"Berang" (berang)
05/24/2020 at 23:33 • Filed to: None
0
14|
"Berang" (berang)
05/24/2020 at 23:33 • Filed to: None | 0
| 14 |
The engine is tired and showing signs it is on its last legs. I’m not really sure how to feel about it. When I bought this car four years ago, I told myself I’d hang on to it for five years before moving on to something else. It wasn’t that I was telling myself I needed to sell it and move on after five years, just I wasn’t going to sell it before five years were up. So with four years gone and the fifth ticking down, I feel a bit ambivalent about this.
The matter is that the engine has been running poorly for a couple of weeks, and getting worse. I went to do a tune up this weekend, and found evidence of massive blow-by in one cylinder. Fouled spark plug and puffs of smoke out the rocker cover when the oil cap was removed and the engine revved. I already knew the engine was kind of tired a couple years ago, always warmed it up with a gentle circle around the block before going to work, never floored it, and kept the oil changed every 3000 miles. But it’s an old engine, and I suspect the previous owner flogged it. There’s not much I can do about it now. I don’t have the space or time to tear it down and rebuild, and I’m already deep into repairing the ‘68 96 that ttyymmnn helped me rescue from the farm.
My options are basically find a good running engine for cheap and swap it in, or sell the 95 and buy a new (to me) car. Right now I’m giving a nominal effort to fishing around for a new engine, but it’s most likely I’ll be selling the 95 soon and moving on.
66P1800inpieces
> Berang
05/25/2020 at 00:01 |
|
Better than I. I can never get rid of anything in a timely fashion , then the wife gets me to do periodic cleanup, then I realize I got rid of something I needed. Over the years I have gotten better at it. But it’s good you have had fun with it, and other outlets like the 96 can be your focus and soften the blow.
ttyymmnn
> Berang
05/25/2020 at 00:02 |
|
I’m already deep into repairing the ‘68 96 that ttyymmnn helped me rescue from the farm.
Speaking of which, how’s that going? I haven’t seen any recent reports.
|
66P1800inpieces
> ttyymmnn
05/25/2020 at 00:06 |
|
I was just reading up on the 96 and per wiki when they were looking new engines they were considering the Volvo B18 “The B18 was the most reliable, but the Ford V4 was not far behind and was significantly easier to fit into the engine bay of the 96.” Odd they were looking at it ( I guess they had their reasons) as it was an old tractor engine originally.
|
ttyymmnn
> 66P1800inpieces
05/25/2020 at 00:08 |
|
Did you mean to reply directly to Berang with this?
MiniGTI - now with XJ6
> Berang
05/25/2020 at 00:13 |
|
I don’t remember if you saw I’ve found a nice 1998 900 convertible nearby. Thinking of picking it up so the whole family can go on evening sanity drives.
Only thing is having 5 cars at my house seems like a disease:
2016 V60
2013 MINI
1985 Jaguar
1976 TR6 (have full driving privileges but doesn’t belong to me)
1998 Saab 900 convertible????
|
Berang
> ttyymmnn
05/25/2020 at 00:20 |
|
It’s been stalled since the stay at home order. The local Swedish car shop declined to do the work I requested. A friend with a press was going to replace the bushings in the front end but has self quarantined, and remains at home even though the order was lifted. I’ve got all the parts ready to go. The engine has been running, but one of the intake valves is stuck, and I’ve been trying to free that up recently, with the hope I can do that without having to remove the cylinder head. The heads are practically spotless under the rocker covers, so either the heads were rebuilt before it was parked, or at least somebody put them in a parts washer and cleaned them up. No engine , no matter how often the oil was changed is that clean under the covers after 50 years. Basically, if it weren’t for COVID, it’d be back on the road right now.
|
ttyymmnn
> Berang
05/25/2020 at 00:25 |
|
Well, that sucks. Hopefully you’ll get that squared away soon. Got any pics?
|
66P1800inpieces
> ttyymmnn
05/25/2020 at 00:25 |
|
Probably, just past midnight here and I think I figured they would read your reply so I went with it :)
|
Berang
> ttyymmnn
05/25/2020 at 00:33 |
|
I’m really bummed because I wanted to have the mechanical stuff done before the weather turned hot. Things just didn’t turn out that way. So close, yet so far.
And I do have some pics I haven’t posted yet. Since I’m waiting on getting the front end back together, I’ve been rubbing the oxidation off the paint with rubbing compound. Time consuming, but not much else I can do right now with what I got at home.
Other than getting the front end back together, it’s just finding the glass that’s holding me up. I expect I’ll have things in order by the end of the year. Obviously, you’re going to need to take it for a spin.
|
ttyymmnn
> Berang
05/25/2020 at 00:38 |
|
Sounds good, and unfortunate that this virus BS has thrown such a wrench in the works. Looking forward to seeing it run! Good luck.
Stef Schrader
> Berang
05/25/2020 at 00:58 |
|
Oh no. :( I love this car so much.
If you decide to fix the engine anyway and extra hands fixing it , let me know. I have no idea what I’m doing, but hey! I’m around.
|
Stef Schrader
> Berang
05/25/2020 at 00:59 |
|
Oh man, that looks fantastic.
RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
> Berang
05/25/2020 at 03:40 |
|
I can understand your plight....I’d hate to see this car leave Oppo hands though! It is by far one of the most unique, quirky and recognized cars here! Is it hard to find and fit an engine in one of these?
I forget...is yours a two-stroke?
KnowsAboutCars
> Berang
05/25/2020 at 04:59 |
|
I’d love to help but unfortunately shipping an engine halfway across the world isn’t really a budget friendly option.