Anglefire

Will they? Learn something new every day.

Yes. The current is the current regardless of the voltage. Power is a different kettle of fish. 13a at 240v is around 3kw. At 12v 160w ish. But the fuses are 30mm Long or the equivalent imperial. I think a domestic fuse is shorter. Nearer 1”

Small hoops of wire is fine in this application. I’ve not looked to see what size the incoming wires are to the fuse box but I bet it’s not much more than 2mm. So just use the same size wiring for the loops and it will be fine. (As in current carrying capacity ) soldered joint to the lucar connectors are not a good idea either as they tend to fail after a time. Just a decent crimp is fine.

It wouldn't have stopped me if I'd thought that

It's really called a busbar - not buzz bar. Typically used in industrial applications and can be quite large. But in the automotive world are a bit smaller! Obviously this one is not fused, but I can't quickly find one that you can also see the busbar arrangement

Thanks Aidan, Yes I worked that from the pictures - I wasn't clear with wot I rit!

Dragging this back up as it was linked from the thread I started here Whilst I fully understand the reasons for the fuse sizing based on the actual load, in reality you just need to fuse for the wiring. (Though you are playing safe in most cases by fusing for the load) - at the end of the day, you want the fuse to be the fuse and not the wiring. Looking at the wiring behind the dash of mine, the smallest cable would probably be 1mm - so the standard fuse box having 17/35A fuses would make sense as 1mm will take a continuous 16.5A - and most of the cables look to be nearer 2 or even 3mm so can carry a lot more load. (Based on vehicle wiring products website) But going back to the fuse box I have just looked at the pictures how you fitted it and it does look good. I was wondering how you dealt with the big loom going through the bulkhead!

No need to be sorry - and as for being in the engine bay mine are both behind the dash. One clipped in and the other just hanging. As for fuses. I’ve fitted 35A ones so will get those swapped out for something smaller. Though swapping the fuse box is high up my list of jobs. PS (Don't know why the quote is listed as Blitz! Should be Doug!)

Ah, ok. I'll stick with the LHD version and swap the plate over. I might do a write up next time - as there are a few things I've learnt along the way!

Looking for another switch and came across this on eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Classic-Mini-Indicator-Stalk-Column-Switch-With-Horn-1976-to-1984-21A2658-NEW/162178104955?epid=1542465865&hash=item25c2917e7b:g:Rd0AAOSwg55alqgt It says it doesn't fit the Spitfire - but it looks remarkably similar.

A bit of progress today - well a lot actually - but also a step backwards 2 fuses had blown - top I replaced last week and today the bottom one - couldn't see the bottom one had blown - though I'm sure I stuck a meter on it Anyway - you are right - the fuse box is proper rubbish - to get the new fuses to make proper contact, I've had to wrap the ends with foil backed tape - used by insulation contractors - I just happen to have a roll! So another job on the list is to replace the fuse box. Recommendations? So that gave me lights back and now the hazards sort of worked very slowly. What confused me was that there was two flasher units - the coloured wiring diagram only shows one - and the second one is only held onto the steering column with a cable tie! I had had a thought that it might be a flasher issue - so I'd ordered a generic one from Amazon yesterday which arrived this morning. I worked out by feel that the one mounted in the clip behind the dash works the hazards - and the other did nothing. So, I swapped the one tie wrapped with the new one and it all worked. So, all lectrics now working - side, head, head flash, indicators, fog, brakes not checked, but the fogs are tapped off the feed to the brake switch - so should work ok (Oh and I hate scotch locks - device of the devil - some something else to eliminate! Except I had removed the new indicator switch - when I looked again I wasn't convinced the end of the connections to the indicator switch hadn't touched the column - so I decided to modify the cable routing (It is a LHD switch modified to work RHD) and during that process - and previous stuffing of the cables behind and around the cowl brackets - one of them has sheared off - and i can't see an easy way to fix it So its back in the garage whilst I sulk. Oh and I've just checked the wiring diagram in the Haynes manual and that shows 2 flasher units - though where the second one is mounted, I still have no idea!

I had a Discovery (2006) for 7 years from about 2009 - it wasn't a Chelsea tractor by any stretch - in that time it did 174000miles with a total of 234k on it when I sold it last year. But I agree many are used for the school run. Problem now is that ones that are 10years old are getting into the hands of the knuckle draggers and kids who can't afford to spend the money on maintenance - they are still £40-50k cars with the associated servicing costs - the fact they are £4k now is neither here nor there.

