Prince Brainier of Meccano

Many years ago I was offered a 28/36 DCD from a 1500 cortina as the corner of the top casting had snapped off. I araldited it back on and had no problems with it at all. Then, how to make it fit the standard herald 1200 manifold. Just 4 sheets of 3/16 aluminium later it was on! All sheets cut to the size of the weber base and corner drilled for fixing. inch and a bit hole in the bottom one and fixing holes for manifold. Cut to size hole for the twin chokes in the top one. Bottom one bolted to manifold, next one cut to fit round the bolts. 3rd one sort of average of 2 and 3. Then removed and roughly "flowed" into best fit from top to bottom with a round file. Re assembled with gasket goo and worked like a charm. Dramatic difference. I reckon it was as fast as 1600 vitesse. BIG MISTAKE. put the float at the back of the carb so it flooded under hard braking. Other than that I think more economic on the small choke and very rewarding when floored.

Had this some years ago on a herald and a Vitesse. The clutch pedal would stick at the floor. Switching off the engine would make it spring back. Turned out to be a wrong dowel bolt offside bottom of bell housing. It seems its important that this is a good fit to align the bottom of the bell housing. A normal 3/8th bolt is not quite good enough. Worth a try.

Interested in the solid rod for "listening" as opposed to the tube. My thoughts are that with a tube the noise you hear is transmitted through the air and will be loudest at the source? As air is much less dense than metal, and elastic, the sound will drop off more quickly as you move away from the source. Making it easier to locate. The speed of sound in steel is almost 20 times as fast as in air. With a lump of metal, such as a dynamo for instance, the sound transmission will be more uniform and so harder to locate? With clacky tappets i think you could listen safely with a tube, to the pushrod end, the valve end or with a thin enough tube, perhaps even the cam follower itself? Just musing here. Be pleased to hear other opinions.

A garage told me safe way to track noises was with a length of plastic tube stuck in your ear! It allows you to listen very precisely to where the tube end is. It was ref exhaust leaks but I guess it might be the same to isolate a single tappet??? My Mk1 exhaust manifold cracked by pot 6. Very fluffy when cold but OK when warm. A friend said he'd weld it! I thought cast iron was too "buttery" but he successfully did it and it was no further trouble. Guessing as he welded it when cold (apart from the arced bit) it was in the least stressed position.????

Is it possible that the bubbles expand when the engine stops and push air back into the pump rotor causing an air lock? Seems unlikely as after an oil change it self primes. But under those conditions the filter is empty and the air in it can be easily compressed and let oil into the pump. Then, why on a second start does it work? Maybe it also puts enough drain back oil into the pump to make it seal better? Perhaps bleed the air out of the line to the gauge? Or make the T point down so the line is kept full, or something??? Be pleased to find out what it is when you do get a fix.

FOUND IT! It was the B+'@T£$7d throttle link. The rod between the front and back carbs has flexi links and one has been bodged and has a brass sleeve inside that looks like the shaft from the back carb. This had slid off the back carb shaft so the front carb was getting little movement. The sleeve/shim was flared at one end and was probably just hanging on. The front carb throttle stop screw was backed right off and so I think as bought by me, the tickover was set on the back carb stop. So the front carb wasn't joining in much. I'll still need to trim mixture and balance but it runs and ticks over OK. Thanks to all who helped with advice and eliminating probables. Once again it was found by looking not knowing. In my early electronic days the old boys would say have a look first for anything that looks wrong. And there would be the loose wire. The overheated component. The cracked diode. The blob of solder. And here it is again. Thanks again.

Thanks for the continued advice. No. Not dropped the jet yet. Diaphragm correctly seated. no filters or box on at present. "Jet holder ports" are the grillings through the large brass bit that screws into the bottom of the carb. Inside is the jet adjuster/spring etc. "Choke dip tube" is the short brass tube that goes into the fuel for the choke supply. Started OK on 3/4 choke so I guess the choke is getting the supply. Will run at 2000 rpm (with applied throttle) when warm but is keen to die unless choke is pulled out when needed. If left limps at a very low tick of 3-400 rpm. I'll try dropping the jet and reply. It does look about where the other carb is at present? Thanks again.

When the float bowl fills how does the air get out? Once the jet holder ports are covered it can't get out there and the choke dip tube won't let it out once the end is covered. I'm wondering if there is a port or airway to atmosphere? As to my own problem I'm wondering if this airway, should there be one is blocked. That would mean that the petrol level would be held down by back pressure. Previously when there was a leak at the gasket the air could get out and let the bowl fill. Thoughts? Advice?

Thanks, Johnny. I'm thinking not an air leak as nothing else has changed other than removing the float bowl and tinkering the needle. There is one aluminium washer under the valve but that was there when dis assembled, that would make the valve shut sooner.

Just checking the float should have the wobbly shape to the bottom of the car, right? That is when the float hangs down with the bowl off the flat side of the float faces to the right of the car???

Car Vitesse 2l mk2, was running well but front carb gasket was wet with fuel. I took it apart and cleaned and tested the needle valve, replaced the tiny O ring under the jet as it looked rough. Re assembled and it now is very poorly. Seems the front carb (the one I over mended) is very lean. No wet gasket though. Will run with choke on but once off tickover drops to 400 and is clearly 1 good pop and then very little, that is back 3 cylinders OK front not so much. Piston has oil and moves freely with the clonk when released. Jet centred. Diaphragm OK, Jet set 2 turns down from level with bridge, Black float in that seems OK, doesn't rattle and with 18-19mm before acting on the needle valve. Partially covering the intake to strangle it (and I do feel like strangling it) brings the tickover up. It all feels like low fuel level to me. High, I could understand if the float had leaked but closing too soon doesn't seem right. Any suggestions? I'm missing my fun!

