That was a year that was..

[Badwolf]

Posted the Maplin thing here ages ago. They had still gone bust at that point but other cheap and cheerful buzzers are available.

[NonMember]

17 hours ago, Badwolf said:

I just wired a 50p  Maplin buzzer across the bulb terminals. Still working 30 odd years later

Between the left and right bulbs? Or two buzzers?

On 18/03/2022 at 11:37, NonMember said:

If it's a low current polarity-insensitive one, then the trick the factory used for the light on the dash works - wire it between the two sides.

Classic 50p Maplin electromagnetic job is exactly the thing I meant.

[Badwolf]

Only got the one indicator bulb on mine, so just a single buzzer.

[Chris A]

57 minutes ago, Badwolf said:

Only got the one indicator bulb on mine, so just a single buzzer.

'indicator bulb' as in the light on the dash that goes on and off and on and off  . . . . . 

Have you fitted a buzzer, if so how exactly - I think I might fit one for the simple reason that when driving with the hood down in the sun there are times when I can't tell if the warning light is flashing or not.

[Colin Lindsay]

Easiest way for me - unless there's something I'm not spotting - is just to splice one into the warning light circuit in series.

Another option is to buy two - or four - of these guys below; replace your indicator bulbs. Then everyone else will know you're indicating and you'll hear it inside the car too.

 

 

[Badwolf]

I did mine in total ignorance. I just attached the buzzer terminals across the dash board indicator light. All the electronics experts all now say that it's not safe, won't work etc. I'm sure that the bulb was swapped for an led the other year. Must check.

[Chris A]

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Easiest way for me - unless there's something I'm not spotting - is just to splice one into the warning light circuit in series.

 

44 minutes ago, Badwolf said:

I did mine in total ignorance. I just attached the buzzer terminals across the dash board indicator light.

That's what my first reaction would be, but then I'm not usually right first time, or ever for that matter. Thanks guys

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Another option is to buy two - or four - of these guys below; replace your indicator bulbs. Then everyone else will know you're indicating and you'll hear it inside the car too.

I  think that is a bit of overkill 🤪 and expensive

[PeteH]

In Theory, If a 12V buzzer is wired in parallel with the Dash Light it should "beep" in sync with the light?.

Pete

[Pete Lewis]

just bung it in the boot and to hell with it scotch loc to the either blub harness 

no groveling no back aching all simpulze stuff

and yes i hate scotchlocks   should be banned 

 

[Peter Truman]

How many spare Scotchlocks have you accumulated over the years Pete.

I’ll whisper it! I carry a few in my car onboard spares just in case of emergencies haven’t had to drop to those depths yet tho!

[Chris A]

15 hours ago, PeteH said:

In Theory, If a 12V buzzer is wired in parallel with the Dash Light it should "beep" in sync with the light?.

Pete

If I do fit one I think my first attempt will be to the wire from the indicator module that goes to the dashboard light, if it works I'll then see if it needs to be within the car or under the bonnet is ok for it to be heard in the car.

As for scotch locks, do they only come in blue?  🤔

[Pete Lewis]

i do confess amongst my drawers of every type of plug pin socket sleeve bullet snap lucar blades males females  sleeve plain and dusty there is a small draw labeled  scotch bloody locks of various colours and wire sizes i have won /collected or lost sleep over the years 

just keep it quiet 

as for colours   there are many depending on wire size

Pete

[Chris A]

20 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

as for colours   there are many depending on wire size

Spoilt for choice, decisions, decisions . . . .

[Pete Lewis]

getting the loc with a suitable connector size to suit your wire is most important they are certainly not fool proof 

too small cuts the wire strands  &  too large makes a poor or little connection and fail.. even catch fire if

on a high load .

easy to be very unreliable 

anyway back to Pete's TR4>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Pete

 

[Chris A]

49 minutes ago, Mathew said:

Red is the smallest, then blue then yellow. So the choice is which size your wire!

