Peter Truman

The old plumbers goo used here on pipe threads is called Stag (appropriate), usually used with hemp

Oil refinery Flare Stacks were the worst! The scariest job I did was mid 60's a Rotary Cement Kiln in the Dales, Eastgate which was hundreds of feet long, the 30ft long 15ft dia slightly off horiz cylindrical sections had to be moved into place using a walking portal gantry around 30ft long on rails which were around 30ft apart using air motors on the portal powering each rail track via 4 bogies, trying to get the four bogie motors in sync so they travelled on the rail at the same speed was thwart with issues, Oh the operators and supervisor (me) had to be on the portal/gantry upper platform (around 45ft high) where the air winch speeds were controlled! You could see what happened they would get out of sync and one bogie would jump and the whole portal would move like an earthquake once even becoming derailed! No computer syncronised control in those days to manage the control just human error!!! Looking on the web the cement plant has now been shut down and the land slowly reclaimed, the cement dust killed everything for miles, environmental vandal's we were, hey I just built it didn't operate it! At the commissioning the owners/operators were cowboys, all my accurate alignment of the very long kiln was put to the test, they heated it up too fast and you could see the bow in the length of the kiln so it rose off the intermediate support roller stations, all that fine alignment I did using surveying equipment even manometers went out the door, fortunately the refractory brick lining didn't collapse!

On undoing the square head plug i'm surprised no one has mentioned the 1/2 in S/S square holed special spanner sold on ebay frequently, there around 6 to 7in long with the same sq hole at each end but offset by 45 degrees to improve its use/flexability. Around 15 years ago I brought 20 ex UK ebay for our local clubs Regalia Shop they sold like hot cakes, being square they don't round the end of the sq shafted plug even better they work on previously damaged plugs. Alternatively the 1/2in female socket end of a socketed extension bar is a good fit on the plug with a spanner or mole on the other to give good torque. Using this spanner if the plug is tight I use a short length of 1in sq tube on the end to increase the undoing torque. Ref Sq vs Hex headed plugs, all my sq plugs are neat with only the 1/2in of the sq bit protruding from the sump, or gearbox box bottom, but by comparison the Sprint has hex plugs and they are unsightly sticking/protruding a long way I'd say 3/4in and obviously bulky, the tapered thread seems longer and is a pain to seal even gorilla style! I sometimes wonder if a PO has put the wrong threaded plug in?

what about chains, as a Civil Engineer I can remember being at Survey camp outside Whitby where we had to measure in chains and use the chain gawd it weighed a ton!

you can get half dome bump stops for doors drawers from the normal rubber factors they have a rubber pin/shaft on the rear to push into the locating hole. When I strip old equipment down I keep these sort of things. is there a hole for one on the other side of the boot lid, if not maybe the PO used a bump stop to get the boot lid to sit right.

I use DeWalt battery drills, a 3/8in NiCad ( now 20 years old) and 1/2in Li-on, I use the smaller more frequently as it's lighter, I also have a DW Li-on Impact driver with 1/2 socket drive fantastic bit of kit, all brought new at around 1/3 cost of recommended cost separately off fleabay, batteries ex HK never looked back, then the daughter in laws dad tells me his company makes most of the major makes, he's VP of a company in Taiwan who makes most of the major drills and power elect equipment for the major names. To cut the seized subframe bolts on my Sprint I brought a cheapie mains power saw ($50) did the job in around 30sec each bolt, the whole street has used it to cut trees up, cut roots out, even a Ford Tudor body down for a hot rod, the saw just won't die, it rattles & is a bit sloppy now, I want it to die so I have justification to buy a DeWalt battery power saw. Re good vs cheap angle cutters I have an expensive one (Ryobi) and a cheapie (warranty 5 years) for rough work, the gear mesh is chalk and cheese, the cheapie you can feel the gear slack!

methinks Colin's your best bet as over the years/models the outer dia of the bezel varied and the ID and the thread depended on its use cable or switch and size of switch. The daughters Mk2 Spit had different OD sized bezels on the lower row of controls/switch's but over 20 years I've managed to achieve a set where the OD's all look the same. Yep I know I'm pedantic, or just over the top! Years ago I brought from the states a set of bezel tightening up tools they have a set of hardened prongs that engage the grooves in the bezel there's 2 different outside dia's and one for the flat slotted bezel there brilliant.

Leaky fuel pump olives after initial fitting and compressing I've subsequently had to solder them on to stop the weeping.

Always a good discussion at club brunch's the Davies Craig controller brigade vs the KISS lot (me) who use a simple bi-metallic temp switch for the on/off tapped into the thermostat housing which activates a relay which switch's the fan on. The kit was brought locally off ebay for $20, and included the temp switch, fused relay, heavy duty elect overload switch (bi-metallic), good lengths of wires, and brass adapters of various sizes. I subsequently brought a range of temp switch's so we could experiment with cut in and off temps, these were ex Hong Kong for around $6 ea, all brass casing. I pulled one of the bi-metallic temp switch's apart to check it's quality, I was surprised very well made, well insulated, and good connections, I reassembled it and repotted/.sealed the case and I've used it just to prove it still works.

