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Apr 20, 2022 21:54:14 GMT
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It's to go on the 1275 A+ maestro engine Andrew my son has bought for the minor, he's even keen to supercharge it! God knows if he will ever finish it but it's all good learning!
More research indicates if we buy
3.57" long single groove valves we can use the 1098 collets and valve caps we already have.
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Spent around 2 hours out in the lotus today, a tweak to the mixture screws has improved low speed drivebility drove perfectly until I got home, jumped in it to put it in the garage and snapped the ignition key, fortunatelly the remains came out easily enough and I have a spare so no great drama, tomorrow I plan to fit the dowty washers and do something about the breather, ever since I have had the car it has vented to atmosphere under the car and when stationary fumes end up inside, it should go into the back of the air cleaner but is often removed because all the fumes end up in cyl 4. My plan tomorrow is to vent it into the aircleaner intake pipe so it's evenly distributed. On the minor Andrew has just got his last installment of this years uni grant, so he bought this. (The bottom one, top is 1098)  It's an A+ 1275 head for the Maestro engine, looks pretty good, just need to source the missing parts now, we would replace valves, guides and springs anyway but valve spring caps and collets look expensive (might be cheaper to buy a complete 1098 A+ head) Tomorrow there is apparantly a tow bar arriving too, looks like we will be busy at the weekend! Constant learning, constant change. That is not a bad thing. Or is it? |
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Apr 21, 2022 19:44:05 GMT
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Towbar arrived today, don't think that's going to be diffficult to fit.  We were going to buy a length of angle to make it but thd price of steel has rocketed so it wasn't much of a saving. Took a look at the bolt oil seems to be dripping out of on the Lotus,   Its the one just behind the alternator going up from the front cover into the bottom of the cylinder head. Put a spanner on it and it was loose, went to tighten it and it's still loose! So the thread is stripped in the head. It's been leaking for donkey's years so I'm not fussed enough to tear the engine appart to helicoil it but when I get a chance I may take the alternator off and see if I can get a longer bolt in, otherwise it will go back in with some sealer for the moment. |
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Apr 21, 2022 20:56:14 GMT
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Is that wise, with a potentially expensive to rebuild Lotus engine? I would use at least something very sticky such as Araldite or Tigerseal to ensure it stays in place, Loctite threadlocker at the very least, or maybe try a bolt with a slightly thicker thread...
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The bolt is one of 4 holding the front cover to the cylinder head, there are another 8 bolts holding the front cover to to the block and sump, the bolt goes into a blind hole so shouldn't leak but the gasket is very thin between the bolt hole and inside of the joint so I suspect oil is getting through there. The bolt can't drop out because the alternator brackets blocks it's path and the only consequence of it being loose or even dropping out altogether is a small oil leak, for the reasons you mention (new heads come in around £4k!) I didn't want to do anything that might damage the head like force a bigger bolt in or use something hard which might make it difficult to tap it out and fit a helicoil when the time comes. The only thing I may be able to do if there is enough access when the alternator is out (looks like there is straight access from underneath) is tap it out to M9 x1.25 which uses a 7.9mm drill, it's currently 5/16 UNF so 7.9mm. This is the bolt in question, the bottom of the cover is the width of the sump / block so it looks like you can get straight access to the hole I might just have to lengthen a 9mm drill to drill the cover and use some sort of extension on the tap.  |
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Last Edit: Apr 22, 2022 7:30:04 GMT by kevins
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Apr 22, 2022 22:15:00 GMT
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This evening Andrew fitted the minor towbar.  Seemed to fit OK, just need to pinch the ball off the TR as it never gets used now we have the Range Rover. While he was doing this I fitted a new fan switch (the terminal got knocked off) and wired the alternator warning light to the correct terminal. Also had a good look around, everything looks good, strangely for a A series there doesen't even seem to be any oil leaks. |
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Apr 23, 2022 14:29:25 GMT
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Do they attach just to the rear bumper irons, or to the boot floor also?
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Apr 23, 2022 16:50:58 GMT
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There is a bar which goes forward and bolts to the boot floor, it goes either side of the reinforcement for the boot latch. It's plenty strong enough for the little box trailer he has, which is realistically about all it would pull anyway.
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Apr 26, 2022 21:02:49 GMT
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Used the Lotus for a couple hours on drive it day, it performed perfectly, temperature doesn't rise at higher speeds like it used to which also means the idle oil pressure is higher, haven't got round to plumbing the breather into the air intake yet, but I have worked out the route and how to do it, hopefully I can get to it without taking the carbs off.
The Range Rover is playing up again, after being started from cold and moved a few feet several times on the trot it develops a misfire which won't clear, its done it a couple of times in the last 6 months, the cause is fouled plugs changing them fixes it. It started doing this after I changed the plugs from NGK to Bosch, but that was also the time we moved to E10, as I'm not keen of feeding it the high octane stuff at 15mpg, I've ordered some new NGK plugs to try in the meantime I might fit the old ones back in when I get a chance. Strangely I remember when I started my career in the late 80's there was a major problem with new cars when fuel injection was first introduced, after the repeated short trips around factories and during shipping they would foul plugs, in the end they introduced special blends of fuel to be used in the factories.
Also went and moved the TR today, after a couple of months of not being used it fired right up, now the weather has warmed up I will bring it home and fit the new hood which means I can use it when there is a chance of rain.
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Apr 26, 2022 22:37:31 GMT
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If it's any consolation, my Midget-engined Minor Traveller has also developed a misfire; not sure if it's down to stale fuel (it was left sitting for over a month, while I did the gearbox swap), old spark plugs or something else. I did remove the SU fuel pump filter gauze at the weekend to inspect but it was a clean as a whistle.
