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RAW1969

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Everything posted by RAW1969

  1. Thanks Martyn - were the set you got from Don Hoods a moulded set? They don't seem have pictures on their site. Gary - that interior looks terrific. Did you fit any underlay beneath the moulded sets - or do they go straight in? My "loose fit" current set has no underlay at the moment - so that's something else to consider (aswell as changing the tunnel piece). Richard
  2. Not the best picture! Hopefully you get the gist though? (Ignore the grey bit coming down from the top. It’s the end of the crook lock. No seats in the car but can’t be too careful!) thanks
  3. Hi All Finally looking at putting carpets back in my 1967 Vitesse convertible. The set that came with the car when bought (about 5 years ago) - have been on a shelf in the garage for about 4 years now. Not sure if PO had fitted the wrong set though. They're not moulded & not wool - and in 4 sections (N/S front, O/S front, tunnel & rear). The section over the gearbox tunnel doesn't fit well at all. The cut-outs for the gear stick and tray have finished edges. Part of the issue looks like the strip in front of he gear stick & behind the "tray" is only about an inch wide. The space to fill on the plastic gearbox tunnel cover is more like 3 inches? It could be the plastic tunnel cover on mine is wrong - or maybe the carpet set. I'm thinking there's maybe a subtle difference between Heralds, Vitesses and Spitfires? Looking at pictures on line of Herald interiors - and Vitesse interiors - it looks like the gap might be smaller on a Herald? - (but also the tunnel looks a totally different shape towards the handbrake? Does anyone know if I'm on to something here - or barking up the wrong tree (or just plain barking?) Thanks Richard
  4. Bringing this thread back from the depths just to pass on thanks once again for sharing the wisdom..... Once the sills were off the holes were epic when viewed from below. The body mounts pretty much levitating! So took the tip to get the Chic Doug repair sections & packed it off to a friendly local welder. Lost the summer but the car came home all patched up just needing some paint and sills refitting. Obviously being a 52 year old triumph that’s not the end of the challenge though. Having stood quietly in the garage for a few weeks it just will not start. So time for a new thread and more things to learn. So just to say - the wealth of knowledge, experience and guidance shared here with no expectation of receiving anything in return is totally priceless. thankyou
  5. Evening all Just braved the cold to have another look. I’ve put some new points in. The old ones taken out look like the upper Upside down plastic “top hat” washer had been squashed down under the ring terminals. The flange pretty much gone but still insulating the terminals from the spring. So swapping in the new points I’ve got the rings under the new hat. I now have a spark at the points when manually opening them. (What gibberish this is if taken out of context!). Unfortunately the battery’s has enough now. Will see if a bit of a charge up will revive it! Still optimistic. Loving your post Dave. Just to see your picture the same as what I’ve been staring at gives me a bit of a lift . Thanking you all again. Nearly there I hope! Richard
  6. <“Sound of penny dropping”> Think maybe the insulating bush through the spring is making the eyelets sit up away from the spring. Will check that. Feels like progress without even going near the garage 🙂 Really tricky putting these things into words! thanks all. Will report back once re-examined with newly acquired information! Richard
  7. Hi yes screw driver from the eyelet on the wire from the coil to the screw holding the earth wire to the distributor body got an accidental spark.(I had forgotten the ignition was on by then). Plenty more to think about now thanks. Can I just ask though. If the eyelets are insulated from the spring post on which they sit how is the current conducted along the spring? It’s maybe that connection I’ve lost in my meddling? thanks! Richard
  8. Thanks all. Diodes / capacitors aside for a moment - It’s the final point in Doug’s post I’m missing. I can’t seem to see a spark over the points when opening them with a screw driver. Will try again with something plastic to make sure I’m not accidentally shorting something else! But failing that any ideas why I could get a spark from the coil feed (from eyelet to earth strap) but not over the points gap? I must be doing something wrong and/ or misunderstanding what I’m seeing!? thanks Richard
  9. Sorry - should have said - was welded professionally. I drove it home afterwards so something stopped working whilst it was standing in the garage at home (waiting for paint and sills to go back on). I will double check the connections / insulation on the spring eyelet. Should the base plate have 12v on it through the condenser then? thanks
