Once the father figure finished prodding the bottom end of the engine bay, it was discovered that the exhaust manifold gasket was, for lack of a better word, missing. This is only a very small issue, as it merely prevents exhaust gases from leaking around the edge of the manifold join and into the engine bay, where they are free to enter the front vents for the cabin air intake.
Where one could, hypothetically speaking, pass out from oxygen deprivation due to fume inhalation.
So, having spent many an hour in the company of Robert and his toxic secretions, it was decided that something should be done about that, post haste! So, a manual was purchased for the repairing of the engine, and time was set aside on a cloudy weekend for performing the operation.
At this stage, very little was known about how to dismantle an atomic bomb - erm... Wrong story. At this point in time, i knew nothing about disassembling bits of engines, and even less about how to properly drain fluids! Well, my incompetence caused a degree of incontinence on Robert's part, which left me with egg on my face and coolant on my leg.
Still, it was all good, and after a time i got into the swing of things, pulling bits out of the engine from the bottom up, and discovering the joys of being completely unable to reach a bolt with every extension on a ratchet...
Now, at the time i could not have predicted how much work would eventually get done on poor Robert to make him survive until the next catastrophic failure, but there was one thing i did know... The mechanic that had serviced my Sterling Steed prior to my ownership clearly was a direct descendant of lesser-evolved primates. There were 3 bolts missing from the exhaust manifold, as well as a nut, and a stud. The whole thing was being held on by 2 nuts and a bolt! Well, that at least explained why Robert had sounded a little like a truck driving along the road... with it's exhaust brake on...
Robert's heart was becoming more exposed, and in keeping with practical surgery the world over, a record was taken of the frightful state of the broken parts, and the engine bay. As follows, going clockwise from the top left working inwards: Brake booster cylinder and fluid bottle; carburettor (minus air filter); coolant overflow chamber; vacuum system cylinder, battery, radiator, one of two EGR system pipes (the silver tube), exhaust manifold, engine proper (rocker cover visible only), fuel pump, distributor. Perhaps at some point i may make a labelled diagram of all elements in the engine bay... references are good!
And then, just when we had fixed the gasket... a shocking discovery!
Still, once he was all mended, and we had put his parts back together as well as drained the oil and given him a much needed service, Robert felt very happy again... although, there was still much work to be done! But for now, that is all, as this chapter ends with another inspection by the Father Figure...
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