Recommissioning of the Denovo 3500

There's nothing unknown in them but some do contain some interesting machinery.
Mind you, there was a cannibis farm in one for some time, unbeknownst to the other tenants. :oops:
 
Found this today, not sure where l got it but it's quite a nice one, no backing plate. Somewhere I'm sure l have an unused one in a plate but with a crack down it which l bought for a nice price some years ago.69346977_10219608384711050_4921775716531437568_o.jpg
 
I did that, only not quite so bad on a run what you brung day at Woodbridge airfield. I removed the pushrods and borrowed a FB hammer from a tyre guy and beat them straight again, then drove the car home. I think it only had 5 1/2 cylinders because of the bent valves.

Do not over rev your Rover peeps, they don't like it ;)
 
Harvey thinks the valves. The one he did see with stripped timing bent the valves. Adam B suggested the old petrol has gummed up the valves which sounds extremely likely as she hasn't had a tankful of fresh for quite some time.
We'll find out later.
 
All the inlet valves are seized. I do have a pair of Sd1 heads on the shelf with some seized valves too but have another pair on the horizon which should give us the parts to make a good pair.
While the engines hat is off l'll tittivate the engine bay & put Bruiser's old heater unit (which was reconditioned a few years back) in place of the present bypassed one, so silver linings & all that.20220304_161916.jpg
 
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Carrying on with the underbonnet tittivation, nearside first. I had the wiper motor out for a spruce-up. The rubber bobbins were good but one of the mounts had come away from the retaining ring & the bleed pipe had broken off of the vacuum delay unit. As it happened l had a spare wiper motor assembly on the shelf with a delay unit & ring-mount which was handy:

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The spruced unit:

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Partly cleaned & prior to the wiper mount being removed for cleaning & painting:

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Mostly done over that side. I thought l was going to have to paint the under-screen section but l degreased it for a wipe over & the thick light brown coating of caked on dirt disappeared to reveal the original black paint. I'm expecting Bruiser's old heater unit to arrive back from Rich soon to install in here after a couple of coats of Simoniz Tough Black, which is the underbonnet coating of choice, recommended by Harvey:

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Work has started on the offside which is a bit more populated than t'other side. Degreased & jetwashed already, l'll take off as much as l can for access. Some tidying up of the wiring & various connections will be carried out too:

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While you have everything out, check under the steering damper for rust in the big groove. its a water trap for water coming from the hole for the mechanism in the guard and can rust unseen. Steering box side normally has too much oil about to rust...
M
 
While you have everything out, check under the steering damper for rust in the big groove. its a water trap for water coming from the hole for the mechanism in the guard and can rust unseen. Steering box side normally has too much oil about to rust...
M

Do you mean the square aperture beneath it? I cleaned it out then gave it a good squirt of etch primer before painting it. I certainly didn't see any rust, which is pretty much the norm for this car. She needs three small plates on the sills but nothing remotely drastic.
 
My word, it's a cuss-inducing blighter even when you can get to it. The tap was seized, l couldn't even move it with a hammer & bar though l didn't try really hard:

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Of course once in the vice it gave in smartish & the 'O' ring was well past its sell-by date:

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While it's out give it a polish:

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Back in situ:

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Now to tackle that disintegrated throttle seal on the bulkhead.
 
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Not an onerous task but getting the bottom bolt out of the support bracket on the nearside took an age. It mostly came out then the head rounded off. Fun with an underpowered (my small compressor) air hacksaw & some heat finally disposed of it, both replaced with a longer but otherwise suitable pair. Vaseline helped the rubber along the shaft, as the actress said to the bishop:

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It probably wouldn't have been possible without the top of the engine off.
Two small jobs but l think that will do for the day.
 
That support bracket can be removed with the engine intact and in situ, but there's even less space for twiddling wrenches. Here's hoping your new grommet lasts longer than my replacement did. – Rolls eyes and groans –
 
I think l'd have given up with the bottom bolt the way it was. If it doesn't last the new owner will have an easier time of it than l did. :)
 
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