Tuesday, May 31, 2011

grinding out a result

The title refers not actually to grinding but the wire brush thingy. Same thing though, it spins very fast and can do serious damage to car and body.
Today saw me get to grips with another two road wheels, since its about the only thing I can do without some cash for the mass of front suspension parts needed.
I have two wire wheel brush thingies. a cup shaped wheel and a straight flat wheel for the grinder and another smaller cup wheel for the drill plus a good curved and flat handled wire brush.
I started with the flat wheeled brush in the grinder and after 2 hours one wheel cleaned both sides !
I was getting tougher on the second road wheel as most of the bristles had gone and it was very difficult to get inside the "join" of the Rostyle.
So, carried on with cup brush till disaster struck, the grinder just died. No amount of shaking and tapping would bring it back to life.
After lunch I sat down and took the grinder to bits. Couldn't see anything obvious, brushes o.k, switch o.k, power to, good. Then it dawned on me, the fuse !!.
What a wally, 30 mins wasted on what should have been the first thing I should have checked.
Doh........
Anyways, here is the scuttle in primer as promised last time


Not very exciting I know, however I've now done the lower section too. I don't look as good as access was tricky in some areas and its not visible when the grille is in. I'm sick of the black paint that's everywhere, this car in the past had one hell of a colour change from White to Black. Now I've decided its definitely going back to White. Which White though ?  Wifey likes Old English white, I prefer Glacier White. Anyone know what colour it would have been when made in 1977 ???
I have husbandly duties next few days so may get more time over the weekend to finish the wheels off (five seems a very big number thinking of the time spent grinding them, 2 and 3/4 done2 more to do !)
More soon...ish

Saturday, May 14, 2011

more to do too ( two) 2

So, on an overcast Sunday I did what I wanted, sort of !.
I tackled the front bumper mounting ready to fit a chrome bumper mounting ( eventually, when purchased- I have the chrome bumper, but not the fitting bracket)
The scary grinder made mincemeat of it. see above. I still have the top box section to remove ( the part behind the grill) but wont do that till I've decided what type of grill to buy.
Now I've had time to reflect and give some logical thought to it I think I've cut it back too far. It is level with the crossmember. The diagram and instructions I've seen from the NAMG register shows the original rubber bumper mounting end plate still in situ with only the top box section cut back. Oooh Errr !
So I moved on to something else as the neighbours were out and about outside and trying to enjoy their Sunday too. I wire brushed the rusty crappy back plates with the grinder and whire wheel cup brush thingy. I then painted with the Hammerite rust converter, left to dry and painted with Hammerite matt black. It was a pain to apply as its so thick, however doing this will save about £14 on a part thats not vital or is seen. I also painted the shorter springs I purchased a couple of years ago. This time I used a different matt black paint that was a lot thinner and they looked a treat ( they were an inexplicable light blue colour !). Then I collated all the suspension nuts, bolts, washers and things and labelled them LH or RH. I was afraid of mixing them up, the RH stuff was on drivers seat/rear tailgate/bucket and the LH stuff was in the passenger foot well.
That done, wire brushed the washers and bolt heads and painted matt black I put them away.
Then that's where I started to go backwards.
I spent ages trying to removed the LH nuts and bolts from the hub to disc. Last time I had to drill them out.
This time I had to also. Trouble was the 1/8" drill bit was blunt and dull. Then a brainwave. I clamped grinder into workmate and sharpened drill bit. It took me back 35 years as an apprentice toolmaker. I was then forever grinding drills back to a neat cutting point and it was a knack I'd not lost.
So, after one and half hours the two parts were separated. Long time ? yes, the trusty Bosch electric drill was overheating big time when it was time to use the 3/4" drill bit, so I interspersed this with trying to remove the LH kingpin spacer from the stub axle.
What a performance. The RH side slid in and out like an old sea boot, or even precision engineered part utilising a H7 - f7 sliding fit.
The LH side had been hammered in and would not budge. I had to use the bolt and the inside of an old rubber bush copper liner. Even the it was tough with lots of faffing. Look at the spacer tube once removed. Its been roughly (very) ground to be a hammered in fit !






This now explains why the steering was very heavy ( and why the LH side wishbone holes were Oval )
It also means I need a new kingpin and spacer to add to the growing list of unsuspected faulty parts.
    After some searching "Watford Classics" can supply the bottom half only + kingpin, second hand for £20 so its not as bad as replacing the whole hub assy at £60 ish.
And I thought I had only to remove the suspension parts, paint them, put on new lower spring and bushes and jobs done. Haa ! 9 months later and the cars still on the axle stands and immobile.
I did tackle the front scuttle with the hand held wire brush and it looks somewhat better.

