BX - phoenix from the flames?

mnde · Post by **mnde** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:47 pm

Project: one J reg 1991 BX16 TGS Meteor. Garaged for past 3-4 years with blown headgasket.

The eBay Meteor is far too good to be a donor car, and I have spent quite a sum of money on it in the past year, so that's a no go! So, I've just secured an engine and box out of a sub 100,000 mile BX16 due to be scrapped, roughly the same age as my "dead" Meteor.

So at some point in the next few months I feel a BX project day/weekend coming on! The task: one engine and box swap-over, including possibly a clutch, as I'm told the clutch in the donor car is not at its best. I am collecting the removed engine&box in the next few weeks.

The main idea is to get the car up and mobile - so things like cambelt and valve stem seals may have to wait..... otherwise I'll have to go the whole hog and change all the engine seals etc. prior to the swap.... At the moment, the plan is to get it into a saleable condition - but I may end up keeping it!

Any such removal operations are not possible at the car's current location (my mother's house!) so as such I'd need to arrange to trailer it to my house in Guildford which at least has a decent space to work on a car.

So, who's up for this BX challenge? Since I lack key tools for the job (jack, stands, engine crane) I will need to call on the kind assistance of members of this august club. Alternatively, I could arrange for the car to be delivered to a more convenient location, if I could get hold of some trailerage assistance. The first thing I need to do is check the car still starts and rises up. I also need to assess the state of the underneath of the car, declared "very good" at its last MOT in 2004.

I'll keep you posted

Mark.

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:12 pm

I'm happy to help in any way I can, but I think it'd be silly not to do the cambelt etc with the engine out of the car. Its so much easier.

But if you're selling it, you may aswell just do the belt and seals alone. No point in doing a thorough job if to be honest, you aren't going to see the money back.

If you were keeping it I'd say new tensioners, water pump and gaskets etc too.

artic-steel · Post by **artic-steel** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 2:30 pm

Agreed Kitch, cambelts don't do waiting, change it

mnde · Post by **mnde** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 2:30 pm

Agreed. I'm going to enquire further into the history of the donor car - it may well have had a cambelt done within the last year. It was owned by the welder at Chevronic Centre - and unfortunately is only being scrapped because it's just run out of MOT and both rear arms need doing and he can't be bothered with it. I however cannot take on the whole car, but thought it could help get mine back on the road. Up until recently it was in daily use and the boss says the engine and box are in good condition. It's just burning a bit of oil (valve stem seals) and although the clutch pedal has a light action, it still ideally needs a new clutch. It has been started and driven a short distance to test it out.

This engine could prove to be an ideal test-bed for me to learn to do new things I've not attempted before. Not quite sure where to store it yet though - apart from in the boot of the other BX or the GSA! I'm hoping it's light enough for two people to move around relatively easily....

Mark.

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 2:50 pm

I'm also keen to learn about bigger jobs like this, so count me in as a pair of helping hands! I think we'll need an expert around as well though...

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:06 pm

I can't help but think that I have this for moving cars about (without the need for a trailer):

please note. works on BX's as well as 309's (as mnde knows... I delivered his ebay meteor on it.)

And this for lifting engines about with ease:

Plus a largeish driveway, space to put people up and some time available.

Possibly a plan forming? I am rather a way away from you both though.

And I need to clear my driveway a bit:

Bonus points go to anyone who can spot the X1/9 the MK1 CX, or the second 405 estate amongst all that lot. They are visible, but only just.

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:30 pm

I've never been to Dorset and I'm owed a lot of holiday. What do you think, Mark?

mnde · Post by **mnde** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 12:55 am

Well, it's a very kind offer David, but I'm not sure of the legality of towing it any distance with your A-frame. This car is on SORN, has no MOT or insurance, and when running emits a highly visible plume of thick white smoke from the exhaust. One would almost be better off running it in 5th gear with ignition on and the sparkplugs removed...... Not sure how that would work, but at least theoretically the hydraulics would operate as normal and you'd have stoplights. Hmm..

In any case your place is duly noted as a potential location for a BXClub project car weekender.

Cheers,

Mark.

