kevin s's blog

[kstrutt1]

The gearstick is too far back so i dont think the s2 tunnel will help, plan is to work out how much i can cut away from the bell housing and go from there, a good point about the prop on the x member i will have to bear that in mind as well, the objective is to try not to modify the shell.

[JPB]

Ah! Sorry, I'd misread the bit about the gear lever somehow, the danger of speed reading and picking the words "gear lever" and "forward".
I am, however, on the same page when it comes to avoiding cutting the shell, which was what made me think about how late Reliant 4 synchro gearboxes can be fitted to Rebels, a task that involves using a Marina shaft, which is in two sections with a centre bearing. In the case of the Reliant job, this is done simply to make the shaft reach the shorter gearbox. In a Minor though, that two piece Marina shaft could be cut down and the centre bearing could then be fitted to the Minor's floor using a selection of shims (Dolomites use washers for this, their distribution between left and right, as well as their quantity, are altered to set the shaft so that it's as close to a straight line as possible in an unladen car). Supposing the centre bearing were set just behind the crossmember, then the shaft's vertical movement within the member would be minimal, meaning that the gearbox and engine could then be set lower (within reason) as the shaft couldn't come so close to the hole.
All of that would, however, require some fabrication work on the two piece Marina shaft, but would also increase the range of positions in which the engine/'box could be mounted, all without any massive deviation from where these things belong.

[kstrutt1]

Had a quick look at the mx5 box, the good news is the shift tower just bolts on, so moving it just a matter of shortening the shafts and re-mounting the tower.

[kstrutt1]

been suffering with flu like symptoms the last couple of days but seem to be on the mend now, so I spent a few minutes on the ltus this afternoon.

Firstly I made a bracket / heatsheild for the new heater resistor:

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This was wired in and checked and screwed in place , I also pulled the choke cable out and freed off the seized sprung plate which locks it when twisted so no more pegs required!

I have now moved onto making new panels which go in the footwell under the dash, these were broken (crumbling vac formed plastic) had holes cut in them for speakers and stains / damage all ove the vinyl.

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so new panels were made from .75 mm alluminium sheet using the originals as patterns.

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Wadding and black vinyl were then glued to the alloy.

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[kstrutt1]

The vinyl was then glued to the rear around the edges not perhaps the prettiest piece of work but none of this is seen when installed (and it looks the same as the orignal!).

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And this is the finished job.

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This is one fitted to the car.

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.

Tomorow I have to fix my father in laws fiat doblo, the code read out says a faulty cam sensor, which unlike any normal car where this is a simple one bolt job involves removing the cam wheel which it picks up off the back of.
It also rather worryingly seems to be randomly developing a few other electrical gremlins (clock stops, radio loses it's memory), my major worry being it is not the sensor but the wiring or engine control module throwing th fault.

firstly though I have to fit this to the TR so I can get it out of the garage.

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Should be pretty simple just one wiring connector which needs changing from a ring to a spade and it should fit straight in (£25 new old stock Escort diesel one, the rover vitesse original was going to cost nearer £100)

[kstrutt1]

Tr alternator went on no problem, but still the charging issues, turned out the B+ bolt on the starter was loose and this was the problem, it is much quieter though as the bearings were shot on the old one.

I also swapped the recoiling rear seat belts on the lotus for the static ones we took out of the rear of the minor, they are never used now and the retracters caught on the hood frame.


Spent most of the last 2 days on the doblo, the rear brakes are all working well now, but the engine problems still persist after changing both the cam and crank sensors it stll has fault codes for both, I plan to check the cam timing but if that checks out I think we are going to need some specialist help to look at the signals and wiring.

I did manage to cut the patches around the front bump stop out of the minor, turns out for a change there was no corrosion the patches were over a number of cracks instead. I also cleaned the underseal off the inner wheelhouse several areas of corrosion but also quite a bit of sound metal still I 2 minds as to weather to repair the orignal by butt welding or make a new one.

[kstrutt1]

Spent most of this week sorting out the in aws doblo, turned out the new cam position sensor was also faulty, given it is mounted behind the cam sprocket a right pain.

Started welding some repairs into the minor last night though, cleaned off the rest of the underseal, and given so much of it is in perfect original paint I have decided to cut out only the rusty bits and butt weld in new metal.

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A bit of cleaning up with the grinder and the vertical panel can go on.

[kstrutt1]

I have also been sorting out the landie petrol system, running all the time on lpg has allowed condensation to build in the tank causing rust which had in turn blocked the pump (pick up gauze is missing).

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This is what came out with stones and distilled water.

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I have had mixed results with sealers so for now this will be it, the tank is rusty on the outside in places as well so a new one will probably be required in the next few years.

The plan is to fit a 110 carb in tank pump, I have enlarged the pick up hole in the tank and started lengthening the pump assembly, the lengthned wires will be threaded through fuel pipe for insulation when I get some more tomorrow.

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[tractorman]

It's a pity you don't live nearby - you could have had a Lucas alternator and a used LR pipe/tank unit WITH filter(!!) for peanuts!

There again, peanuts don't like me - they try to get out very quickly!!

I'm sure you are aware that there are some horrendous tanks for sale on the bay. I'm not sure that some of the pattern part ones are much better either! I spent hours cleaning mine (with pressure washer, then the stuff in the Frost's tank repair kit) and think the sealer has worked this time - though the tank didn't actually leak, there were just one or two rusty marks inside by the time I had cleaned it out. I used someone else's sealer for the Fergy tank and, after six or eight years, it had started to peel off and block the gauze filters. I haven't seen the bloke who bought it since he collected it - perhaps that's why!

[kstrutt1]

I had a car which had been coated and that was a nightmare with flakes coming off all the time, I don't know the make but it was red.

hoipefully if I can keep it dry it will not rust internally any further.

The tank is a bearmach one I fitted 5 years ago,it is pretty heavy gauge so no leaks at the moment, the surface rust on the outside was around the rear where it is exposed to the wheelarch and mud gets between he outrigger and the tank, I plan to make a mudflap to protect this area.

Aplastic or stainless tank would be ideal, stainless would be nice but I don't have the budget to pay for one to be made, I am thinking about a plastic boat tank, with the LPG if I only have 30 litres or so of volume it would not be too much of a problem.

Kevin