Winter work part one - strip down.

So after the final hoon of the year (linky), comes the start of fettling and (hopefully) improving season. With a long weekend off work and not much else on, I took the opportunity to get the first phase of the winter plan underway and start to remove all of the parts that need looking at. So far I've only managed to tackle the relatively easy bits...

Stripping off all of the exhaust system - all of the joiners had started to rust pretty badly and there were a few small blows which would have no doubt caused hassle at the next NCT. Also, the manifold was heat wrapped in an effort to stop the alternator from cooking by a previous owner. But as the manifold is right below the grille in the engine cover, the wrapping gets wet and had degraded to the point where it had started to flake off. The entire system is stainless so will not need anything more than some new joiners and to re-wrap the manifold before spring.

Next job to be tackled was dropping the sump, now that the exhaust manifold was out of the way. I have a sump baffle kit in the shed since before my first 'ring trip as I was scared of oil surge on the long fast corners, especially at Spa. Well over two years later I guess it's about time I got around to fitting it! So, sump came off very easily and thankfully there were no huge chunks of metal or mayonnaise waiting for me when I got to look inside. Even the oil pickup was spotless. As we all know, he health of a K-series engine can change in a matter of seconds but it's a great relief to know there's no signs of ill health right now.

The sump and baffles will be handed to an engineering company in the next few weeks to have everything welded in place ready for re-fitting.

 The final bits to come off were the shocks and anti-roll bar. The shocks will need a clean up and a look at freeing up one of the adjusters which is refusing to adjust of late. The anti-roll bar at very least needs repainting, but funds dependent something much more shiny might go back in its place - decision to be made much closer to the rebuild date.

Hopefully that's the majority of the parts removal phase complete.  Over the next few weeks it'll be a case of tipping away on the jobs identified above. Once this much is done I can think about putting some bigger plans for the Spring into motion. For now though, she's tucked away out of the damp in her winter home.