So, having started to post videos on Instagram (@luegolover) I thought I should start putting them on here too.

Another very chilly but beautiful morning in sunny London and the heater is on again.

Started by removing the pin that holds this leaver on the shaft that works on the solenoid switch for the overdrive.  I found it tricky to get a punch of the right size so used an old allen key thing that is part of a cheap socket set I never use and it worked a treat.  I replaced the oil seal and bashed the pin back.  I always wonder with this type of think if I have hit it hard enough and as I never do anything like this I have no real idea, oh well, if it fall off then I'll know.

Next was the spring and tube that sit behind the solenoid mounting plate.  I decided to grease the gasket rather than use a sealing compound.  I had gone to great lengths to make sure the surfaces are flat and burr free so I think it should be ok.


























I got it all together which is good.  At this point I realised that I had no bolts or washers etc. left over which was really quite good.  Actually I am one spring washer short and there is the outside possibility that it is lurking around somewhere inside the unit but I doubt it.

 

I then went to install this switch, which I think is to turn the overdrive off if reverse is selected,  only to realise that I didn't have a spanner of the correct size.  I found a spanner that was just a little too small in a collection of old spanners given to me ages ago and took it to the grinder, great fun.

Having had an email conversation with John of Healey 100 register fame about the damaged cotter pin I have decided to take the bottom of the threaded lug off so that I can mount the locking nut below the lug and therefore make more space for a decent amount of adjustment.  I think next weeks pictures will explain that better than I have just managed to.

A lovely and bright but very cold London day today so I put the heaters on in the garage before a small sausage sandwich  breakfast; a man needs energy for a days work!

I managed to get the the gear selector on after a bit of fiddling.  I also fitted the parts that I had painted black before I turned my attention to the side cover and all the bolts that that secure it.

The cotter pin for the gear lever adapter was pretty damaged which is a shame as I could have ordered one of those a while back had I known, oh well.

I laid out the gaskets for the side covered and realise that they will be fiddly to fit so I decided to leave them for now because I want to be able to fit them all in one go and I won't be able to do that without a new cotter pin.

I then turned my attention to the overdrive and began to sort out the studs that had been extracted by mistake and the general gunk that sat in the bottom of it.

I started to rebuild the gearbox and had to spend a fair bit if time cleaning it.  I was conscious that I have spent a lot of time cleaning this already but it is still pretty grubby.

It was lovely work but I am very nervous about it.

The gearbox is remarkably healthy looking for a 64 year old beast.  That is very pleasing.

I had bought a plate for the gearbox that enables the blanked off 1st gear to work but it seems exactly the same as the original which means I bought the wrong one or that it had already been done as an upgrade, who knows.  This will have to wait until the car is driven.

I enjoyed fitting the double seal and the felt seal as it seemed like a positive step.

However I couldn't get the selector on and decided at that point to take a break.

I tried the new solenoid and it seemed like the plunger was too long, umm,......

Yesterday was a good day.

John was in fine form and very inspirational as ever.  We started by separating the gearbox & overdrive and then took the later to bits.

From start to finish it was a good day.  The overdrive is in good order and only needs a clean out of the built up sludge.  The gearbox was also surprisingly good which is great because a new set of gears is the best part of £6000 and that would have really derailed the project.  We looked at the steering box and idler and both of those were good as well.  Finally John found a new, and straight lever for my brake master cylinder.

All in all a very good day.  I have a rebuilt engine, good gearbox, overdrive and steering box.  Perfect, all I need to do now is put them back together and stick them in the car.

:-)

Tomorrow I am off to see John again with my gearbox/overdrive unit to get an idea from him on what I need to do to get it ready for installation.  I am very excited about it.  This morning I dragged the gearbox out of storage at my in-laws and grabbed a few other things like the prop shaft to take with me for his views.  Some of the other parts I have been working on are also coming and I had a few final bits of fettling & cleaning to do before I could take them; so a day getting mucky beckoned.


I started with the idler which I spent a while looking for last week without luck only to see it on the floor right in front of me all along.  The movement is very smooth so I hope it is ok.  I started to clean it off and looked at the steering arm and decided that I should just get on and heat it to remove it.  So I took the cheap and cheerful puller and managed to clamp it on the arm without the damaged thread section getting in the way and applied some heat.  It popped off.  I cleaned the rest of it up then took the steering box and did the same to that.  No obvious signs of damage, phew.

I realise this connecting rod is knackered and am somewhat pleased to note that they are pretty reasonably priced new which is a relief.  The longer rod does come apart and I can buy just the ends which I will do although the price for the whole thing is not much more than a pair of rod ends but I like to reuse what I can.

I did also find the arm for the master cylinder which is bent, hopefully John has one as I couldn't see them listed on Ahead4 Healey's website.

Very much looking forward to tomorrow.

Jolly happy to be back in the garage.  On the basis that I am taking the gearbox / overdrive unit to see John next weekend I am thinking that I should make the most of the opportunity to get some advice.  So I pulled the master cylinder apart and set about cleaning it.  The exposed section of the inner bore is a little pitted which is a shame but I suspect it'll be ok.  I can't locate the rod that pushes the piston which is troublesome.

I wanted to do the steering idler next but couldn't find it so grabbed the steering box and set about stripping that down.  The actual box looks like it has been recently (well in terms of a 1954 car) worked on which bodes well as the paint was quite new looking.  However, it feels rough when I move the arm for the steering connector rods.  It felt less rough when I turned the steering column though.

The connecting rods were very difficult to remove so I needed a hammer and some heat.  I couldn't get the steering arm off, even broke my puller.  I was reluctant to use heat on that incase it would have a detrimental effect on the steering box itself so I will have to put some more thought into it and come back another day.

Once I removed the cover I could see the main gears and they looked ok but I can't be sure from just looking.  I didn't want to remove the pegs though as I didn't want the bearings scattering everywhere.

Finished up by letting the oil drain away.