Colin Lindsay

Might be a false economy, the first time you come to a junction on a steep hill and it snaps. Been there.... It's amazing how difficult is is to drive a car with no handbrake! I'd buy a new one, grease it well before fitting, and it'll slide through the brackets eventually. Just persevere. It's fiddly but one less thing to worry about.

I'm convinced I can smell diesel fumes from my latest purchase; every so often I get a smoky whiff from somewhere but every passenger that's been in it claims they can't smell anything. Maybe my nose is just being paranoid.

Easily done if the piston is oversize and tight in the bore. I've a block to get bored later today, no idea what size we'll end up but I'll just stick to assembly lube or engine oil.

Yes, that's one thing that nobody ever explains. I attached the first engine I ever worked on with long pieces of threaded rod and a nut on the end over a HUGE washer... it didn't fall off but I'm sure it looked very amateurish.

Yep, down the C-post into the cluster on the inside of the passenger side wing.

Ok consider my thoughts from now on trained fore and aft.

My uncle was a human cannonball. Not very good, either. He got fired.

Try aiming the gun, the shell usually follows in the same direction...

If you carry out a topic search for 'wheels' you'll find lots of posts on the subject about wheel sizes, fitting and problems with clearance. There are too many to link to here but you'll find all sorts of suggestions and recommendations. Try this one as an example, but there are quite a few recommendations throughout the forum from members who've tried and tested the setup. Hope it helps!

The thread's okay Roger, in fact it seems to have tapped out the remains of the stud as well as the original block drilling. It looks slightly 'coned' due to the drilling but it's micro-millimetres if anything. I've never seen a stud hold fast like this one - you can see all the drilled swarf round about in my top photo. It was solid, and even the remains would not drop off the block when fully drilled. I've tried a replacement and once it screws in as far as the collar it looks as good as original, but as usual I'm being mildly paranoid so going for belt-n-braces approach.

Thanks for the suggestions team, it doesn't wobble at all and is quite a tight fit but I'm still worried about potential seeping. I don't want to have to take the timing cover off again and disturb anything. Loctite I have - the permanent version should work ok?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Automotive-5-8-24-to-3-4NPT-Threaded-Oil-Filter-Adapter-Black/253565616969?hash=item3b09b04349:g:nlgAAOSwa3lb5-kC I've found these on eBay - in fact lots of them from China - and I presume they screw down over the existing oil filter screw to enlarge it from 5/8 to 13/60, 3/4 or the like. I'm wondering if the actual nut part was ground off, or ground down to fit the space at the face of the oil filter, would they work as a filter adaptor? Thoughts?

This is a scenario I'm going to try to pre-empt by asking in advance - I had a stud broke off in the engine block at the weekend, the one that holds the timing cover on and goes right through into the water jacket round the block. I had to drill it right out - no give at all, even the last millimeter of stud held firm. I've retapped the hole but I'm concerned that there is a slight unevenness around the new stud I've tried in it, so am wondering what anyone recommends to seal it before the coolant starts to escape when the engine runs up to full heat? It may seal tightly enough on it's one once fully tightened but it may also weep later, so I'd like to treat it in advance. I've got JB Weld and Araldite and such like but I'm wondering is there any other sealing product that members would recommend whereby I can just dip the stud in, screw it in, and forget about it? (No intention of removing it again in the near future!)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-Din-Car-Radio-Stereo-Head-Unit-Player-MP3-USB-AUX-IN-FM-In-dash-Radio-Player/123284220836?fits=Car+Make%3ASmart&hash=item1cb44feba4:g:WQ4AAOSwq75bYVHp https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Classical-Retro-Style-Bluetooth-Car-Stereo-Head-Units-Car-Radio-USB-SD-UK-Sale/283041357860?hash=item41e6946024:g:sfQAAOSwKAJbNHIw The top one is the one I've bought a few of; the lower one is quite highly recommended through the forum as well. When it comes to fitting or programming, ask; sometimes the instructions need translated slightly..

Clive is correct - it's designed that way - the bottle needs to be half full with the end of the overflow pipe covered; as the water expands it's pushed out into the bottle, but as it cools it's drawn back in. If you want, you can mark the level on the bottle, and this will help to indicate if there's a problem ie if it fills without going down again afterwards, or is constantly empty, and so on.

