The Endless Cleaning of Oily Rusty Engine Components

With most of the engine away with the experts, I am left with a pile of dirty rusty parts to clean up. Joys!

I am sticking with this rocker cover rather than buying a new one because I like the original and understated look of it. Moreover, this engine build is getting well dear, so I'm trying not to bankrupt myself by forking out for things which I can restore with a bit of elbow grease.

Everything went in this box for a fortnight with some nice Lidl vingar.

Then I hosed it all down and finished it off with a wire brush. The parts below are now getting painted in temperature resistance gloss black. (Not the clutch bits or the carb plate, actually)

Here is the cleaned up front pulley, clutch diaphragm (waiting to hear if this is usable) and the back plate thingy that goes behind the timing chain. I'll paint the exposed bits of that when its in situ, I think.

I also took a wire brush to the starter motor body. (I had already done this earlier in the project, but I didn't paint it at the time, so its rusted itself up again since.) *EYEROLL*

Looks a bit more presentable now.

I also received a few of the bits I had ordered. I went for the duplex chain because they used one on the Ultimate 1380 build DVD so I thought it was an obvious choice. Plus, adjustable. Then I read in this months mini magazine that Keith Calver is not a fan at all, and says people fit them because of 'folklore'. *SIGH* Oh well.

Still waiting on the roller rocker assembly from minisport.

As the car has been sitting in the garage for over a year since it was painted, it was starting to look a bit dusty so I pushed it out onto the driveway to give it a wash.

Can't wait to get the engine in just to weight the front end down a bit!