This is the "before " shot. I'm still looking for the "after" photo.     more soon folks

Monday, May 02, 2011

A little more done means even more to do

Had a great end to my two weeks and a bit off.
Finished the dissertation for Uni ahead of hand in date and well before the extended Easter break so had it very easy, albeit with little or no cash. I packed in the Saturday night job to concentrate the final push at placement, exams and dissertation.
The weather has been glorious and not one day of rain, only sun, sun, sun and a little breeze.
It was doubly difficult since this time or year sees my birthday and inevitable cash for parts come my way. However, my b'day is on the last day of the hols hence the frustration at not having the money earlier, but plenty of time.
That said I have a small sum to spend wisely, but probably not on what I thought all through winter.
I did plan to re bush (Polybush) all the front suspension so its all removed and painted up from September last.( see a few posts ago RE all laid up for winter)
I made a list then and it comprised :-
Poly bushes + roll bar bushes
2 top damper nuts and bolts ( mine were welded on at the nuts !)
2 Brake discs ( well and truly rust bound and scored beyond belief)
4 Nuts + bolts to hold disc to hubs ( why not 8 I here you say, I'll explain later)
2 Inner grease bearing retainers
1 set of shims
1 set of brake pads + pins etc
2 back plates
2 or 4 bottom wishbone arms (see photos of painting/removal..viz oval hole. Is it wise to replace only one side ??)
Misc split pins
Grease...how much and what type ?
       I also needed other stuff that was left pending from other little flurries long forgotten about viz:-
Duck oil releasing fluid

Main Engine to oil cooler pipe ( yes I know I should have bought two but I thought the one on the oil cooler I bought from E-bay was o.k - I was wrong)
Flexible clutch pipe ( leaking badly- and in a awkward place too)
I'm sure there's more suspension parts I need but have forgotten, and there's lots more other stuff
such as :-
Inner wing splash panels
front spoiler + mounting bolts/nuts
seam sealer
One wing attaching bolt set
One door bolt set

Anyways, enough of lists, I seem to spend my entire life either making them or thinking of making them.
The last day of my hol saw me wend my way to Thoresby Hall for a classic car show.
And a very good show it was too. I went alone so as to have no distractions and enjoy myself at my own pace. I bought said clutch flex pipe there too for a bargain £4. Normally at least £8 to 10 from the usual suppliers. I was initially billed as a "Mini" east of England show but there was much much more.
Lots of vintage motorcycles and scooters, American 60's monsters with fins ( fantastic, god how much do they cost to respray ??) Triumphs TR2,250, 3,4,5,6,7,8. Many MG's of all types, Humbers, Datsun 240Z's, Fords from the 70 &80's, TVR ( some nice Tuscans) Lotus Esprit ( My dream car), Eclat, Elise, Europa, 7. Jags, Rovers and lots of pre war stuff . I particularly enjoyed the Lambretta/Vespa scooters too ( more maybe later on that topic). All in all a very enjoyable day and I got home around 2.30 in the afternoon.
Just time for a quick tinker then, to "get a bit more done".
I'll start by replacing the flex clutch pipe I've just bought, it should be easy enough now I have the "wonder duck oil". I bought this a few weeks ago on recommendation and it is good stuff, I released the oil cooler pipe nut from the aluminium oil cooler nut housing without any trouble ( unlike a few years ago when I destroyed the old oil cooler trying to undo said nuts using WD 40).

Ha, how wrong can you be.
I'd done the sensible thing and removed the starter motor to aid access. I also found out that I'd only put one bolt back in last time I had the starter motor out some time ago, so its a job well spotted. WTF is the other bolt though?
After lots of swearing, socket swapping, bruised knuckles, dropped tools, duck oil and more swearing I decided I may have to cut through the f****ng thing with a hacksaw. The gearbox end undid easily but could only move One turn due to the pipe twisting. The other end was held in a bracket level with the side of the sump and comprised of flared steel pipe/union connected to inside of flex pipe, large 7/8" loose nut on outside of flex pipe + 3/4" nut as part of flex pipe ( acting as lock nut) well rusted and trapped on bracket. There was very little room. And to make matters worse the 7/8" nut ran down about 3/4" of fine thread. The 1/2" union was impossible to budge due to its location and rust and fine thread.
I got the hacksaw out again and cut off below the pipe body below the bracket so I could get a socket on it. getting somewhere at last. Uunfortunately whilst trying to stop the top steel pipe and union turning, it just sheared the steel pipe above the union.
Just as well really, I was getting fed up and frustrated after such a good day.



Here's the offending items removed ( the Union has gone......somewhere !)
So that means another part adding to my list just so I can at least move the car on the drive.

Job hunting and interviews are next on the agenda then final qualification and hopefully proper paid employment. May just be able to save some money to complete the suspension. Otherwise its back to the old bind of power brush on grinder and de-rusting stuff and primer application ready for whenever. Keep meaning to do the Rostyle wheels but can't be arsed as its messy fiddly and noisy especially on a hot sunny day with neighbours all outside. ( did one last year and it looks good in primer though)

More soon folks. p.s I'm a day older but none the wiser. Time for a drink.  I'm in Theatre tomorrow and up for 6.30 a.m.