Colin Lindsay

Well, that's as far as we go, as the train driver said. I can do no more. The bodytub is proving beyond economic repair, even assuming the welder who keeps putting me off ever gets here, and my metalwork skills are not up to undoing and repairing the nightmare that is the rear tub. There are just far too many holes, and perforations, and frills, and huge welds, and no repair sections for the areas I need, and even then no guarantee that the tub isn't distorted and will actually allow them to fit. Back under a cover in the corner it goes. My fault, I suppose, for buying a replacement tub from a supplier and not stipulating that it had to be actually useable. You learn by your mistakes. I'll hold out for another replacement tub or even a scrapper that I can get repair sections from. Something has to turn up; not helped, of course, by lockdown and these totally frustrating restrictions on everything, but it's not going to be on the road again either soon or cheaply. In the meantime I've returned to the engine, which at least is something I can do. A goodly number of years ago I set the rebuilt head onto the block to stop nasties dropping down inside the engine, so was surprised to find the head nuts tightened down. I don't remember doing that! Off it came again to find the copper head gasket very sticky in fact stuck to the block, so that it had to be forced off and bent in the process. To be honest I wouldn't have used it anyway after so long, and have a good stock of replacements. You can see the lighter patches in the photo where the coating stuck to the block. Digging through my stock of gaskets I found an incredibly early version suitable for 'GA1 and onwards'. It has strange raised patches and appears to be made simply of pressed metal. Too old and rusty to be of use, even if the holes actually did line up with the head. New gasket is more of a composite variety but fitted very well (I bought a job lot off eBay!) and with the cleaned head back on, the nuts can be loosely set in place. I'm using the uprated nuts with collars, as used in Minis, for a little bit of extra grip. I'll not tighten them fully as the water pipe needs to be fitted, which means the waterpump housing needs to go on to properly distance the fit, and the rear lifting eye also fits here; but in the meantime it's keeping me busy and away from the bodywork. I can't give up on the Herald completely; at the moment it's just stalled but it's so frustrating. As my back is getting worse and the GT6 is proving a challenge I need something with an open roof to make entry and exit easier, so have placed a Wanted ad for an early Herald 1200 convertible. Something good, that needs no work, just servicing, and will drive from the word go. Anything out there that wants a good home?

I know that exactly! My restorer, who fitted the GT6 boot floor, has now started the long pauses and intakes of breath on the phone when he continually puts off the Herald work... he'll call over 'some Saturday'. It's just too much work for me as a novice welder and inexperienced bodyworker. Hopefully both of us will get there in the end.

Photos of bare baseplate as requested. Two things I've noticed: firstly your cabling might be getting in the way of the advance - is it hitting anything or getting in the way of free movement of the backplate? What's your cable tie attached to? Secondly my actuating ring has a collar, so cannot go any further down than it is. It locks onto the wider neck of the shaft and rests there, so that's as far downwards as it can be fitted. It does not go right down to the bottom, as in your top photos. Is yours loose on the shaft or can it be moved upwards and will it stay there during use?

BBC's Andrew Marr Show has mentioned a considerable number of complaints (flooded was the term used) after BBC channels were rescheduled for tribute programmes, and MasterChef wasn't shown. I suppose it's all a question of priority, really.

I usually spray everything as it's always the internals that can't be reached by any kind of physical cleaning. The Servisol runs off well, very little residue if any, so I'll practically soak switches whilst working them on and off at the same time.

You did have flash before? Just checking... Cracking noises are usually a sign of something amiss but if you only shorted out a few cables ( you didn't remove the battery????) then unless you melted the loom it won't have gotten hot enough to melt the switch. You'd have smelt anything amiss as it happened. Check your wiring especially the bullet connectors.

Brilliant work; how did you make that section? I'm trying to learn so all tips welcome.

I have a brand new one with electronic ignition fitted at source; it came like this: As you can see, quite high up the spindle. As long as a good quantity of the trigger ring is close to the ignition module it should work ok. I'd be happy with your second position; let the arm set the depth, as long as the arm is securely fixed and doesn't come off again when in use. The advance may be due to other issues; maybe springs?

Looking down on ya from wayyyyy up there. Just finished reading my 1p eBay Triumph manual... and still felt that it wasn't really worth the money.

Rest in Peace.

Well you can have a Brutish Brit, or a British brute... but moles can grip just too tightly for their size and distort the poor innocent dowel. Easy does it!

Probably about 100 yards...

Might still be in the flywheel; sometimes it just looks like part of the unit rather than a separate bushing. You'll need a third dowel for the flywheel too; be careful removing any from other flywheels as they can be damaged during removal, for example by big brutish grips...

That is the modern era for you; bearing: £14, photo of one: £1000.....

Yes, they mention it on their website. Back in the days when our local club was more hands-on, I seem to remember someone trying to build a six-wheel Herald... must contact a few members and see what happened to it.

Excellent thermal qualities but they make all of the hairs on your legs go the wrong way.

Nice! Now I can picture it.

Servisol may be a lighter gentler fluid, more for electronic use than automotive. Penetrating fluid will work just as well, anything that removes odixation and washes it away should be fine; I just happen to have Servisol sitting about for the electronic equipment so have got used to it for garage use too. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Servisol-Super-10-Switch-Cleaner-Lubricant-Contact-Cleaner-Mixing-Desk-Studio-PA/202820097766?epid=1804702344&hash=item2f390516e6:g:8ccAAOSwJ4hY9ehG

Are you pumping, or just moving the lever? The lever will move, you think it's pumping, but it's only taking up the slack on the spring. If you give it a good pump towards the end of the travel you can actually feel the extra little movement that tells you it's now working the diaphragm.

We don't believe you without photos...

That is NOT the same guy....

Mine forgot her bank cards this morning in M&S and cost me almost the price of a carpet set. I've as much chance of a refund as I have of getting my last blood donation back.

Mine must have come form the same supplier, but it tore when I tried to slide it over the side of the case with the 'lip'... luckily I had a spare and soaked it well in diff oil beforehand. That made it more pliable and it fitted without damage.

I was putting it in the top box, which is the outer diameter... no wonder I couldn't get the correct shaft diameter. So: 8mm in the lower box gives me an outer diameter of 14mm, is that within tolerances? (length included?)

After all of the problems with new stuff I'm still pouncing on old stock items when I see them; at least anything that turns out to be suspect due to age can be repaired or renovated and you know the base unit is correct. Hopefully!