Morgana
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Posts posted by Morgana
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I've spent days wrestling with my Herald 1200 fibreglass cover. A PO had installed it with extra screws, drilled holes in the wrong place but so close to the right place and to the edge that so the only option was to enlarge them and risk splitting the fibreglass. They also failed to trim it so it didn't bind against the bulkhead. Leaks all round into the footwells too as rain leaves the heater box plenum and dribbles down the bulkhead. I trimmed it significantly and forced it into place with some closed-cell neoprene foam strip stuck on to the cover with CT1 and it appears to have stopped the leaks. A nightmare to install though, and trying to get all the screw holes to line up. If you're starting from scratch I think you'd have a much better chance of getting the holes in the right place. On the Herald the three top front screws are supposed to be installed from the engine side of the bulkhead originally. Perhaps the Spitfire is the same if you find it very awkward to fit. I understand the plastic type is a better shape than the fibreglass.
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It's not the material that's the problem, PeteH, it's that the bronze nuts aren't obtainable! I think I remember the manual specifying bronze nuts, yet I guess cost means all the current kits supply brass as at least it doesn't weld to the steel studs with all the temperature cycling.
I've tried all the chandlers I know, JohnD (I do a lot of sailing so am familiar with quite a few) and those that have bronze fittings are almost exclusively metric so I've had no luck. The same with Imperial clevis pins. There are fewer and fewer treasure-trove type chandlers, and more with high-tech dealer-specific parts rather than generic, good quality hardware. I've enquired with Anglia Stainless just now so I'll see what they come up with.
Brilliant photos Colin, thank you. I have a big wire loop of various exhaust clamps of that same design, so I'm sure I can work up a metal strip to hook over one of the threads. A good spot on the nuts, too. I had wondered about barrel nuts since there are more threads, but as I understand the tension in a threaded joint is entirely in the first three threads I wonder whether they can actually be torqued more before stripping than normal height brass nuts?
1/2" bronze hex is readily available. Perhaps I ought to manufacture a sideline in 5/16" UNF bronze barrel nuts...
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Thank you Colin. Do you have a picture? I found a thread from you while searching around that involved a peculiar exhaust-sized clamp. Is that some kind of similar support bracket? As the original P-shaped things in the diagram aren't available, I wonder if I'll have to make a suitable strap to fit a U-clamp or similar current exhaust fitting.
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I second that it's likely just gunge from solidified lubricant. I have avoided any liquid lubricant for the actual cable, preferring to extract the inner cable (great if you can do it without removing the outer cable so you don't even have to get under the car) and getting it very clean, before assembling with a little powdered graphite. Assuming the outer cable sheathing isn't rusty and causing the inner to bind, which can be tested with spinning the inner cable with one's fingers.
Any stuck elements in the instrument itself can be sorted as in ed.h's links. I've attached a similar article I've found useful in the past.
I would not advise squirting anything in 'just in case', as it's always worthwhile popping the bezel and checking what the problem really is, while going in blind can end up making things worse.
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Alas, the holes are off-centre so it can't be mounted back to front. On with the plug, or I get good at TIG welding and cut it off. Although. Canley have original secondhand covers listed...
I noticed a lot of oil covering the bottom of the engine (more than the usual 'rust prevention system') when replacing the exhaust downpipe gasket, and realised the rocker cover gasket wasn't sealing properly (as well as the continuous leak behind the fuel pump). The gasket is a thick, yet narrow, cork one which I think is not suitable for the alloy rocker cover as far as the parts advice on the supplier websites goes.
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I had read the very same thing, JohnD, and have hunted for bronze nuts high and low, with nary a result (and that's in Cornwall!) There don't seem to be any online suppliers outside the US, and all the 'usual suspects' sell brass nuts. I've just replaced mine as the ones on there appeared to be a totally different thread from the studs and the gasket had gone, and was very wary of doing them up as they felt very soft. I just nipped them with the engine running until I couldn't feel any blow-by with my hand... Maybe I need to make some bronze ones.
My bracket is missing (Herald 1200 Canley 122134 and GEX7511). The former is NCA, but I guess I could lash up an exhaust clamp or something. Does GEX7511, the twisted piece, bolt onto the bell housing flange somewhere, or further back?
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I'm going to have to do this at some point and have been wondering how - rust is along the same seam...
I was hoping that the whole roof section would somehow lift off from studying the parts diagrams, making the seam easier to access. I'll see what you do with it.
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I have a (secondhand) Filter King after the pump as despite extra gaskets the pressure is still too high according to my gauge. Unfortunately despite servicing and new parts it appears to have adjustment between 'on' and 'off' with the slightest tweak of the adjuster screw cutting off the fuel entirely, with pressure measured on a 'tee' at the carburettor dropping to zero. It didn't stop the needle valve getting clogged numerous times in the last week either.
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I know austenitic stainless steel as used in standing rigging on yachts has a nasty way of failing without any visible signs.
