Zel's Fleet Blog...Rover, Renault, Peugeot, Trabant, Invacar & Sinclair C5

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
User avatar
Luxobarge
Posts: 1898
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 3:12 pm
Location: Horne, Surreyshire

Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Citroen, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#91 Post by Luxobarge » Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:10 pm

How good is your welding? If that were me, I'd be tempted to make one, it's a very simple shape eh?
Some people are like Slinkies - they serve no useful purpose, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them downstairs.

User avatar
Zelandeth
Posts: 1126
Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:11 pm
Location: Milton Keynes
Contact:

Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Citroen, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#92 Post by Zelandeth » Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:21 pm

Luxobarge wrote:
Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:10 pm
How good is your welding? If that were me, I'd be tempted to make one, it's a very simple shape eh?
That's kinda what I'm thinking. My welding is usually messy, but nothing I've welded together yet has ever fallen apart...yet.

Would probably start out with a slightly less tall Jerry can, then cut a hole in the side and weld the boss for the gauge sender in. The filler neck I'm less bothered about to be honest as it's just open under the front service cover, so long as it's not too awkward to get to I'm not worried.

For information, this is the space it needs to fit in.

Image
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

User avatar
JPB
Posts: 10319
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:24 pm

Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Citroen, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#93 Post by JPB » Mon Oct 01, 2018 10:17 pm

:shock: John (P), are you looking at that tank and thinking what I'm thinking? No, not the stuff about Anna Friel and a private game of cowboys & Indians that sometimes acts as a screensaver for the idle mind :oops: , but the thought that asks whether that's very, very, very similar to the Rebel one, but without the tube through the middle that wouldn't matter in a car that didn't have the same attachment method as Reliant's "threaded bar through the tank with a nut at each end" way of hanging the thing. The stub looks somewhere near to the length of the one on the Rebel tanks, it continues to the surface of the Rebel's n/s/r quarter via a length of rubber hose that invariably falls apart and allows the filler neck to come loose and the fuel to splosh all over the floor during filling! :x

Or.. Zel, you could ask Autoshite member "Dollywobbler" whether he saw any likely donors during his epic mission involving the saving of one AC and one Invacar from a place that seemed to be some sort of resting place for the little blue oddities. I would post the link but you would appear to be a member at AS too so perhaps you already exhausted that line of enquiry?
:)
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:

User avatar
Zelandeth
Posts: 1126
Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:11 pm
Location: Milton Keynes
Contact:

Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Citroen, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#94 Post by Zelandeth » Mon Oct 01, 2018 11:03 pm

There are plenty of bits shared with Reliants, so the fuel tank wouldn't surprise me.

Sadly the design of the tanks is such that they're one of the first things to rot out when the cars are sitting around (water pools on the top - there's no seal on the front access cover.

As such there are far more Invacars than good fuel tanks for them, DW was lucky in that the tank in his one was in good shape. There was very little worth saving left behind at the field where this pair of cars were rescued from. Definitely no fuel tanks in better shape than mine (which is far from the worst I've seen!).

The tank here sits in a cradle of angle iron essentially, and has two bands that wrap around it, securing it to the bulkhead support structure.

Off to go hunt down photos of a Reliant Rebel tank now...
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

User avatar
Atodini
Posts: 48
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2013 6:21 pm
Location: Mansfield Notts.
Contact:

Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Citroen, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#95 Post by Atodini » Tue Oct 02, 2018 12:51 am

John(B),

The tank is remarkably similar to the van/estate Rebel one, but the Invacar tank is a fair bit smaller so I doubt the Rebel tank would fit...