I figured that,

[PeteH]

I put my hands up to using them, and,yes they can be problematic, if not done "right". But no worse IMHO than the old style Bullet fasteners, if you get the crimp wrong. Even soldered ones if not done correctly either.

Pete

[Peter Truman]

On 19/03/2022 at 09:06, Mathew said:

I brought 3 sets, quick delivery to Aus and i fitted one today worked well quite audible buzzer BUT there is an issue when fitted in conjunction/parallel with the original Triumph Lucas push/pull 4 way emergency flasher when using the emergency flashers the buzzer beeps too! but ok emergency flasher doesn't activate when indicators used normally . I think Diodes in each feeder wire from the buzzer to the main LH/RH feeder wires, could fix the problem or otherwise wire buzzer maybe into 3rd pin of flasher can ie dash indicator light source.

Pete L I've got 9 spare Scotch Locks give me a postage address!!

Back to the drawing board.

[NonMember]

1 hour ago, Peter Truman said:

when using the emergency flashers the buzzer beeps too!

That's inevitable if you wire it from indicator bulbs to ground (the two red wires connected to the indicator circuits) as the hazard warning uses the same indicator bulbs.

1 hour ago, Peter Truman said:

I think Diodes in each feeder wire from the buzzer to the main LH/RH feeder wires, could fix the problem

I doubt it, as the bit under the heat shrink where the two red wires meet looks very much like it already contains a pair of diodes.

1 hour ago, Peter Truman said:

otherwise wire buzzer maybe into 3rd pin of flasher

Yes, if you have a 3-pin flasher, the dash light pin is the one to use.

(Edit: I thought you might be able to connect the buzzer to the wires between the indicator column switch and the hazard light switch but I'd mis-remembered the way the switch works.)

Or, use a 50p Maplin non-polarity-sensitive buzzer between the left and right. When using hazards, they're connected together so the buzzer doesn't sound.

[Peter Truman]

I thought more about the diodes and I reckon your correct, the Lucas hazard flasher disconnects the ign supply to the column indicator switch and uses a battery supply to a separate hazard flasher can, the buzzer is connected to the two flasher wires RH & LH at the same point as the  hazard supply connects to both wires, by 2/4 way bullet connectors one in each wire.

I use LED rear flashers ie min load could that be the issue.

[NonMember]

As long as you have filament bulbs at the front, there's probably enough load.

With the way you have the buzzer wired, it doesn't care about the load, so the LEDs make no difference to it.

One possible fix for a polarity-sensitive buzzer - assuming the buzzer takes minimal current - would be to wire it across the flasher unit. You only need one red wire for this. With the indicators off, it's an unconnected circuit. With the hazards on, it's unconnected again, just at the other end. With indicators on, the buzzer sounds when the flasher is open (lights off). This will be OK as long as the current passing through the buzzer is small enough to not illuminate the indicators. You can test for this by wiring the buzzer in series with a 21W bulb to a 12V battery. If the buzzer sounds and the light stays dark then it should work.

[Bfg]

After a couple of weeks of no activity (on the car at least) here's little modification I've just done . . .

    

^ Adding a sidelight into the headlamp  ..which was simply a matter of marking where the rubber cover goes and drilling a hole clear-inside that boundary of 12mm diameter (..having first removed the headlamp bulb of course).  I have one of those stepped drill bits which steps up in 2mm increments from 4 to 20mm, so the task was easy. The two bulb holders I'd bought at the same as ordering the LED bulbs from 'Classic Car LEDs' - their part number is BA9HOP 170790,  and they take standard BA9 (bayonet fitting 9mm) bulb &/or an LED's to fit.  I opted for LEDs in line with my objective to minimise electrical loads / prolong battery life ..should I break down at night.   I did carefully bend the terminals flat to make this easier, but as you can see, complete with wiring connections it neatly fits under that dust/water cover.

