A glimmer of progress

So, in my last update to the autocross engine project, I had just discovered that one of the out of production TRW forged pistons had been destroyed and the cylinder cracked when the valve seat dropped in the low mileage 140 from the "parts car" '66 Corsa. That was (I hope) the low point of the project.

Since then I got some tips on pressing wrist pins out of the rods, so I pressed the pin out. Good news is the rod (part of a Clark's balanced, sized, and ARP bolted set) appears to be ok. I'll have it magnafluxed and checked for straightness just to be sure, but they are tough so I'm hopeful. I also found something a little unexpected - the original nitrided crank hadn't been turned, just had .001 under bearings installed. I'll probably use this crank in another project and put a balanced one in its place. BTW, if someone has a good (studs intact) 164ci FC block I may be interested.

The block is ok, the cam journals are a little worn, measuring 1.442" (spec is 1.440"), but I think that might be ok. The studs have been replaced. One problem is the oil pickup tube is loose, if someone has a suggestion on fixing that I'd love to hear it - I suppose you could weld the hole and re-drill it if nothing else. I'll also be tearing down the old 140 that came out of the '65 Corsa, it has a lot of miles but if the cam bores are good I may be able to use it.