MilesA
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Posts posted by MilesA
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The Forum nails it again!
One for the TRaction report John?
Miles
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No unique to EVs.
A friend has a petrol Mercedes SLC. A bunch of warning lights had come up on the dash and so she drove it to her garage for inspection and repair. As she was driving onto the garage premises everything on the car just died - including brakes and steering (although I suspect she lost the servos on them and they would have worked with more effort) - only managed to bring it to a halt by wrenching the hand brake. The fault apparently is a 'known' one, although rare. She has lost a lot of confidence in driving the car though.
Also happened with my 3A a few months ago when the coil gave up. I did have some warning signs in the last 15 minutes of my journey before it suddenly died. At least my brake lights worked and I was able to get out and give it good
kickingpush off the road.Miles
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Rod
Sorry to hear of this. Water is so destructive. A friend in Devon has recently experienced something similar. After living in the house for about 20 years, two years ago during a deluge, he had water coming back up the drains for his down pipes and an overflowing downstairs loo. His ground floor was flooded. This happened a few more times. Eventually he had to have the whole of his ground floor reinstated at a cost of £80k to his insurance company, which surprisingly, happily reinsured him at a similar premium.
HIs battle is with South West Water who are in fact responsible for the drains. They consistently deny any issues / responsibility on their part. He also had videos, from the events showing water flowing out of drains and out of the loo. One of their reps was even present during one of the floods! SWW inspected downstream where my friend speculated that some obstruction had developed and was causing a backup with a heavy downpour. Allegedly, they found nothing. Magically, after their 'no issues' inspection, the problem has not recurred.
However, they are refusing to release any documentation, films etc., around their activity. He is in the process of trying to find an independent expert to inspect the drains (most in the area work for SWW to some extent). This is the starting point for anything other than a debate over liability with SWW. He is taking legal action against them in order to get disclosure. His reasoning is that unless he can demonstrate the problem was caused by their negligence rather than some innate issue with his property it will impact resale opportunities / value. He is a solicitor and so knows that even for him, litigation is not ultimately financially viable, but money spent on the independent inspection to get relevant evidence is probably a good (and less expensive) investment.
Miles
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2 hours ago, Paul Parky said:
Hello all.
I’m hoping someone can identify the wing mirrors and arms on my 3a.
They are looking a little tired and I’d like to replace the plastic boss on the arms and replace the mirrors with a round convex type.
The current mirror glass is flat which limits visibility!
Morgan?
Miles
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Just catching up - loved the Oulton Park footage especially.
Miles
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Well, the next day the Alfa suffered a mechanical failure. The nearside drive shaft connected itself from the flange on the Diff'. Bizarrely, all six bolts had unwound themselves from the threaded holes in the flange. Fortunately, none of the bolts were lost as the gaiter on the driveshaft prevented them from falling out. Easily fixed as nothing was stripped and all 6 bolts just needed reinstalling and torquing up properly!
A few days later we lost one of the retaining bolts from the nearside front brake calliper and found that one of the bolts on the offside calliper had started to unwind itself. Fortunately again, a spare, correct sized bolt was in the spares box of another participant - Jo, a young farm machinery mechanic - who promptly cut it down to length with his cordless angle grinder! His tools and spares were stored in two office removal boxes. Needless to say he was not driving a TR.
Virtually all cars suffered some form of problem. A trip like this really does find them out!
Miles
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On 9/18/2021 at 6:52 PM, Lebro said:
For non Austailians.
Always interesting to see these mods. What's going on with the aluminium T bar in front of the battery?
Miles
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Not in the 3A (but in the company of two 6s - one triple Webered and one standard) travelling south from Roskoff to Santander with a group of pre-1990 cars. I am co-driving an Alfetta GTV owned by a friend. Presently at Santillana del Mare and ready for a few days in the Picos. The picture was taken at Carcassonne a few days ago. Great cross country driving and scenery as we are avoiding major roads where possible.
Miles
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Having 'participated' in a few marathons, I can recall what was involved in preparing for and running them. This is on a completely different level and I am in awe of Suzie's dedication to training and achievement in completing the event.
Brilliantly well done Suzie!!!
Look after that lady Hamish. I need to go and lie down!
Miles
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14 hours ago, stillp said:
Andy, do you believe in the tooth fairy as well?
