"You Stupid Boy"

[Lebro]

Last week I was looking under the TR for a dropped item when I noticed rather a lot of oil under it.

The source seemed to be somewhere near the handbrake.

 

On investigating today:

 

Source of the oil puddle revealed - it was self inflicted !

A couple of weeks ago I was fitting some LED bulbs to the dashboard instruments (have you worked it out yet ?)

to reach the bulbs in the centre section I had to pull the section away from the dash (you must have by now)

this required the pipe to the oil pressure gauge to be undone. (need I go on ?)

All bulbs worked OK, but I was suspicious that the alternator may not get enough initial field current

(via the LED) to start it up.

So, the engine had to be started to check this. I was correct in my thoughts, &

I ended up soldering a 220R 1W resistor across the bulb holder.

This was not the first value I tried, so the engine had to be started up several times. When all done I reconnected the pipe, & replaced the centre section.

At no point did I realise what had been happening !

Anyway, spent all this afternoon, getting quite a lot of oil out of 3 carpets, & two pieces of underlay.

That'll learn me !

When dry, I will put all back together. Might put them in the airing cupboard if Pauline is not looking.

Bob

[Richardtr3a]

We have all done things like that. I had my copper advance and retard pipe coupled to the manifold without the adapter for more than 25 years.

 

Lets have some more stories.

 

Richard & H.

[RobH]

On the plus side, you might save on Waxoyl Bob.....

[TR NIALL]

Hope you checked the Dipstick,you may need a Top Up.

[Damson6]

Which dipstick?

[mike3739]

Which dipstick?

[Graze]

Not car related but as a young lad living with my sister in a top floor apartment in Chelsea which had very squeaky floorboards I decided to help out by re nailing the boards to the joists. Simple you might think. But coming from the warm climes of downunder I had never come across piped radiator heaters within houses.

 

End result was a flooded apartment downstairs. Easy fix was to use a screw into the ruptured pipe in lieu of the nail to seal the hole.

 

There was some symmetry though, the guy who lived below was a regular drunk and had been known on a number of occasions to come home hop in the bath and fall asleep. Bath overflowed, unit below him flooded

 

Have been more careful with what might be behind walls, floors, ceilings ever since - good lesson for an architect

 

Graze

[Lebro]

Before I replace the (now de-oiled) carpets, & seat runners etc. I am thinking about adding some spacers between the floor, & the runners.

Previously I just sandwiched the carpet & underfelt between the floor & the runner, resulting in the runner sqashing, &

descending through the thickness of both, & subsequently the seat base is in fairly firm contact with the carpet, & is hard to slide.

 

Has anybody else played with this idea ?

 

Bob.

[EdwinTiben]

well,

 

good job on posting this topic.. i just fitted leds to my new dash, never realized that the low field current could be an issue ! thank you !

 

*off looking for a resistor*

[AlanT]

You may deform the floor with a point load like this.

 

I think the risk of oil inside is too high with this piped gauge.

Converting to electric seems a possibility.

[Dave Larnder]

Bob

 

I have filled the depression in the carpets left by the rails with 1(/4¨plywood packers, that freed up the runners for seat adjustment.

For my small instrument lights I have put to round plastic dowels into the rings in the instrument plate and have 2 x 5watt capless flat ended bulbs and the corresponding fittings from the motor factors. Ivé made them but aint fitted them yey but must do before winter.

 

Dave

[Lebro]

Alan - The piped gauge is normally perfectly fine - it was only a problem because I forgot to re-connect it !

Re point loading - perhaps I will try a long rectangular spacer ?

 

Edwin - this wil only be a problem if an alternator is fitted - dynamo does not need the initial field current.

[stuart]

Standard thing to do with the runners is a plywood packer front to back under each runner and have the carpet cut around and edge bound so that you can remove it without having to remove the runners.

Stuart.

[AlanT]

There have been a few cases of fractured pipes and leaking washers on these gauges.

 

I keep trying to invent a thing that uses the existing gauge but keeps oil in the engine compartment.

Edited October 18, 2014 by AlanT

[Lebro]

Well that would be a more modern flexible nylon pipe - but would make it "non standard old boy"

I used such a pipe in the 70's, but when re-building I opted for the original method.

I did make a new copper pipe section though - soldering the unions on. Also I use an 'O' ring to seal at the gauge end.

 

I like the plywood spacer idea - will give it a go.

 

By the way this is how the LED bulbs look, & how to fit the resistor:

 

 

Bob.

Edited October 18, 2014 by Lebro

[EdwinTiben]

hi, thanks for the photo, will replicate it once i bought a resistor.

[Rodbr]

I packed my seat runners as directed by Stuart but used Hard wood strip available at B&Q, Homebase etc etc My reasoning that the hardwood may not swell like plywood can when it gets wet. The water sits and creeps under the packer and it did make a very solid bridge over the floor. Just make sure it is slightly thicker than the carpet and jobs done.

 

Alan T

" I keep trying to invent a thing that uses the existing gauge but keeps oil in the engine compartment."

Solved your invention dilemma it's called a spanner

Be sure to soak the leather washer prior to fitting gauge pipe nut, it is a real ballach* to get the bugger to sit in position properly but when it does it don't leak.

Edited October 18, 2014 by Rodbr

[AlanT]

Split in Bourdan tube?

Crack in feed tube?

 

I wouldn't be bothered if this was water. But oil - UNDER PRESSURE.

[Lebro]

Have made the seat runner spacers - I used ½" thick solid rubber. They won't swell / rot & should give a little if the seat runners do not quite line up with the fixed ones. have fitted the lower runners, & felt (after cutting out two slots to go over the runners) waiting for the copydex (used to stop the carpet edge fraying where I cut out the slots) to dry before fitting carpet, then seat. A job for tomorrow I think.

 

Bob.

[Chris59]

Back to the orignal subject, ie making stupid things funny errors : not car related, but what about filling the tank of a 2 strokes motorbike with diesel ?

 

Don't ask