Hi all:
The easy part, engine teardown on my series V is coming along real well, but
equally slow. I've decided to follow advice I saw here some time ago, to get
it running first, then complete the restoration while experiencing the joys
of roadside rehabs.
I'm learning new things about my favorite LBC all the time. I'm almost
certain this is the first time the engine has been torn down this far (it's
been in storage since '74). I am trying to interpret the piston markings:
FT, L, Z, C, HC on #1, #2, #3, but L, Z, D, HC on #4. The manual explains
the markings as FT= front, L = gudgeon (wrist) pin diameter, C (or D) =
piston diameter, HC = high compression, but doesn't mention the Z. It's
pretty clear on #1 & 2, only faint and incomplete on #3 & 4. I'm curious
about the Z, but I'd really like to know if mismatched piston diameters were
common on the 1725 engine and what if any effect this may have on the engine
life & performance. My uneducated guess is that the 0.020 mm difference (max
D diameter - min C diameter) at the standard 82.55 mm stroke is only 0.212 cc
and probably negligible, but hey, I'm still a novice at this.
By the way, any hints on how to get a front brake caliper piston free when
its well & truly frozen in place? The hydraulics are 100% gone, between the
ravages of time and a well meaning but misinformed DPO using DOT5 brake
fluid. Using the air compresser I got one side free, but no luck on the
other side. Now the caliper is split and the inboard half sits there on the
bench acting like a single piece of casting no matter what I try. To date
I've tried soaking in WD40, compressed air at about 80 psi, tapping the
piston in to break the seal, clamping the piston and using a mallet on
non-machined surfaces of the caliper, and heating the caliper followed with
the mallet & clamp. The piston hasn't budged. Next up is heat on the
caliper & cold on the piston, and then (when that fails) drilling & tapping
the piston to jack it out against the caliper bore. By that time I'll
probably have cracked the casting & bought a new caliper, but look at all the
fun I'm having!
Joe McConlogue
Series V in pieces all over the basement & garage
B395013758
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