Ok, update time....
The weekend just gone had been scheduled as the worst-case "big day" for getting the engine back into the chassis. There were something like 4 alterations to the plan, to get availability in peoples diaries, and so on. At one point I was looking to get it in midweek the week before, but work commitments dictated otherwise.
Saturday was spent finishing off those niggly jobs, the stragglers at the bottom of any To-Do list that hold no appeal whatsoever. As is always the case, it's actually a useful exercise just going over everything and double-checking. Of course, I'm hoping I've caught all of the small stuff, like boost hoses that were now a little too tight against the coil electrical connectors. One job I had on the whiteboard was to finish the oil pressure/relief spring checks; I'd deliberately left both loose while I went away to find the definitive description on which spring goes into which hole. I also dug out the little spacer now used on the longer, vertical spring. A dip into John's excellent
Ultimate Oil Pressure Relief Valve Thread gave me all the reassurance and cross-checks I needed! (thanks Mr C!)
A full-on day just tinkering, very productive rather than frustrating. An early night finish in anticipation of an early, full day on Sunday.
Working solo on Sunday morning, first order of the day was to get the car out, then the engine through from the workshop into the garage (with the engine rotated vertically on the stand and only 2mm clearance to the brickwork!)....then the scary bit, lifting the engine off of the stand. I don't know about you, but seeing mortgage-levels of engine dangling 3ft off the ground, and wrestling the P201 basket off from the engine stand, is terrifying and needs a few brave pills. The one piece of garage equipment I don't have, is a lifting bar with the screw thread, that you can adjust the angle of.
Anyway, t'was done, and seeing the engine safely sitting on the ATV hydraulic jack meant I could take a well earned coffee break (no beers yet...). P201 removed, new flywheel bolts torqued up and the clutch back on, next job was the piece of tinware that sits above the 1-2-3 oil scavenge pump; with the P201 installed it simply won't allow you to install it. Oil scavenge pump return line also fitted, everything routed out of the way from the throttle linkage (harnesses mainly) and it's time to get the transmission mated.
It was at this point that my Brother happened to pop in on his way back from golf. Silly boy. Things are starting to get really heavy now, so another pair of hands to manoeuvre everything was very useful. The next 4 hours were spent carefully orchestrating each piece of equipment, in exactly the right order, to get the engine/box back in 5mm at a time (I kid you not).
Driveshaft clearance is the usual ballache, clearing the transmissions CWP housing, while making sure the stabilising arms don't foul the clutch line that crosses the transmission tunnel. Lots of "spinning plates" to keep an eye on, so Ollie's help was truly invaluable. Despite this, I feel like I had a 12hr HIIT workout throughout the day and only today am I really feeling the effects of it!! I must've smacked my head on the bloody bumper support brackets (sharp) more times that I can remember.
And that was pretty-much it for the day. Exhausted, hot but pretty jubilant that nothing had gone wrong, no cock-ups and the car is now getting back towards it's correct stance. It always amazes me how different and small it looks when sitting correctly rather than at SUV height, "sans drivetrain".
Bumper, heat shields and covers will remain off the car until after all the hub dyno calibration work is complete; makes no sense to fit it all back only to find it needs removing to nip something up, or replace a part, with the dyno facility clock ticking.
However, lots of plumbing and hooking-up of stuff to now be done before I can get Sam down here to build a base map to fire the engine up with, run it in and perform any snagging fixes. I'm aiming for three weekends time for that; this weekend is too close, the following weekend Lucy and I are off to finish our PADI Open Water, do our Advanced OW and also our deep diving certification...so that should give me plenty of time to get it done, interior back in and ready to go.