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On 01/08/2023 at 08:33, Tipidave said:
Interestingly the depth of fuel in the bowl is critical to the correct fuel supply to the main jet. The ‘head ‘ of fuel determines how much low pressure created by the venturi is need to draw fuel into the main jet. A matter of a mm is sufficient to notice an effect.
I would suggest that since you have changed the height of fuel in the bowl it is now either flooding or lean during the transition from idle circuit to main jet.
Once established at higher revs it becomes less of an issue as the low pressure draw on the fuel increases. it may be that you need to make a further adjustment to the height of fuel in the bowl and or … assuming it is momentarily too rich in transition from idle to main circuit lean the idle a bit.
I can't find a reference to what this height ought to be. The gasket kits have a variety of metal washers in to go under the needle valve, but the manual diagrams only list a 'fibre washer' as going beneath it. I have read on here about the different specific gravity of modern fuels, requiring more spacers since the float sits lower for a given fuel level in the bowl. The spacer height is a total of 3mm at the moment.
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The Burlen site has changed, indeed. The Canley people have different needle valves for early and late as you say - the Herald is a '66, and the carburettor corresponds with the 'late' version they show there, so the needle valve is 509956 rather than 510744 they show in the 'early' drawing. I've got one on order. The exhaust manifold downpipe gasket has gone again, as well... That's not helping.
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Thanks all. I wasn't able to find a hose of the right diameter or a filter before a few days of several hundred miles, so it's just been venting from the spigot with no ill effects. I'm on the lookout for a plug or washable filter, as routing a pipe down past all the exhaust bits might easily end up with a melted hose.
Saying that, I've just noticed in the workshop manual that the picture of the original rocker cover has the filler cap at the front of the engine. My filler is at the back. Is there anything preventing me from flipping the rocker cover end for end so the filler is at the front, and then the spigot will point out to the left, leaving plenty of room for a filter, hose or what have you.
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Over several hundred miles in the last few days it's been OK - I cleaned the slow running jet and redid the idling and mixture, which may have sorted it. Certainly it was idling more smoothly than it ever has before.
However, after the first trip up to Bristol it wouldn't restart. It turned out there was no fuel in the float chamber, and the needle valve was stuck. No gunk or bits of rubber in the bowl, and clearing the valve by blowing and fiddling with it meant it started on reassembly. This happened half a dozen more times over the next few days until I'd got the repair down to under five minutes, whipping off the carburettor top and clearing the valve. It was fine when running, but would not restart after a stop. I can't work out why sitting with the engine off would cause the valve to stick closed.
Is it just worn out? Do they get worn out? It's marked "1.3", but I've seen 1.5 mentioned elsewhere. I can't find a reference to the normal size in any of the literature I have.
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This has never worked in my ownership. In fact, on the test drive I pulled the air direction knob out of the dashboard as it wasn't hooked up to anything...
Having had the gearbox tunnel cover off I decided to do something about it, and thought putting my findings here for reference may help someone else. The flap that approximately directs the air is formed of two plates riveted together with felt seals clamped between them. The flap couldn't move as the felt seal had come partly out and was binding against the box. My box looks rather less fancy than the one in the manual, which is perhaps a later cost-cutting measure.
I drilled out the rivets, cleaned and repainted the plates and cut new seals from some 3mm felt offcuts I had around. I tacked them in place with some contact adhesive before pop-riveting the plates back together. The self-tapping screws that held the plates to the spindle that connects to the operating cable were either non-original or very worn, as the whole thing was slopping about. As the spindle has a hole all the way through, and the plates are symmetrical, I used some 4BA machine screws and nuts as a more secure option. I would have used some #8 or #10 UNFs had I got any to hand, but at least this is still a bit 'period'. After a small amount of trimming, the flap can be pushed over to each position easily by hand.
The screw that clamps the operating cable to the trunnion was patently wrong as it didn't clamp and the threads were stripped. I ascertained the correct thread was #6-32 UNC. The workshop diagram looks like it could be a slotted hex head, but as I didn't have one I used a slotted pan, which ought to be workable to adjust the cable even when upside-down under the dashboard...
I got it in, then discovered I hadn't trimmed the top of the upper felt seal enough, as it binds on something in the heater box when trying to flip the plate. However, with a trip to go on it'll do for now and I'll investigate it on getting back.
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I'd add that it looks like you have a bubble seal in your initial pictures. Once you've adjusted the frame to avoid the rubbing of the panels, I think you'll still have a big slam. My Herald is the same - the doors need a real yank, sometimes several, and I read on here that the original 'flippper' seal is often replaced with a bubble that's too thick. Guess what, mine's got a bubble on it. A new seal is high on the list, if the windows don't break first with all the slamming...
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It sounds a real pain. I'd suggest putting some copper ease on the screw threads when you put it all back together! I'm also covering the outside of fasteners in lanolin grease when I put it back together now...
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If they are, it would be worth making a complaint. Perhaps they were attempting the next size up; sending a small parcel as a medium for example, or adding tracking and signatures. I know there are a lot of possible sending methods now beyond the expected 1st and 2nd class! It's about a mile to our local one, so unless I'm walking over for the shop they share premises with, I usually buy through RM's website, print out the label and the postman collects when he delivers.
