Ralph Whitaker

Why is there a knock when the exhaust valve opens that isn`t there when the inlet opens, did it need adjusting? Ralph

Why bother with a tap anyway. Later Triumphs just had a plug, and if you change the antifreeze every 2 years as you should the likeleyhood is that the tap will be blocked with sediment and you will have to take it out anyway to clear it, so you may as well just have a plug. Ralph

Hi Brian, you may be able to tighten them up a bit by squashing the rivets a bit more. Try holding a hammer against the head while hitting the other end with another hammer. Ralph

How bad is the wear on the crankshaft where the thrust washer has eaten into it. I`m just wondering whether you will be able to get thick enough thrust bearings to compensate if the machine shop has to take a lot of material off to get a good face. Ralph

My T2000 box has the bracket at the back and the extended gear selector. I was told it was from a Mk1 T2000, so maybe they were different, unless mine had had a conversion with one of the kits. Ralph

I have noticed a marked increase in the time it takes to save a post, is this what you are refering to Roger. Used to be almost instant. Ralph

I have been using their straight SAE40 in my overdrive gearbox for the last 4 years without a problem. I initially used their AG90 which seems to now be unavailable but the synchromesh didn`t like it until fully warmed up, so changed to the straight 40 which is reccomended for pre 1960 gearboxes and I can now get 2nd from cold Ralph

I`ve been using Morris Lubricants SAE40 for a few years now as the entire Morris range is available from my local supplier. It says on the back contains anti foaming agents which make it suitable for gearboxes in older cars. Ralph

I wonder if the NGKs were fakes, there were a lot of them around at one time. Ralph

It`s my guess that the clear plastic badge has the red painted first, from the back, and then the silver layer is painted over the whole thing and shows up the sea areas. You need to remove the silver layer before you can paint in the red land areas, though how you would do that without damaging the plastic I am not sure, it would depend on the type of paint that was used originally. I would buy a new badge if they are available. Ralph

Yours looks to be run correctly, or as near as. If the new one is 15 inches too short then it must be incorrect. Why bodge, contact the supplier and get it changed for the correct one. Follow your existing one with a piece of string so you can measure that and give the supplier the length you require. As Bob says, you may have been sent a left hand drive one by mistake. Ralph

Hi Steve, I have the factory type skid plate fitted in place of the radiator guard, it was specified on the build sheet from the factory. I don`t intend to rally the car, but it makes jacking up at the front easy. My trolley jack has a thick rubber pad and I place the jack right at the back of the skid plate where it bolts to the crossmember. Ralph

I had my car on axle stands at the front, and despite the steering rack being directly in front of the pulley I was able to get a ring spanner onto the nut from underneath the car. Ralph

+1, adjusted so that when fully off the choke knob is still about 6mm out, that way you can give a push on the cable to ensure the chokes are fully off. Ralph

That`s what I was hoping to hear, a positive opinion of the Smith & Allen oil I just purchased, not another argument about Zinc versus ZDDP. Ralph

I just did mine last week. I used a tool I originally bought for setting the ignition on motorbikes, but it basically screws into a spark plug hole and has a rod through the centre that is free to move, however I find that because of the angle of the plug holes the plunger in the tool does not slide out as the piston contacts it, but instead stops the engine. Using that to my advantage I turned the engine by hand until it hit the tool and stopped then marked the front pulley next to the existing pointer on the timing chain cover, then turn the engine backwards until the piston again hits the t

I`d be surprised if there was room under the seats. Ralph

Yes Nigel, that is correct. The flange that normally bolts to the brake drum/hub sits square against the back face of the balancer, and a small taper cone fits into the chamfer I machined on the inside diameter of the adapter and spinner for clearance which you can see on the photo. This was done on the lathe to make sure it was true. The whole lot then just clamps up tight in the balancer. Anyone within travelling distance is welcome to either borrow the adapter, or if you bring me the wheels with tyres fitted I can balance them for you FOC. Ralph

I did not mean to intimate that it did improve oil pressure, but in the past I have had cheap oils that did affect oil pressure when hot, with oil light flickering at tickover, fixed after changing to a more expensive branded oil. My concern was that at just over £3 a litre it may just be a cheap oil with ZDDP added for marketing, whereas I was hoping that buying direct from the manufacturer at wholesale prices in bulk and free of retailers mark ups it might actually be a good product. Time will tell. Ralph

Reading about API classifications, SG is suitable only for engines manufactured before 1993, so probably not suitable for catalytic converters. The manufacturers claims can be seen on their ebay advert for the oil. I`ve done 40 odd miles this afternoon and oil pressure stayed up at 70psi above 2000 rpm, when engine was really hot ( electric fan cutting in) and it never dropped below 25psi at idle (900 rpm). So far so good, but I will see if it keeps those pressures up with more mileage. Ralph

Anyone tried this oil. I have just bought a 20L drum for £66 delivered direct from the manufacturer. Just changed Oil and Filter in my car and put 10 pints of this in, I`ll let you know how it goes. Ralph

At that price I would want Gold in it. Ralph

That got me thinking about what became of Lodge spark plugs. Well it seems that they are now back. After being sold to Smiths in 1961, and then to Fiat, they are now owned by a company called ARS Brand Management and on the market with a range of service items including spark plugs. However this is probably just another case of a spurious manufacturer buying and using the name in the manner of Lucas and Borg and Beck. And with a name like ARS* management, who knows ! Ralph

I managed for years with a simple bubble balancer for steel wheels, when I fitted the wires I upgraded to a computerised wheel balancer and bought a set of plastic cone adapters from MG Owners Club shop. They work but are a bit awkward to use trying to get all the cones and wheel set up on the balancer so made my own adapter out of an old hub and spinner. Works perfectly. Ralph

Of course there are exceptions, I`m thinking of taper seat spark plugs which if memory serves were used by Vauxhall, and probably others. These did not have a crush washer and relied on the taper seat to seal, so these I wound in by hand until the seats made contact, then another 1/8 to 1/4 turn by wrench. It was more by feel than an exact measurement. Ralph