Colin Lindsay

It was always a problem on red cars, or maybe it's just more noticeable on that colour?

Don't you hammer round the edge of the lid once you close it again? Works for me...

Don't go by the manual for that one; it's not an original Herald pump so the internals may differ. They differ in small subtle ways but you're better matching the bits you need to the pump you have as those little differences mean some of the replacement parts don't fit. The middle one in my photo is original, same as the manual page you posted, but you can see the difference in size with the one on the right, and the left-hand one has no dome at all, just two 'towers' for the valves. 45mm square section o-ring should be simpler to find.

Earlier 1200 Estates had 3.5D heavy duty which should be stamped HD; I've never seen any... the letters were probably buried under all of the paint. I've no idea of what exactly made them heavy duty, either.

Heralds etc were originally 3.5D; the wider versions used on GT6 Mk1 and possibly the Vitesse are 4.5J so one inch wider. I managed to get a set at of 4.5s at Stafford some years back so they do come up for sale, but unless you're lucky they can be pricey too.

The way I interpreted it was that LED headlamps, which were made with LEDs are mostly legal - mostly, as they need to conform to the current regulations here in the UK. Owner-converted LEDs, where an LED bulb is inserted into a halogen or filament bowl, are not legal. I may be wrong, but it's a grey area as yet and with the current lack of MOTs and the exemptions for older cars some may get away with it for a time.

Had to look those up and it's the same... very unusual! Is that Java Green?

Ok so have killed my alloy backplate and in removing the flywheel etc again have also killed the locking tab washers on the flywheel bolts. They were quite rusty but I didn't think they were so bad as to fall apart, so need replacements. Part number is 102076 NLA as usual. I see the later cars don't use them; early bolts are 105116 but suppliers seem to be replacing them with 138526. As luck would have it I've just bought four of those from Paddocks. I'm assuming they are some kind of interference fit and don't need tab washers?

I dream about tubs like that. That's what I was expecting when I bought the replacement tub that I've just given up on, for a time... need to recharge the enthusiasm bigstyle. Karl has made me want to enquire about a metal folder and a few dedicated hammers, so am off to the In-Laws this morning on a scrounging mission. If no-one will do it for me, I'll do it myself, and it's threads like this that keep me going forwards.

Post a pic of the one you need; it'll be good detective work over a coffee later on. One might not turn up immediately but it'll be salted away for future need.

No worries! There are quite a few pumps on the market with different filters: see photos below of two I worked on recently. It's just a matter of trying to identify the model then see who has replacements, if any. This one may be close, it's for a Daimler: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Daimler-DE27-DC27-DE36-AC-Fuel-Pump-Filter-top-Cover-Rubber-Seal/143944343249?hash=item2183c05ed1:g:GRoAAOSw8b1gI-Xb Choice of three: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AC-FUEL-PUMP-RUBBER-SEALS/333774970965?hash=item4db689e055:g:oO8AAOSwjahfgW-v

Is it a glass-dome Delco pump? The brass filter and sealing ring are available. For the other metal-bodied pumps, I found a source for a kind of gauze filter recently; it's just a circular piece that may require trimmed to size. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AC-type-G-fuel-pump-sediment-bowl-replacement-filter-mesh-gauze-Ford-Cortina-etc/133558724724?hash=item1f18b86874:g:A4IAAOSwpLNYAqwF There are only two other genuine filter gauzes for sale on eBay, one is in Australia: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Veteran-AC-Fuel-Pump-Filter-Gauze-P-N-856850/232597762947?hash=item3627e83383:g:a5wAAOSwZW5aM24D At least that one gives the part number for future searches: 856850. The other is in Maryland USA.

Thanks Paul; of course the only bit he doesn't mention is the size of the bearing carrier (I have three sizes!) but a quick reference shot of a 13/60 seems to confirm it's the longer carrier and the rounded bearing. Now all I have to do is work out how one of mine ended up with a short carrier and a round bearing, which wouldn't work on any clutch...