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11 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:
The closest is a real rip-off and will charge the highest price, do they get a percentage? The others are good but for some reason car parts are on their list of 'prohibited items' so I have to bluff and claim it's metalwork or household stuff.
From talking to my local rural post office, they don't get a cut, and don't mind if it's a home-printed 'click and drop' label or bought there as it doesn't get them more money either way. I was keen to find out as it's a good local amenity to support. There can be a price difference between the Royal Mail website and the Post Office as they're now different firms (thanks a bunch...) but I don't believe there should be any difference between Post Office branches. Are you sure? I can't believe they're charging different rates when it's set centrally and is part of their charter.
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eBay is pretty ghastly, but has no reasonable competition. I've attempted to use alternatives for some years, but they're not attaining anywhere near the same level of awareness. Once you've sifted out the Chinese resellers it's still possible to buy things on there, though. I check they post with RM since I still believe it's a good idea to have a national carrier with a charter, and 'couriers' are awful around here and barrel down the quiet lanes when they're not chucking things in the garden in the rain without knocking.
When selling with eBay they take a fee percentage for the postage cost (very cheeky) but you won't get any fees for listing (just a percentage fee based on the final value) unless you list a great number at the same time. However, the effort of photographing, packing, correspondence and listing is far too great to bother with unless you have single items of large value or a significant number of the same item. They're really aiming at encouraging 'shops' rather than its old purpose of giving individuals somewhere to declutter.
I always post with RM separately and never use the 'global shipping programme' which seems to be another way to give eBay profit without having control of how one's item's sent.
Sending something heavy to the other side of the world is always going to be expensive. However, within the UK an RM Medium Parcel can be up to 20kg, and most things I send are much smaller than that and get there for less than a fiver. The postman collects parcels, too.
Postage and packing is not unreasonable. Selling a cassette deck, say, on eBay as I did recently means at least an hour ensuring it's well packed and properly labelled. 'Free' postage just means that cost and effort is either not put in, or reflected in the price. I'm happy to tell sellers I'll pay what it costs as I've had some very poor experiences with things arriving smashed. Then they get made to refund it, so I don't end up with the object and they don't have the money. Far better to just value the act of packing in the first place.
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You have a spare bit of insulation matting that you know will come in useful; I hope to reduce/reuse/recycle rather than buying new. I'm also a skinflint.
Let's get together?
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I was considering something similar, but I understand they're all sealed so on failure it's either break into the thing and solder a new component, or dump it, and I hate waste, particularly plastic Chinesium waste. Is it possible to get replaceable 'bulbs/tubes' for the fittings or are they all sealed?
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I locked up the shoes on the adjuster (tried turning the hubs with the wheels on and couldn't), then backed off as usual. I think it was three clicks on one side and four on the other. Do you back it off until there's no noise at all, or the occasional rub? I gave the pedal a good shove or two in an attempt to centre everything.
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Thanks, jonny. I have a photocopied workshop manual where that picture is indistinct. However, yesterday I picked up a genuine complete workshop manual in its original binder from a local chap and can now see that picture. It looks different from the one you posted, but hey ho. I put the cable back in and adjusted as per the manual. Still too much travel, so I took up the slack on the primary cable and readjusted. It now clicks fewer times and the wheels appear to lock. I'm trying to sort a footwell leak which I think is coming through where the PO didn't seal the gearbox tunnel properly, so when that's done I'll take the car out and see if the brake holds.
It appears that the relay lever is still pointing backwards a bit after my intervention, so perhaps it's OK! The pull-off springs are still unable to get any tension, though they're backed off fully.
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Some clarification there, thanks.
That eBay cover would need the special filler cap, then. What's the purpose of filling the gauze section with oil?
Currently, the angled pipe is present but the rocker cover still has the vent spigot. The filler cap has a small hole in so I think is vented. Won't having all these vents upset the original purpose of the setup with the angled pipe?
The current filter is not washable. I've tried in various solvents, but it's all pressed together so I can't get in to get the stuff out, unless I'm just not trying hard enough. It's this type. Anything larger will be impossible to fit behind the carburettor, so the only option would be remote mounting with a hose.
Recommendations for Tyre replacement intervals
in General
Posted · Edited by Morgana
The Herald manual has a nice diagram showing how to swap the tyres around so they all get used, including the spare, 'at least every 3,000 miles'. That way wear is evened out. Perhaps less problematic with modern tyre compounds, but not exactly a hardship. Mine's my only car so I'm concerned about tread wear from use more than age-related decay of the tyres as they'll be replaced before then. When I got the car the tyres were awful and a mismatch of years, but all over a decade old. If you're not driving regularly they do still need replacing, and certainly if I weren't certain of the condition I'd get someone to check them after five years.
Luckily, our tyres are cheap compared to the low-profile things in fashion now. My partner has winter and summer tyres for the MGB and the best ones were still very reasonably priced. For the only part of the car in contact with the road, and being on alert for dealing with modern idiots who think their car aids are driving for them, I think anything else is a false economy.