These have an anti-drain valve - I managed to find some online: https://www.sportscarsupplies.com/oil-filter-spitfire-1300-1500-dolomite-herald-gfe150-390-p.asp

I've always used the standard GFE 150 on my Herald, bought a lot of them back in the day so have a few on the shelf, and never had any problems.

Do you want original, or modern-looking, or modern reproduction old-style? Period types such as the photo are available but usually pricey, but if you don't mind a non-specific Motorola or the like there are plenty for sale online. You can get modern reproductions which look period but have electronic circuitry and which can be used for USB or FM radio ...and if you're going for retro-look but don't mind a not-too-close match there are plenty of modern versions on the go - there's a thread about here somewhere showing various models available for around a tenner. I've got quite fond of the one pictured below as they're cheap, sound excellent, and take both phone or usb.

I've replaced it anyway, just in case... and the whole unit is now assembled so I can leave it until it's time to fit. Once fitted I'll be worrying that something in the internals has been disturbed, leading to increased wear or noise... I'm just a born worrier!

Lots of frustration followed by lots of worry. BEFORE you start anything with them, heat and penetrating oil once cool again, and leave for as long as you can, to soak. Sometimes tightening them slightly, as opposed to trying to unscrew them, can break the seal. It all depends on whether you have enough to get a grip on, with a stud puller or the like, but they may just break further down. I've never had any luck with the 'screw-in' type of stud remover, usually they break in the stud and cause more bother. I broke one on Saturday on the Herald block, the top stud for the timing chain cover, and had to drill it out - a very small drill for a pilot hole, as central as possible, then progressively bigger and the theory is that as the stud becomes thinner it will distort and 'peel away' from the sides. it didn't work with mine so I had to drill right through and practically drill the hole out over a period of hours until at least I could get a tap down in and rethread the hole; this caused the last of the stud to fall out on the inside. Of course this is one that goes right through into the water jacket so I'm now worried that although it feels tight enough it may leak once the engine reaches full temperature. I'll have to watch that one.

I'm trying to locate some for the Herald speedo drive... the ones you buy in those cheapie kits may be the right size but they're terrible quality.

It does, so that's another little job to do. This one is GA 232***, the other is GA119*** so quite a few little differences between the two. It's interesting trying to spot them all. Re Peter's query, I'll go steel; I had the same sort of choice with valve guides - steel or bronze - and being a Herald for occasional use only, no racing or rallying, I reckon the steel version will be more than adequate.

Good man! You'll be able to sit down later and celebrate in the quiet satisfaction of a job well done. i'm working on a broken stud in the block that won't budge so if successful, that's what I'll be doing. And probably nursing my aching back.

Which is what I'm saying: Once I start to tighten the extension into the 2mm gap it's exerting so much pressure that it pops the rearmost circlip off and pushes the entire shaft forwards. I have to remove the rear housing, recentralise the two main bearings, reattach the circlips, and try again... but still a 2mm gap with the extension bearing in place, but none if I remove it and fit the housing with no bearing. My WSM just says: "drive the ballrace into its' bore" which I assume means fully seated. BUT: got it sorted a few minutes ago; fitted the extension cover without bearing and tightened it against the gasket, dropped the distance washer over the shaft and then drove the bearing in, and it's gone in flush with the housing. I'm happy that it's where it should be. No idea why it won't fit as per the WSM method but it's now in and that's that. I hope!

It's not as far as the flange yet; the actual extension will not meet the gearbox case but leaves a large gap; the bearing inside the housing is against the distance washer and cannot move any closer. What I'm wondering is: if I tighten the extension then it will move down, and the bearing will slide back out of the extension slightly, maybe only 1mm or so. I just want confirmation that doing so won't cause any problems once driving. Once I have the extension casing in place I can add the oil seal and tighten the flange on to the proper torque, but at present if I tighten the extension with the fully seated bearing it exerts so much pressure that it pops the split ring off the rearmost main bearing and slides the entire shaft through the gearbox and out of the front - which can't be good!