If you would have teamed up with the Late Brake Show/Jonny Smith to do a barn find on YouTube, I think you would have broken the internet. I'd guess his popular video make several/many thousand pounds each, so would have been worth it financially too.
Post by grumpynorthener on May 6, 2024 8:32:58 GMT
Found some time to get a handful of jobs on the trailer sorted alongside a service - rear nearside marker light had received damage to the rubber stalk when I was in Devon a few weeks ago and pushed tight against a bank on a single track road passing place
Replaced the stem the lamp was good to go again
Good check round and everything lubricated
Fairlead now fitted to the winch - had to make a couple brackets up to bolt it to the trailer bed
Meanwhile the solenoid on the winch plays up on occasions on the out feed - I have a replacement on order
Also on order is a new mudguard but these have to come in from the sole stockist in Ireland if I want it to match the others
Not exactly the trailer but the 13 pin socket on the Range Rover had started to fail apart hence that was replaced
I had felt the trailer pushing on a bit last time I was out with it and quickly found that the brake shoe linings on 3 of the hubs had departed from the shoes themselves - these are genuine factory Alko brake shoes and I'm not impressed
Alko brake shoe sets are £110 per axle but given this experience I'll try the non genuine / aftermarket set at £30 per axle - on order and should be with me in a few days - thankfully the brake drums are free from damage having realised that there was problem at an early stage
Also annoying is the fact that you have to destroy the alloy hub nut cover to remove it then the hub nut is single use only - so 4 x hub dust caps + 4 x hub nuts leaves me even less impressed with the Alko brand - Nuts are on order too
Post by grumpynorthener on May 6, 2024 15:30:37 GMT
Alex - At 3 years old I somewhat doubt that I have form of a claim - Alko are a global company though and supply axles / wheels / hitches to the caravan / trailer market on a prolific scale - I expected better in the terms of quality / lifespan
They are all cost cutting over the max. Had also issues with bearings in a half year old BPW axle (also known as a good make over here) got new ones on guarantee but binned them because being nameless and already noisy while new. Bought new SKF items on own cost... :-( Thom
Post by grumpynorthener on May 7, 2024 7:10:15 GMT
These 2 original vintage enamel signs have been in the queue for a clean up since they arrived
I flatted them with P1500 wet & dry to remove the rust staining then machine polished them with compound
After straightening the wall flange up on the larger sign which is double sided I treated the areas of surface rust with Hydrate 80
My paint supplier has colour matched the paint for them which I'll touch in - once completed they will be hung on the gable wall of the workshop with the rest of my sign collection
Post by grumpynorthener on May 10, 2024 5:40:35 GMT
Nearside brakes were sorted yesterday morning
The hub nuts arrived a little later and were then fitted - I have had to invest in a new torque wrench with a higher range too with my existing one only capable of 210 Nm I needed something that would torque the hub nuts to 290 Nm - New hub nut dust caps were fitted
Winch solenoid was replaced at the same time
And that's now back working - Just the nearside mudguard to replace then when it arrives to complete all works
Post by grumpynorthener on May 12, 2024 5:56:47 GMT
Peter is due into the UK directly from a world trip in a weeks time - I have had his car in storage since Goodwood Revival in September last year - It needs a little work hence I went over to collect it
Whilst it readily started up it didn't drive that well as the clutch is seized with it being stood - so a push up to the trailer and winch on - Once back home I had to unload the car in the layby opposite the house then push it across the road, down the lane and onto the drive - Frankly I have had enough of single handily pushing motors about especially on loose surfaces such as gravel - I can see a ban being enforced on non running cars coming to the workshop in future before I do myself a serious injury - Whilst Peter's Javelin could do with a wash it's currently out of favour with me and can stay as it is for now - bloody thing
Post by grumpynorthener on May 12, 2024 6:11:35 GMT
Currently manic in the workshop but I need the odd distraction where I can just pick up & leave as time dictates - And the vintage enamel signs that I recently acquired qualify - I had both colours matched and whilst the smaller brown sign was direct match the other one was slightly too dark - Nothing like a little colour matching by eye to refocus the mind
Then a check with a test area in the bottom corner - this should dry slightly darker and will be fine for this purpose
Post by grumpynorthener on May 16, 2024 4:58:10 GMT
I've had Peters car running in gear with the rear wheels raised in order to get the clutch assembly warm then try sudden braking with the clutch depressed to see if it would break free - but to no avail I'll have to raise the front and crawl underneath it to apply a different tactic
Post by grumpynorthener on May 16, 2024 5:01:10 GMT
Its pretty amazing what comes through the doors of the workshop from the locals - 2 x road plates that I welded together for Steve our builder who's on with a large extension for neighbours 3 doors up
I've had Peters car running in gear with the rear wheels raised in order to get the clutch assembly warm then try sudden braking with the clutch depressed to see if it would break free - but to no avail I'll have to raise the front and crawl underneath it to apply a different tactic
When my uncle passed away many years ago he had a Mk3 Cortina which was only a few years old. After lying in his garage for months my aunt asked me to get it running which was easy enough but the clutch plate was seized. After running the engine for a bit we pushed it onto the road and I started it in gear, managed to change into third and drove it with the clutch pedal depressed for about half a mile jumping on and off full throttle and eventually it came free with a bang. Drove fine after that.
You have access to the clutch cover bolts don't you without removing the gearbox or do you keep the pedal depressed and get a lever onto the plate to release it?
Post by grumpynorthener on May 16, 2024 19:41:28 GMT
You have access to the clutch cover bolts don't you without removing the gearbox or do you keep the pedal depressed and get a lever onto the plate to release it?
There's an inspection cover on the underside of the bellhousing that I can access the clutch cover & plate from without having to disturb the gearbox which is a engine out job
Post by grumpynorthener on May 17, 2024 5:56:05 GMT
I raised the front end of the Javelin
Removal of this cover allows access to the clutch
And with the bolts on the cover slackened (but I cant wind them too far out otherwise they foul the on the bellhousing and then you cant turn the flywheel) - I used the screwdriver to gap the the cover from the flywheel then I could place thin blade between the clutch plate / cover / flywheel to separate them - car is now back on the floor with a working clutch
Peter wanted matched locking / keys for the car - whilst I have manged to source matched barrels on inspection the barrel for the door & boot lock are different from that of the ignition - this would involve a great deal of time (something that I don't have) to swap the lock tumblers over on the barrels - Homework for Peter then - personally on a 74 year classic car I'm quite happy to have non matched keys - its part of the cars character / life
Better get that knife back into the kitchen drawer before Mrs GN sees it.
Not necessary - Its has a broken tip hence it got recycled into 'the toolbox of useless for the intended original purpose but may come in handy for something else'
Post by grumpynorthener on May 18, 2024 5:51:10 GMT
New mudguard arrived for the trailer & duly fitted - brakes are now bedded in and it pulls up nicely - just a good wash off is that's required to finish the job now
Post by grumpynorthener on May 18, 2024 5:54:34 GMT
Visited a fellow Jowetteer yesterday evening in Stratford upon Avon - He campaigns this Javelin in historic racing but is also just building a race Jupiter
Other items in his automotive toybox include
There's a E Type convertible and a Austin A30 racer hiding somewhere
And final checks on the classic racing Mini which his son has out at Mallory Park today