The two wires I made to suit.  After drilling a 10mm hole in the bottom of the headlamp bowl and these wires being sleeved - they simply plug into the bullet terminals of the original light's wiring loom

^ Katie's  headlamp reflectors are Wipac, and the little LED bulb now fitted can just about be seen under the H4 halogen headlamp bulb.  

^ the result is quite unobtrusive, even on a 1967 car,  but imo useful in terms of their being more noticeable to contemporary motorists.  The original but tiny side lights were bright enough but they offered little in way of 'distance perspective' to most other drivers ..whereas a pair of 7" headlamps, even on sidelights, is quite obvious.  And that recognition is to me an important safety feature.  Just my opinion of course, but for around £10 for fittings and the bulbs, and a few hours work, I think worthwhile. 

Cheers, Pete  

 

[Bfg]

inbetween bouts of every kind of weather, I'm still been pottering around with 'revitalising' wiring connections ..and of course a few changes.  Here's a quick gallery in no particular order of, just some of, the many things that each of us have or will face sooner or later, and which altogether take a time to clean up and make right again . . .

   

^ Just one of the daisy-chain instrument illumination lamps.    ^^ second photo ;  the temperature sender wire (where the crimping was perhaps just a little too cutting, and (white) the fraying loose (..poorly supported) feed wire to the coil. 

    

^ under the switch plinth, top the left is copper-green slime in connections onto the ignition switch, and a block of blue masking tape, which turned out to be a taped-on push button switch for an electric screen-wash pump.     Access behind the central instruments and switch is insufficient for my size of hand ..Oh how I was once spoiled with an old Jaguar's hinge-open centre-console, with its fuse panel behind.. all in clear view and easily reached from the comfort of the fragrant Connolly leather seats.    

^^ right ;    RHS headlamp main-beam and dip-beam wires with sheared-through insulation. This is odd insomuch as these wires connect near the centre of the car and so I cannot see how such damage occurred (nor know not when).  Had they been switched live at that time then the spark would have been impressive !

   

^ LHS headlamp bulb connector, melted.  That particular (dip beam) wire had also been spliced immediately adjacent to the connector, and although soldered, it hadn't been protected from the elements and so had corroded through the wire again (..it literally broke off in my fingers).  I replaced the whole length of wire as its shorting-out had made its insulation go hard (and brittle).

^^ right ;  25A, 7ohm resistor connected to either front indicator, where LED bulbs had been fitted.  The ceramic casing of the resistor is like a hard edge and surprisingly heavy little brick, just left to hang from the wire.  Changing the flasher relay made these redundant, but the lamp's wires had been damaged with these connectors ..so again had to be replaced.

  

^ the shortness of these clamps, for the instruments, was discovered when I removed the timber from my (TR4A) dashboard, to go naked ! (..painted metal dashboard).  Of course, because the steel dash is so much thinner - these clamps need to be 6 - 10mm longer.  For expediency, I resorted to welding metal plates on, to extend their length.   Nay-a-mind, only the mice will see them.!

   

^ LED side-lamps and indicators have now been fitted in each corner ..although I have yet to remove the rear lamp units themselves, to check and clean those bulb holders.  As you can see I've added a little sticky-back aluminium tape, as a reflector, behind these side repeater indicator bulb. The tape is a left-over from when I fitted aluminium-faced insulation panels inside my storage-container. I don't know what was original for these lamps, but it seemed daft to have black rubber behind a bulb.  Naturally care should be taken., because aluminium is a conductor, and so this 'reflector' should be well clear of the bulb's contacts.   

^^ The whole of LHS side-repeater lamp assembly has been loose on the front wing, since before I bought the car, and now I've replaced its fastening studs for new, so that it could be tightened.  The front side lamp was working but obviously compromised by moisture ingress, from where the rubber seals have perished. I've cleaned up the metal work and all the connections. New rubber for these, the rear lights and also those for the headlamps ..are on order. 