How's this for stupidity: a section of the M6 near my house is to have a 60mph speed limit imposed "to improve local air quality". The reduced speed section will be 3.5 miles long!
Pete
Noticed the same on a section of the M4 in Wales recently...
Miles
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5 hours ago, Bfg said:
Thanks Gareth for some great piccies. As someone who didn't make it, Malvern looks like is a nice town to visit sometime. while also packing walking boots for the hills.
cheers, Pete.
Worth the effort. Great views from the ridge...
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22 minutes ago, Drewmotty said:
If you have a front ARB but no rear it’s worth having the front pressures higher than the rear to counteract the induced understeer. 30/28 is a good starting point.
+1
I do not have an ARB on my 3A and it has a lot of understeer. After almost stuffing it into a field on the B4030 on the way home from Malvern a couple of years ago, and following suggestions here, I recently reversed the tyre pressures so that they are higher at the front. It made a real difference. Car is much more manageable in the corners now.
As to the actual pressures, that is a matter of personal comfort and will also differ with different types / size of tyres. As Andrew says, start with 30/28 and just experiment until you are satisfied.
Miles
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20 hours ago, David Owen said:
It's all about the destination and having fun on the way. Once I get the sidescreens restored this winter we will be doing overnighters. We were going to start this summer but the accuracy of the weather services has deteriorated to below useless.
The most accurate app that I have found and importantly, one that is updated very regularly is AccuWeather.
Miles
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Thanks for your good wishes. It’s great to be back. Even bagged my usual camping spot. Nice neighbours; restoring a 2. Just seen Mr Cornish striding purposefully across the field and also Stuart with his two ‘spanners’, whilst I raise a glass at the Bar to those of you who are here in spirit only!
Miles
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There is an article in the September edition of Octane featuring two Italias owned respectively by Lincoln Small and Marc Gordon (who occasionally campaigns an XK150).
The detail is probably well known to aficionados, but entertaining to a simple admirer like me.
Miles
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On 6/16/2021 at 2:51 PM, stuart said:
Shame they drive like a lorry.
Stuart.
That's a relief. Thought it was just me.
Drove a chum's AH BJ8 round the Yorkshire Dales a couple of weeks ago. Soooo disappointed, as I sooooo wanted to love it.
Great to have the smoothness and power of the 6 cylinder engine but assumed he had got the tyre pressures all wrong or something else as the driving experience was so poor compared to my 3A.
Miles
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Brilliant Stuart - snapped it up.
The new hose is a temporary fix to get the car running and until I can get the hard line installed as I don't have the necessary kit to do it. At present, classic car engineers are as busy as conveyancing solicitors in Cornwall, but I guess you know that!
Thanks for the tip about the drain down.
Miles
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So, spent the afternoon in the lock up.
First. I changed the fuel filter in the engine bay just before the regulator. A few flecks of stuff on the gauze - so its doing its job. Once washed and dried I blew through one of the 4 panels of both the old and the spare I had. Certainly a bit more resistance on the old one. but not completely blocked like Marco's. I would be surprised if that caused complete fuel starvation and the engine stopping completely.
Also, swapped out the old Lucas SP12 coil and replaced it with a spare Lucas DLB 105. Car started and everything seemed fine (so at least I wired it correctly) but not driven for any distance or put under strain, so not confident enough for the 200 mile journey I was to do in the TR at the weekend. Living in London I need an early Sunday morning when I can get on the roads and breakdown in relative safety!
In the meantime, I have a length of new ethanol resistant fuel hose being delivered so I can replace the fuel line from the engine bay filter back to the Facet pump near the offside wheel too. Not sure how to deal with half a tank of fuel though in order to replace the hose from the tank to the pump. Need to find a large container to drain it into I suppose. Already have a spare Facet cube and filter if they need to be changed out too.
Although I do not think (yet) that it is the culprit, I have discovered that the Sytec adjustable (1-5psi) fuel regulator I use is now 'unobtanium'!
Any thoughts on a suitable alternative if the regulator does come under suspicion?
Thanks for all suggestions and ideas which have been very helpful.
Miles
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29 minutes ago, Z320 said:
Please, see my petrol filter problem
Thanks Marco. I will have a VERY close look at my filter when I get over to the garage!
Miles
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Thanks everyone. The speed and quality of response on this forum is fantastic.
Good to know that my initial diagnosis is reflected by your experiences. Going to start by swapping out the coil with the spare I carry on board. Is there a way to bench test if a coil is failing / on its way out?
