Some final
observations:
After all the projects with my Capris, I usually make a few observations:
After all the projects with my Capris, I usually make a few observations:
1.
As frequently said, any such project takes a LOT MORE TIME & A LOT MORE MONEY
than you anticipate. This project dragged on for weeks & even though I am
retired & have no real commitments, it took much longer than I thought.
2.
Take plenty of photos before you start & as
you go. It is amazing how often you refer back to these to see where something
went originally.
3.
Keep all nuts, bolts & fittings for a part
together (eg. manifolds, carbie). I use small plastic bags & write on them
with a marker pen. This time I only had one washer left over.
4.
Removing the engine by disconnecting the torque
converter, as suggested in the manual, would have been very difficult, as the
bolts connecting it to the flex plate were extremely tight & in a very
difficult spot. The engine crane is essential in this type of exercise &
makes things very easy. Re-connecting the engine with torque converter to the
transmission wasn’t as difficult as I thought it might be, provided you have an
old expert to help you. We just took it slowly & with the right angle, it
slid together without too much fuss. Again, the engine crane is invaluable.
5.
Cleaning all the bits takes a fair bit of time
and is also the messy part. Then add on the time to repaint everything.
6.
Parts are still pretty easy to obtain, if you
know where to go. My local Autobarn are very helpful & usually can have the
parts ready the following morning which is a pretty good service. They also
give me a little discount which is also helpful. The most difficult part to obtain
was the alloy Y hose junction piece that connects the automatic choke to the
inlet manifold. I could not obtain the original type connection but substituted
it with a brass T section plus a brass reducer. Not the prettiest but it does
what is required. I used several non-genuine parts, some of which were very
good but a couple are not quite the same & I will discuss them later.
7.
When you are working with heavy items eg engine
blocks make sure you use safe practices – not like me! Some may have read of my
accident! MOVE ENGINE BLOCKS CAREFULLY & keep your legs & feet away
when they fall over! I was very lucky that the only broken thing was the
distributor – not my foot!
8.
The Accuspark electronic distributor seems to be
very successful but was not as easy to slot in as I first thought. A few more
details on the instruction sheet would be helpful as getting the optical marks
in the correct area needed a bit of accuracy. After the initial installation
worries, it seems to be working very well.
9.
Have plenty of RP7 or WD40 handy as you use heaps
on old nuts & bolts.
10.
Repainting of the engine bay wasn’t as
successful as I had hoped. It is certainly much better & looks a lot
cleaner than it was but it is not the same as those who paint it at the same
time as doing the complete body.
11.
Some days are what I call AXE DAYS! I really
feel like getting the axe out & chopping up the Capri. Thankfully, these
only last a short time and the axe never really comes out. I had a few this
time & they usually occur when something breaks. Anyway, the sky won’t fall
in if it all takes another day!
12.
So far I am pretty happy with the end result
& the fact that I have done it, gives me a bit of a good feeling!
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