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30th January 2011.....VBOA meeting this morning and when I got home I spent the rest of the day, (until 8 at night), fixing my own bloody computer. Talk about a busman's holiday!!!!! So nothing much to report, DHR will have to wait until next weekend.
 29th January 2011.....I added some anti-freeze in the estate this morning as I hadn't got any last weekend when I changed the head. I also changed the fuse in the radio which had been blown for some time. It works fine now. The rest of the day was to be spent on DHR. I need to get the prop balanced as I changed the UJ's some time ago and it needs doing before I start driving her again in the good weather. At the same time I want to check the clutch, clutch cable and thrust bearing as there is a horrendous noise which goes away when you press the clutch down. I got her up on ramps and removed the prop. To get the gearbox off I need to remove the exhaust which is a bugger of a job on DHR. I managed to loosen all the nuts but then family arrived so I had to stop. I never got back up the garage again!
23rd January 2011.....I had left DHR outside all night in the cold and wet so thought I'd better make it worthwhile. Today I fitted the new back exhaust section on the estate that I bought before Christmas. It was for an HC really so would need to be 'modified' by me! If you look at the two together you can see the new one is longer. After removing all the exhaust I cleaned up all the ends, then put the new back box  roughly where it needed to be. Carefully putting the centre section on I marked where I thought it needed cutting then added two inches. After cutting the centre section it was two inches too long, so was cut again. It all went back together okay apart from the back hanger being in the wrong place as this exhaust sits about three inches over to the nearside more. I had to make up a new bracket and the jobs a 'good un'. I got some metal, marked it up, drilled the holes in the chassis rail and went to drill the holes in the metal. I was holding the metal in my hand, (as you do), when the metal caught and twisted round into my groin area and winding my overalls and trousers with it. even when I let go of the drill it was stuck on with that stupid little button so I had to try and reach the plug while holding the drill as far away from my 'not very often used bits' as possible. I now have a graze and bruise of about three inches in diameter which hurt quite a bit! I will post a picture sometime!!!!!!!
22nd January 2011.....I've got a whole weekend for garaging so I was up with the lark. The larks around our way don't start singing till 11. Today, for some reason I  changed the head over on the estate. Paul had given me a new head with new valves and last weekend, if you remember, I put it all together. Well today I fitted the new head but I don't really know why. By 5 o'clock I was driving her around the block smiling to myself. I wasn't really expecting to have her back today but she seems fine. The only problem I can find is still the temperature gauge. Why do none work on this car? As its Saturday I finished with a bottle of red and a Madras.
15th January 2011.....I only had Saturday in the garage this weekend as my oldest grandaughter has her 3rd birthday on Sunday. I did do a fair bit for a change and did manage to leave the garage tidy as well. I finished 'porting' the 1256 head and I'm chuffed with it. I need to get the valves back in before spot sees it though as I'm bound to have done something wrong! I lapped all the valves in, they are new ones, and re-fitted them. I cleaned everything in the parts washer, including the head itself and used a wire brush on a drill on all the threads in the head and every bolt. I have measured the two 1256 heads I have and the new one I want to fit has been skimmed. I then did some checking on the V8. I needed to know what type of dissy it has because accu-spark doesn't fit every Rover dissy. I also checked what needles are in the SU's for spot. Everdently he has special needles I can have? I never got to touch SHW but next weekend I believe is all mine.
9th January 2011.....I only went up the garage Sunday this weekend. I'm getting a bit lax now and must make more of an effort. I gave the plugs a clean on the estate. I must keep her in trim in this bad weather but she's been doing really well so far. I then moved the positive wire from the + on the coil to the + on the coil's ballast resistor. I've been told this gives out 12v rather than 9 so should be where the wire goes. Anyway I could'nt tell the difference after I'd done it. I can report that the electronic ignition is working well. Its definatly smoother and I'm sure better on petrol. I will give you all the readings when I next fill up. After that I spent ages porting the 1256 head that Paul gave me. This was quite enjoyable. I'm being very careful not to damage the valve seats this time but I took out all the rough edges I could find and smoothed it off. I did just start to grind the first valve in but was called in for tea. So that's it really, not much done but my resolution is to get up the garage more.
4th January 2011.....Happy New Year to everyone. Now that's out of the way I'll get straight down to it. What a waste of a holiday! Like everyone else I was snowed off for most of it. If I'd have been braver I could have done some work, but at my age the icicles form quicker because I can't move as quick as I use to. It was just to cold in the garage. I managed just one and a half days although I had eight off. What I did manage to do was collect a new back box for the estate that I won on E-bay from Edgware but what a journey. It should only have taken about half an hour but ended up taking about two and a half. Still I now have the back section. It's not for the estate, it for an HC but it can be made to fit. I did fit the Accu-Spark electronic ignition on the estate and for a change it was a doddle and worked first time. I will say I felt an immediate improvement at tickover and the vacuum gauge is showing better running as well. I've only done about 50 miles with it so far but will report back on it in a couple of weeks time. Click here for pictures and how too guide. I also covered half the grille on the estate and gave her a general check over. I fixed the loose connection on DHR's starter motor and made a better connection on the engine earth lead, which was very loose. I then dug out the twin Dellorto's and new manifold that will be going on DHR as soon as I've worked out how to do it. My 37 year old trolley jack also passed away last year but I've stripped it down and am hoping to get a friend who knows about hydraulic stuff to have a look at it for me. Tony doesn't know this yet but does read this so will do now. Anyway I hope you all got some nice Viva related bits from Santa and have a very enjoyable Vivaing new year.
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