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 9:07 am

mnde wrote:I'm not sure of the legality of towing it any distance with your A-frame. This car is on SORN, has no MOT or insurance, and when running emits a highly visible plume of thick white smoke from the exhaust. One would almost be better off running it in 5th gear with ignition on and the sparkplugs removed...... Not sure how that would work.

As far as I'm concerned, when the car is being towed it has a trailer board on the back of it that displays the towing vehicle's registration, so it's a trailer. I've towed plenty of SORN'd and un-MOT'd cars with it (the 309 in the picture being one of them) and never had a problem at all. I have yet to be stopped by the police while using it, despite a traffic officer having a good nosey at it on the A3 once. As long as the car isn't falling apart, and has tread on it's tyres, then there really isn't a problem. If there was any concern, then removing the car's number-plates definitely makes it a trailer rather than a car.

and you're quite right about the method of keeping the LHM pressure up. Once the car is connected up and ready to go, removing the spark-plugs and towing in 5th gear keeps the systems working. Having a little bit of drag on the towed car helps quite a bit too.

it's all a possibility....

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:44 pm

If the car isn't MOT'd or taxed etc, then the wheels cannot touch the floor. I checked on it a while back and that is what I was lead to believe.

If you were towing a car and someone hit the towed car, or if a wheel fell off.....what happens if its not insured or MOT'd?

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:33 pm

This is a very grey area of the law. At what point does the "car" become a "trailer"

After all, if you are towing a caravan, that doesn't have to have tax, insurance or MOT. It simply has to conform to construction and use regualtions (position of lights, tread on tyres, working brakes etc.etc.)

Granted, if you are towing a car on a pole, with someone in the towed car steering it, and it's displaying it's own number plates then it would need to have tax/ins/mot.

When it's on the A-frame, it's a trailer. It diplays the number plate of the towing vehicle, has repeater lamps from the towing vehicle (a lighting board) and has close-coupled brakes.... a trailer.

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:43 pm

Everything I've ever READ on the subject has supported what KITCH says.

DAVID has done this stuff for real and is reporting his stories.

I rather suspect most traffic cops are as confused as we are.

EDIT:

So when are we going down to David's place for beer an BX-fixing?

If we decide the A-frame isn't an option, we will find another way to get Mark's Meteor down there.

artic-steel · Post by **artic-steel** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:49 pm

Nice idea, i'd be up for it depending when it happened, i'm free every other weekend.

Looks like a nice place you've got there David, i'm sure Stuart & i could rustle some local, quality food up, How far are you from the sea?

CX is by the hedge, other peugot i think maybe white & raised into view next to the estate or it could be the red car next to Digit, X1/9 pure guess here, between the van & landrover

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:52 pm

stuart_hedges wrote:Everything I've ever READ on the subject has supported what KITCH says.

Same here to be honest. The key point is that the law always refers to the CAR. My argument is that while being towed, it's not a car.

Although I've no doubt I may have the devils own job to try and prove that in court.

As an alternative, a friend who lives a bit south of Guildford has a fabulous twin-axle car-transporter trailer which I've towed several times before. I've no doubt it could be borrowed for the duration. Does need a fairly substantial tow vehicle though. (Like a C25 van for instance.)

arctic-steel wrote:How far are you from the sea?

CX is by the hedge, other peugot i think maybe white & raised into view next to the estate or it could be the red car next to Digit, X1/9 pure guess here, between the van & landrover

Unfortunately, I'm well over 40 miles from the sea. We do, however, have a fabulous farm shop nearby.

Miles off with the cars though. The white CX by the hedge is a MK2. The MK1 is on the left of the picture, hiding behind the green landrover. Between the Van and the blue landrover is a burgundy pug 405. The X1/9 is hiding between the silver 405 and the white range-rover behind it.

/must get rid of some hardware blog

Post by **docchevron** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:29 am

Right, well, as far as the laew is concerned with spec lifted vehicles, it doesn't have to be taxed, mot'd or insured, as it IS classed as a trailor.

I think it's the same for a vehicle on an A frame, certainley everything I can find in the regs in work lead me to believe this.

The law does stipulate that any wheel in contact with the road must have road legal tyres fitted, and the vehicle must have no sharp edges of loose objects attached.