Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 12009 Location: S. Cheshire
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 4:51 pm Post subject:
There has been a little more assembly since the last update. The head is now on, as is the cleaned-up carb and manifolding. The leads were on it, but are a little on the bright side so will be replaced one day.
The points and cap cleaned up ok, and there's now a decent spark at the plugs (6v). I dismantled the starter switch, and replaced one of the battery leads, so that now it spins over on the switch. New core plugs have been fitted, bar the tricky rear one which I'll do whenever the lump is lifted out of the chassis. For testing purposes it'll do!
The ignition circuit operates from the key, so the next plan is to get fuel introduced to the cylinders. I did dismantle the pump and clean the contacts to get it working, but noticed the other day that once again it doesn't seem to fire up when the key is turned, so that'll need another looking at. For the timebeing I'll rig up a gravity feed straight into the carb.
RJ _________________ Rick (Admin. oldclassiccar.co.uk)
Various 1930s-1960s relics - Austin, Morris, Bedford, Dodge etc.
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 12009 Location: S. Cheshire
Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 3:00 pm Post subject:
Had a couple of hours free this morning, so went back out for a fettle. With a temporary fuel feed set up I had a go with the 6v battery. It turned over but only slowly, despite all the battery connections & starter brushes being checked over, heavy leads used etc, and the spark wasn't great either.
It sounded close to firing, so the battery from the Cambridge was substituted instead. It span over much better as expected, and fired up straightaway. I didn't run it for too long as there was no coolant, but it now fires up on the key with the 6v battery re-instated. Oil pressure is right up, and a few tentative drives back and forth in the garage suggest that the transmission might just be ok.
I did take some footage of it running, if I work out how to post on youtube I'll upload something.
RJ _________________ Rick (Admin. oldclassiccar.co.uk)
Various 1930s-1960s relics - Austin, Morris, Bedford, Dodge etc.
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 12009 Location: S. Cheshire
Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 7:45 pm Post subject:
This afternoon I tried a second test firing-up, with rad & hoses installed. Despite a few water leaks, it ran quite well and showed 90psi oil pressure on start up, dropping to and holding 30psi at idle after 20 mins or so, which I don't think is bad. The rad has a couple of leaks, so that'll need looking into sometime.
RJ _________________ Rick (Admin. oldclassiccar.co.uk)
Various 1930s-1960s relics - Austin, Morris, Bedford, Dodge etc.
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 12009 Location: S. Cheshire
Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:55 am Post subject:
Yesterday saw another driveway test of the gears and clutch. This MM has a four speed box (usually three), so should drive quite well on the road. The centre throttle is a little weird, although driving should be more comfortable when I'm not sat on the battery (the one I'm using is a little too large to fit under the seat, so only fits in at an angle).
I'm hoping to get away with re-commissioning the MM, rather than taking it all to pieces, but I do plan to remove the wings and get them to fit a little better. The doors shut reasonably well, and the wooden structure (touch wood!) seems pretty sound, certainly good enough to use and improve as time goes by.
There had been one major coolant leak from the water outlet that bolts to the side of the block. I couldn't get it to attach properly as the threaded sections cast into the block are corroded, and they wouldn't take to bolts being wound into them. I came up with a workaround, and it seems to be holding ok
RJ _________________ Rick (Admin. oldclassiccar.co.uk)
Various 1930s-1960s relics - Austin, Morris, Bedford, Dodge etc.
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1767 Location: Lancashire
Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2010 7:20 pm Post subject:
Hi
Shouldn't you have been holding the knurled part of the Rad Cap when you screwed it in, rather than the thermometer? _________________ Bristols should always come in pairs.
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 12009 Location: S. Cheshire
Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 5:05 pm Post subject:
Since the last update I've done a fair bit of dismantling on the Minor. The wings all need some repair work, and a re-paint, so it seemed like a good plan to remove them all. The chassis can also be cleaned up while they're off.
Digging around at the rear highlighted some bad woodworm in the rear inner arches. Handily they're only flat ply, cut to shape and screwed in, so I've made a start on re-making them from sheets of marine ply. So far I've only dismantled the driver's side, once that's back together it'll be the turn of the passenger side. Fortunately the ash frame seems to be fine...
The steel "sills" (ie the longitudinal panels beneath both doors) will also need replacing. They're simply tacked in place with panel pins, and the ash beneath them appears ok, so hopefully won't be too tricky or time-consuming to sort out. A small section will also need letting in at the bottom of the scuttle on each side, where the tin folds under the frame.
More as it happens
RJ _________________ Rick (Admin. oldclassiccar.co.uk)
Various 1930s-1960s relics - Austin, Morris, Bedford, Dodge etc.
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