johny

Yes think eBay has got greedy and they havent any real competition which is a pity because I think its not just prices they could improve but also, for example, their search....

Yes and especially all earth connections...

Heres what Rimmers sell for the mk3 GT6 (pt number 152616) and it has the same colour wires:

Looking at the photo I think the switch has got the flash as isnt it the contact thing at the top left of the base with the brown wire attached? You rock the switch and that contact makes sending power out on the blue/white wire to main beam....

I think a Vitesse or earlier GT6 switch would have two blue/white wires coming from it so 5 wires in total while yours doesnt appear to have that. This makes it suitable to use in your car so even though theres some wire colour mismatches everything should work correctly. The switch was probably replaced at some stage and thats the way they come but at least no modifications were needed to the rest of the cars wiring...

I dont think the exact nut torque really matters too much as long as the inner races and their spacer are clamped up to stop any chance of them rotating and then whack the split pin in...

But John this is a non standard after market component so therell be nothing in the WSM and then surely its all down to the manufacturer/supplier to specify the installation procedure?

yes sorry but with any 'new' car its best to systematically work through the whole procedure as then you are 100% sure where you are. Otherwise you can drive yourself nuts trying to sort problems that are caused by something completely different. Many of these things only have to be done once (for a long time anyway) and you can relax knowing that whatever issues arise they arent down to one of those things being wrong. Your problem does sound like carb mixture adjustment but you wont get it 100% right if theres other things outstanding and when you do finally rectify those you may have to revisit the mixture adjustment again☹️

Are you confident that everything else is correctly adjusted on the engine: timing, valve clearances, no air leaks, carb float levels, carb airflow balance etc? If so then it seems like the carb fuel mixtures need to be adjusted - the manual explains how to get a basic setting and then do the fine tuning👍

The manual says 116thou tolerance measuring from flywheel face to spring tips at a diameter of 1.92". Although we dont known if thats the acceptable tolerance from finger to finger or clutch cover to cover. Interestingly though it also gives a tolerance on the friction plate run out and says, if not true bend it until it is😁 I wonder if the same couldnt be done to the fingers or possibly that they might even themselves out with more miles anyway...

Nice product from Rimmers but surely at that price they come with instructions or at least some help from them? I would imagine theyre modern bearings where the inner races are pulled up tight, using a spacer between them, by the torque of the castle nut before the split pin is put in - no need for any cap ....

oh are we talking about the after market shimmed wheel bearing set up here? I wish things had been explained a bit better😒

Dont think thats quite right Ian although the age limit may become law at some stage to match what I believe they have in some European countries. Heres what the MOT manual currently says:

Noooooo the standard wheel bearing set up must NOT be torqued up as there's always got to be some play! Its the bane of MOT testers but unlike modern cars on ours the inner races have to be free to rotate and expand or they can overheat and seize quite quickly...

I think a worn out engine is quite unusual in our cars as back in the day they rotted well before this could happen or if cossetted the crank bearings failed and it needed a regrind so the entire engine would be overhauled at the same time....

as I say when the smoke is produced can help diagnose where its coming from: normally running = rings/bores, puffs on acceleration after overrun = valves/guides oh and you havent got a rocker oil feed kit fitted have you?

It wasnt the dowel that was the surprise but the oversize dowel bolt used in one of the positions (5 oclock?) to bolt the gearbox on and act as a second positive location point for it....

Remember the bearing is always held in contact with the clutch cover and then moves forwards so well clear of gearbox...

I would like to do something about the fork pins as that amount of wear allows it to rattle around more in the carrier slot. Can they be rotated? Whatever is done has to be good so maybe a spot of weld? You dont want them coming loose later😲

Those kits do seem to come in different flavours and I think Ive seen ratios of 1.65, 1.9, 2.3 and 3 however I dont know if that means the diaphragm chambers are different sizes or its all done in the hydraulic cylinder or both. Certainly for the small chassis cars the first two ratios would be sufficient in most cases as otherwise I think youd risk skidding too easily...

Here it is and I wonder if the spring acts more as a damper rather than actually tension the linkage....

Yes I didnt know that either and will have to check mine. Now I look in the manual under torque settings it does say 5/16" stud, 5/16" bolt and 3/8" dowel bolt for the gearbox to backplate fixing...

Heres the clearances for the bush:

Yes and while there check everything is correct, just in case: looseness in flywheel or carrier slider tube, friction plate right way round. Has the fork had its pins replaced with dodgy home made ones? Even engine backplates can be bent so gearbox alignment is not true....

Enjoy the trip! Nothing like cruising through foreign lands with the car youve fettled running like a dream👍