Bren's Sunflower 172 - Engine Rebuild

[f0xy]

Re: Bren's Sunflower 172

Pulled in a few late nights to get the engine built and into the car over the past few days. Skimmed and dipped head, decked and honed block..

Removed the valves to replace the stem seals first..

New vs Old..

Re-lapped the valves..

And refitted with the new seals..

Old seals..

Quick leak test, all good!

Onto the bottom end. Quick coat of black paint..

Then onto gapping the rings..

Fitted into the bore, squared up with a piston, gap checked to Renault spec..

Repeated for the rest of the rings, then fitted in the correct order and orientation as required. Once they were correct I fitted them into the block one at a time..

Next up was the crank. New bearings were fitted to the conrods before putting the pistons into the block..

Fitted the new mains bearings into the block and used plastigauge to check the clearances, they were all within tolerance as per the Renault manual so carried on with fitting the crank properly (sorry no pics this time!). Liberal amounts of Graphogen Assembly Lubricant..

Crank in place and torqued..

Rods attached with new bearings, lubricant and torqued. Also injected sealant into the end cap and fitted the end plate..

Oil pump fitted..

Baffle plate bolted on, sump cleaned then fitted and torqued up..

New waterpump fitted..

Headgasket on then torqued the head down..

Rocker cover fitted, new cam and crank seals. Fitted the thermostat housing with a new thermostat also..

Bolted up the flywheel and then put it in the back of the BM and took it upto Brens.

Put the new cambelt kit on it, timed up and double checked. Fitted the Auxiliary setup and dropped it in...

..and thats where it stands. More soon!

 

[Bren Rogers]

Re: Bren's Sunflower 172

Thank god that engine is back in the bay... thanks again for all the hard work dude.

 

[Bren Rogers]

Had a package (hopefully the last car related one) arrive today...

These should be the last few things that I should need to get the car back on the road (other than oil). I need to change the O/S hub as the old driveshaft has basically welded itself in, at the same time the brake disc also won't budge.. and either will the ABS sensor. So new genuine Renault discs, ABS sensor and hub nuts. Bit of an unexpected bill, that has pushed the whole price of the rebuild up.. again. I dare not add everything up.

Look, there the are...

Fingers crossed I don't have to order anything else.

 

[Craig.]

Good work glad to see the engine back where it belongs on one sunflower at least lol.

 

[Bren Rogers]

Good work glad to see the engine back where it belongs on one sunflower at least lol.

It's the biggest relief to see the engine back in the bay. Yours far off?

 

[Craig.]

It's the biggest relief to see the engine back in the bay. Yours far off?

I bet you it is, can't wait to get mine back in. I'm just waiting to get the block back from the engineering company, they are taking the piss.

 

[welshname]

Great progress, Bren. Can't wait to see this back on the road.

 

[Bren Rogers]

I bet you it is, can't wait to get mine back in. I'm just waiting to get the block back from the engineering company, they are taking the piss.

Ball ache. Be back on the road by summer?

Great progress, Bren. Can't wait to see this back on the road.

Me either, shouldn't be long. I'll be sure to be going on the biggest drive ever once it's sorted.

 

[Ash']

Love progress pics as your going along regarding the engine build! I wouldn't mind having a scrapped f4r just to strip and re-build.

 

[Bren Rogers]

Love progress pics as your going along regarding the engine build! I wouldn't mind having a scrapped f4r just to strip and re-build.

You can thank f0xy for them.. he's put all the hard work into building that engine.

 

[Bren Rogers]

Well the project sort of ground to a halt over the past month due to going on holiday to Le Mans for the 24hr race, and then having to go to Ireland for a couple of weeks due to a death in the family. I think I have everything I need now to get the car back on the road, so it's jus a case of bolting/wiring everything together.

Fluids alone came to near £80 with a discount, and I took delivery of some fresh new rubber. Gone with the faithful Michelin Pliot Exalto (PE2). The prices seem to have come down some since I last bought these tyres (on my old 172 around 2 years ago). Got a set of 4 from blackcircles.com for £210 delivered (195/50/R15). Obviously I still have to add fitting to that, but it still comes in at a very reasonable price for an exceptionally good tyre.