 

   

^ under the bonnet ;  I've now run the front lighting-loom along and over the top of the driver's side inner-wing (rather than those wires being under the carburettors). The wires wrapping (..twice wrapped for whatever reason) has been removed and the wires are now inside a sleeve (together with a mouse in case i want to pull another wire forward).  With the TR6 plastic fan, this engine tends to run cool, and so I see little need to have ducting in front of the radiator. NB. I can always add it at a later date should I find it necessary during the summer.  In the meantime, without that ducting, there's a plenty of cool under-bonnet air flow, to all the other parts (..not least the car's battery, hydraulics, engine ancillaries, etc)  and to feed the carburettors.

For tidiness and ease of support, I've routed the wires to the LHS headlamp, sidelight, indicator and horn, through the front valance. A pair of 30mm diameter holes were already there, so I just needed to add grommets to protect the loom from chafing.

I've removed the car's two (twin-tone) horns from the front suspension towers (..as their wiring connections annoyingly snagged my sleeve each time I reached passed them to work on the engine's fan, radiator hoses or dynamo), and now only the high-tone one is fitted.  Ideally it would have been fitted low down on the RHS (to save the length of wire run) ..but the radiator's expansion bottle was in the way, so instead it's fitted near the bottom of the LHS inner wheel-arch (..which seems to amplify the hoot !). Again I found a suitable mounting hole already there.  You can just about see the wire leading to that horn in the above photo. And.. with just one horn, I'm happy to be rid of the horn's relay and its additional wiring as well. 

Talking with a boat-owner friend about this car's wiring, I was bewildered as to why the TR4A suddenly needed a horn relay ..when one wasn't deemed necessary on earlier cars.?  Initially his thinking was that it must surely be related to Triumph going from positive to negative earth (which appears to have happened around about the same time) and the horn's wiring always being live (un-switched).  I wasn't convinced.  Looking further into this, I noted Roger_H's  suggestion that the coil of wire in the horn button's plunger was necessarily small and couldn't take the electrical load, and so was unreliable. Tbh, that didn't make a whole of sense to me when I read the specification of the earlier car's horns drew more current. 

After some deliberation (..with Katie ! ) I deduced - the introduction of the relay most likely coincided with different horns being fitted to the later cars.  Let me share my route to this conclusion ... 

Similarly., the headlamps have large diameter wires around the engine bay ..but still only 'normal' wires to their switch. And again, only normal (ie., relatively skinny) wires on the spurs between the main-loom's bullet connectors and each bulb.  But despite the current draw of headlamps - still No  relay was fitted.  We deduced the reason for the heavier wires in the forward section of the lighting loom, was not specifically for carrying the current to their (now) 60w headlamp bulbs (ie., 5 amps @ 12v), but rather to minimise the voltage drop  over their respective length of wire ..which of course would tend to result in the LHS headlamp being dimmer (..it being some 50" further along the loom than the RHS headlamp).  So, to balance this (..and also account for why).. the wiring loom to the headlamps goes the centre of the car, to the bullet-connectors, and then the spur wires to the RHS headlamp unit retrace their 25" way back again to the lamp.  This is so the length of wires to each headlamp (ie., the voltage drop and therefore each bulb's luminosity) is the same.   There was method in their madness after all !

It is the length of wire (when too thin) that causes the voltage drop.  And very likely, Lucas' new (12v) spiral type of horn was more sensitive to voltage drop than their old bulbous ones, which had been derived from their 6v counterparts.  I'd bet, when fitted to the TR, the new horns proved quieter than the old ones !   Oops !! 

What could be done ! ? 

Unlike the headlamps, the (earlier cars) horns were not locally earthed.  Instead they shared both the same power source (on the TR4, a connection on the solenoid) and the same earth (through the horn button and steering column).  I estimate, the wiring circuit (..of just the two horns) to be almost 240" long ..from the solenoid to one, then onto the other horn, and back, before going off to the horn-button earth.

