Dutton Dementia

[Mick O'Malley]

Originally Posted by froggyman

Just caught up on your posts Mick, good progress despite the weather and hours of darkness. Have a great Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.

Many thanks froggyman, season's greetings to you also. I'm off to Nuneaton in a couple of hours to collect my cylinder head . Looking on the bright side, it starts getting lighter in a couple of days .

Regards, Mick

[Mick O'Malley]

Nice easy pick up on Monday, went the quick way; returned down the relaxing Fosseway. Very pleased with my new acquisition: it's clearly been well stored. The seller knew his onions, good knowledgeable bloke to chat engines with .



Picture taken in its new home - my living room, as it awaits its distant installation...

Regards, Mick

[Mick O'Malley]

Once the festivities were over, I took the head to Imp Guru Mark Maynard who gave the casting the thumbs up, then stripped it down as I watched, persuading me of what needed replacing with new as he went. The considerable expense involved (supply and fit) will only need to be stumped up once my job gets to the end of the queue - not a problem as there's so much work for me to do on the project before firing up time eventually arrives.

I went and saw my MIG/TIGmeister on Monday and booked a 'foreigner' slot for Friday. The three intervening days were filled with much flap wheeling of the mating surfaces of metal and ensuring the rig, as shown below, was roadworthy.



The 12 mile morning trip to the workshop was uneventful, and work commenced with assembly of the engine mountings and the seat belt rear mountings frame. Once these were done attachment to the frame began. I popped the headlamp bowls on to draw the eye to their mounting stubs as seen below, together with the shiny new engine mountings. Some of the many many plug welded rivet holes are also visible.



This shows the 'virtual engine' sitting comfortably on them - a big relief that my measurements and design had been OK!



This last one shows that the seat belt mounting measurements were slightly generous , the upside down frame just snagging on the leaf springs. About a centimetre lopped off the errant outer ends will correct this.



Lots of flap-wheeling, de-greasing and painting of the frame are my next tasks.

Regards, Mick

[MartinClan]

Good progress!

Originally Posted by Mick O'Malley

Lots of flap-wheeling, de-greasing and painting of the frame are my next tasks.

Ah - don't envy you that task - it took me several goes with the Marlin chassis although it was grubbier than your Dutton one. In particular, as it had a Morris drivetrain, it was very very greasy and oily. I suppose on the upside that kept the rust at bay. In most places anyway....

[Mick O'Malley]

Thanks Martin, encouragement is always most welcome .

I made an earlyish start this morning, rugged up with two boiler suits, a fleece, and my newly bought Trapper Hat. I g-clamped the seat belt mounting frame to the Workmate and disced off the errant ends. I also cut angles at the front ends of its longitudinal members to prevent 'digging in' on imagined extra high speed bumps, and more where it sat very near the diff. Bolting it back showed satisfactory clearances.



I then retrieved the seat bucket from the body heap and dropped it into place in readiness for accurately marking the belt attachment holes.



Using the ever useful ratchet strap, the Workmate and not a little effort , I heaved the front end up far enough to crawl beneath armed with correction fluid and marked the gismo.



Clamping it to the Workmate again I drilled pilot holes in anticipation of offering up the belts and sufficiently opening up said holes.



Despite spending a frustrating hour turning both sheds upside down, the belts (bought Sept. 22) remained stubbornly hidden in whatever 'safe place' I'd stowed them. A little disheartened, not to mention cold, I called it a day.

Regards, Mick

[peterux]

Originally Posted by Mick O'Malley

Despite spending a frustrating hour turning both sheds upside down, the belts (bought Sept. 22) remained stubbornly hidden in whatever 'safe place' I'd stowed them. A little disheartened, not to mention cold, I called it a day.

Regards, Mick

That happened to me a couple of times during my 'extended' build.
If it helps, I think my Securon belts came in white boxes with black printing.
Hoping that might help you find them.