Thanks Martin - at least we're calling the engine by its proper name now!
Well, I got my TVR1ABB (and boiler and stuff from Maccsteam, of which more later) and have started assembly. One thing I should say straight away is that I don't plan a blow-by-blow account of putting the engine together - I am simply following the instructions, and you can see the comprehensive illustrated instruction booklet here
http://www.grahamind.com/downloads.html. I plan to describe any changes I make and the lessons I learn along the way - and probably ask quite a few questions as well!
Having spent an inordinate amount of time browsing TVR builds on this and other forums, I knew there were a few mods I wanted to make. I wanted to paint some parts of the engine, and I also wanted to cut down the cylinder mounting plate as others have done for a sleeker appearance. But first off I had to make sure I didn't lose all those tiny screws (although having ordered the hex head set as well, at least I had a reserve in case of emergency). I found ice cube trays to be ideal when sorting the screws and gathering the parts for each section of the build.
I also worried a lot about what paint to use, and in the end I bought some high temperature spray paint from e-bay (this -
http://tinyurl.com/8zfpgx3) and below are the painted parts. I decided I would leave most of the brass bits alone and polish those, and painting the cylinder mount, which I considered, seemed tricky as you have to lap the surface of this to seat the cylinders. So the bits in the picture are all I painted on the engine.
Not too sure about this - I expected a gloss finish but it is thoroughly matt and rather rough. Do I need to bake it to turn it into a glossy finish, or am I stuck with this? Anyway, I have carried on with the build, but am not so far advanced that I can't go back, take off the paint and do it again. Acetone is my friend!
I mentioned the cylinder mount mod. I don't have any real metalworking kit, although I do have a pillar drill. The picture below shows the finished mounting plate. (For those unfamiliar with this, it is provided as a simple rectangle - I have removed the pieces between the mounting holes.) I drilled each corner with a 4mm drill then chain drilled along the line between them. I used the aluminium strip screwed to a piece of wood to ensure all the holes were aligned, and I bought a centre drill specially to make sure the drill didn't wander. Then I filed the edges flat and used fine wet-and-dry to put a good finish on the edges.
A comment that crops up a fair bit in other builds is the issue of filing the small bushes in the reversing linkage flat with the component they are installed in. I guess that if you file the bush completely flush then there can be some binding between the head of the fixing screw and the moving piece. I didn't actually use a file, rather I used a piece of 800 wet and dry and stopped rubbing as soon as there was any sign of abrasion on the component itself. I am happy to say all my bushed pieces move smoothly without any slop. And as others have mentioned as well, the parts all fit so well that actually building the engine seems to take no time at all.
Well, so far so good. I'm happy to hear any views on the paint - even if it means taking the thing apart and doing it all over again
Greg