Engine Mounting replacement 12 tourer

[TonyG]

Hi Will,

I will try to find those videos. It is probably a good idea to do a de-coke while you have so much removed from the engine already. Also a good thing to do as a winter job, ready for the better weather.

Seem to recall that torquing the head is a two stage job as it has to be finished when the engine is hot. This is a pain as it’s awkward to get a socket onto some of the bolts with the rocker shaft in place. Pretty sure it is detailed in the workshop manual.

There is a lug on the engine block to support the water pump (and another to support the manifold). When I first did my head, I had the pump bolted to the head in readiness and didn’t realise that the lug under the pump stopped the head from being fully torqued down and I ended up having to replace the head gasket again. On closer inspection, the pump mounting holes had been filed out to give some adjustment. I believe I modified the lug to get the best fit. This problem is likely only on engines with skimmed heads, but worth considering when you reassemble.

I have a photo somewhere of COA 550 taken early 1950s when my Father owned the car. In it he and my Uncle are bolting the top end back together after changing a big end bearing. This was done with the engine in situ but because the pistons are fitted from the bottom, they had to cut a bit off the piston skirt to get the con rod past the crank. Or at least that is how they told the story! Apparently, Dad had run the bearing while gunning the car down the A1 on a return journey from Tuxford to Hayes in West London. The aim had been to get the speedo needle ‘off the clock’, so in the region of 80! All perfectly legal back then if you were brave enough. Considered a fast car back in those days when a new Ford Popular would struggle to hit 60 and it was getting on for 20 years old even then. Ten years later when he owned TL 6200, I recall 70 on the speedo when travelling on the A12, which was exciting enough.

Good luck with the car. He would have been pleased to know it is in good hands.

Tony.

[Willem]

Thank you for your memories Tony, I have had her up to 70 mph, quite fast enough as far as I am concerned.
There is a file with the car that also has a photo of the second owner, (son of the first one) and David Moseley managed to track down a family member of the original family and she wtote a letter with some of the stories from the 30's and 40's, great fun to read.
I'll post in here once I have posted the video, I don't think an Oscar will be had but I enjoy the making of it and someone might find it useful.

[Willem]

I have posted a short video about my eperience of removing and replacing the engine suspension rubbers on youtube, just in case anyone is interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uXaRVXbaM8

Will

[TonyG]

Will,

Good video. Quite a straight forward job and easier than taking the rad out, which would leave you doing pretty much the same thing anyway by the looks of it. Well done.

To get the rad out, the bolts into it on either end of the bracing bar (easily seen in your video) that also hold the wing supports (with headlamps on) must be removed. Then the rad shell, which involves removing the tape and countersunk screws and nuts all around the outside and the bolt at the bottom centre. Also the top mounting rods to bulkhead must undone at the front bonnet mounting bracket (with bonnet removed or supported somehow). Then it’s just the hoses and two mounting bolts underneath and lifting it out.

All in all, that route would be quite a job, so it’s definitely better to do it your way. However, if the rad needs change or repair, probably a good time to check the mounting rubbers, which you could get access to from the front in much the same way you did.

By the way, I found that the rear mounting on the gearbox of mine had perished into a lump of black rubbery jelly just like your front ones had. Reckon this is what happens to old India rubber after years of oil and heat contamination.

Tony.