John L

Lots of info available here, http://vitessesteve.co.uk/index on all models. John

Would be even nicer that the other 9 would be the same, thanks Roger! Still deciding where to get some new ones. Don't suppose there will be any NOS ones left by now. John

Wouldn't this be a good topic to be saved/locked, it covers a great deal of questions with very suitable answers on body preparation, would the moderators agree please? John

But that error in the position of the ball to shaft makes a big difference in the amount the valve opens, and so different valve timing for each valve per cylinder. John

Would interesting, before you put it back together, could you run a straight edge along the ball ends and see how many of the arms are made differently, compare with my photo the amount of gaps between the ball ends and the straight edge, I havent found a good set yet to be the same. John

Thanks

As there doesn't seem to be any recommendations, I take it, its only necessary to disconnect the battery? John

Season Greeting to everybody! I need to do some electric welding on a complete car, its a while now since I did some, as its a friends car, I want to be sure, not to blow anything up! I know I have to disconnect completely the battery, are there any other electrical items is should also consider disconnecting, its a negative earth car with a dynamo and the old style regulator that's been converted to negative. Your recommendation would be much appreciated, John

I'm help a friend with a Sunbeam Alpine mk 2, that keeps blowing water from the overflow at the top of the radiator. We thought that it could have been a head gasket failure, but on checking the cap, this is what we found. The new cap that has been supplied doesn't seem to touch the bottom of the neck, the radiator has a distance from the top to the inner seal area of 26.08mm, and the cap has a free length distance of 24.29mm, so I don't feel the cap is exerting any spring pressure to seal, and so water is exiting via the overflow pipe! The filler neck on my MGB is 19.54mm and

The fitting at the front of the MU is lonely the return line, so there shouldn't be any great pressure involved here, so either can used, just a matter of getting a fitting made up for the screw on one. John

How is the crankcase vented, is it the small pipe on the steel rocker cover, with the flame trap? I know that can restrict the airflow. I understand that the crankcase can be vented via the lift pump blanking plate, with a much bigger pipe/hose, to a catch tank, that may be a better option? The leak is thru the internal part/layers of the gasket material, if you do it again, I would consider putting some silicone on the inner edge of the gasket, on the outer slots of the pushrod holes in the gasket, that's where the oil is seeping thru. Or perhaps filtering some super glue along th

I just wanted to know what sort of duty is applied to parts from the USA to either UK or EU. Somebody must have had experience of getting items from the USA? John

Hi Roger, It could be either, as I'm coming to UK soon, I expect it is likely to be the same but wanted to see the options?? John

I would like to get some parts from the USA, has anybody done this recently, and how much am I likely to have to pay duty wise, will it just be 20% of the parts value? Any suggestions as to the best way to get them here would be appreciated. John

Make sure when you put back the banjo fitting to put the bung seal in first and make sure its well in position before you put back the fitting, hope that makes sense? Be careful to centralise the o ring on the fitting as you tighten it up. John

There are 2 bolts in the sump, one at the front and one at the rear that go into the inside of the block, just now I don't remember which ones they are, but if you take yours off again its worth a check, use a screwdriver into each hole, and 2 will go inside the block, all the others are blind, I have used copper washers at those places to help seal the threads. As said by Andy check that the tin is not bent up where the bolts go thru, also the 2 front middle ones only go into the aluminium block bridge piece, so be careful with the torque on those bolts. Is the breather clear on the

I have one of the Parkside ones, and find the stool part really useful for sitting doing the brakes, I don't have a lift to get the car up in the air, without bending over too much!, as you say also the Grandchildren like it too! John

Michael, Its a Piper 2TY. 284 duration. get also their followers, been please with it. Still to sort out are the rocker arms, even now if you buy 12 they will not be the same ratio, this has been one of my main problems to get a matched set, otherwise the valve timing on each valve will be different. Take a look at the photo, the end balls are against the ruler, take a look at the ones in-between, and see the gaps of the balls to the ruler, this is what changes the amount the valves should open, should all be the same! Would interested to see what your ones are like while you have it

You can get an air leak around the injectors, with the engine running pull out each injector and see what sort of spray you have, poke it into a jam jar to minimise the amount of fuel spray, and feel how much pull you on the injectors, may indicate a not so good o ring seal. It might be worth checking the amount of can lift for each valve, I know the cam lobes do loose a bit of height, I not sure which ones but I have a feeling its some at the front and rear, because of reduced oil flow/splash to them, but other guys may be more specific, I had this on my 5, a new cam made all the differ

I can see an arrow on the top of the diaphragm unit, pointing into the unit, shouldn't this be the fuel in connection? John

Which plugs are you using? They do look a bit like they are running rich. It looks like the throttle bodies could do with a balance perhaps, and it may also be injectors leaking or not atomising correctly. Do a suck test on the vacuum pipe to the MU, it should hold a vacuum, if this is leaking the MU will run rich. May need a bit more advance perhaps, tell us what you have now. John

Moss Paris have gone down in my recommendations recently, none of the individual parts are labelled anymore, usually all in one bag, difficult when some parts are left and right handed, but the kit parts are labelled, they must come from the USA or UK. Some of the prices now are really silly, I really don't see what exchange rate they use. They have always been very good at accepting parts back if not needed, but not sure now what will happen, haven't tried it yet. They do seen to be using Chronopost, now which does come to me pretty quick. John

One of these too. https://classiccarbs.co.uk/product/weberdellortosksolex-twin-carbscarburettors-airflow-metersynchronizer/ John

I found the fibre washer on the drain plug was just a little damp, and the washers on the sender unit as well can leak a bit. Moss do an ethanol proof seal for the sender. John

When you do a new cold start after a period, hold each injector line in turn and see which one is not pulsing as much as the others, with a weak pulse its usually the little o ring in the injector allowing fuel to run back to the MU, draining the pipe a bit or it it could be the non return valve in the MU doing the same. Once its running the air will be purged out as you say. Perhaps some modern injector cleaner may help to allow the needle in the injector to seal better, dont have proof of this though. John