After that, will work through the other options. Must remember to be methodical and try one solution at a time. If it’s not the coil it ain’t going to be fixed before the IWE. Shame because the car is otherwise set up / running better than it has been for years.
Oddly, living in London, the biggest challenge is not having access to roads where you can gun the car and break down safely.
Thanks again chaps.
Miles
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So, in advance of the IWE, took the 3A on a run today about 30 miles up the A1M from North London to visit a friend. Journey north fine. Happily cruising at 60 - 70mph. Journey back the same until about 6 miles from the lock up.
First, the car seemed to be a little less smooth(!), then fine (my imagination?). Then definitely missing occasionally, so declutched a revved it a bit. Fine. After a while coughing and spluttering and popping / banging, but cleared itself after more vigorous revving and fine for a mile or two. Finally, 100 yards from the lock up on the A1000 in rush hour, by now travelling at a modest speed, it did all three and just died. Pretty stressful location so was not actually concentrating on 'how' it died I am afraid, other than no matter how hard I revved it was just not firing properly, going slower and then ceased completely. Pressed the starter button after a few seconds and it fired up and I drove gently to the lock up. Phew.
The set up is Facet fuel pump with filter just after the tank, another filter in the engine bay before the pressure regulator and two Weber 45s. Lucas Sports coil and Petronix / Aldon LU 142A electronic ignition.
So wise ones, what's your diagnosis? My first thought was fuel supply, but the problem was definitely getting worse until it became terminal. It wasn't the same problem appearing randomly. So wondered if it was an electrical problem -fuel pump failing or dodgy electrical connection to the pump or coil / ignition(?).
There is a lot of rubber hose from the Facet pump to the engine bay filter which was installed 20 years ago when the car was restored. Been meaning to get it replaced with kunifer for several years. The filter in the engine bay looked clear, but of course that is no guarantee there isn't some **** somewhere else in the line. The pump was pulsing as normal when tested back in the garage, but could be different when under pressure / on the move.
Thanks chaps - could be attending in something less glamorous at the weekend - b****r!
Miles
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Roger
After an evening drinking of pints of Guinness until the early hours I had no idea then or now who the band were and whether they became famous.
Happy to bring a few signed photos to the Forum meet at Malvern though!
Miles
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Experienced something very similar on a Saturday night in an Irish pub on the Kilburn High Road at the height of 'the Troubles'. Only difference was that there was an Irish band playing and I was the only non-Celt in the place.
As the donations box came round 'for the boys behind the barricades" I slipped off to the loo. I was followed in by two burly, slightly drunk chaps. "We know why you're here" one of them announced. Scanning the loo there was no way out but past these two. As I was there with an Irish friend for a night out (but fearing they thought I was some sort of army/police stooge) I explained that I had no idea what they meant. They persisted, assuring me in increasing robust tones that they knew why is was there. It was getting quite tense now when one of them said, "Its the band, isn't it" followed by "You're one of them record company boyos aren't you". I wasn't but I was pretty relieved as the frightening prospect of a bit of rough stuff rapidly receded.
Sensing a way out I reluctantly confirmed that I was a record company spotter and congratulated them on being a couple of sharp chaps. They were very pleased with themselves and it turned out one was an uncle of a band member. So I swore them to secrecy and were all returned to the bar as best friends. For the rest of the lock-in we exchanged conspiratorial nods and winks as the band played on. Still, I was pretty relieved when I finally left the place at about 1:00am...
Miles
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22 minutes ago, DavidBee said:
What's your fuel consumption?
Ah. That's the downside. Average about 18mpg. When the pedal goes down you can almost hear great slurps of fuel being sucked up. But that's part of the pleasure and I don't have this car or drive it enough to worry about fuel consumption. Just need to keep an eye on the fuel gauge on longer journeys...!
Miles
Gearstick threads
in General TR Technical
Posted
Hi Deggers
Although as Peter says 7/16” x 32 tpi is the thread of an original sidescreen car gearstick do check whether that is what you actually have.
After lots of research / trial and error (and wasted gear knobs!) i discovered that in the past someone had rethreaded my gear lever to 7/16” x 20 tpi BSC (British Cycle Thread) which is just about as obscure as you can get. BSC was used on cycle and motorbikes of the 1930-40s!
Miles