And even though the horns are wired in parallel - the 120" loop of wire to & from the LH side of the car, would have figured in.  So with new (voltage sensitive) horns, that (LHS) horn would be quieter still.  On my own car the LHS horn happened to be the Low-tone horn which sounds duller anyway.

So, Standard-Triumph, together with Lucas, resolved the issue by fitting a relay immediately besides  the nearest horn. The horn's power source was taken from the control box, also in the engine bay, and the horns joint earth was just there next to the relay.  The horn circuit's loop, from power source to both horns, and to its localised earth on the body shell, now had a total length of around 156".  It may still seem a lot, but that's the price of fitting a horn on to either side of the car. Importantly, with a relay - this is just two-thirds of what it was. And sufficient a reduction in voltage-drop for the new horns to be effective.  Very likely, the old type of horn was soon-to-become obsolete, and even with a  relay - the new horns were cheaper, smaller and lighter weight for Triumph. 

I cannot say for certain, not least because I've otherwise been cleaning all the connections up and have shortcut the steering rack's earth, but I'd say my single horn is noticeably louder / more pronounced than when the two were fitted.

In a similar vain ; the wires for Katie's temperature gauge sender and coil used to come around the front of the car. They now go through the LHS bulkhead, along with the rev counter cable, and go directly to the instrument panel.  The wire to the coli previously came from the fuse box, with an around about 116" wiring run. With it now coming directly from the ignition switch the wire is 47" long.  I wonder if having a little extra voltage to the low-tension side of the coil will make any difference.?  There's even greater length cut out of the temperature gauge wire.  More importantly perhaps than voltages, is that both these wires are now much less vulnerable and better supported than as originally designed.

 

moving on . . .

   

^ Back to the dashboard instruments, their electrical contacts and illumination bulb holders just needed a good cleaning and a smear of Vaseline to keep corrosion at bay.  Remembering that this car was first registered in 1967,  I'm really impressed with how Lucas produced such good quality OE equipment, that cost so little and yet has lasted so well, despite it having been fitted and forgotten, with little or no maintenance in all that time.  

^^ right ; the centre console is very much easier to handle than the full width plank of wood (aka ; veneered dashboard).  In this photo I've just refitted the daisy-chains of earths and instrument illumination lamps. Again I've gone over to LED bulbs in these.

  

^ with the cable wrap removed, and the cables cleaned (and of course each connector) it's easy to group the wires according to which instrument they go to.  Imo, everything doesn't need to be wrapped. Personally speaking I prefer loose-fitted sleeves, wherever they are needed (ie., when they may be vulnerable to moisture, dirt or damage). 

^^ second photo shows sticky-backed Velcro (white) I've stuck to the heater box, with black velcro (hook n' loop) I'm using to better secure the wires.  It's a new one on me, but I thought the idea worth a try ..and first impressions are that it's easy, very flexible to position and secure.

 

     

^ The LED indicator flasher unit came with a rubber sleeve but no clip for that to fit onto, so I made one (..a bit more of the back-plate of the scrapped boiler).   Drilling the hole for this (.. where it was to fit on the car) was very awkward because the steering column was in the way of where I wanted to get a drill in.  I'm mounting this flasher unit onto the side of the driver's side face vent's metal duct (between the air-intake-plenum and the dashboard) ..so that when it ticks - I might stand a chance of hearing it.!    I have yet to fathom why Triumph fitted the original indicator relay into the far corner of the passenger foot-well, ?   I kid you not.., this car's wiring loom could have been designed to work more efficiently with 10m less wire (..multiply that sort of value-engineering by 80,000 cars built and it surely adds up !)     

^^ wiring diagram, from Bob ..whose brilliance and kind hearted help have saved me and many others a whole bundle of working out.  I've just redrawn the same here according to the switch and relay, in my own hand-writing, for my own car.