Excellent - so I'm correct for the first part ie the bearing. Now: the bearing carrier... I would have said long for diaphragm and short for coil, but maybe it's not as simple as that?

Got two off eBay; the seller was able to post them to me for £15 which makes a mockery of suppliers wanting £40 to post a small thin steel repair section less than twelve inches long. That's me up to a full set of five again.

Ever get one of those mornings where the brain will not work and everywhere you turn to for reference only confuses things? Welcome to April 13th... I decided a while back to keep the original coil spring clutch on the Herald convertible and rebuilt the gearbox clutch release arm accordingly. Now, as I've found I have two brand new original B&B diaphragm clutches it makes sense to use those. I need to match the correct release bearing to the correct clutch. I had believed that the flat faced bearing, to the right in the first photo below, was for coil clutches and the thicker rounded-face version on the left was for diaphragm, but having checked a few of my spare release lever arms I find early cars, which were coil spring clutch, with the rounded bearing. I've checked online but cannot find the definitive photograph that will confirm and some suppliers are just listing a one-size-fits-all part with the same photograph. Secondly I've checked the carriers and found a complete mixture of bearings and carriers; some short carriers and some long but each with different bearings fitted. The last photo on the right shows the early alloy gearbox lever arm but it has the rounded bearing and long bearing carrier, and it dates from 1959 / 60 so there's no chance of using my spares as a definitive reference. As a lazy man's method of confirmation can anyone confirm that for a Herald with diaphragm clutch (and yes I've swapped flywheel and slave cylinder) I need which bearing on which carrier? Flat on short / flat on tall / rounded on short / rounded on tall?

Just thinking out loud... but something is moving very substantially for the brakes to require two pumps of the pedal, and a ballooning hose might be one of the places the fluid's going...

Collapsed hose, maybe? Allowing the fluid back very slowly, it will allow fluid outwards because of pedal pressure but then won't draw it back as quickly hence the lack of pressure but then the eventual recovery. There must be a lot of movement somewhere in the system to have a complete lack of resistance, though. Check the front pads?

Might have found replacement seals; one side certainly fits the carb so will need to enquire about the other... I reckon fitting it to the synchronometer should be easy enough. Last time I used mine in anger was on the Spitfire and that's the 1990s... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360667979579?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-153316-527457-8&mkcid=2&itemid=360667979579&targetid=4585238371038803&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=398826037&mkgroupid=1306220073418922&rlsatarget=pla-4585238371038803&abcId=9300500&merchantid=87779&msclkid=8f9c66c0124011721b6606b46a3cee09

It isn't great, John... very hard and incredibly difficult to get a good seal, but then I found out I might be missing the cone that fits into the carb mouth... which I didn't know about until I searched for these on the Net last night. Mine just has a flat rubber circle. I wonder if they're available as a replacement item, even very old stock?

I bought one of these, many years ago, for the Spitfire.... this just reminded me that it's been hanging on the wall for years. Had to blow the dust off...

Part number 110403 (I think) for the starting handle gear; the parts diagram shows an earlier version as part 10. The later one is self locking, as I just found out, so whilst I can get away with the two remaining tabs still in place, a perfect replacement would be even better. Anyone got one salted away?

I hope so, Karl. There are just far too many holes in that one, even for a welder to fill in or add small repair sections. It would take hours of fairly intensive labour. I gave away the original tub as being poor in places; it was actually nowhere nearly as bad as this but I had already enquired as to a replacement tub and reckoned it would be a fairly easy swap once the new one arrived, so sadly jumped the gun. You learn! I'll place an ad for another replacement tub and see what comes up. With regards to an on-road Herald while I'm working on the others... no 13/60! Much too modern. A much earlier car, possibly pre-1965, preferred.

Herald 1200 has no fuses at all, but then... no headlamp flash either.

Came from SimonBBC, it's a new unit fitted with electronic ignition and correct advance springs for the Herald. I've had it salted away for a few years now; must check if he's still doing them. H+H Solutions are also excellent for rebuilds.