Colin Lindsay

Nice work! How did you adapt the 1200 loom for the 13/60 dash?

I bought one for the GT6, and the engine certainly rotates much more quickly and fires up more easily - maybe the original starter was worn out; if I still have it, I'll maybe see what condition the insides are in. For the smaller four cylinder engines I'll use the original starters with replacement bushes and a good overhaul. They seem to spin much more easily than the 6-cylinders.

It's just another head-scratcher; they might be there to close off the area, but why flexible? Maybe it has something to do with tub movement, or flex, or vibration... I was just curious but someday the answer will pop up.

+1 again; one of the first things I did with my Mk1 was to have the radiator recored with an uprated modern core; looks the same, but has more tubes. It's quite an easy process for any radiator company, and I might do the same with my latest Herald radiator.

It would be very obtrusive, given the nature of the original and the angle through which it would have to move. I suppose you could always do the same as the MGB GT did...

SNAP! Had one of those myself a good few years back - photographed it at the time - but I'm still running that gearbox with no problems. Run your own car for a good few miles, then check it again; you'll hopefully find a lot less next time.

Lucky you!! This one wouldn't play at all a while back, the stud pullers actually wore all the threads off. It just laughed at heat so I had to drill it out. The rest were okay but any that even look slightly suspect especially round the threads will be replaced, about 50% of them. For all they cost I don't want to have to redo it all again. Nuts are always new; I'm using the uprated Mini versions on the current rebuild.

You say potato, we say potato. I wouldn't trust that wiring diagram, one of the horns has the music coming out upside down. But: seriously folks, white / red to solenoid, white / pink to radio, and white / yellow to coil. Easy for me to remember as Heralds ain't got no ballast...

Two bolts; can't you squeeze a thinwall 1/4 drive socket, or the end of a 1/2 inch spanner onto them? Maybe you'll even have the original bolt that unscrews with a screwdriver? Otherwise, yes, there's one bolt under the starter that needs long arms.

Keep it away from the face, the letters and numerals disappear with amazing alacrity.

I think I've found a photo of one, might give you some idea of what's needed.

Don't remind me. They never turned up here, either...

That's possible. They're almost like metal 'mudflaps' in that they're welded along one edge, but can flex and move about. I wonder if they're to hide the rear of the hood frame when it's down, and you're looking into that area from the boot? Why, however, are they only welded down one edge and not to the top of the wheelarch? Anyone got a saloon they can examine and see if there are any there? There's no trim piece on the opposite side to the tank, I bought a storage tray thingie years ago when they were being sold by the Club for that side. Those two rivets and the remains of the strap in between are interesting; they look original but there's also the more common strap on the boot floor for the jack, so it's not for that.

I'd forgotten about that type, but thought it was earlier Heralds and the like before the later pumps came in with the 'microphone' head, rather than the 6-cylinder. I'm now wondering if the gauze can simply be removed altogether; if it wasn't necessary in later cars then it may be the easiest option for use of a later pump.

Here's a pic of the two types if anyone's wondering; first thing I checked was they they both fit the same pump body, so my first instinct would be to simply swap them over, unless yours is seriously worn, or unless the different angle of entry of each might affect the oil flow? One's central and the other off to the right... I don't know if it will affect the pump operation but always open to correction!

THAT'S why they're giving them away, then... Good marketing, even in clubs like ours. Back in the day that's all we ever got: bin the nasty old air filter box and fit a set of K&Ns. Everybody was pushing them.

I'm still renovating the early Herald convertible bodytub and have found two strange panels in the rear area, behind or to the sides of the rear seat just above the wheelarches; they're flexible and I'm wondering what they're for, and why they need to be welded on one side only so they are free to wave about? Any ideas? Similarly there are two rivets here, presumably for some strap or other, which has been cut off here. Any idea of what it was for originally? The jack is on the boot floor so not that.

I must admit to missing Bill, he had some great products.

That's interesting; sometimes my rooflight stays very dimly lit when all else is turned off; it's an LED bulb so drawing little current but still very slightly illuminated. If the reversing lights are staying on something is earthing through the lights, and it's something not ignition controlled as it doesn't go off when the key is pulled - horn being about the only one, unless you have a headlamp flash. I was going to guess that if you have column-switched overdrive it's possible that's where the short is, and it's running to earth along the overdrive circuit, but then it's only the j-type that uses the power from the reversing circuit.

Looking good! You're just slightly ahead of me; I've more underseal to remove then it's off to the sandblaster and I'm off to the Autosupplies to buy quantities of etch primer and weld-through primer. The warmer weather is coming in; it's becoming a pleasure to work with the garage doors open.

Line it up with the frame of the quarterlight window so that when the door is closed it seals between the frame and the screen pillar. I've seen them too far in, or out, so that they're distorted by the closed door and may as well not be there.

Spring is officially here, as of 1st March. That's five hours and it's a lovely balmy evening here, so no snow but maybe close to frost in the early hours. Turn a light on and you get moths, let the sun out and you get people in droves, even if only for one day. Last year I emptied the greenhouse then we had a hard frost almost in April that killed everything, so I'll be careful this year.

Yes, you're right - the gauze can be accessed, if you've a pump with the screwhead or nut on top.

No Triumphs about here yet but the parks are full of people, all double parking, there are hundreds of cyclists and the death toll of motorcyclists has started to go up again. Spring is here.

If it's stopped pumping is it: the lever has broken; the diaphragm has perforated, or: the valves are stuck. The pump is held on with two studs / nuts so easy to remove once you've removed both fuel pipes, and you'll probably have to remove it. If the lever is still there, (and look inside the body where the lever goes in to make sure it's still attached to the spindle of the diaphragm, it may just have unhooked) then it'll be something internal and you may be able to clear it if there's a single screw or nut on top. Undo that, have a look at what's inside. If you can't see anything obvious, then they're only held together with six screws. A kit will be a replacement diaphragm, an O-ring or two and in some kits a pair of valves. The diaphragm is a push/turn to lock fitting and the valves might be harder to replace but they're just a press-in fitting. There's also a brass filter in some, that can be clogged with debris. Take it apart, make a note of how everything fits together and it all goes back the same way. It may be something very simple, like a blockage in the valve or pipe; just clean it in petrol, wash the brass gauze out (carefully as they're not currently remade) and see if that improves things. If you need to replace a valve then press it out, they come out one from each side, but be careful on replacing them as you need to put pressure equally around the rim; a suitable-sized socket will help. It's not rocket science but first things first: remove it from the block and have a quick inspection.