    

^ I like small (neat) switches and so when Bob said he'd used the smaller size, I followed suit and bought the same..   When viewing the terminal layout in the drawing above, you might want to compare that with these photos of the actual switch (with a pencil and my thumb a reference to its size (or lack of).  Aside from fingers n' thumbs, my soldering iron is a tad big for this sort of work.!      In the first photo you'll see the wire going to two connectors (as per Bob's instructions) so I split the number of bare wire strands into two, tinned those with solder, and then like the others bent those wires into U shapes to hook through the switch terminal's holes. Crimp those U bends tight and touch the solder to them. Heat-shrink over each and a length of heat shrink as group tie and job done.  It must have been a 2-minute job (at least ! )  to connect this switch up.  And I still have the other ends of the wires to cut to length and add end-connectors to.  Still I'm pleased with how it came out, considering how I desperately need to go to Spec-Savers  ..mind perhaps after I get new glasses I'll be less than pleased. ! ?   

I haven't yet fitted it, as I'm sorting out other wires and switches first, like moving the TR4A light switch off the column, where it is easily knocked on by someone of my size getting in & out of the car. The light switch will now be a TR4 dashboard-mounted pull switch. . .

   

^ The TR4A column mounted light switch is now redundant, but actually wasn't in bad condition aside from some of the insulation on wires having cracked. I didn't want to disassemble the switch to clean it, and so like the other column switches used a small (water-colour painting) brush, with white spirit to clean out what I could. And then clean tissue to dry it again.  I would like to use this switch for the overdrive, but it's a three position (off, side and headlamps) switch, and so I yet have to work out which connections will best work for the simply On / Off of the overdrive.   

    

^ the indicator switch, was not in such good shape, It felt sluggish and limp handed, where the lever attached it was broken, glued back together and breaking again.  It suffered with corrosion, and aside from damaged insulation on some wires, it had the wrong type of screws fastening it onto the steering column. Those should have been (I believe) small set screws, and they were coarse-threaded self-tappers. One screw had fallen out and was rolling around in the bottom of the plastic housing.  It turned out the corrosion was the cause of it feeling really limp and sluggish, as the plastic mechanism dragged its way over the corroded springs (second photo).  I cleaned the switch out (with white spirit) cleaned of the corrosion as n' where I could, PTFE lubricated its moving parts (carefully brushed on), and the contacts with a smear of Vaseline, and used Araldite to repair the cracked & perished plastic where the lever attaches. The wires have cleaned up fine and I've applied 'Liquid Electrical Tape' to back-up their insulation.  In truth it's a temporary patchwork job that will probably only last another.. twenty or thirty years.!

   

^ This is the overdrive switch, as it came off, wrapped in gaffer tape but with its end open.  It still worked, but for how much longer I wonder ?  I've cleaned it up inside n' out, as I plan to reuse it for the headlamp's main / dip switch.  It's a two position switch but could be with three terminals.  It's position on the steering column (behind the indicator switch on the RHS of the steering column) would suit me much better than the original foot switch - which I find clunky, awkward, uncertain, and generally in the way of a clutch rest for my big feet.  I do like the nostalgic quaintness of a foot-operated main/dip switch, but really that's not so very important when driving the car at night.  My car and I'm going to kick that foot switch out ..or use it for something else (think 007 ! ) ?  

I think that's enough for today..

Bottom line though, is that each of these things take quite a bit of time to work through and correct.  But after finding a host of potential unreliability issues lurking and just waiting for a wet night and an urgent appointment  ..I'm glad to have taken the time to do them now. 

Pete

 

[Bfg]

Wiring task is mostly done . . .

I'm very pleased to say that my immediate work on the wiring is now all but done (..just a few wires to the wiper-motor need sleeving and securing) but everything electric (presently tried) works as it should.   The LED side lights and indicators (..particularly noticeable at the rear) are much brighter, and now thanks to TR3-Bob (of the TR forum) I even have hazard warning lights.