Ditto Johny, in the early 00's we had a run of saloon new engine mounts supplied here in Aus by our local Vic major Triumph supplier which regularly failed in under a year, think it was put down to rubbish Indian manufactured items, don't know if similar products went west too.

yep that's the way me mum drug me up! I pulled the 20mm dia regulator knob off the Gaz Shocker and the shaft it's pinned to is only 10mm long and 6mm dia think I can accommodate that easily with a small slot cut out the side of the 45mm dia hole through the bottom plate. I'll stick with the original design no winged side plates. Gents thanks for the words of warning.

The bottom 13mm plate has a 45mm hole that the shock tube can pass thro and the shock spring pedestal sits on it same as the clubs set up, I’ve used that set up 4 times on std tube shocks with pedestal spring support. The issue was the GAZ shocks I have for the Vitesse which have a 5/8in knob to adjust the shock rate that wouldn’t pass thro the hole and I was trying to avoid having to notch with a cut out piece in the bottom plate so the knob could pass thro. so the basic set up I had is as per 68Vitesse set up. if I use the bottom shock eye bolt and tube to avoid notching the plate I can see the twisting risk but the threaded 10mm bars are locked to the bottom plate being threaded into the bottom plate as well as lock nuts top and bottom of the plate this would resist the bottom rotating or twisting I suppose I could use a stronger 50mm square box tube around 4mm wall thickness and weld that to a second plate and bolt that to the green bottom plate. Probably easier to use a jig saw to cut a notch in the bottom 13mm plate for the adjuster knob and anchor the plate on the shocker spring pedestal as the original setup that way there will be no potential for the set up is shorter and resists twisting

Well I'm a Civil Engineer and I'm not worried, at worst it would deform NOT tear the steel bracket. The bracket to base hold down bolts are 5/16in which are over the top, my error as I drilled the holes too big, meant to use 1/4in!

Several club members here use the Davies Craig Controller to control both their fan/s and the variable speed electric water pump, the're totally happy with the unit and the controls.

Ahebron, see attached photo with your suggested mod re holding the bottom of the shock by it's eye bold, rather than on the seat perch. Where do I send the royalties to! Ha. This method avoids the need to slot the hole in the bottom plate to let the shock adjuster pass through the plate! Any comment re strength of the angles, they are industrial shelving support angles, as its a limited use tool should be OK, ie no wear and tear involved. Each bracket bolted to the base plate with 2No. 5/16 UNF tapped bolts, base plate 1/2in thick.

I’ve done 3 steering column bush replacements Using Vaseline and broom handle the hardest thing I found was lining the little boss’s on the rubber bush to locate in the steering column holes damn difficult

Yep the existing back window was moved forward it was an official Aus Standard product of the early 50’s before They sold out to AMI (Australian Motor Industries) around 58 I think who assembled CKD Triumph cars

Definatley a rrrremote!

I assume as a Lotus it would be a Ford box so could that modified remote. Be used with a type 9 box

Re the catch’s those bolt heads appear to be resistance welded and that process is a professional job, that’s why I question why and what car! Re lightening yep highly probable just wondered if a Lotus owner. Would know

These Michelotti bonnet catch's are on ebay, one appears to have bracket rivetted to it for the aftermarket lock, but the way the bolts are welded to the catch it looks like the catch mounting is all on the inside of the wing as the bolts are welded to the catch and there is no ability to bolt through the wing, anyone seen these before and what car they were fitted to, of interest only! The second set of photos show a Stanpart Triumph small chassis remote gear linkage, which was by it's description fitted to a Lotus Elan, look at the lightening holes not only along the sides but also in the gear lever ball housing, do you reckon it was a Lotus modification or an owners attempt to reduce car weight. Oh, the ebay price for this Lotus remote is 180 quid, I know I mis-spelt Michelotti on the photo's, shit happens!!

No Herald Ute's made in Australia by AMI but Leyland Aus did make a land crab Morris 1800 ute, quite a decent load area, and very collectable nowadays I believe quite a few have been exported to the UK by collectors. No cars made in Aus anymore last Holden built was around 2 years ago, and the last model Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon Utes were big V8 beasts with lowered suspension, probably useless as trade vehicles, a club member had one of the last style Falcon ute's 5litre something with a turbo went like stink reckon it could shred a set of tyres in one good burn out. He sold it for more than he paid for it, there was one recently for sale that had been brought as an investment they wanted over $120k for it. Same member (around 45yrs old) has had his 2000 saloon since he was 16 it has a 2500 engine blue printer with triple Su's (Aus MD style) and it produces 180bhp at the wheels, it runs Corvette brakes, does eat clutch's tho!

Job well done good to start a new life with a good foundation, enjoy

Ahebron, the bottom eye fixing a good idea as all shocks irrespective of any shock adjustment screws can fit, no cut outs needed, might see if I can find a 50mm length of 100mm across flanges channel and bolt that onto the bottom plate, but then I'd have to buy longer threaded bar, if the channel presents itself I'll do it, bars cheap @ $5.

At the bottom I used a heavy duty spring washer and nut on the threaded bar, for safety I think I’ll drill a hole thro the protruding bar and put a D pin (split pin) thro it so it can’t unintentionally unscrew. After use I want to be able to strip it down to it’s seperate components for easy storage.