Engine removal - the change begins.

Engine swap part 1 (of many)

Sad to decommission the sunbeam but it's time to remove the old engine.

Deadline to have it all on the road again is June 2017.
But hopefully earlier.

We are going to the Laon Classic June 3rd in France.

No pressure yet.. (But many overseas jobs on the horizon)







It took all after noon to get the engine out.
Maybe not the best idea to leave the gearbox behind.
But the auto box looks big and heavy.

Not very much space in the engine bay to get at most of the bolts. And of course I forgot one so the engine would only move so far before it got stuck.

Had to take the water pump off as well to move it forward enough.

BW Auto gearbox next to come out.



Engine bay doesn't look to be big enough!

Adding a heater to the Alpine

Its still sunny so I'm reluctant to take the Sunbeam off the road and remove the engine at the moment so I thought I would trial fit the heater and fan.

It's quite hard to believe that a UK spec car didn't have a heater fitted as standard.

This rubber tube was fitted in lieu of the fan.

It took me some time to realise where the heater should go and how to access it.

Underneath the bonnet catch.
I've now fitted the heater element.








With all the wires and mods under the dash over the years it was a bit awkward to squeeze in the fan unit complete.

I had to disassemble the bracket and remove the motor from the snail housing and fit each item in turn.

I should have cleaned up the bracket first.
This was supposed to be a temporary trial fit but it might stay.. except I now need to source or make the last bit of hose to join the fan to the ducting.

And connect the electrics.

And the hoses to the screen demisters





And a nice time to test the engine again... yayyy it still runs...