The Engine is In!

...but not yet ready to turn over.

With a lot of help from Gavin, and from Spoddy and John (but no broomstick this time), we managed to get the engine into the car during a busy afternoon - with photographic evidence supplied by Sam. (Thank you very much everyone)

It actually went in easier than expected - certainly a lot easier than getting it out of the MX5 in the first place. It helped that the engine bay is a little more open (what with being a frame chassis) and that we rather sensibly dropped the nose of the car to help ease the transmission into the tunnel.

Unfortunately it wasn't to go in without a token fight - the support brackets didn't line up with the mounting holes pre-drilled by Westfield in the chassis, being out by around 10mm. We went over the brackets several times and were certain that everything was where it was supposed to be - so this may be down to variations in engine mounting points on the MX5, or alternatively just a bungle in the bracket design. After a bit of head scratching, I decided to slot the support bracket on the left hand side - just enough to allow the buffer to be bolted in. I reasoned that with the weight of the engine pressing down on it, the support on the other side, and the two anchor points on the transmission that this would be relatively safe to do. At least it allowed the engine to be finally secured - and what is the worse that can happen? The engine fly out I hear you cry - well, that would be something to see!

I felt that getting the engine in was a pretty big landmark point - and there certainly was some celebration afterwards.

Since then, the clutch has been connected and bled.

The propshaft has been installed.

Handbrake cables have been connected up (and secured in place with a couple of decent-sized e-clips due to me having not retained the securing clips from the MX5)

I've got the carbon cannister in position ready for plumbing in.

The fuel pump and fuel filter have been bolted to the chassis using rivnuts.

I've started to install the air intake system by bolting on the donor airbox and plenum.

And now I've come to a bit of a problem with the steering column. To install it entailed cutting a hole in the unblemished aluminium panelling - that made me wince! Unfortunately the sections turned out to be about 40mm too short.

I checked several times and I wasn't missing anything - it was just that the upper steering column that came from the MX5 had been over-shortened when I sent it to Westfield all those months ago. I've contacted them and sent it back to them for a partial un-shortening procedure, and there is certainly plenty to get on with in the meantime!