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Used Parts Conservation - Bob Culver - 11-05-2021
My interest is mainly in the tech side. This site seems the best avenue. I do not have a running car and have not in recent years enrolled in th NZ VAR. And for other reasons which long term readers may deduce I have avoided contact with the local Auckland branch. However there has been recent changes.
The local VAR recently moved its mostly Seven spares hoard onto a pleasant rural property and to celebrate the occasion a barbeque was held. Key members also belong to the Jowett Club so with a strong interest in both I was invited. Very satisfactory; arrived with a colleague in a "barn find" 1935 Ten via back roads I have little travelled for 40 years. The general overgrown nature of the countryside cf the relative bareness of yesteryear when intensively grazed very evident.
Anyway, some observations:
I have been castigated for repeatedly mentioning the danger of failed steering arms. Some consider it might deter enthusiasts. But in this now safety obsessed country any serious injury or worse would severely curtail the still relatively free old car hobby. Despite repeatedly mentioning the hazard it is astonishing to meet members who have never heard of it (Or of the excellent UK parts supply sources, or this Forum!!) One engineer member immediately found a crack in his car.
Sevens and especially their parts have nothing like the value in UK. The parts collection is quite impressive. But, as with other Clubs, several factors severely irk me.
In any club there are very few able to truly assess the usefulness f old parts, and some of them have a cavalier attitude to saving available bearings etc. Persons dismantle and rob parts but do not keep old parts together. Early dyns with good looking comms but field coils and poles gone. Maybe 20 camshafts. Perhaps someone diligently examined and measured each and decided they were very seriously worn. But I suspect some would, be very serviceable, but for serious use all ruined by rust. Once plain bearing surfaces are pitted a part is more or less useless. Many crankshafts, presumably all cracked but all very rusted so even a good one would incur avoidable regrinding expense. If persons find cracks please mark with paint. Little point in keeping although the early ones nice ornaments.
Many discarded diff bearings mostly rusty. Many a/c races can be reused, perhaps with shims, at great savings but when rusted nbg. Many roller races with parts separated and rusty. Sometimes rings can be mixed for a close clearance. Odd pinions. Hard to believe all the mated cw were totally u.s .but the pinions OK. Mild rust of gears not too important, except the timing gears with their marked sliding. Gearboxes with intact synchro cones and looking reasonable but open and rusted.
Persons ratting through parts and leaving part dismantled, exposed and scattered are a menace.
A lot of moisture falls out of the air, esp in an often open shed. A plastic sheet assists greatly. Greasy and oily parts do make sorting a messy business, but at least some parts are then preserved as useful. Clean thick engine oil helps but soon dries off. Grease is effective esp the old drying greases like Castrol CL.
It is a great help if parts with not so obvious defects are marked with paint or pen or a label attached.
Light rust is effectively removed with a soft power wire brush but beware very dangerous flying wires. Stand aside as will penetrate thin flexible plastic goggles.
RE: Pleas. Please - Duncan Grimmond - 11-05-2021
Quick, Nurse, he needs another anaesthetic ;-)
RE: Pleas. Please - Ian Williams - 11-05-2021
For once Bob has a very good point, the second hand spares operation although a well intentioned has been responsible for scrapping many many usable parts. Sadly the people who run this are comparatively new to the A7 world have little or no appreciation or understanding of the parts they hold, many trailer loads of donated spares have ended up at the scrap yard which in my eyes is criminal!
RE: Pleas. Please - JonE - 11-05-2021
I just wish the titles of these potentially incisive debate threads could be changed quickly to be made on message so we can search/find the things again once a week has passed. Otherwise we just end up in Groundhog Day forum, forgetting then making new threads...
RE: Pleas. Please - Colin Morgan - 11-05-2021
Titles can be quickly and easily changed by the author of the thread... this one might be "Save our Spares"? Or have I missed the point (probably)?
RE: Pleas. Please - Bob Culver - 12-05-2021
I know far less about websites than I do about Sevens. How do I alter? Do I repeat all under a different title? I must confess the urge for a catchy title is not helpful. I have written articles for the local Jowett mag every issue for 45 years but the titles are mostly a mystery.
I usually keep away from parts prune outs as I can usually see a way of using almost everything. But at my age it is unlikely to be me. Having diligently coddled a few parts for 60 years I find it a bit depressing.
It is nice to know after far too many hours that I have at last added just one worthwhile contribution to this Forum.
I trust Duncans comment was meant as humour and not dismissive.
The situation is presumably somewhat different in UK where parts seem to fetch many times the price. But I guess parts rust just as they do here.
PS discovered how to alter title.
RE: Used Parts Conservation - Tony Press - 12-05-2021
As you no doubt found just correct your original
RE: Used Parts Conservation - Alan - 12-05-2021
You have to remember that most stocks of spares were removed from their cars not as a future source of spares but because they were worn out or unserviceable in some way. So don’t expect to find a replacement part which will provide an instant fix. Having said that, I think Bob has a good point. Fact is after 40 years in this hobby I have a shed full of spares some useful some valuable I guess, but I don’t really know what’s there. A friend, having rebuild two sevens, set to and refurbished a complete set of spares for both of them. Maybe to protect future sevenists what we should now be rebuilding is not cars but spare parts.
RE: Used Parts Conservation - Chris KC - 12-05-2021
OK nobody wants to talk about safety; but it's nothing short of a bloody miracle that in 2021 we are still free to drive and maintain at home cars which are knocking on 100 years old. It's not a right, but a privilege and a fragile one at that. It's in all our interests to keep vehicles (and driving) safe within the bounds of practicality, and to pass relevant info on to newcomers. One or two headline-grabbing 'incidents' followed by a media campaign and there could very easily be no 'future Sevenists' to worry about.
RE: Used Parts Conservation - Ivor Hawkins - 12-05-2021
I don’t disagree Chris and trying to get a away with knackered, safety critical parts, like steering arms is a very real issue, but on the other hand, having spent my entire working life in the motor industry, I’ve seen more badly repaired, modern 200 plus horsepower cars than I care to remember.
That’s one of the reasons why I get my old cars MOT’d even though I don’t have to...another experienced pair of eyes will see things that perhaps we have overlooked.