Stepping into PV444 realm by T5 for Life

4 minute(s) of a 29 minute read

Interesting. Great feedback, Cameron. I'm not sure I'll be needing the crossmember just yet, but it's good to know it's there.

To review, the mount brackets on the engine now came directly off of the B16B I just took out, which of course sat perfectly in the crossmember. However, there definitely appears to have been some "repair" of the crossmember on the driver's side where the motormount attached. The passenger side of the crossmemeber is smooth as silk. And of course the old rubber isolators were completely formed to the way the engine sat in there for who-know-how-long.

Driver's side (extra bolt is on there just I don't lose it):

I'm going to order the offset rubber isolators for the 240 for now. They are inexpensive, so it's worth a shot. Jedd had some suggestions I'm considering, too.

'preciate the help, dudes.

9-27-2016

Engine is seated, fellas. jedd's suggestion (and backed by others here) to loosen the isolator nuts worked, albiet with some motivation required. The isolator bolts were at the far end of each slot on the sub-frame, so I tightened them down in steps to makes sure the engine sat correctly. The rubber was a bit deformed when I was done, but after a few days they seem to be taking on their "normal" shape. Whatever welding was done to the driver's side cross-member for the motor mount did skew things a bit.

Ran new wires or extended what I needed to in order to reach the new starter location and hooked up fuel lines. Fixed the firing order (thanks again, Tom)

Still to do:
throttle linkage fabrication - 75% complete
clutch linkage - 0%
radiator install
re-attached driveshaft (I think the center support may need some work)
fluids, fluids, fluids!!

10-31-2016

So, it runs! I put the dizzy back together 180 degrees off, so I had to fix that when I was setting the base timing at 16 degrees BTDC. Made sure the oil pump gear was in the correct orientation as well when I took the dizzy out. I still had to advance it all the way to get it to fire (with the oil filler nipple hitting the block), so I resorted to moving the plug wires over one notch each, and it runs much better. I still have to set the total timing, but I wanted to run it in and let everything settle first.

Retorqued the head bolts, adjusted the valves, topped off radiator, re-torqued exhaust/intake valve nuts, adjusted some throttle linkage.

I think the vacuum advance on the dizzy may be sticking, though. I'll take it apart and look at the movement later this week.

I'm also having issues with fuel pulling from the tank. The pre-pump filter won't fill up (yes, there's plenty of gas in it), and it seems to go way too lean with throttle input. The pump works, so that's not it. Tank is new, lines are brand new. I blew back into the tank and heard it "bubbling". I tried pulling fuel from the engine compartment with a transfer pump, and pulled plenty of fuel. But once I take it off, most of the fuel drains back towards the tank, so there's a vacuum problem. I have to try it with the gas cap off, but I'm fairly certain this tank isn't vented. If that's needed, i'll have to get a different gas cap.

The one thing I can't figure out is the clutch linkage. The plunger rod from the linkage to the release fork just isn't long enough, no matter how I configure it. I need to rig up an extension to that rod so I can at least drive the car, but the linkage/pedal assembly on the 444 appears to be different than the 544, and there is more interference between all the pieces down there than one was lead to believe. But have no fear, I'll sort it out!! Need to take her for spin.

Little research showed that the PV444 fuel tanks aren't vented, whereas the PV544 tanks are, or at least the later ones are with the B18. I wonder if the HS6 carbs and fuel pump on the B18 draw just a bit more fuel than the HS4 and glass bowl fuel pump on the B16B, enough to cause a vacuum in the fuel tank that wasn't there when I had the B16B in it. I will try modifying the tank and creating the vent hose found on the 544 fuel tanks.