  10. Hi all. Back seeking more help please. 1967 Vitesse 2L (mk 1). After a short lay up at the end of last year (after some big welds) my Vitesse won’t start. Having tried fresh fuel & damp start I turned to the electrics. Found no spark having taken a plug lead off and held near the block. So went back to the distributor. With cap off there’s no spark across the points. I’ve measured 12v at the coil (and 3 ohms across it). Bought a new condenser. With that in I have 12v at the distributor LT feed on the distributor housing and at the other end of that lead in the distributor. (With the old condenser in I don’t). Still no spark though. I’ve also checked the earth connection inside the distributor which is ok. At this point I’ve run out of ideas! The thing I’m not sure of is there’s an insulating washer under the nut on the post for the live contact (and condenser lead) and the brass tabs on those leads have holes big enough not to contact the post. So wondering how the LT live feed connects to the points base plate? Maybe a daft question as the set up had worked previously. I’ve only got a loose grasp on what’s meant to be going on here which makes diagnostics doubly difficult!!! Any pointers as to what might be going wrong or further measurements to check will be gratefully received. The battery’s Ok also. I’ve caused a spark in the distributor with a screw driver to earth (by mistake) but shows there enough umph there to get a spark if everything else is doing what it’s meant to? thanks in advance Richard
  11. Thanks for your assessments/ advice. Another pic of the near side. Colour coded by POs. Floor is black. A post side is red. A post front is maroon. Pale blue is side of skuttle. All tucked away behind the map holder in the passengers foot well. Looks well beyond my limited capabilities. Will get it off to the garage. Cheers Richard
  12. This is the near side. A matching pair! The floor panels on both sides looks ok. The fresh air bit is at the bottom of the vertical. Think the pictures look dramatic as they’re close up. Holes are about 3-4 inches long. Still a hole though. On closer inspection the offside has 2 nearby patches already. So is the remedy to cut the rotten bit off the bottom of the A post bit and get a repair piece welded in then? Thanks Richard
  13. Hi 1967 vitesse cv. I was taking out the interior with a view to putting some rattle insulation under the carpets and found a couple of holes. Pics attached. The holes are along the joint of floor and door pillar. So you have to be in the front footwell looking backwards to see them. Hence the photos aren’t vey good. Similar state offside and near side. Maybe not one for the purists but....Would a cosmetic patch be ok/ safe here or does it need something more substantial? (This isn’t a concourse car ). Your thoughts much appreciated. Thanks Richard
  14. As always this forum proves invaluable to me. Another short run yesterday and results were the same. Thinking now that I'm veering towards "if it ain't broke don't fix it" territory. Plenty more things to be getting on with before i start on making new leaks and shearing bolts! That can wait for winter I think ? Thanks Richard
  15. Just to come back on this. Very useful picture of the drain tap. Thanks Ben. So all drained again (left the tap for now as is works with fingers). Flushed with Holts speed flush then drained, flushed again and filled with coolant. So now to test.... Idled in garage for 10 mins. Needle on temp gauge a few degrees to the left of vertical. So took to the road. Gentle lap around the block (about a mile). Needle moved a few degrees to the right of vertical. So getting warmer. Pinking in third when asked to pull. Not got up to the H on gauge though so that looks a bit better. Would really like to run with temp guage needle vertical. No reason just feels right to me. So next step. Take out water pump to see what state that's in. Does that sound sensible? Thanks Richard
  16. Thanks all. A very practical alternative re using the hose to drain instead. Its so easy to focus on the problem at hand and not see the bigger picture! Can still catch drainkng coolant in washing up bowl I guess. All back together tonight and filled with water to check for leaks. Idled for 10 minutes. Will do the chemical flush tomorrow then see if the temp gauge is under control. Thanks Richard
  17. Ok. Thanks. That's a setback. Most things I can find on EBay or Rimmers etc but 4 extra hands I will struggle with! Spurred on by the thought of having to get the help from a garage I had one more go. Not for the purists (or the squeamish) but I've got the tap free with mole grips on its threads. So at least it's drained. Pete on your spare tap can you see how the steel key is attached to the brass tap shaft please? Also does the tap unscrew right out of the brass housing? Wondering if I might be able to either fix the key back on or just replace the bit that turns - leaving the 9/16 housing where it is. Hoping to get back on the road whilst the weather stays. Cheers Richard
  18. Thanks Pete. I need to be very wary of tasks escalating into other jobs so will hold the thought on taking the valve apart and just rig it to stay open for now whilst I finish the flushing. The next challenge I could do with some advice on is as follows.... I can't seem to get the radiator tap open anymore. The steel "key" no longer bites on the brass tap shaft. Think it's finally rounded it off? So i want to get the whole thing out to replace. Another awkward spot to work. Can't really see what size spanner the drain tap needs though. I'm somewhere around 14mm, 1/2", 9/16" or even 1/4w. Don't want to round off what's left of the flats (if there are any) and non of the above give me confidence to apply any force. Any suggestions? Would it be easier to bite the bullet and take the radiator out? Thanks Richard
