I'm expecting my engine back tomorrow so it was time to go over the engine-bay / chassis once more so that I can put the engine straight back in.
The first thing to do was to disarticulate the drive shafts again. I had 'dry mounted' them and had them back in their correct position previously, but these were only loosely mounted. By removing the bolts connecting the wheel hubs to the leaf springs (upper right in the picture), the wheel hub and drive shaft can be swung away from the chassis. I replaced the securing bolts back in position so that I don't lose them. I have tried to keep a track of all the bits and bobs I have removed from the car over time, but unfortunately the little plastic bags break, spilling their contents into the boxes of parts or the marker rubs off and then it becomes something of a mystery box....
The front engine mounts are a lots smaller diametre than the originals - which were rotten to the core. I hope these do. If not, I have larger ones but I feel they're a little too tall. There'll be a bit of fiddling around to do to get it right. Next photo should see the engine in place!
And it goes in! Kim (Kims Kustoms) dropped it by on Thursday 22 September 2022.
As has covered in many of the articles published on the blog about the development of the F9 (both the DKW and IFA version) - engine clearances are tight. Very tight. We had to remove a number of bolts in the leaf spring mounting so we can slip the rear end of the engine through to the mount. It was difficult to get it out so it was no surprise it was difficult putting it back.
But it did go in. Now the next phase of work begins!
After securing the engine to the chassis, I put the drive-shafts back in. Removing them had proven to be relatively easy. Once the top bolts (joining the wheel to the front leaf suspension arm) and the shock absorber was removed, the wheel could be dropped down and the drive shaft simply slipped out of the donut. Not so going back in! There was simply no way to get the drive-shaft back into the hole without also removing the lower suspension arms (the V frame). They were a bastard to remove and put back in. I have new synthetic bushes in the lower suspension and they fit very tightly so lining up the holes for remounting was extremely challenging, but I did manage it in about three hours each side.
Here's the old crankshaft. It goes into the box of rejects.
Previous Restoration Updates:
1. DKW Meisterklasse Import April 2017: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2021/05/1953-dkw-f89p-meisterklasse-import.html
2. Welcome to 2019: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2019/01/welcome-to-2019.html
3. DKW Meisterklasse Project February 2020 Update: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2019/12/dkw-project-update.html
4. DKW Meisterklasse Project April 2020 Update: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/04/dkw-meisterklasse-project-update-april.html
5. DKW Meisterklasse Project June 2020 Update: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/05/dkw-meisterklasse-project-update-may.html
6. DKW Meisterklasse Project September 2020 Update: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/09/dkw-meisterklasse-project-update.html
7. DKW Meisterklasse Project December 2020 Update: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2020/12/dkw-meisterklasse-project-update.html
8. DKW Meisterklasse Project January 2021 Update: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2021/01/dkw-meisterklasse-project-update.html
9. DKW Meisterklasse Project February 2021 Update: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2021/02/dkw-meisterklasse-project-update.html
10. DKW Meisterklasse Project May 2021 Update: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2021/04/dkw-meisterklasse-project-update-april.html
11. DKW Meisterklasse Project December 2021: https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2021/12/dkw-meisterklasse-project-update.html