Having removed the timber, and still hoping to do without needing the dashboard supporting H-frame, I've also revised the dashboard layout, switch arrangements and cable runs, so the speedo is now outboard of the rev counter (the rev counter and speedo have swapped places). The minor instruments are in their same position, save of course being mounted onto the steel facia panel from a TR4  (they were previously mounted into the TR4A's wooden dashboard).  A TR4 three-position light switch is on the dashboard to the right of the steering (the light switch used to be the LH column switch). The column switch immediately besides that (also on the RHS)(this used to be the overdrive switch) is now the main / dip beam switch (which used to be foot operated switch next to the clutch pedal). The indicators switch is there too near the steering wheel (when it's refitted).  The overdrive switch is now to the left of the steering column ie adjacent to the gear change (this switch used to be for the lights).

The rheostat for the instrument lamps is yet to be mounted but that will be under the dashboard behind the central switch plinth, together with the fan blower switch, which is presently crudely mounted on a bracket projecting from the heater itself. 

Left to right on the central switch plinth are now ; wipers, screen-wash, heat distribution (face / footwells), then the ignition switch, and finally the choke. The hazard warning light switch is tucked under the RHS of the dashboard and in the bracket that used to be for the bonnet release.  That release cable is now on a separate bracket just under the RHS face vent, which is much very easier to reach.   

   

^ bottom centre  is the bonnet release, which looks odd at such an angle, but in fact is as easy to pull when standing outside the car as it is from inside. The angled cable is very much more direct and a smoother run than it was originally, so the bonnet pull feels lighter. Similarly swapping the rev. counter and speedo made each of their cables run smoother. The bonnet release bracket is mounted onto the bottom of the air vent trunking, and as you can see just above this is the indicator relay.  The ticking relay (for LED lamps) can be better heard than the original Lucas item fitted way up in the corner of the passenger footwell. 

The red switch for the hazard warning lights can be seen in the bottom-left  of this photo.  And the headlamp switch is on the dashboard besides the indicator relay.  The pull-type brake light switch can just about be seen mid-way up the left hand side of the photo.  Naturally the wire run between the fuse box just out of sight in the bottom left corner  and the brake light and hazard warning switches are short & direct. Likewise between the light switch and the main/dip switch. As again are those between the indicator switch, the relay and the hazard switch.  I've left the steel cover off the cables going up the steering column, and instead used velcro hook n' loop.  So much easier !

^ As I presently have no bumpers fitted, nor overriders, the rear number plate lights are fitted directly onto the plate. However I'll need to revisit those because the LED  lamps are incorrectly positioned (I simply used the same holes that fastens the plate) and also show too bright a white light at the rear of the car.  As you might see, the first and last letters of the registration are not illuminated.  Oops !   

Naturally the engine turns on the starter and the coil is wired in, the fuel gauge reads, and the (single) horn sounds penetrating. I haven't turned the engine over more than for half a second because..,  the next round of disappointments were just waiting to present themselves. 

I had hoped to have the car started and to have a short drive this Easter weekend (aside from one seat, the car's interior trim is unnecessary for that) but before I even attempted to start the engine. . .

^ I'd spotted this last week so as I said, I haven't turned the engine over more than for half a second ..just to check the high-torque starter-motor worked ..since I had it apart, cleaned & lubricated things, and replaced its bearing.

I had drained the water from the radiator and engine, months ago when dealing with the leaky engine block drain tap, and that is how it has remained throughout the winter.  However I fear water must be in the sump..  There was no evidence of steam from the engine breather, nor white smoke from the exhaust, but you may recall when I first bought the car (..a year ago in March) I had issues with rusty water spouting from the radiator cap and expansion bottle.  Re-torquing the cylinder head, fitting a seal on the radiator cap, and extending the pipe into the expansion bottle appeared to have sorted that out, as the frothing had stopped and there were no signs of emulsified oil  under the rocker cover (when I later swapped out the rocker shaft)  ..but now I wonder about the figure-of-eight-gaskets again.   I really didn't need this issue right now, and so it's quite upsetting.