Really looking forwrad to finally driving this thing again.. it's been nearly 7 months now - unbelievable.

 

[Paul172sport]

Hope it all goes quickly and smoothly for you and your soon back on the road

 

[Bren Rogers]

Hope it all goes quickly and smoothly for you and your soon back on the road

Me to.. It's been looking very sorry for itself on axle stands for the past few months. Last time I had a car off the road I had a runabout, but I didn't bother this time so I've had to live without the freedom of a car. Nothing like this ever runs smoothly but I'm as sure as I can be that everything is covered.

 

[Bren Rogers]

Not a huge update, but this has been dragging on a little while.. Basically we (Jord) got everything ready to see if we could get the engine started to make sure it was OK. Got the radiator/AC/PAS piped up, and ready to go. Ignition on (fuel pump didn't prime).. and not enough charge to crank the engine.. great.

Going to have to fit the new Driveshafts, hub and brakes etc. (to move the car somewhere so we can actually get the dash out) and then basically rip out the wiring in order the fit the new ECU and multi timer unit. The car originally had some crappy clifford aftermarket alarm fitted which had been spliced into the original loom. Not sure just how much it's been messed with or what has been changed, so no way of telling until everything has been ripped out and changed.

Also.. managed to get my hands on an RS inlet the other day. So I'll try and get round to fit that once everything else is done.

Arty farty shot of said inlet.

 

[x8mrk]

Looks very good indeed

 

[Bren Rogers]

Well, the car is finally back on all four wheels. It's been looking very sorry for itself over the past few months, and I'd started to forget juts how low the car is. The suspension is still settling down too. Jord came down again on Friday to see if we could get the engine to crank over after removing what we could see of the afermarket alarm. No luck, no crank and no fuel pump prime, so looks like the loom will have to be ripped out and given a once over. Also had some strange flickering on the dash, so maybe a bad earth somwhere too.

Set about tryin to replace he N/S track rod end as it appeared to have seized, and no luck removing that either. Probably just needs a load of heat and some pursuasion. Fingers cross we can get it replaced and save havng to change the track rod, which is a bit of a ball ache to do (from what I'm told).

Excuse poor quality, couldn't be arsed grabbing the camera, and the car is absolutely filthy from being sat for so long.

Big to-do lis then, as well as a few bits on their way to (Exhaust clamp, earth strap and pinch bolts).

This is the list of stuff that needs to be done.. bound to be something else that will crop up too.

• Fit N/S track rod end
• Fit N/S Drive shaft/gearbox bolts
• Fill gearbox oil
• Fit ABS Sensor
• Torque hub nuts
• Bleed brakes
• Adjust camber & Tracking
• Fit new tyres
• Fit slam panel & lights
• Route hoses (AC & PAS)
• Sort out wiring / rip out remains of old alarm.
• Fit cabin filter
• Fit polybushed dog bone mount
• Fit key barrel and locks
• Fit bumper
• A good clean inside and out
• MOT
• Tax

Booked in for an RR day on 29th July at EFI Parts, so fingers crossed all goes well.

 

[Bren Rogers]

Much appreciated if someone can shed some light on this..

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?652173-PAS-route-question-(Ph1-172)

 

[Bren Rogers]

and this..

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?652440-Ignition-Barrel-(Ph1)-differences

 

[Bren Rogers]

Well a little job done when I got home today wanted to see how the new spacers looked. The front track looked insane due to being so low. originally looked like this..

Spacers fitted (camber not adjusted yet so a more negative on the N/S)

 

[Kris 172]

great project thread mate

 

[Bren Rogers]

great project thread mate

Cheers buddy... not much more to go until it's back on the road, but have a few other things I want to do once it is.

 

[Bren Rogers]

Wiring was attacked today, many laughs were had. Thought it would just be maybe 2 or 3 wires and a control box... oh no. This is what was ripped out.

