Colin Lindsay

So it isn't... an exact replacement, that is. Ask what preferred methods they have for sealing the fuel outlet, given that it will take neither a flare nor an olive - if they have a recommended leak-free system then maybe it can be spliced into a 5/16 fuel line using a flexible joint, such as a short length of rubber hose. If they insist that it takes the original setup, well obviously it doesn't. They can't provide an item that's not fit for purpose, especially one so potentially dangerous as a fuel tank. Alicool claim that it's "a direct replacement without any alterations and fits original sender unit and fuel pickup". You'll need to make contact and inform them that it doesn't measure up, then see what they'll do.

That could be a real problem in getting a seal, if there's nothing at all to compress, either olive or flare. The pipe will leak round the nut, as you've found out. What fittings do the makers recommend?

I'm actually getting to the stage where I'm fitting things like this, but need to know if there are any seals on the master cylinder extension tube that was fitted to drum brake conversions. I'm going to cheat with the convertible and use a bigger master cylinder as fitted to later models but this one has the original setup and I want to try to keep it, but don't want any fluid leaks. The exploded diagram of the extension shows one seal which looks to be for the top filler cap: However is there one lower down where the metal collar screws onto the master cylinder? There are two possible options here: a seal on top of the plastic lip which is tightened by the metal collar, and no seal underneath where the plastic tube sits into the alloy cylinder, or is there a seal between the plastic and alloy, and none under the metal cap itself, which would seal against the plastic lip. Or maybe both?

Lol mine too... when I bought my first Spitfire I was told that the doors were tight and the windows would not wind up fully but this could be fixed with a 'door gap adjusting tool'... just fit it to the door and wind out. They never said that this was BEFORE the sills were welded, not after. The photo shows how the 'restorer' had fitted the new sills at the A post...

Fat balls, eh? The Stanpart logo is one of the reasons I like sandblasting.. it's always there somewhere.

Well, we had our run on Wednesday evening, I'm sure it was great... we got lost three times and ended up travelling twice the distance of anyone else and at about three times their speed. Social distancing from about twenty miles away... but we caught up with them for the ice cream at the end. I'm still not used to approaching people who start to walk backwards as you approach... first thing I do is check my armpits or trouser zip... but it's good to see that we're adapting and life is going on regardless.

They certainly do!

Rimmers state it's a 3/8 thread on a 5/16 pipe, but don't give the actual thread. I'm apt to be lazy in such things and just buy the listed part rather than try to source it from thread etc. When you say you cannot use the old nut, is this due to incorrect threads, or it just won't reach? Have you tried it for fit? Just thinking out loud...

Guaranteed to shine every day after independence.

Interesting concept! Do they fit Triumphs?

3rd and 4th down are great. I'd forgotten if the pipe ran to the side ie inside the bulkhead cutout, or over the front. That clears it up nicely. Tomorrow's job, then... thank you! (Incidentally what does the clip on the speedo cable in the first photo attach to?)

I've never owner a rotoflex Triumph but I reckon it may be easier to get better leverage with the shafts still on the car; if the diff can cope with the rigours of driving it should cope with the force of a socket wrench or big spanner. It may be easier to dismantle and renovate the assembly off the car but for loosening prior to dismantling I'd start with them on the vehicle.

What have they done to that dash crash pad above the glove box? Looks like it's melted.

Anyone got good photos of the route the brake line takes from the master cylinder across the bulkhead behind the heater and then down the front to the chassis? In particular how it crosses the front of the bulkhead and over the front lip? In every photo that I can find, it's obscured by the coil or the engine so I need to see how it goes from chassis to vertical face of the bulkhead and where it turns the corner at the top to go under the heater. Thanks in advance!

Exactly as I'm doing with my Herald convertible - keep the original doors, gap the tub to the doors, bolt it all down, then reskin the doors to the body gap.

...and when it is, fill with fresh water only. Run to temperature, check for leaks, adjust or seal as necessary then refill with proper coolant. This not only flushes out the remnant of any flushing agent but saves on wasting coolant when it drips onto the floor. It may only be a few drips but I'm tighter than a duck's proverbial so it all helps.

That's the kind I use for Herald doors, and is perfect for them - is that a Woolie's offering? I need some for the estate doors. The bubble type stuff comes in different sizes and many are too big for our cars; that lip-type seal is perfect for keeping water and draughts out and can be used to align doors and boots where a bigger seal would only show up alignment problems.

DO NOT say that you dismantled it or fiddled with it in any way, as this may give them a get-out clause... as for replacements, my Halfords trolley jack bought in Nottingham in 1994 is still going strong, but drops slightly over time; however a 5 ton bottle jack bought for more heavy duty usage failed at the first use (not Halfords) so you can have a bit of hit and miss.

It's from the hydraulic unit which sad to say might not be a user-serviceable part, so there's no schematic that I've been able to find that shows springs or ball bearings and more importantly where they go and in what sequence. I have found a similar thread elsewhere on the Net, which sounds familiar: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1169545 Sadly, he got no help. Don't waste your time on the 'Honest John' link on that thread either, it's useless as usual, which I suppose is a step up from wildly inaccurate or downright dangerous. There are dozens of videos on Youtube all of which seem to show topping up the oil as a cure-all, so no help. However: this video below shows a trolley jack stripdown; see 7.01 or thereabouts where he removes one large ballbearing and two smaller. Might jog the memory?

Ours was brandy-based and my mother used to get very embarrassed before quietly asking someone to go shopping for a small bottle of brandy, in case anyone thought that we had alcohol in the house. She used to make about two dozen for relatives and friends so needed a goodly sized bottle, and we were kept well away from it. I'll swear the level was marked after each baking session. The icing used to go rock-hard, a real dentist's delight. She used to post one to America and one to Canada which in those days can't have been cheap.

Not so much these days, as it's got older it's more ... pliable. 😮 Lase 'L' section I got - for my Herald doors - was from Bill Davies; do you have a link to the Woolie's?

Thank you Doug! It was an early morning earlier and the fog has cleared, so thanks for the heads-up.

That Christmas cake is either long-gone mouldy or else has more preservatives in it than a 70 year old barmaid.

From John Thomason's 'Guide to Originality' - GT6 Mk1 on left, GT6 Mk3 on right

Phone him directly, the office phone is usually answered but e-mails are often neglected. I have a bubble seal on mine, as nigel says it seats more easily after it has bedded in for a time, but there are other slimmer profiles that may be better.