Colin Lindsay

Update: went out just after lunch and dug out a few old pumps to repair to destruction; this is an old AC version with the brass filter. I know it's been lying for a year or two but when you see what the filter traps over the years, you'd definitely go for an in-line filter at least, if nothing else... any tips for removing the old valves? One won't play at all.

I had thought about that, but it's too late, being a 13/60, and looks to be one of the last.

Hi Keith, welcome and good luck with the Herald, it looks like a good solid car so here's hoping that lockdown will see another one back on the road. What brand is your timing gun? No reason why it shouldn't work so it's bound to be something simple.

Aw no... now you've started me thinking... that glass domed top has six screws, and some of my other spare pumps have the same... so can the top half of one be mated to the bottom half of the other, so that it will fit the block... I've just found a small version advertised for Ford Anglia, which was around the same size as our engines. Remember the old petrol pumps where you could watch the fuel flow in a little glass dome? I always liked that, same with the Triumph engines. This Lockdown thingie is creating too many problems for idle hands.

It's a bit like adjusting the body on a Herald - raising the rear might lower the front, dropping the rear might raise it as it pivots about on the other mountings, and even playing about with the angle of the rear box can affect the fit (well Heralds and early GT6 anyway, the Spitfire might be the twin-pipe tranverse box?) so play about and see what gaps you can improve.

Nor is my memory, Dave.

I know Heralds never had glass-top pumps, they seem to be larger capacity for bigger engines. I've had that dome-type of pump that I pictured on most of my cars, and they come up for sale much too regularly to be a rarity - in fact the first three on-line listings I've found for sale this morning are brand new versions, £25 - £30, one is Quinton Hazell and there are dozens available, sold as brand new and not NOS, so they're not rare even today. The photos vary between spacer / non-spacer types but it they're being sold in both types to suit the entire year range from 1961 - 1970. The flat-top versions are also readily available, I refurbished some of those recently and the parts for both are all readily available bar the filter, which shouldn't be worn or damaged unless the pump has been allowed to dry out and rust. Many pumps were replaced over the years by garages or owners as they leaked or wore out valves, so there's a good sprinkling of various types fitted. It wouldn't be the first time that I bought one of these new and used the parts to repair an older model, to keep the 'period' look of the fitted version. In fact I've just found a glass-dome pump which may (needs a few enquiries) be suitable for smaller engines; it's advertised for Lotus and Ford and the like, so might be too high flow for a small Solex - the arm is simply held in with a roll-pin so as long as the springs are the same they can be swapped for a Triumph version quite easily. The top filter for these, and in fact any replacement part, is very easy to find as it's used by many old tractors.

There were 119 suggestions... I just picked the three at the top... Behave yourself or I'll list them all.

Lotus Elise and Elite, MG Rover and MGF, according to my cross-references.

Happy to oblige, thanks for the humble servility, but a simple: "any chance of the same for Herald?" works here. They don't allow me to put on airs. But it's nice to see a well-bred young man with manners who has obviously been brought up proper. These are from the Service Training Manual, which doesn't make any mention of loading the car with weight beforehand.

Sounds good; as a support for the weight of the pipe against the manifold. I'd hope that if a flexible strap is fitted, which won't stretch or expand (so reinforced fabric rather than rubber), as long as it's the correct length and doesn't put any further stress on the system it should help in the same way. Only one way to find out I suppose!

Thanks Rob; it's been so long since I replaced these I've forgotten what to look for. I might just go out later, study them closely, and mark the side with a bit of masking tape.

Some kits replace the original baseplate screw with an allen-key replacement; hopefully that'll still fit the points as it can be quite a bit higher than the original screw.

Is the horn push as factory standard ie through the wheel centre? As long as a PO hasn't added another switch somewhere so that it differs from original, it's an earthing problem. The horn circuit is permanently live with no relay in the Heralds, so that the power comes up the steering column through the purple or purple / black wire, earths when the horn push makes contact, and goes back down the steering column to earth. If it's sounding when not pushed then there's a short, and may just be the steering wheel touching some other part of the column. Have a look at the horn push and the way it fits the steering wheel, to see if there's any obvious contact, then see how the wheel sits on the column and how close it is to the outer column tube. How ids the steering generally? Worn column bushes may allow the column to move about and so make unnecessary contact. First thing tho is to check the wheel and see how it's connected, in case that's been altered.

My local tyrefitter gets all of my Triumphs and recommends about 30 per wheel, sometimes as high as 32. He's been in the business for forty years now and drives a few old cars and motorbikes himself, so I'd trust his judgement.

It goes behind, tight to the bulkhead wall and out through the floor. The carpet (and soundproofing) hides it.

What's the easiest method of telling which side is which? I've just realised I have a few sets on the shelf and might go out later to sort them out into pairs, plus this query has given me the notion of checking the threads. Probably obvious once you start, I'll assume the open / visible end of the hinge pin goes to the inside, but just thought I'd ask.

All Heralds have screw-on filters; the originals were a canister oil filter which had the threads built-in, but are hard to get nowadays; later cars changed to having the threaded adaptor in the block in order to use screw-on filters. Many cars these days use an adaptor which converts threads to a more modern format to enable modern screw-on filters to fit; the modern filters being more efficient and usually anti-drain.

I wonder if the solid metal carries the vibrations? I've used versions which have been metal ended but reinforced rubber in between, again to dampen vibration. I like a support near the gearbox to help take the weight off the manifold, but not solid. This type goes under the clamp round the pipe so it doesn't need to be twisted and is simply cut to length with a hacksaw.

Reminds me of the Irish counterfeiter who found that if you rounded the edges of a 50p, you could make a 10p. You can buy aftermarket senders; a lot of kit-car suppliers have them. Pick the length, bend to shape, add a float which you can buy if not already attached and that's it. Hopefully.

A few years ago they had a batch where the threads / studs on the undersides were very poorly fitted, just about holding onto the hinge, and they were very easy to wring when being tightened. I ended up having to adapt a bolt in place of the stud, cut the head off and shorten, then glue into place. They may have improved since. Price is really no guide as some suppliers can sell cheaply whilst other suppliers sell exactly the same hinge for quite a bit more; sad thing is I don't think there's any particular brand name which I can point you to. Deal with a reputable supplier who will replace if necessary.

I refurbished one or two a while back, left one below with no filter and the other with, which you can tell by the bolt on top, or the dome shaped cover: Inside the dome of the filtered version there's a mesh, usually of brass but sometimes just steel, that filters all kinds of debris before it reaches the carbs, so handy to have. The non-filter versions just have the bare essential bodywork to cover the pipes. You can fit an inline fuel filter somewhere along the fuel line to do much the same job. I'm a fan of the glass-bowl versions, where you can see the fuel inside, and they have a brass filter, but they're usually too big for our smaller engines, so I only have one on the GT6 and not the Heralds.

If you can make out my wiring; the purple wire is the feed to the horn, but it was too short to reach the other; I just piggy-backed a second off it at the horn terminal, had no purple so substituted light blue, so power goes to one horn terminal on the left hand via purple and from that terminal, right hand light blue connection to the same terminal on the other horn, then the shorter black earth from the other terminal to the bracket bolt on each. The earth does not need to travel very far and certainly not back to the other horn as may have been original , but uses too much cable to be tidy....

Here's my Mk1; non-standard horns (off a Mercedes so they're loud, good quality and don't rust!) and bolted to the bodywork on the inside of the bonnet; bare metal round the bolt for a good earth then coated in Waxoyl. The black wire comes off the terminal to the top then loops round and is bolted in behind the panel with a serrated washer - it looked neater than under the bolt head on the outer face.