Expansion and contraction

                                       Burlington Diary September 2008 

The parts ordered during last week have mostly drifted into Westmead. Paddocks have replaced the horn but cannot find any evidence of the purchase of the incorrect regulator; bringing us to the conclusion that it was in fact acquired via Rimmers. Having checked the initial invoice from Rimmers with its endless corrections it is unclear whether or not it was supplied by them. But the mere fact that it was the wrong part, actually for a 6 cylinder Vitesse, indicates that it was sourced by Rimmers. Speaking of which, as I suspected, the stub stacks have arrived. Apparently manufactured by K and N but possibly made in some sweat shop in Taiwan. They are very poorly made, very coarse, crudely fashioned, but they can be rescued. The screws ordered from Alfred Derbyshire have not arrived but having spoken to ‘Andrew’ he assures me that they were dispatched on Thursday but if there is a doubt he will repeat the order despatching an identical quantity tonight. The pancake filters themselves are in transit, Dean of ‘Tunit’ is attempting to catch the post last night.

Chris has been brewing up a problem for the last week, systematically burbling away confined to the rear ‘spaces’ of his head. There has been a mysterious loss of water from various sections of the engine. Dick has been able to explain the difficulty. It is all to do with the way that metals expand then naturally contract. The core plugs have worked loose because, unless the engine is fired up to become hot, to subsequently cool later, to expand and contract in the block, the process of fusion cannot take place. The composition of the light alloy metal within the plugs would normally expand at a faster rate than the base iron of the block facilitating a tight seal but since the engine has been stood down for almost two years this procedure has not occurred. The water pump gasket and the water pump housing to the head gasket has suffered the same malaise consequently water is weeping from any orifice it can find creating rusty deposits where droplets land. Dick maintains that, “We must get the engine fired up as quickly as possible, if we are to prevent even more problems.” Unfortunately, and possibly likely, is the worst scenario; which is ‘cracked block’ syndrome.

If this is the case we shall need a new block, remove then later re-build the entire engine again, inform the DVLA that we have changed the unit then I shall have to shoot Brockbank who built the fucking thing in the first place. I cannot imagine that the block is cracked but I have learned not to take anything for granted.

I depart for France tomorrow for another 3 weeks. I have no idea what to expect when I return.