The continuing saga of my Lancia Beta Spider

[Sadlonelygit]

The main 2 things I would be checking for an oil leak is the oil filter(possibly rusted through to a pinhole) if its been lying around for years and the oil pressure switch.
May be something really simple and would be my first checks

so I'm seriously thinking of taking the 'good' engine down in the van next April (along with an engine hoist) and switching them

What van would that be?

[mangocrazy]

The main 2 things I would be checking for an oil leak is the oil filter(possibly rusted through to a pinhole) if its been lying around for years and the oil pressure switch.
May be something really simple and would be my first checks

so I'm seriously thinking of taking the 'good' engine down in the van next April (along with an engine hoist) and switching them

What van would that be?

The van that is getting repaired in about 2 weeks time.

I have faith, brother...

[mangocrazy]

I actually have a fully rebuilt, rebored and reconditioned engine and gearbox sitting in the UK

Well that's a proper deus ex machina solution right there

I didn't want to give too much of the plot away too early...

[mangocrazy]

Let nobody say I rush things... At long last the recon engine/gearbox will be winging its way to the south of France, but in the back of my T4 van. Getting the engine, gearbox and supporting dolly into the van required an engine hoist and a second pair of hands (thanks, Andy). It also needed to be restrained from turning into a 300kg wrecking ball, but that has also been sorted. Herewith the proof:

DSCF5316.JPG (712.41 KiB) Viewed 1112 times

[mangocrazy]

Well once again I'm only updating the narrative after I've returned from France to the UK, but I can report that the engine and dolly made it to France and that the plot was successfully unloaded from the van and is now nestling at the back of the garage. It took four of us to ensure that it didn't go careening off down the hill (my house and garage are on a steep hill that also has a sharp bend right where we were unloading), but all was well that ended well.

The rest of the trip - not so much. The van had a major breakdown (clutch disintegrated and took the starter motor, master cylinder, DMF and a gearbox component or two with it) and presented me with a €2500 bill that I wasn't expecting. But nobody died and after all it's only money... We made it back OK and next time I return (probably September) I'll be taking an engine hoist with me.

So the saga continues.