Get a headlamp bulb and wire the 2 filaments to come on together. Wire this across the fuse contacts, without the fuse in. Then wiggle away. The light will come on when you have the fault. Horn draws a lot of current so it will always turn the light on. This gives you a chance to test for the fault without changing the fuse. Without this your whole car just becomes a fuse tester. When the fuse pops; you know it was a good one. I used this years ago in a house with random fuse failure. Put a kettle across the fuse and that allowed time to find the short. It was a cable over an uninsulated heating pipe, under a loose floorboard. Only went when the heating was really warm and you trod on the floor board. That then pushed the earthed pipe through the soft insulation. Tread on the floor board: Make tea in the garage!

Hi Olpie. If the new loom is coded as the original it should be quite straightforward. I'm in Hemel, not that far. If you'd like actual help and weather is OK I'm OK to pop over and help.

There are lots of "imperial threads". The original British threads were Whitworth. Pipe and fine. Known as BSW BSP and BSF. These all have different thread angles and the pitch is given by a number which is the number of threads per inch. All threads are based on the size of rod they are cut into. so 5/16ths is a thread cut onto a 5/16ths rod. The hole in the nut is less than the the diameter of the rod as bits of it have to stick into where the metal is cut away on the rod. The imperial system is further complicated by automotive thread systems UNC and UNF probably (as I have been told) American systems. These are the ones you will come across mostly on our traditional motors. Things like sump and drain plugs are BSP T for taper. The heater union on the water pump will also be BSP to make the "plumbing" standard. The pinch bolt on a dynamo might just be UNC but I suspect its BSW. Now this modern metric stuff is again based on the rod the thread is cut into. M8 is cut into an 8mm rod. but the pitch is given in mm. Watch out for the pitch differences! M8 x 1 will not work well with M8 x 1.25. To check compatibility of pitch lay your bolt alongside the test bolt. If the pitch is the same they will engage. Any small difference will cause the bolt to ride up and not engage. Then there's B.A. "British Association" threads used mostly for electrical work. These, despite being British are metric! I know, why bother having british metric? I was so pleased when I found out these threads are used for bicyle mudguards and that the foreigners had to use british threads on their bikes. Of course as its metric based their offworld bolts will fit. In short you'll need to make sure that you use UNC or UNF taps and dies for the majority of you car work. Or Rawlplugs!!

Is it safe to assume oil comes through the outer gallery into the filter and then to the engine oilway through the hollow fixing bolt?

sat nav for accuracy and speedo for indication? Assuming you'd have such witchcraft in a proper car.

Thanks for all the advice and help. It is a Lucas dizzy. Not driven it since I reconnected the pipe as time didn't permit. Started OK and now back under cover. Fixed a fuel leak at the same time in the front carb so that will need resetting.

Its only the plastic tube that's missing not the brass stub. That just had a cap over it.

New toy( Vitesse Mk2 1998) (1969 really) has the vac advance stub at the carb blanked off and the tube completely missing. Gave the vac advance unit a playful suck and it moves and holds, so no leaky diaphragm. Is this normal to allow it to run on modern lead free lower octane fuel or just a thing not noticed by the previous owner? Has a sensor type point replacement but no programming module. simply a points wear remover.

Bought mine a few years ago and love it. Any one else that can look at one and not be sick?

Are those 2 holes for an oil cooler if drilled and tapped for the flexy hoses?

The gearbox is noisy in all but 4th, Its sort of whiny and slushy, as if the cogs are worn. It might be bearings slack causing misalignement or partial mesh. All the syncros work and there is a slight nudge between drive and overurn, so guess endfloat isnt fully under control. I can't imagine its lack of oil as the OD stills pulls in promptly. I haven't checked the oil level yet. It isn't getting any worse as it might with low lube and I've had to see how fast it will go (wink wink) and wound it up in all gears with no actual problems. The Od has a cyclic beat that is just perceptible but holds drive and OD with no slip. Lots of hot hot hot air in the car so maybe the seal with the GB cover is poor and that of course lets in more noise. I have rebuilt a 1600 box years ago so I could do it. The convenience of a Refurbed box is very attractive and will keep things moving rather than being offroad. What I don't want is to pay a grand not be happy because the "new" box isn't right. Its a few years (30) since I had a GB out but I feel confident I can still do it.

Well I've done it! Bought a 2L Mk2 with OD in very tidy order. Few problems. Gearbox is noisy and perhaps even the OD. Very driveable and enjoying it so much. It has a cloth gear stick "seal" and that may be letting some sound through. Anyone got experience of Fitchetts gearbox refurbs? I've seen referrals for their service but if I need to spend £12-14 00 I'd like to know the work and running will be very good. Other bits are driver's door glass which has been replaced with some strange glass that's just too short. And a passenger side quarter light and runner. There is a petrol leak somewhere but still returning acceptable mileage, may be a float or excess pressure from the electric pump in the boot. Thankfully not the drain stub! Otherwise really good. gas shocks all round SS box,(and probably pipe) servo, minilites or something similar, sun/rain roof (we'll see), sweet tight engine, posh halogen lamps. Truly a new toy!

Is there an easy answer to this perennial problem? In a Morris I had I went to all the trouble of running a fat wire to the back and sterilizing the screen, adding the aluminium foil and wiring it up; and it fell of within a week. Using the same wiring I bought a small window de froster intended to rest on a dash for cars that take a while to warm up. I put this on the rear parcel shelf with some success. Wondering about a 12v hair dryer in a similar position?