V6 into a RHD Chrysler Neon mk1

[Mitsuru]

The things I get in the post!
Today the water pump and those bimetallic thermostatic switches.



I spent a good few hours trying to unbend the factory bent power
steering metal pipes. So that they would go around the tensioner
pulley bracket, and be able to be fixed to the engine bay wall.





I will be replacing them next year anyway so forgive me if they aren't
straightened out properly. Even with removing the exhaust manifold
there was very little space to work in.

I was laid across the rocker covers, the wind got up and down came
the bonnet on my head!

Luckily mother heard me cursing etc and came and got me out!!
Yes I have a bump on my head, no it didn't brake the skin.

It was easier and a lot less messy to bend the metal pipes than to cut
them and have power steering fluid all over the drive.
(which would upset dad)

Tomorrow I will fix the pipes to the engine bay wall and refit the exhaust
manifold. Then I can fit the water pump and start on the cooling system
assembly. Oh and measure up for another serpentine belt!

[Mitsuru]

I over slept as on the internet till 6am looking for suitable
aftermarket gear shifters to allow me to use all possible gears.

I managed to bolt the power steering pipes to the engine bay
wall, I have to admit it is secure but not pretty.

I had dropped the spanner a few times and noticed that the
hole which the speed sensor goes into was full with
transmission fluid!!!!



Is this due to there being too much in there or is there another
possible problem looming on the horizon?

Should I will dis connect one of the transmission cooling hoses
and drain some of the fluid out? or should I wait till the engine
is running before I rake the excess transmission fluid out?

I rebolted the power steering pump back in place, and connected
the earth strap to the tensioner pulley bracket.

Water pump and radiators tomorrow I hope.

[Mitsuru]

The exhaust manifold went back on an the spark plugs back in.
I the got some bits of copper pipe to make the brackets for the
cooling pipe from the heater matrix to the water pump.

I was soldering the joints outside in strong wins and the metal
wouldn't stay hot enough for my soldering.

Dad redid the soldering when he got home, the pictures are
before he sorted them out!





As Dean had popped over to sort Dad's discovery out and replace
the rubber donut on the prop shaft. Both Dean and my mother
helped move the cars around, the discovery came off the pit, the
neon was pushed forward off the drive and onto the garden and
was then pulled backwards back onto the drive so she could go
onto the pit facing out over making it easier to fit the exhaust
pipe/cat.

Dean had a go at fitting the exhaust down pipe to the neon, which
didn't go well at all! It didn't fit without being wedged against the
floor pan.

I have asked Dean if there is something he could do to sort it so it
does fit. He has stated that he needs some exhaust pipe and about
a day of cutting welding and fitting to get it right.

I didn'y get to fit the water pump with trying to make the pipe
brackets, so the cooling system is tomorrows task!

[Mitsuru]

I may have said this earlier but just incase anybody missed it!

ALL photographs and video footage has been and will be taken
by my Nokia E75 mobile phone which has a 3.2 mega pixel
camera.

I did very little on the car as I was drowned by the heavy
driving rain. I cleaned up the soldered copper brackets and drilled
fixing holes. I was about to attach the rubber hoses up and clamp
them. But another wave of the rain came over but this time it just
kept coming down.

So no pictures and not much done, what a waste of a day, the joys
of doing the whole thing out side!!!

[Landy Mann]

Indeed, it did seem fairly cold in up here in Shropshire working on the Landy, and it wasn't ideal temperatures for hameriting my bulkhead!

[Mitsuru]

Today the Water Pump finally got fitted. As I had used the
grinder taking the broken bolt down to the surface before
drilling it for a new bolt hole.

The grinder disk had scratched the surface which the gasket
would be trying to make a water tight seal, I decided to give
the rubber gasket a bit more help by applying gasket paste
on bolt sides before bolting it up.

All the roller pulleys were fitted and checked.



As I had to hold the alternator up in place while dad lined up
the pulleys for me.

The Power Steering Pump must not have been lined up right
when I made the upper alternator bracket, as it wouldn't fit
so it needed a bit shaving off the top to fit around the Power
Steering Pump's bottom.



A couple of minutes to bolt the fans bottom fixing brackets,
and yes they are staying red!

Ther radiator brackets aren't on yet!



As I had pushed myself my legs went out from under me as
I was turning to pick up the tools to tidy up. My legs just
need to rest but I fell try awkwardly on my right arm.

So this made food shopping not much fun!
It was even worse as I went around on the stores electric
scooter which the battery was dying on me, to be cornered
by someone giving medical advise who I didn't know and
acting as thought he knew what was wrong with me!

I told him to right his info down and I will look at it later
when I got home! this ment I didn't need to answer any
question he may have asked.
(I always have a pen & notepad)

After he had finished writing and talking, I politely stated
I needed to get back as I was expecting my brother up for
a few days, and that he was due tonight.
(My brother is not coming up it was an improvised lie)

I made it look like I was getting one or two more things but
headed for the checkouts, waited for mother and got out of
there quick just in case!


He wrote 2 pages of things to check and look into, I don't
know if he was a well meaning busy body seeing me in a
mobility scooter (even if it is a store one) or some garden
variety nutter.

I can just make out his hand writing, the 2nd page has
'Philosophy' written as the title. Some of the books he has
written down have 'Herbal' in their title. I have left the pad
in mother's car.

Indeed, it did seem fairly cold in up here in Shropshire working
on the Landy, and it wasn't ideal temperatures for hameriting
my bulkhead!

It will take longer to set in this temperature!
Luckily the wind has been off the land blowing too the north,
otherwise I would be too cold to do any work on the car.
As the car is facing north on the inspection pit, I have been
able to use it to protect me from the wind and it's cold bit!

[Mitsuru]

Sorry not touched the car for a couple days

For the past few days stomach bug!
Yes it's doing the rounds, the whole family has suffered
over the past few weeks.

Poor Dean my friendly mechanic has 4 kids, and has been
unable to do my car, as his whole family have it too. The
kids are having it bad, so don't expect Dean to even think
about fixing my mothers car or do my exhaust till the kids
are better.

I was feeling well enough to go shopping with mother. This
was to get the pipe for Dean to do my exhaust, and the
Serpentine belt. As well as parts for mothers car. Also I
have lost my faithful well worn leather gloves which I use
for working on the car!

With the weather changing over the past few days, my
arthritis has been kicking off, and the forecast is for snow on
Sunday/Monday!

I will try to get the radiator brackets together and fitted and
get most of the cooling system connected up. The injector rail
can be put on too. I haven't even thought about a bracket to
hold the coil pack!

[JPB]

the forecast is for snow on
Sunday/Monday!

Only on the tops, according to both the BBC's and Tyne Tees' forecast earlier this evening.
But then you were saying that we'd have snow in October and that didn't happen either.

[Mitsuru]

Well lets hope the weather forecast I saw was wrong JPB.
That way I have more time to do things outside.

[Mitsuru]

I had very little time on the car due to the weather.

First I have to admit something I ordered and bought
the wrong serpentine belt. I only realised when I went
to fit it. I needed a 6 ribbed belt and I got an 8, I
needed the belt to be 174-179cm but I ordered it
172cm. I have no idea why I did it!

The correct one has been ordered and the wrong one will
be returned.

Hoses to heater matrix were connected up with some
gasket paste as a lubricant to help the pipe slip on,
and help it seal well with the compression of the
jubilee clip.



I also hooked up the new hose from the new copper
piping to the waster pump.

As I was doing this, it started to rain and sleet!
Tools thrown back into the tool shed, I went and tried
to get the heat back into my legs.

The weather forecast fot today was windy an overcast
not rain or sleet!