Practically Classics Forum

I really don't know where you find the time and enthusiasm to keep working on your projects. keep it up!

I wish I had more cash and time so I could do more, I love doing this stuff.

vulgalour wrote:I wish I had more cash and time so I could do more, I love doing this stuff.

you & me both mate!

Since someone appears to have turned the skytaps off for a bit I decided to make the most of it. Back is improving but still not great so I was a little restricted in what I could do; no work on brakes or exhaust today.

So I stuck to some cosmetic jobs instead. I was a little over ambitious and decided to swap the wheel trims for better ones I have in stock. I only got one side done, my back did not thank me for this job. I did check the front wheel for play while I was there and found a minimal amount that could just be flex in the perished and slightly flat front tyre rather than anything wrong with the track rod ends or similar. I'll know better when I drive the car properly. Car looks better for trims that aren't so grotty at any rate.


Cleared out the boot, fitted the spare carpet and spare wheel cover and refitted the tool compartment cover. I did put a couple of boxes of spares back in but it's a lot tidier than it was with stuff just thrown in there while I was working on the car. Happier with this at any rate.


Refitted the dashboard, finally, including the top rail and the right hand ashtray which is currently keeping the telltale trims safe. Still to fit is the radio, heater control knobs and to find out if it's an earth and/or fuse issue that's preventing the telltales from lighting up correctly/at all. It'll be something obvious, it all worked before I took it apart I just need to figure out what's not working now I've put it back together again. Doesn't the dash look nice now the wood is all sorted though? I'm pleased with this.

Before


After


My last job was to attempt to refit the rear view mirror into its plinth and change the sun visors for the better ones I had in stock. Didn't get both sides done, it was just a job too far for me.

Beige Princess leak update time as I parked it in a more different place to usual so I could inspect the markings on the road. I do have a water leak, but only when the car has cooled down and I can't find anywhere the water is dripping from. I know the thermostat housing cap does leak intermittently and the water is in the same general area so until I discover otherwise I have to assume it's that. Not a big leak, just a few drops.

Oil I'm also leaking, but not from the same place as before and in a far smaller quantity. It appears to be leaking from the bulkhead side across the back of the engine. This is good because it means I have definitely cured the bigger leak I had by replacing the oil filter, I just now have to find out where the oil is coming from. It's either the sump gasket or it's the fuel pump. The fuel pump is located at the top of the engine on the bulkhead side and does leak when the engine is cold but not when its warm, that would allow enough oil to collect on the back of the engine and run down to drip on the floor. I'm only dropping about a quarter of a teaspoon at the most which tallies with about how much collects in the casting underneath the fuel pump.

I think I'm going to remove the fuel pump and file the mounting face flat properly to try and get it to seal and see if that helps as it is the worst known oil leak on the car.

Blue Hylomar is your friend. I used the stuff when I fitted the cam cover gasket on the Dolomite and it worked a treat.

I tried blue hylomar which was useless, then red hermetite which almost worked but found that Rinoseal is best as it only leaks when cold, once warmed up it seals perfectly unlike the others I tried. The issue is to do with the metal facing not being perfectly flat, I need to file it smooth properly to get the pump to seal correctly, it leaked when there was the original blanking plate too... but I have the opportunity of a low-mileage 1.7 head as a possibility in the future if it turns out to be surplus to requirement so I'm hoping to get and rebuild that as my head has some issues with bolt threads and previous owner bodgery.

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QH track rod end - £9.92 inc. postage
Rear crankshaft seal - £6.80
Sump gasket - £6.50

Eaten into my welding savings more than I'd like, especially with the MoT looming large, but the car needs to be safe and I might as well grab the gasket and seal while they're available as they should cure the last of the oil leak I've got. I'm not too annoyed about having to do the oil change so soon after having already done it as it'll serve as a bit of an engine flush, I'll replace the seals once I've got the cash for another 6 litres of oil and an oil filter.

When I replaced the failed track rod end I only did one side because I had hoped that it was just one faulty part, normally I'd replace in pairs. Unfortunately on the run to the recent Retro Rides South Yorkshire meet the slight judder at 65mph became pronounced at speeds as low as 45mph and the car steered decidedly easier to the right than the left on the way back so I'm grounded until the new part arrives and I can get it fitted. I'm seriously disappointed with the quality of the First Line track rod ends, for them to last under a year is pretty shocking, it wasn't even a case of buying the cheapest parts I could find as I'm willing - if not always able - to pay more but they were all that I could find at the time. I'm now going back to buying NOS Quinton Hazell stuff whenever I can find it because it's never let me down unlike First Line which is decidedly hit and miss.

Another discovery on the way back is that I'm putting no noticeable oil through the exhaust since the head gasket was done, this is the first time I've had someone I know following me that can report back so I guess the puffs of oil coming out the exhaust were actually another symptom of head gasket failure rather than worn out stem seals.

Less than 12 months for a track rod end is bad even by britpart standards, however it only takes bumping a curb or a pot hole to break one. SWMBO managed to bend a bottom arm on her focus by driving "enthusiastically" up her mum's drive (which is closer to a flight or stairs with how steep and rutted it is).
On the plus side, it will be easier to replace it now as the one you fitted won't be rusted / seized in place.
Do you do your own welding or are you saving to have someone do it for you? If you have a look http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/ there are some handy tips. I have managed some passable welds following guides on there with help from other forum members.

I've got a repair that's needed in the most awkward part of the boot, right in the back corner where boot floor, inner arch and rear seat meets. Even if I had a suitable welding machine to do it (not something I can do with the stick welder) I don't want to but a local garage with a great reputation will put it right for me cutting out all the rust and replacing with lovely shiny metal for only £40. Happily, I got an artwork commission payment in a few minutes ago that has put right the welding saving deficit so I'll be able to get the car booked in for that once I've replaced the track rod end when it arrives, happy days.

New track rod end arrived today. Glad I hadn't driven the car since the one on the car had deteriorated noticeably on the motorway, there was a good inch or so of play in it so it's no wonder it was unpleasant to drive on. New TRE was easy to fit but predictably my tracking is now off by a good margin and will need doing again so I've got that organised for tomorrow.

Gave the fluids a check and found that the water leak might not be from the engine but rather rainwater draining in an odd way as the water level hasn't dropped. It also gave me the opportunity to find out the fibrous heat shield between exhaust and carburettor has pretty much disappeared which would explain the continued grumpiness with hot starting. Going to have to get a new one of those made, affordable smart suggestions welcome as the only thing I can think of doing is getting a stainless steel one made up, unless you can buy the heatshield fibreboard stuff and just cut and fold it to shape which must be cheaper.

Plans to do the brakes and oil on the red Princess were thwarted by the weather but I did at least get a fresh can of fuel and dumped that in ready for doing the oil change tomorrow if the weather isn't too atrocious.