Hi guys

Right, this is something I've been meaning to do for ages. Neddy's engine really needs looking at, given a proper going over, tuning on a rolling road, and some general maintenance done on it. Unfortunately at the moment I don't have the time or inclination to do it myself, so I'm preparing to get someone else to do the work for me. I am quite happy to buy all the bits myself, and I know pretty much what needs to be done, but I need someone else who can do the labour for me. Ultimately I'm looking to send it to somewhere like Sheppard Racing or T&M Autos to get the engine properly set up (incidentally, which do people recommend more out of the two?). I would be happy to let someone in the club do some bits and pieces, but it would need to be done quickly and professionally, as I depend on the car as my main mode of transport.

Here's a quick run-down of what needs doing (as far as I know).

- Oil needs draining and replacing with a fresh load, with a new oil filter fitting while we're at it.
- Coolant needs draining and replacing, and while the water is out of the system the temperature sensor in the bottom of the radiator needs replacing as the aux fan isn't being switched on (the fan itself is fine, it's just not being activated).
- The alternator needs looking at. The fan belt is slipping, but that's a separate issue. The alternator itself is making a lot of mechanical noise, and may need replacing or at least servicing. If it needs replacing I might consider upgrading to a slightly higher output version, just to be safe.
- New spark plugs and HT leads - I can do this myself! And I'm getting some red HT leads too, which should make the engine bay look a little brighter...
- Rocker cover needs replacing. I'm getting a red one to replace the standard black one. The gasket has been dodgy for a while and has been leaking oil all over the engine, so this will be a good opportunity to get that sorted too.
- Air filter needs cleaning. It's a K&N direct replacement filter that sits in the original plastic air filter box, as the SPi setup has a sensor to read the air temperature. It's my understanding that the filter can be cleaned, which should save me buying a new one, but I don't have any of the cleaning fluids.
- Engine block needs cleaning, as the oil leaking out of the rocker cover gasket has made it quite disgusting.
- Engine steady bushes need looking at. There is a lot of engine movement, despite having put an additional bracket on the bottom of the engine. My guess is that the bushes at top or bottom (or both) have gone and need replacing.
- Whole thing needs to be tuned and set up on a rolling road. This is something that will definitely have to be a garage job, unless anyone happens to have a rolling road in their back garden that they've been keeping a secret...

I think that's about it. In terms of the parts I'm going to need, I've done some research and should be able to get all of that for under £100 (I think). If anyone in the club can lend a hand getting some of the rudimentary stuff done, it would be appreciated, but other than that it'll be a case of sending the car off to a garage to be sorted out, and pretty soon too.

All the stuff you have mentioned is easy and straightforward to do... Easly be done over a weekend. Don't send it off to the garage, they will charge you an arm and leg !!!!

Do all the work before being setup on a rolling road.

As for the rolling road setup... Either T & M or Sheppard racing will do it for you. I'v always found Ray @ T & M very good, he knows his stuff. (Never had any work done by Sheppard Racing)

I agree. Apart from the engine steady bushes (which I don't know anything about and so can't comment) everything else looks really simple.

I've got some cleaning fluid for the K&N you can have free of charge.

Thanks guys, I know it's mostly simple stuff, but I just don't have time to do it myself, hence the post. It would also need to be done during the week because I rely on the car to get me places at the weekend. We do our weekly shop on Saturdays and go to church on Sundays, neither of which can easily be done without a car. I'm too busy to be able to do this during the week at the moment, and my reliance on the car means I'm not comfortable tinkering just in case I can't get it running by the time I need the car again!

If anyone can help during the week, that would be grand. Otherwise it really will be a case of taking it to a garage, much as I hate the thought of paying for all that labour. But the work needs doing, and fairly urgently too (engine's not happy), and I just can't do it all myself.

I would help you out Matthew, but during the week is kind of difficult as I work fulltime.

If I were you I would take your list and put it in priority order and estimate how long each will take to do Then devote a couple of evenings a week to getting them done. It would only take a couple of weeks and you'd be all sorted. It's how I get most of my maintenance done.