found a very small coolant leak at the back of the engine. It was also clear the rocker cover gasket was starting to go as it there was a fair amount of oil at the back of the engine.
Before I tackled the above jobs I got on with the aircon system as I got some parts to get the system working again. So fitted a replacement compressor with replacement lower pipes that were free from holes.
So with that done I went off to get the system gassed. Which did not go well. First there was some confusion about how the system was filled as the low pressure side port is a screw thread rather than the push fit on the R134 systems. So went with just testing the system using the high pressure port. That found another sizable hole behind the protective on the pipe in the image below as you can see some of the green oil that was spat out.
So at this point I got a little fed up with the car so purchased a new toy to fix that sort of BS.
After a long talk with the guy's at r-tech I went with the digital version, as it does appear to be easier to setup.
So on with fixing the pipe. The hole first hole was easy enough to repair. Once done I noticed the nut at the end would turn but not move down so after a bit of a smack it moved and it presented me with this.
There was no way my welding skills could have fixed that so near to that lip, so the pipe was scrap!
Thankfully I was able to sort a replacement. It did have a small hole but was easy enough to fix even with my poor welding skills
So after cleaning up the area the hole was welded up. Not the best of jobs but OK for someone with about an hours worth of practice
At least now I should be able to fix and make some parts myself. Rather than standing in front of someone with a small job and them, sucking air through their teeth. It's almost like I've just dropped the titanic off for a quick welding job to get it up and running again!
Also purchased these adapters, got two types to see which would be the best fit. Turns out the L shape one is better as there not much room near the compressor. I was concerned the push fit connector would not fit with the straight adapter attached.
Next up on the list was the coolant leak. Looking through the old threads most users have talked about the union being damaged due to it being brittle. So I ordered replacement unions as they are cheap enough.
After draining the coolant system which feels like I've done it hundred time now, the union was removed. It looked to be in very good condition, no cracks or damage and had no signs of being brittle.
The o-ring however was in a poor state, that was starting to crack and was no longer round. So I refitted the old union with a new o-ring which I hope will resolve the minor coolant leak.
To give better access to the union I removed the heat shield that protects the brake reservoir. It was covered in rust and looked very scabby.
The rivets were drilled out and all the parts shot blasted.
The heat shield material was then painted with high temp paint and the steal parts with epoxy. While the Mrs was out I put the parts painted with the high temp paint in the over to cure
Once dry the shield was rebuilt.
Next up was the cam cover gasket. When it was removed it was on the hard/crusty side. However I was pleased with what I found when I removed the cover. It looks nice and clean in there.
Cam lobs also look in good condition, and the chain appeared to be tight enough.
Engine was then put back together and so far no leaks of oil or coolant. Which is nice.