I have noticed I have to keep topping up the HIF dashpot more often than usual, so maybe there's a problem with the carb...
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Hif's do wear the jets, changing them on the TR transformed it.
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Apr 27, 2022 13:03:55 GMT
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Thanks, I'll look into that...
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Apr 27, 2022 18:14:09 GMT
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The later HS's and hif used sprung needles which wear the jets oval, if they are really bad you can see it from the top with the dashpot removed.
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Last Edit: Apr 27, 2022 18:30:12 GMT by kevins
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Apr 28, 2022 14:26:04 GMT
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On the Range Rover I Pulled the plug out of the cylinder which didn't seem to be firing, this says it all.  Others looked fine, strangely it was no 3 on the Lhs, last time it was no3 on the Rhs, left it with the plug out, after work I will pop it back in and go for a drive. On the Lotus I looked at the breather, at the moment it comes out of the head in this elbow and a rubber hose drops down by the gearbox.  It is supposed to go to this spigot on the back of the airbox beside the no4 inlet.  This is commonly removed because all the fumes end up in cyl 4 which causes poor running and fouled plugs. I have drilled a hole in the aibox intake pipe and popped the hose in there.  This should evenly distribute the fumes between all 4 cylinders, hopefully with no signigicant side effects. If it seems too much oil etc is being drawn over I will try to sqeeze a catch can in somewhere. |
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Apr 28, 2022 17:46:08 GMT
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Popped a new plug in the Range Rover and all is well again, I'll have to start taking it for a drive rather than just shunting it backwards and forwards.
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Been using the Range Rover to haul garden stuff, seems to be working fine. One thing which may be related to the flooded plugs is the ECM, this used the Lucas 4CU, not bad for it's day but that day was 40 years ago. After the temperature sender failed to short circuit it ran very rich with a new sensor(which checked out OK), studying the circuit diagram showed there was a 300 ohm resistor in parallel with the sensor which would have the effect of reducing the overall resistance and consequently fueling, I fitted one externally and it ran perfectly. Obviously I want to fix this properly, but rather than mess with something that works I have decided to fit the spare ECM, this though exhibits the issue of a unstable idle, the ECM in the car also did this until I re-soldered most of the joints so this needs doing to the spare ECM.    Looking closely at it there are clearly a few dodgy joints, but all the components look fine. Unfortunately that is as far as I got the small electtical soldering iron having packed up. Also had a good day at the boot sale yesterday, Low pressure gauge which I want to use for checking carb supply presuure. For £2.50   And a load of new Dormer drill bits for a tenner.  |
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Last Edit: May 2, 2022 20:38:08 GMT by kevins
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May 13, 2022 22:17:23 GMT
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Andrew has fitted the minor tow bar, did it all himself, wiring even worked first time.  He's also re-built his trailer, nothing major, paint, some of the timber and welding some damage around where the old jockey wheel had been cut off, he also made the cover for it.  On my own cars time has been limited but I did manage to get the TR out and go for a drive, all worked well, seems quicker than I remembered! It needs a few things, the paint on the bonnet is terrible hopefully I'll get it stripped and painted this summer, there is a few spots of rust on the lh inner wing which will need a strip of new steel and the hood is falling to pieces (have a new one to fit)  There is also a crack in the windscreen but it's low down on the passenger side so that will get done last (bonded screen so one for the pros) All I have managed to do so far is clean and feed the seats with my home brewed leather feed.  Much more supple already, I'm away next week so have left it soaking in the feed. |
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Last Edit: May 13, 2022 22:21:03 GMT by kevins
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May 29, 2022 20:23:30 GMT
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Been away for a week, 30th wedding aniversary, I went traditional and bought my wife a pearl necklace, she bought me this.  Seems fair to me! On the car front, I went to replace the LPG controller on the range rover, but it turned out all that was wrong with the old one was a loose earth so an easy job, otherwise since we've been back I have been doing DIY, a couple of years ago we planked up a fallen ash tree, today I ripped and planed some of it up to make a door tread, this was the resulting pile of chippings.  My son has used minor for around 250 miles this weekend, towing a trailer.  It performed well, did the whole lot on one tankfull with some left over as well. There is one issue though, it has always had a vibration at around 60mph, which he says is getting worse ( may just be more noticible on a long run) it seems to come through the structure, all 4 wheels have been balanced so I'm thinking propshaft, we'll change the U/J's and see how it goes, but I seem to remember it looked like a balance weight had dropped off when I painted it, does anyone know somewhere in essex who balances them? Hope to get on with fitting the new roof to the TR over the bank holiday. |
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May 29, 2022 20:30:52 GMT
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This outfit may be suitable:
Western Propshafts, 21 Armstrong Rd, South Benfleet, Benfleet SS7 4PW. Tel: 01268 751786.
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Ta, I will have a play with some jubilee clips (the balance weight is completely missing on the front) and see if that improves it, if it seems the case will get it balanced properly. Been looking at some better engine mounts for the minor, standard ones a pretty crude and as with so many things the pattern parts are rubbish, I had a pair on NA mx5 ones in reasonable condition laying around so set about trying to make them fit. Firstly made some adaptors to fit them to a minor front plate, welds need cleaning up and painting Morris green.   next step is to modify the towers which bolt to the top of the chassis legs, I splashed out on pair of pattern parts,  The white line is where the top will need to be cut off and replaced with anew flat plate, shouldn't be too difficult. Others are all working fine, Range Rover is hauling building materials and seems to be running better than ever, mind went to put some petrol in it, £99 max at Asda and only 3/4 tank!!!! |
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Last Edit: Jun 1, 2022 11:51:38 GMT by kevins
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