Red Rallye resto

[Ben_w]

So, still going and hoping to get a lot more done on it this year. Fed up with looking at it and the wife has just got a new job with a £7k pay rise so likely to be some spare cash this year! Woohoo!

So, with a relatively mild New year's Eve behind me, I needed something to do today…..with it being too cold and wet to do anything on the body of the Rallye, my attention turned to the engine I have waiting on the stand in the garage.

This engine is the one that came from the 6 I broke last year (I can say that now…!!). The only difference between a Rallye and a 6 is that the 6 engine has an Aircon compressor, and as a result, a different auxiliary belt set up. The compressor got binned ages ago (if I remember correctly, I had to take it off to help get the engine out). There's a big bolt on cast bracket that bolts to the engine block which carries the compressor, alternator and power steering pump. I'm pretty certain this is the same across the 6/Rallye engines and it's just a case of getting rid and swapping the aux belt set up. Need to check if the tensioner is different but it's no a big job to swap, even less so if it's part of a complete rebuild out of the car.

So, onto the strip down. First job was removed the rear engine mount as it hold the  intermediate drive shaft, which didn't want to budge. Removal and introduction to a BFO hammer persuaded to two to part company. You can see the rust formed.on the inside.of the bearing housing.... Exhaust manifold next. Please excuse the term of phrase but what an utter arse of a job to get off. Being pretty much an equal length item, it's a of a tangle, with access to the bolts holding to the head minimal at best aside from the 4 at either side. Add 120k miles of heating and cooling cycles, chuck in many puddle splashes etc and it's likely easier to get the wife to put out than it is get the damn thing off….

Now, there are ten bolts, screwing onto studs mounted in the head, holding the manifold on. 13mm, rusty, crusty mess of thing(s). 4 came off with the 13mm socket. The rest just laughed at me. Didn't laugh so much when I hammered Mr 12mm on. More easily on some than others but in the end I won. Except for the fact not a single bolt unwound, rather winding the stud out of the head. No biggy, at least none sheared.

With the exhaust manifold off, I turned my attention to the inlet side of the engine. No really dramas here, removed the loom as much as I could, fuel rail, injectors, coil pack all off and then got busy taking the inlet manifold off. Again, no issues, no stuck bolts etc. It was only when I took it off I realised the Helmholtz resonator box had been removed and the manifold plugged. Something else for me to replace…..

With all that off, it was time for the rest of the ancillaries to come off. Only issue was a snapped bolt on the power steering pump. A stud extractor should sort that.

The block has plenty of surface rust, once stripped, a good vapour blast should sort that. I had a Halfords gift card for my birthday so bought myself some new mole grips as my old mines were knackered and some proper pipe clip pliers. How I've managed without these, I have no idea. No more using a screwdriver and stabbing yourself in the hand as it releases....



























I have had the bargain spotter fired up too. Brand new, in the Peugeot packaging, fuel filler door. £4, delivered!




Interesting in that it's got a defect in the primer....nothing 10 mins with a sanding block won't fix but not what you'd expect in a brand new part!