Dutton Kit Cars and their owners

Dutton Legerra comes back to life

Adrian's Dutton Legerra live again after engine rebuild.

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Comment by Adrian Southgate on April 14, 2013 at 21:42: I have sacrificed the Sierra, well the gearbox has snuffed it so nicking the radiator doesn't seem so cruel really.

There was nothing faulty with the tensioner, I loosened it to push the belt back on, obviously didn't tighten it enough when I did it back up. The cam timing was fine, the dizzy was well out so I guess it was just the aux shaft that slipped.

Legerra timing done, exhaust done, radiator in location and top hose sorted.

I need to make top and bottom brackets and a joiner for the bottom hose.

Comment by Adrian Southgate on April 13, 2013 at 8:10: To be honest my rad wasn't in the best shape as a few of the little feathery buts were missing also the gaps on the front of my legerra are an inch taller than yours as my front bumper is modded.

It will give me a chance to look at the cooling system again when I get home sunday, I'll have to steal the civic rad out of the SIerra just to get it running for monday.

Comment by James Doulton on April 13, 2013 at 7:54: I don't understand how you could have hit anything as there are only narrow gaps at the front of a Legerra - it is most odd. But if you didn't then why would the radiator burst so catastrophically? Its a conundrum.

It might be a relief to have an easy day and just drive the tin top.

My Legerra is off the road due to a radiator too, and I am going to be away for the rest of the weekend, so it'll be the tin top on Monday. That'll be the first time that I've used it since getting the 'handbag' a month ago.

Comment by Adrian Southgate on April 12, 2013 at 23:47: Oh and being late in the morning isn't an option, neither is staying behind to fix it and playing catchup by skipping rest stops evidently. Looks like I'll be driving the 'Mundaneo'

well f'd off

Comment by Adrian Southgate on April 12, 2013 at 23:41: Its a burst radiator unfortunately. The cores are all missing and it looks as if I have had an impact of some description.

I do suspect the valves are one tooth out, it was very difficult to see properly with the bonnet in place.

I know the dizzy is one tooth out though, its not in the right position at all.

Gutted doesn't cover it. All the time and effort put in by 'the team' this week now feels wasted.

I reckon on nearly an hour to rip the rad out of the Sierra, another half hour to get the duffer out of the legerra and another hour to make the Sierra rad fit the legerra and sort the plumbing out. time added to remove the bonnet and sort the timing means I wouldn't be leaving home before lunch time at the earliest.

I am sulking now... :-(

Comment by James Doulton on April 12, 2013 at 22:41: That's a real bummer. Maybe just a loose joint on one of the hoses letting the water out?

Comment by Dave Price on April 12, 2013 at 22:13: That is not what you need after a bad day. Good luck tonight

Comment by Adrian Southgate on April 12, 2013 at 21:21: To top a crap day at work try this little scenario.

Come out, start car, throttle jams open, stop car, fix throttle. drive out of car park, throttle jams, stop car refix throttle a little better this time. Old fella walking past stops to chat while I'm working and says 'is your cambelt supposed to be that far forward?' So i looked at the belt and its half off the pulley. went to squeeze it back on and in doing so it appears to have jumped several teeth, obviously I didn't do that tight enough then...

AA come out and fix it, says 'i'll follow you home, just to make sure' Good job too as 8 miles later the temperature goes through the roof and I'm off the motorway on the slip road with an AA van right behind me. Radiator appears to have blown so the nice man from the AA deploys his dolly and tows me the last 4 miles. It's back out in the cold for me, check the rad first and then the timing (again)

As usual will post back if I don't take a hammer to it...

Comment by Adrian Southgate on April 12, 2013 at 11:14: Drove to work this morning, quite happy with performance despite keeping a well restrained right foot.

Oddly its now pulling to the left a little so will have to check the brakes and stuff tonight.

My exhaust blow is coming from the spot just in front of the first box which I may have twatted with the engine hoist while humping the engine about. There is a join from the downpipe to the main system but the clamp is well rusty and I'm not touching it until I have a new clamp, just in case.

This one is a manual choke, still needs a little fettling with the timing etc but I might bring it to Stoneleigh and have a go on the rolling road if it's there.

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