Started to Restore My Roadster

[b_caswell]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

andy when you put the spare wheel bracket back on the car put the bolts through from the inside and the nuts on top, you wont see them when the spare is fitted and you won't keep catching things on them.

[andyf]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

andy when you put the spare wheel bracket back on the car put the bolts through from the inside and the nuts on top, you wont see them when the spare is fitted and you won't keep catching things on them.

Thanks, that makes sense...

[andyf]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

Just got five minutes to finish adding the pedal box stiffening so now all I'm waiting for is to get the speedo back from Seedy Cables and I can get her MOT'd

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[andyf]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

Managed to get some time in the garage this morning and treated the engine to a flush and fill with fesh oil. The next problem is that the Kenlow fan thermostat isn't working!

[andyf]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

Just got my speedo back from Speedy Cables, they did a good job it looks as good as new. Now I just need to fix the wheel bearing and get some new tyres and it'll be MOT time.

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Looking at that picture I think I'm going to have to have another go at laying out the dashboard!?!?

[andyf]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

It's been a while and I've been busy! From other posts you've probably gathered that I've had a few problems on the way but I'm almost there now. Recently I've removed the water pump and re-fitted it because it was leaking past the gasket, sorted out the excessive play in the wheel bearings and have replaced the broken Kenlow fan switch with a more modern solution. Also while I was sorting out the wheel bearings I decided to fit new disks and pads. The first photo shows the new fan switch in the bottom hose, it's much tidier than the Kenlow solution which required a "sender" to be inserted where the top hose joined the radiator.
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The second picture shows the new break disk. You can also see that I've managed to get the track rod ends off as well, I'm just waiting for new dust covers before I refit them and fill the rack with oil.
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In theory all I've got left to do is to fill and bleed the cooling system, bleed the brakes, fill the steering rack with oil and fit the rod ends and she'll be ready to visit the MOT station! So I'm hoping that it will only be a week... I can't wait!

[stevejgreen]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

Is it just the angle of the photo, but that looks like quite a misalignment between water pump and alternator. There are several different water pumps that were fitted to B series engines, they had slightly different shaft lengths to account for variation in Alternator / Dynamo setups. (Recent article in Pitstop)

At least the track rod end came off along with the nut.

Beware over lubricating the rack. You don't know how much is already in there, it only holds a max of 200ml (approx) and you don't want to give the MOT tester something else to look too closely at.

Looking good, good luck with the test, always nice when they pass especially first time.

[philcoyle]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

I would have a rethink about the temperature sensor being in the bottom hose, this is going to be the coolest part of the cooling system. The sensor will only activate when the water in the bottom hose reaches the sensor setting (probably between 82-88c) which means that the fan will only cut in then, meanwhile the water leaving the cylinder head will be reaching very high temperatures before going through the rad and cooling down to reach a sensor that may or may not operate, well not until the engine is really boiling. Just my humble opinion.
Phil

[Michael Turpin]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

I was just thinking the same thing about putting it in the bottom hose. also are you wiring this through the existing water temp setting unit (so you alter the temp at which the fan comes on) or are you just using the rating of the sender itself?

[andyf]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

Putting it in the bottom hose shouldn't be a problem it's just a case of selecting the right switch. My wife's Nova had the switch at them bottom of the rad as do the older Fiestas. If it turns out to be a problem I'll get a boss welded into the thermostat housing. I'm using the switch recommended on the www.turbosport.co.uk forum. What they are saying is that Pintos get the best power down at about 85c but better efficiency at closer to 90c. I've started with switch that will cut in at 86 and out at 81 and I'll see how that goes, there are variants available that operate at lower temperatures and I do have an override switch just in case

Added a picture of the Fiesta system...
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[andyf]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

Is it just the angle of the photo, but that looks like quite a misalignment between water pump and alternator. There are several different water pumps that were fitted to B series engines, they had slightly different shaft lengths to account for variation in Alternator / Dynamo setups. (Recent article in Pitstop)

At least the track rod end came off along with the nut.

Beware over lubricating the rack. You don't know how much is already in there, it only holds a max of 200ml (approx) and you don't want to give the MOT tester something else to look too closely at.

Looking good, good luck with the test, always nice when they pass especially first time.

Thanks Steve,

It's the camera angle that's making the fan belt look like it's not straight. I decided to get my old alternator refurbished for exactly that reason!

As for the steering rack mine seems to have been greased rather than filled with oil. I know that this was common practice on the Sunbeams but is it common on the Marina racks?? If it was originally greased would adding oil cause problems... I'm not sure

[stevejgreen]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

Can't think that the final location of the fan thermostat/switch is over critical. In an ideal world it will only come on at times of low natural airflow from the cars forward motion. Nor are we in the realms of modern engines where combustion chamber temps are critical to emission controls etc. This is a good ole B series lump of cast iron in a vehicle that has a general reputation for overheating, any cooling improvement is likely to be beneficial.

As for oil vs grease in a rack, I can only go by manufacturers recommendations as the seal designs are likely to be different depending on the lubricants viscosity. I would however advise against mixing lubricant types. Who knows what sticky mess you could end up with. But if you don't know what's in there and it's impractical to clean it out, who knows?

[andyf]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

Hi Steve, that's my conundrum. Having taken the steering rack gaiter's off it definately looks like it was greased so I'm going to just re-grease it for now and see what it feels like.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

I wonder if there is a case for oil lubrication for the rack and pinion, but grease lubrication for the rod ends where they pivot in the ends of the rack? It does not help the conundrum one iota.

[philcoyle]

Re: Started to Restore My Roadster

Being a BMC apprentice back in 60s, when servicing steering racks on Minors and Minis the recommended lubricant was Marfak grease. This was a cross between oil and grease, thicker than EP90 but more fluid than grease. A bit of a so and so to administer in very cold temperatures, it was always stored next to the heater.