Zel,

Back in the early 1990's, Reliant Kitten tanks were unobtainable new (even though they are the same as the Robin ones), second-hand being the only option, and all that I could find were rusting so badly that they were simply not worth the effort. My original tank had gotten pin holed all over the top, where mud and water collects and rots them out, mostly around the fuel sender hole, so to get around this, I jury-rigged a motorcycle tank into the boot as a stop gap. Back then I was regularly doing over 1000 miles a week in the poor wee car!! Only being able to put a gallon in at a time gave me a range of only 50-60 miles... I simply fashioned a wooden plinth, bolted this to the boot floor, then clamped the tank down onto the plinth with elastic straps. As the Reliant tank is fitted under the boot floor, the fuel hose connection was simple, just a hole for the pipe in the boot floor and connect to the tap. The lack of a fuel gauge was catered for by the motorcycle tank having a combined main/reserve tap, and the electric petrol pump clicking madly gave me ample warning to pull over and switch to reserve before it actually stuttered to a halt. Since a fuel pump leak caused my Rebel van to combust and be written off (at Sandy on the A1 back in 1978) I've never had a mechanical pump on any Reliant I've owned, always fitted an electric one (and blanked off the hole on the engine).

I don't recall what actual bike the tank came from, but it was probably a Honda of some sort, or maybe a Guzzi. It only held about three and a half gallons though, which was a bit of a pain, but better than the old rotted tank. In 1995 or so the Kitten Register acquired a few new galvanised tanks (from Canada I believe) and I have one of these fitted now. Galvanising plus a thick coat of underseal should mean that (hopefully) this one will never rot out! Nowadays all Reliant dealers carry new tanks for Robins/Kittens as they are being made again, but not for Rebels, though CHGclassics in Wisbech might possibly have one.

Oddly I only filled the holes in the boot floor last week - been on my "to do" list for over 20 years!!!

John
"I thought I was wrong once - But I was wrong"...

User avatar
Zelandeth
Posts: 1126
Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:11 pm
Location: Milton Keynes
Contact:

Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Citroen, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#96 Post by Zelandeth » Sat Oct 13, 2018 9:46 pm

Finally got a chance to look at the Activa to figure out why this is happening to the aux belt.

Image

First suspect was either the idler or tensioner pulley having died...however they seem fine. Everything is rotating freely and smoothly and there's no play in anything. It also doesn't make sense taking into account the direction of belt travel...a stuffed tensioner would make the belt try to walk off the crankshaft pulley...not the hydraulic pump.

After a bit of head scratching however I've come up with a theory.

I'm pretty sure I don't remember being able to see a shiny edge on the crankshaft pulley originally.

Image

It does look rather crusty too...

Image

I *think* what's happened is that the bonded rubber bit has failed and the outer section has started to walk off towards the inboard side, pulling the belt with it. Hopefully finding a new pulley won't be too huge a headache.
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

User avatar
JPB
Posts: 10319
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:24 pm

Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Citroen, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#97 Post by JPB » Sat Oct 13, 2018 10:34 pm

^^^^^ seems like a logical explanation to me. :thumbs:
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:

User avatar
Luxobarge
Posts: 1898
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 3:12 pm
Location: Horne, Surreyshire

Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Citroen, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#98 Post by Luxobarge » Sun Oct 14, 2018 7:24 am

Seconded. Well worth replacing that pulley anyway, as if it completely breaks up and comes off, it's not unknown for it to take out the cam belt too, with hilarious consequences.
Some people are like Slinkies - they serve no useful purpose, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them downstairs.

rich.
Posts: 6804
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:18 pm

Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Citroen, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#99 Post by rich. » Sun Oct 14, 2018 7:39 am

change it mate, cheaper than a new engine ;)

User avatar
Zelandeth
Posts: 1126
Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:11 pm
Location: Milton Keynes
Contact:

Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Citroen, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#100 Post by Zelandeth » Sun Oct 14, 2018 8:43 pm

Part number is 0515H6.

Having had a look at photos of the part it's obvious that the step shouldn't be there. New one has been ordered and is on the way. New bolt is as well as the manual states it should be replaced whenever the pulley comes off. For the sake of a few quid it would be daft not to change it.

I don't think the consequences of the TCT throwing a belt are usually as catastrophic as on the XUD where it more often than not will write the head off (it breaks the camshaft carriers) - nevertheless it's a hassle I'd rather avoid for obvious reasons.

Will get her booked in for the MOT as soon as this is sorted (due 15th of next month), but I always try to get it done as early as possible - especially given the start of next month is going to be busy.
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests