BEFORE YOU TRY AND REMOVE THAT ROTOR.

Take your screwdriver, place the end on top of that star wheel you see just under the rotor, and PUSH DOWN. NOT silly pressure, just to STOP that centre shaft and star wheel lifting up as you pull that rotor off. Basically the push down equals the pull up, SIMPLE.

Simply reaching in and pulling that rotor UP may/WILL have that shaft rise up, and you will do SERIOUS damage to the springs etc way down in the bottom.

"Used Anti Seize", of course I did, fancy doubting that one.

That plug is perfectly normal considering the suburban driving you have done just prior to removing them.

 

I think the problem with the last two plugs is the hair. You forgot to shave.
Before you know it you'll have a hipster beard as well!

 

Ha ha ha I only just shaved off my "hipster" goatie the other day.

Cheers Greg and Grant....I will proceed with extreme caution with that dizzy...don't want to create more strife for myself!

 

Ok all 12 swapped out. I really don't see why 1A and 1B are so neglected. I reckon it was just as much a PIA moving the Capstan for 6A & 6B. Anyway...no dramas what so ever getting those last two plugs out once I had access. Thumbs up to the previous person who put them in

I will admit I tried to have a go at one plug with the compressor still in place as I had an angled socket...and I bloody cracked the ceramic part of the old plug (because I wasn't on it right).

Anyway, that was when I knew to stop and take everyones advice and pull back the compressor, which I did. I still had nothing to clean out the bore as my Air Compressor died yesterday so I had to improvise with the Mrs dog blower/dryer. Worked a treat!

And yeah, once I had proper access to those last two it was very easy to swap out.

Now I am left with the "put back" operation. I really want to clean up the top of my engine and also fix up a little bit of wiring. The wire going to my LH coolant temp sensor is very brittle and some insulation is cracked. Probably a good chance whilst access is free as well as lubricate that dizzy. Also my injector plugs have cracked rubber boots exposing the wires so will fix them up too.

Any hints for a good tidy up?

The last two beasties:


All 12 done!

Compressor moved out the way (where's Wall-E?)

Time for some tidy up..

 

Bro

I can't keep up with this, in every single Photo you look different!

Are you having some sort of identity crisis (Lol!)

But well done 'Mate' you're doing a Great Job!

So while you're waiting for the Parts, clean out the 'Vee' with a Paint Brush dipped in a Jar of 'White Spirit' and then dry it off.

 

Ha ha OB it is just that I normally have no hair...decided to grow it for something different ha ha ha....the kids and Mrs are a bit freaked out!

Mate I have something I purchased over here (Autobarn) a while back called "Engine Cleaner" which is an orange liquid that comes in a spray bottle. I'm gonna give that a burl and see how she goes. Probably just a marketing gimmic. White spirit....it think we call it "Terps" over here. Hence the saying: Out on the "Terps" when you going for a big night out with your mates ha ha ha

Update: The sheila from Magnacore rang today and says my leads are ready so I got them posted this arvo. Probably get them Monday now as our postal system doesn't work over the weekend....if at all. Hopefully by then I have a few things tidied up under there.

 

Hi Bro

Its very much the same as 'Turps' but 'White Spirit' sounds much more 'Upmarket'

Unless your name is 'Renoir' when you would no doubt call it 'Turpentine'

 

Pauly, lt may just be a pet worry of mine and it seems not to worry others as much but, the injector hoses should not be clamped like they are. The barbs on both the injector and fuel rail are actually very sharp and there is a fair chance of hose lining being cut by the clamping action.

 

So true.

However, when I did the hoses on the Goose, long before Paul got it, the PO had made a savage mess of the barbs removing what must have been bakelite hard hoses. The hoses he fitted were sad in the way you mentioned.

Soooo, the barbs on the injectors and the rail were "wet and dry papered" smooth (less sharp). Hence the clamps being required, and only gently firmed up, but they cannot cut the hose lining.

My HE was similar, and it has clamps also, although many years before the Goose appeared.

I would not fit clamps to the OE sharp barb arrangement, that would be an engine fire just waiting.

 

Never tried it on a V12. But, some other critters have challenged me.
Included a surprise. My daughter's 4 cylinder Ford Ranger pickup. A Pinto engine. Eight spark plugs and leads!! four not too bad, four real beasts!!!


1. Yes, definitely, a wipe of antiseize.
2. Yes, definitely, a short length of tubing over the plug top makes life easier.
3. I prefer my hefty shop vac to clear the debris before removing a plug.
4. I've a couple of deep sockets for spark pugs. A bit of tuber to grip the tip and make tings stay in place while positioning.
5. I have a couple of tools to slip under the rubber caps on the plug end of the leads that make breaking the baked on seal easier.
6. I use a wire guage to set plug gaps. Even on new ones, right out of the box. They have slots to fit the ground electrode. A careful bend needed so as not to break the center ceramic insulator. Guess how I know?
7. In almost every event, I swap leads if spark plugs are to be changed. O'wise it is kinda like taking a shower with one's socks still on!!


8. Make a rack for the old plugs to go in order. Read them one bv one for engine condition, fuel mix, timing, etc. A whole new topic hire.


Few things seem to help an engine more than fresh plugs and leads. Good ones, of course, not cheapies....


Carl

 

Cheers for the heads up guys and all the advice so far. Sounds like I am in the clear thanks to Grant but just so I understand....are you talking about the barbs formed on the fuel rail pipe when it is originally cut? And if I am not mistaken you run a risk of these barbs cutting through the hose if you tighten up the hose clamp too tight correct?

Good to know anyway, even for some of the other viewers

Cheers again.

 

Yep.

The original barb, as made, is almost razor sharp, and the hoses simply push on, and those same barbs prevent it blowing off.

Works well, until "stupid" messes with it.

The PreHE had barbs on the injectors, and standard "swaged" pipes on the 2 rails, and FPR's etx. So, NO clamps on the injectors, but EFI clamps everywhere else.

 

Made some more progress today in Lieu of my ignition leads (in the post).

Cleaned out the "V" as best I could with some degreaser/engine cleaner I had....not perfect but looks better than before.

Next job was do the patented Greg in France "Dizzy Service". I will admit I was a little nervous for fear of breaking it....I placed the screw driver down on the star and gently levered the rotor off...wow.....that was an anti climax. Mine came off real easy...."whew".

I placed a few drops in the indent on the rotor and a few drops down the shaft revealed with the Engine Oil I had. Placed her back on and she's sweet! I even think it rotates that 15 degrees and springs back just that little bit easier (although could be my imagination).

Question 1: What is the purpose of the "15 degree" spring back the rotor has?

Question 2: Greg, how do you test the vacuum advance again? Can you do it with all electrics turned off?

Well...that will probably do for today..gonna sink a beer and watch an Elvis movie (King Creole).

Behold! (Steve's not that impressed really...)



Whew! That wasn't so bad...I thought I was gonna break it!


A cleaner "V"





Thank you again for all the help. Some guys look up to TV stars and Musicians but my hero's are the Greg's in France, Orange Blossoms and Wizards of Oz of this cyber world!

 

The 15 degree system enables the automatic ignition advance to work. Basically, as revs rise, the spark needs to occur a little bit earlier in the compression stroke, because petrol vapour burns at a pretty constant rate, but the time actually available for it to burn progressively diminishes as revs rise. In non ECU controlled ignition systems (ie in our cars' case, those with the Lucas system, but NOT those later cars with the Marelli system which has crank position sensors to do the job) spark advance is either activated by centrifugal forces acting on weights in the dizzy, or by a vacuum device, or a combination of the two

The vac advance capsule is part of the way the ignition advance is controlled on Lucas ignition V12s. Pull off the vac tube from the other end, or from the capsule end and temporarily attach a tube to the capsule spigot, and suck. The capsule should (a) hold vacuum so you cannot just keep sucking air, and (b) you should see the mechanical arm attached to the dizzy spindle move the spindle a bit. If either of these do not happen, something is wrong. If you can suck air, then the capsule is toast and a new one is required. This fault indicates the rubber diaphragm inside the capsule has failed, so the diaphragm cannot work the advance arm connected to the dizzy spindle.

On a Lucas car, if the capsule is not working the car feels about the same to drive, but you lose about 4 MPG, which you soon notice. They are still available, but are a slight sod to fit, so ask the guys before diving in, as care is required. One of the reasons I have been doing all the testing, work etc on underbonnet temperatures is that the capsule has a pretty short life expectancy at the bottom of the hottest part of the V. They can easily fail in a couple of years of regular use.

Your car looks great, by the way, love the colour.

Greg

 

Cheers Greg, your a champ. That makes more sense now. I am going to put that on my list next to check and I thank you for taking the time to explain it all to me

Break day tomorrow. ....off to town to see some live jazz

Continue Monday which by then I am hoping my leads arrive!

 

Paul,

That hair-do is bloody scary.

I note the DIRTY hands, which guarantees you have a V12, haha.

That capsule is about 8 years old, and was working OK when I checked it about 6 months before you got the beast.

 

Well my leads came in the mail yesterday. Back to work...

Before I put back on the A/C compressor though I wanted to tidy up a few things. Noticed alot of the injector wiring is showing its age...particularly around the connector area.

Most of them have the rubber boot disintegrated however the wires inside appear ok. There is a few like the one pictured that look worse for wear and I wanted to either protect them a bit better or fit off a new connector so my question is:

Are the connectors readily available if I wanted to cut off and re-fit another?

I didn't want to have to replace the whole harness for the sake of a few sad connectors is all.

Also noticed on mine, that some of the injector plugs are held on by a small u-shaped metal retaining clip, but some have it missing. When I took one plug off it was extremely hard to pull off. Once I finally yanked it noticed a dob of grey goo holding it in place. Not a bad idea as those clips don't hold the plugs in place too well anymore. Any idea what the grey goo would be? (Grant?). I think any plugs I take off I would like to re-apply whatever adhesive was put on there to retain the reliability.

Yay the leads are numbered!

 

another spanner in the works:

All the leads I got were labeled incorrectly. I thought maybe they just got A & B bank mixed up but clearly from the photo you can tell that the A6 lead will not reach the distributor on either 6A or 6B. Bugger.

Luckily I labeled the old leads so I just compared each new lead with old. I roughed them all in to make sure they all reach and they do....whew!

 

Hi Bro

Those Injector retaining Clips are a real PIA.

I remember spending nearly an hour! trying to get one off and replacements are NLA.

As yet I haven't bothered to try and put the Clips back and as yet they are not showing any signs of wanting to come unplugged.

So I'll see how it goes.

Looking forward to the News that 'The Goose' is Flying again!

 

Paul
Those connectors to the injectors are freely available, I think you can buy them with wires attached so making a splice into the harness easy. But if not, make a new injector loom say I, or buy one from SNG Barratt (pricey but fit and forget) who have them. Grant or some other Aussie will know where in Oz to get the connectors if you go that route. The connectors MUST be changed in my opinion. That is an accident waiting to happen. I would make it an urgent priority.
Greg