Vulgalour's Vehicles - 10/03 Ignition Switch Woe

Post pictures and stories about your cars both present and past. Also post up "blogs" on your restoration projects - the more pictures the better! Note: blog-type threads often get few replies, but are often read by many members, and provide interest and motivation to other enthusiasts so don't be disappointed if you don't get many replies.
Message
Author
vulgalour
Posts: 674
Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Austin Morris Princess X2

#31 Post by vulgalour » Mon Sep 30, 2013 12:46 pm

Jacked the car up to see if it might just be a pipe... nope.  Fluid just pours out this end of the sphere, I'm not entirely sure how, but it's like someone turned a tap on.  Doesn't seem to be a great deal of pressure behind it.
 
Image
 
Image
 
Now the car sits even lower on that side.  Super.

mach1rob
Posts: 1787
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 3:22 pm

Re: Austin Morris Princess X2

#32 Post by mach1rob » Mon Sep 30, 2013 1:41 pm

Oh erm BALLS indeed :cry:

User avatar
TerryG
Posts: 6754
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 1:54 pm
Location: East Midlands

Re: Austin Morris Princess X2

#33 Post by TerryG » Mon Sep 30, 2013 1:45 pm

Alien blood, that doesn't look good. Can you swap a sphere from your spare car to keep your daily running?
Understeer: when you hit the wall with the front of the car.
Oversteer: when you hit the wall with the back of the car.
Horsepower: how fast you hit the wall.
Torque: how far you take the wall with you.

Starr1945
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2013 8:38 am

Re: Austin Morris Princess X2

#34 Post by Starr1945 » Mon Sep 30, 2013 2:20 pm

Sorry TerryG but it looks terminal. Looks like the casing has split around the diaphram clamping. Changing the sphere can be a nightmare as the pivot shaft needs to be pressed out being carefull not to damage the rubber bushes. I damaged one and can't get another so I am hoping it will not fail me. Here are some photos of my repair.
Attachments
DSCN1334C.jpg
DSCN1334C.jpg (94.47 KiB) Viewed 2136 times
DSCN1332C.jpg
DSCN1332C.jpg (115.85 KiB) Viewed 2136 times
Rear Suspension Disassembly.jpg
Rear Suspension Disassembly.jpg (94.55 KiB) Viewed 2136 times

vulgalour
Posts: 674
Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Austin Morris Princess X2

#35 Post by vulgalour » Mon Sep 30, 2013 2:36 pm

I'm hoping that replacing the sphere is something I can do at home, I'd rather not have to take it to a garage if possible due to budgetary constraints. This is really the one thing I've been dreading happening but in some ways I'm glad it has because it means I'll learn how to resolve it. What's weird is that the sphere failed all at once, there was no warning to it and I wasn't using the car at the time it went it just sort of went, without provocation.

Am I right in thinking the sphere essentially gets disconnected from the pipe and is then slid out, but that everything will be seized and what should be a straightforward procedure won't be?

Starr1945
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2013 8:38 am

Re: Austin Morris Princess X2

#36 Post by Starr1945 » Mon Sep 30, 2013 2:51 pm

There is a lot of work to remove a sphere like disconnecting the fluid line, brake hose and handbrake cable. The assembly is pretty heavy as well. Good luck.

vulgalour
Posts: 674
Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Austin Morris Princess X2

#37 Post by vulgalour » Mon Sep 30, 2013 2:53 pm

Joy, I'm looking forward to doing all that then. :roll:

I'll have to tell the man at the breakers that it's an involved job I guess, he wanted to know how the spheres came off and I couldn't tell him as I didn't know. But I suppose he has the bonus of just being able to cut through stuff rather than dismantle which'd speed things up a bit.

vulgalour
Posts: 674
Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Austin Morris Princess X2

#38 Post by vulgalour » Mon Sep 30, 2013 4:37 pm

Right, because it's easier to just drop the rear axle rather than trying to extricate the sphere, that's what I'm picking up on Wednesday. A local garage can come out to me to get both Princesses pumped up for a reasonable fee. If I have some spare cash I'll see what else I can scavenge off the car I'm taking the spheres/axle off, though my blagging skills are usually quite weak so I don't hold out much hope for extra bargains.

User avatar
TerryG
Posts: 6754
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 1:54 pm
Location: East Midlands

Re: Austin Morris Princess X2

#39 Post by TerryG » Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:11 pm

If you have space why not ask what they want for the whole car then you can drag it home and break it for spares at your leisure. I have gone to buy an engine before, ended up coming home with a whole land rover for an extra £100.
Understeer: when you hit the wall with the front of the car.
Oversteer: when you hit the wall with the back of the car.
Horsepower: how fast you hit the wall.
Torque: how far you take the wall with you.

vulgalour
Posts: 674
Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Austin Morris Princess X2

#40 Post by vulgalour » Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:44 pm

There's two main reasons why I'm not buying the complete car: 1) I don't have the funds and 2)I'll only end up trying to save it. Wednesday I'm off to get the rear axle assembly for a reasonable sum and some other bits of trim if I can get them for not too much. Happily, a customer paid a couple of weeks ahead of schedule a few minutes ago so there's a little bit more to go in the Fix Stuff Fund. Self-employment imposed shoe-string budgets are a thing I could do without, but then so is working the 9-5 drudge so compromises have to be made I guess.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 35 guests