I really need to stop working on this car NOW ..so that i might get on with other jobs which left undone are costing me huge amounts of money each month (ie., a boat that I haven't touched for three years, first because of covid and then I had to move home, and then because of this (..crude expletive ! )  car).

^ I hadn't ever experienced this sort of thing before, and hoped that it might just be condensation from sitting in a poly-tunnel for the past six months. I've cleaned it all off now with tissue, but in my mind there too much water to suggest it had all come in through the open breather (the rubber pipe has been off for a month or so).

After seeing this, I recalled a tell-tale sign ..which I didn't pick up on at the time. ie., when I last used the car (and was somewhat preoccupied with getting the car's suspension, brakes and steering to feel safer) ..and that was the engine's oil pressure was getting progressively getting worse.  I mentioned to friends in the club that I wanted to drop the sump before I drove the car much further, to check the cranks end-float, and main bearings, and to rebuild the oil pump. At the same time I wanted to lift off the timing chain cover to check it's condition (which is why I had drained the radiator - ready to remove it).  As I say, at the time there was nothing obvious under the rocker's filler cap, nor the dip stick, to suggest what I'm seeing now.

^ Oil flowing like muddy water, and even frothing !   so., certainly well mixed, despite having not turned the engine over more than a turn or two over the past six months.  Naturally, if this has been in the engine and is the cause of the low oil pressure, then I hate to think what it's done to the engines bearings. 

On a positive note, it is encouraging to see how tough these engines must be ..to have survived running on this.  And perhaps with this issue resolved - the oil pressure ought to be much better again

It certainly is a new one on me..  How to ensure the engine runs cool.. simple just half fill the sump with cold water !

.. Happy Easter

 

[Bfg]

53 minutes ago, Mathew said:

One day it will be sorted, and then what will you do! Looking good, i suspect you may return the centre H to firm up the dash and scuttle shake. Does look like alot of water in the oil. But you will get a lot under polythene . Fresh oil and a run out is my prescription. Check the water and oil levels to see if one is migrating to the other. Have you forgot the carb overflow problem or has that been sorted?

One day ..I'll be too old to drive the flipping thing !  ..just kidding (..sort of )

We drove the car before without the H-frame ..with no issues. But yes, we'll see now that the tunnel cover is in and four more body-to-chassis mounts have been added, so the car's body shell now ought to be taut ..which might just add to highlight the windscreen / scuttle shake.   Oh yes., yesterday I did up two loose bolts holding the fuel tank in. One was loose enough for its penny washer to have been an annoying rattle, while the other had a stripped thread.  NB, the steel petrol tanks in these cars do add considerably to the stiffness of the rear deck and B-posts ..but only when bolted up tight.

Immediate plan is to re-torque the head, and drop the sump to clean that out, and of course to change the oil and filter.  I'll use a slightly cheaper oil for flushing, and at the same time see what's what after the car has been started and run for a while. 

You're very right though..  "Fresh oil and a run out is my prescription"  reminds me that the issue need not stop my world spinning on its axis today, as even if those figure-of-eight-gaskets are seeping water passed - then they can just wait a while (with the car on the road) before its done.!  

Hey, no incredibly I've not forgotten that one.. another job done with new (supposedly matched pair) shut-off valve seat and needles ..for both carbs. .  

cheers,

Pete

[Peter Truman]

Pete re Float needle valves which did you use solid brass on brass, or viton faced, daughter came up in the Spit yesterday and complained of fuel smell at 100kph (always has at between 98 & 103kph, no other speed range), but no evidence of any leakage on bottom of carbs or on heat shields. The Grosse valves have been scrapped & I fitted used valves from my stock of spares, float height OK, so thought I'd buy some new viton faced needle valves to see if it improves matters. I haven't checked the fuel pressure yet.