Took (Jord) ages.. it was spliced into all sorts. Amazing just how many random wires and boxes there were. We managed to get the car cranking and the fuel pump primed, but no spark. There looks like there could be a few more wires lying around, perhaps nearer the UCH. So tomorrow the dash will be coming out and we'll be attempting to get it started. If we can't, then who knows what's up with it. Could be new loom time.. but of course I hope not.

oh.. and we were wondering how on earth the car had been working when the old ignition ring wasn't actually plugged into anything, and the plug was missing. Turns out the original key and ignition ring were taped together behind the clocks. We completely missed it. Couldn't believe what we were seeing.

so.. more headaches, and dash out tomorrow. Joy.

 

[f0xy]

The joys of people messing around with cars, and the headaches they leave behind. Absolute joke of a setup!

 

[Bren Rogers]

Also, got my hands on a new set of inlet manifold bolts as I've lost a couple and have a new RS lower inlet to fit. Typical Renault though, each bolt is in a separate bag.. gave me a laugh.

 

[Jon.G]

LOL at having the original key in the barrel behind the clocks. I wonder what pikey fitted that Clifford system!

 

[f0xy]

Its a f*cking mess, messed around with it for another few hours this afternoon and no joy. Need a different interior loom to try next

 

[Bren Rogers]

LOL at having the original key in the barrel behind the clocks. I wonder what pikey fitted that Clifford system!

Unbelievable isn't it.

Jord came down today to see if we could get it started, no luck again today after trying a couple of different things. So, probably going to have to try a different loom as there could be a random wire that's been messed with that we can't see until we take the whole dash out. Bit of a nightmare as we can get it to crank but it won't fire.

 

[alex-avfc]

Reckon it might be worth trying TDC sensor? That caused mine to crank but not start recently. Just give it a quick clean and try?

 

[Bren Rogers]

Reckon it might be worth trying TDC sensor? That caused mine to crank but not start recently. Just give it a quick clean and try?

Possibility, yet some of the relays in the engine bay didn't sounds like they were doing anything... so will give a new loom a go first.

 

[Stu.]

LOL at the key taped in, Unbelievable! Least you have a spare key now

 

[Bren Rogers]

LOL at the key taped in, Unbelievable! Least you have a spare key now

Tried the key, doesn't work.. changing the locks over anyway, as I bought ECU, UCH, ignition and locks off bomber as a full matching set.

 

[Mickb]

clifford shouldnt really be the fault for it not to start. if you have removed all the joines. it joins your ingnition barrel and then a -ne feed fron the coil pack.

thats how drivers did my intel start on my 1.6 when i got it

hope you get it sorted soon, nice build

 

[f0xy]

Joined in a lot of other places to that unfortunately, wires cut all round the MTU/UCH and in other places along the loom... whoever fitted it bodged it good and proper!

 

[Bren Rogers]

Well.. got hold of an unlocked Ph1 ECU from Wilky, and after some messing around. This happened.

[video=youtube_share;uMPqGXn9iCk]http://youtu.be/uMPqGXn9iCk[/video]

It's been nearly 8 months!

 

[f0xy]

*Decoded ECU from a Mk1 Conversion

 

[Bren Rogers]

*Decoded ECU from a Mk1 Conversion

That.

 

[david_]

Must be such a good feeling hearing and driving it again after all that time...

 

[Silent_Scone]

FLOL. That's quality

 

[Bren Rogers]

Must be such a good feeling hearing and driving it again after all that time...

Well not driving it yet, it's a while off being back on the road.

 

[Bren Rogers]

Starting to look much more like a car now. Engine may is finally tidied up, and everything routed correctly. Got round to replacing the Cabin filter too, which looked like it had never been done.

Engine bay is almost done, just need to mount the ECU. Quite nice to see things back together in some regard.

The interior just needs putting back together now, and looks like some relays may need replacing as the central locking has stopped working.

Starting to remember why I bothered to spend so much money getting in back on the road.. such a cool little car.