned on the wrench. To keep the engine from turning I wedged a
block of wood between one of the crank counterweights near #3 journal and the
block. Sound ok?
And the more I used the torque wrench, the more I realized how much I
over-tighten bolts when not using a torque wrench. Some of the bolts, like
those on the timing chain cover, only required 20 foot pounds which ain't
much!
It took me even longer to get the courage to finally put the oil pan back on.
Then, right after putting the Permatex Blue RTV silicon on the block, and
the oil pan gasket on top of it, I realized I had left off the real oil seal
housing, since it's tough to install it with the engine bolted to the engine
stand. So I quickly cleaned it up and fitted it so that I could bolt the
back two bolts to the oil pan and press the silicon out correctly.
Then I put the new oil pump in, turning the engine to make sure the shaft
from the oil pump to the distributor was correctly seated, and then put back
on the oil transfer housing and the oil filter. I filled up the cavity
running from the oil pump to the oil transfer housing with assembly lube in
hopes of priming the oil pump.
My goal is to have the engine back in the car by the end of the weekend,
which means installing the transmission with the new clutch.
Fourth question -- The old clutch face was one continuous circle of whatever
the stuff is that a clutch is made of, but the new clutch has semi-circular
grooves cut in the material all the way around, and on both sides. Is that
for cooling, or to stop squealing, or something else?
Final question -- I'm pondering just how much other stuff to put back on
before attempting to put the engine back into the car. It would seem that
leaving off the air pump, alternator, fan, and exhaust manifold will make it
that much easier to manuver the engine back into the car, and also to get to
the engine mounts.
Any thoughts, particulary about leaving off the exhaust manifold at this
point?
And any last minute advice about re-installation also appreciated!
Bruce
1980 Inca Yellow TR7 5-speed convertible
Chapel Hill, NC
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