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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2013 21:14:32 GMT
hi this is my first post so i hope it comes out right. i bought myself a ss eagle to restore 3 months before the credit crunch hit. i was planning to pay for it to get restored, but now i cant afford it. my main problem is i know little about mechanics but many years ago i helped my farther who is no longer here to help. my main problem is the engine which i believe to be a 2l cortina engine. if i remove the engine and strip it down and rebuild it is there a way to start it with out fitting it all back into the car. when i bought the car the engine did run, the problem was the clutch was jambed. or do you think i would be better to sell it on. i know the chassis is good as it is one of the factory built ones which might help with the age of the car.
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Post by scooby on Jun 27, 2013 8:43:23 GMT
Hi John. to hear of your situation. If the car was a 'runner' before you bought it, it could very well be worth you continuing with it: the actual parts are cheap - it's the time it takes that's the killer! And hopefully you do still have the time even tho' the recession may have swallowed some of your hard-earned. The absolutely first thing to take into account is, what is the car referred to in the V5 document? If it's 'correctly' registered as an 'Eagle' (or something similar which clearly shows that it's a kit car), then great. Sadly, if it's still recorded as a Ford Cortina or similar, it might very well not be worth continuing with as to get it through the current IVA (?) tests could be prohibitively hard (read: expensive). Perhaps others on here could advise on just how hard it is to IVA an SS? Other than a seized clutch, was the engine running fine, with no rattles or smoke? If so, it doesn't really need a rebuild. If it's running at the moment, there are a few tricks you can try to release the clutch without dismantling anything - tho' it doesn't work in every case. Let me know if it's running, and I'll suggest a few things you can try If you post some photos and the reg number, the car might even be known to some members on here. Good luck.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2013 17:56:55 GMT
yip as Scooby said if hopefully its only the clutch that's seized there are ways of freeing it off which usually work. if its possible to try and manually turn the engine over with a spanner or socket on the main crankshaft pulley then that will tell if the engines seized or not, if not there's hopefully no need to strip the engine. My SS sat for a number of years in someone's back garden before I got it and once I put some petrol in and changed the spark plugs the engine started fine Brett
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2013 20:12:27 GMT
hi the v5 is registered as an eagle kit car and the registration is Q233 GFV. i will upload some photo's of it tomorrow if i can work out how to do it and add some more information about it.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2013 21:07:05 GMT
That s a good start, 10 months to Stoneleigh!
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Post by Peter on Jun 28, 2013 21:18:26 GMT
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Post by scooby on Jun 28, 2013 21:49:03 GMT
That's excellent news about the V5, John. You have yourself a worthwhile project!
Does the engine run now? When did you last try? If it does run, there are things we can try to free the clutch.
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Post by Peter on Jun 28, 2013 22:11:30 GMT
Like bump it in 2nd, then floor the clutch pedal and rev it and hope it breaks loose before you run out of road and have to switch off and stall it, kinda method. Or the safer, in gear, pedal down and rock it. ;D ;D
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Post by scooby on Jun 29, 2013 10:55:57 GMT
I had to do a body-off repair to my Dutton at one time, and that meant it was off the road for a few weeks. Darned if that clutch didn't decide to seize in that short time!
I hitched it up to a van and had a friend tow me all around the village I lived in then, me in 2nd or 3rd gear and the clutch floored all the time. Nothing. I couldn't believe it - I thought the constant drag of the engine would have been enough!
So I jacked up the whole rear, chocked the front tyres, and got it fired up. I can't remember what gear I used - 2, 3 or top - but I had it running at around '30mph' with the clutch depressed (as was I becoming...) and repeatedly and sharply snatched the handbrake up and down.
A good dozen pulls and, "clang!", it finally freed.
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Post by Peter on Jun 29, 2013 12:29:35 GMT
Trick is, if you 'know' you are going to lay a car up for a long time, apart from the obvious, like put the car on blocks, drain fuel tank/carb. leave handbrake off, etc, jam the clutch pedal down, that way the friction plate cannot glue itself to the flywheel and pressure plate.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2013 14:24:00 GMT
I was looking through some sites and opened this one (Eagle owners club audiografix). I think it's part of this site but I can't access it from here. Well when I opened it there was a couple of photos of my eagle when it was in better condition than it is now. They must have been put on by a previous owner. I can't see the reg no but the paint job is identical. If you's fancy a look its the black and yellow one. My eagle won't start at the moment, the water hoses are perished at the moment and there seems to be an electrical fault somewhere. When I bought the car it was in a bit of a state with quite a bit of work needing done. It has layen in my neighbours garden for a few years now. The Elictrics and cosmetics should not be a problem to me once I take it all back to basics. All my problems will come from the engine and running gear as its been that long sinse I last looked at one (25-30 years).
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Post by Peter on Jun 29, 2013 19:38:27 GMT
Well, first off, welcome to the forum iohnjc - Nice to hear from someone who has a Eagle and is going to rescue it, in due course. Any help or advise can be had on here both mechanical and restoration works and no such thing as a "stupid question", we have all asked them, that's how we know the answers. , many of us have been doing this stuff for years, and years and years.... The eagleownersclub.org.uk is the parent site of this forum, there are many interesting articles under 'technical', and the past shows and members cars too. The audiografix site was a 'test' which for some reason is still active but not the "official" site and has many dead pages and out of date links, but Steve did a good job on the layout and it may well see the light of day yet. In fact I have used the background on the new register page, YES EVERYONE, A NEW PAGE!.As soon as you start on your restoration also start a build thread of your own under the type specific, (SS, RV, 2+2 P series etc) For instance mine is "A bit more done" under the SS board, you can also build your own web pages with www.own-free-website.com . Also while I'm at it, could you update your profile with your location so we know where abouts you are and we also know if someone is near you if help is needed. Look forward to seeing it on the road before too long and read the thread, "So you want to build a kit car" under General, might help a bit too. Regards, Peter
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