I was aware the rubber hoses were affected - I’ve changed the ones in the engine bay for resistant ones. As for other effects I wasn’t aware of anything else. The worry is that isn’t ethonal made from sugar beat or similar - and is affecting the price of the stuff. Bit like bio mass boilers are affecting the price of straw bales - in fact there is a shortage of them and are going for £60 a round bale. It used to be a tenner or less not long ago.

BP Ultimate I think. ethanol is in it, so what? Does it matter?

I personally wouldn’t use waxoyl these days. There are several much better alternatives. Correless or buzzweld (same basic stuff) do excellent stuff for protection and conversion of any rust to inert compounds.

I think you could decouple the hubs on the S2? Same with the shogun - can be made effectively 2wd. The discovery would try and do things with the centre diff probably.

Yes I know Clive and that is always going to be the case. Interestingly, brakes and balance has been mentioned a few times. My 4x4 discovery when it was brake tested, it was done with one of the weight things in the foot well as you can’t use a roller type - or at least not the usual type. So the balance was never checked except by feel.

Ok, how about this for an argument. Mot is obtained by classic car owner in say April. Weather, circumstances, whatever, the car then sits for 6 months not driven. Things change and owner goes out in it - doing the usual oil, water air checks. Has a crash because the brakes have delaminated or something has seized? But its ok it has an MOT? How is that different to having an owner, having done a check in April either him/herself (and documenting it even!) or getting a 3rd party inspection done and doing the same thing? Both at the time of the accident are effectively not roadworthy. Whats the difference? Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no issue with those that continue to get an MOT nor those that don't as both need to be roadworthy when on the road. As for conspiracy, nah I don't believe it, they are not that clever. Anyway cost ot lack of petrol will see Classic cars off the road in the next 20years anyway.

As I understand it from a post elsewhere who rang the dvla today, if you apply (like I did at the weekend) for historic tax, you get vhi automatically as long as you say at the time it’s not substantially modified. You can still get it mot’d

My cam didn’t look that good so I bought a Newman cam - essentially standard because it kept the power band lower down which is where I wanted it. But for a 1300 you could go a bit more fast road ? whatever you will need new buckets for a new cam to keep the warranty. I went for the matching Newman’s ones even though the po had fitted new ones. But I also agree with all of the above. If you are doing because you know it needs doing, do it properly. It will cost you some money. I’ve no real idea (only because I haven’t added up the bills ) what mine cost but was well north of £500 and that was with no block or head work. And didn’t include the rebuilt dizzy.

Thanks Doug, I did look in the Haynes manual not long ago (I was being lazy!) - its rubbish compared to this one - which I have a copy of on the computer. Given the top fuse is still ok after running the car, whatever caused the short has gone away - for now - so just got to trace the green wires back and probably check the bottom fuse as the door light has stopped working too. Though it was working the other day when I was fitting the steering wheel - but the headlamp flash wasn't - so need to check the plug again as the horn has packed up too! Might be as simple as the direction flasher has packed up. No time now - job for next weekend if I get chance and the weather is kind!

From memory the max allowable is 12thou - min about 6. My rebuild of an engine that I bought "refurbed" escalated into more than anticipated - though not a real surprise. And I enjoyed doing it - which was more the point.

It will take as long as you like. With all the bits to hand ready to go, you can get it rebuilt in a day. But unless you really are on a timescale, do it at your leisure. Make sure you have a couple of dial gauges on stands - either magnetic bases or ones to bolt to the studs to time the cam and measure the end float. I would get a selection of thrust washes in different sizes - they aren't expensive and there is nothing worse than having to order some more to get the right size. I would replace the cam and cam buckets if it were me (That mileage I doubt its in that good nick.) - I'd also fit a duplex timing chain (Well I did!) Head you might as well get hardened seats fitted whilst its in the shop. I assume they will fit and relap the valves and replaced/refurb the tappets. You will know the size of the big ends and mains to get the right size. Use Payen gaskets on the head at the very minimum - they aren't expensive.

Yeah I found out the hard way that the fuse box is a bit dodgy. But putting the fuse back in does seem to have restored power to both sides of the fuse when the ignition is on. Ill get the diagram out when I’ve finished cutting the grass and got my bags packed. Actually it more a case of getting all the. Crap out of the laptop bag as most of it won’t go through the airport scanner ?

And there is no form to fill either. The nice man in the post office did it all on his terminal. All I did was sign the v5 - he filled in the bit about the reason for the change.