  19. Thanks Chris. I was sufficiently encoraged to have another go at the heater valve nuts tonight and managed to get the valve off. Some crud came out too. So now flushed the heater matrix with hose water. Soaked the valve n a bowl of water and the mechanism seems to work. What I can't figure out is how it's meant to work. When the lever is down (which would be heater control pushed in to the dashboard if connected) I can blow air through the valve suggesting water would flow into the heater. But when the lever is up (dash control out) I can't blow through it so heater off? Seems back to front to me? Heaters never worked so never thought about it. Can anyone enlighten me? Could it be the control cable should pull from the bottom not the top and so reverse my observations? Sorry if this makes no sense. It's late! (1967 vitesse. Smith's heater valve) Cheers
  20. "He's fallen in the water" indeed. If only water would fall from the drain! I've had another go. Decided to tackle in three parts. Radiator, Block and heater. Radiator quite simple and I think now flushed. Block messy. Will come back to that. Heater. Taken pipes off the valve. Pretty clear that the valve is blocked and needs to come off. Soaked in WD40 but not made any progress in loosening the nuts. Quite small 8mm weirdly and awkward place so nervous of rounding them off. Think I might go back to flushing the block with the heater valve bypassed. Not a permanent thing but who needs a heater at the moment! Everything's so slow. Having limited tools doesn't help! Richard
  21. Thanks for all the inputs. My slow progress continues. Having put the drained coolant in bottles to take to the tip it occurs to me I only have collected just over 3 litres. Thinking this is not enough I'm wondering where the missing liquid is. Initial thoughts are the heater valve is blocked so there is no water coming out of the heater matrix (if there's any in it?). Heater cable seized. With cable disconnected the valve moves but expect it's a bit hummed up after years of being shut. Also there was no water in the overflow bottle which if my reading if WSM is correct should be half full when engine cold? So before trying to flush the block and radiator I'll try and get the heater working I Think. Maybe new valve and flush heater matrix. Any thoughts / pearls if wisdom gratefully received! Thanks Richard
  22. Hi all Can I just come in on this for a little help please? 2L Vitesse mk1 no electric fan. Owned for 3 years. I've not done many miles as car tends to be partly dismantled. When I do drive it the temp gauge always drifts up to H. When purchased I found it had no thermostat. (Subsequently found a garage bill from the 1990s detailing it's removal to address overheating issues). So a long standing issue. I put in a new thermostat then found quite a lot of coolant escaping to the overflow bottle and not returning. So i replaced tbe radiator cap (7lb). Car runs fine but still on H which I don't like but not losing coolant. So trying next steps. I've drained the system. Engine block drain tap let very little out even when poked with a paper clip. I've taken the stat out again for better access. I hadn't seen Pete's advice on jiggle pin hole when I fitted it. Plan to replace it and put a hole in it this time! So on to the questions: To back flush the coolant system do I need to connect the garden hose to the engine block drain tap or can I do it equally well from a more accessible connection at the top (heater or thermostat pipes); and All advice is for heater to be in the on position. My heater control won't budge. I can move the valve but the cable is seized I think. So just checking that for the valve to be open it's pulled up (ie control pulled out if it would move). My plan is to flush. Then reverse flush with water Then put something stronger in. Was thinking the Holts product but read elsewhere about white vinegar or other mild acids. So if vinegar how much do you put in? Presuambly a bottle of vinegar and toppex with water. Not filled all with vinegar? Also I have some Oxalyic acid for cleaning rust off chrome. Would that be ok instead do you think? The inside of the thermostat housing looks grim and i can only think all the other channels are similarly lumpy. Once all flushed through I'll also probably change the temperature sender and then finally maybe the water pump. It makes a "pssht-y-cuf" sound reminiscent of Ivor the Engine. Trigger's broom! Thanks for looking. Richard
  23. Paul's comment re rods on a '67 and cables on a '68 prompted me to have a look at the accelerator pedal on mine. It's a cable from which the pedal appears to pretty much hang & no spring in the pedal bracket. Think that'll be "upgrade" number 1. Cheap and simple to start off. Richard
  24. Brilliant. Thanks. Might have a tinker if the rain ever stops. This is how it currently looks....pretty similar state to Paul's at the top. Thanks for your input. Much appreciated
  25. Thanks. Plenty of food for thought there! Can you get the linkages out with the carbs still on the car - or do you take it all out to tweak these bits? Newbie question I know but easier to ask than do something unecessary. No mention in WSM. Thanks Richard
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