What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[gezparton]

Poppy and I in Brittany          and an Austin 7 4 seat tourer from Plymouth!

[Alan]

I don’t want to give the wrong impression. There’s a pub opposite the church

[Ivor Hawkins]

…and I thought you were all there to attend Matins!

[Bob Kneale]

< …and I thought you were all there to attend Matins! >
31st of May is a FRIDAY. Were you early, or there for a different sort of prayers.........?

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Yesterday evening I met up with Denis and Vicky when they were back in Bude prior to their return homewards today. After a pleasant pint of real ale, I  returned to St Tudy n having wished them both well for the remainder of their marathon Journey.

[Howard Wright]

Hi All

Two good reasons for owning a van!

Shopping bags go through the back doors so much easier than over the front seats!


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A trip to the tip is possible without spoiling the upholstery! (Yes it did start on the handle!)


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I’m sure there are more and I’m looking forward to finding them out!

Cheers

Howard

[David Stepney]

What have I done with myAustin Seven today? Took it to bits.

Over the last couple of days, it developed a distinct little end rattle, so I stripped the engine, having received all the parts that I thought that I would need. Discovered that the gudgeon pin clamping bolt on No. 1 rod had stripped it’s thread and come loose. Examination of the big end also showed that a flake of white metal had come off. 

Fortunately, I have a set of spare rods bought ‘on spec’ some time ago, so I chose the best one and have fitted it to the crank as it was a bit tight. Fitted a new gudgeon pin and replaced all the little end clamping bolts as a precaution with new ones.

Going out shortly to feed the horses and get some Hylomar, ready to start putting things back together today.

[John Mason]

David, once you are up and running again do you intend to scrap the rod with the stripped threads or make a repair.

John Mason.

[David Stepney]

John, the thread in the rod looks to be ok. It was the thread on the bolt that was non-existent. I changed the rod because of the flake of Babbitt material that was missing.

I have spent the afternoon reassembling things. When I took the sump off, all the bolts seemed to be tight and snug. WhenI came to put it back this afternoon, three of the threaded holes stripped! Fortunately I have a helicoil kit so all is now repaired. However, by the timeI had finished putting the sump back on, it was gone eight o clock, so I shall hopefully finish the job on Wednesday.

[Tony Griffiths]

Speaking to somebody at the Stonehurst gathering at the weekend about his Ruby brake lights being impossible to fix fired me up to get ours working (instead of always on, never on or coming on and off according to their mood). The original and tiny pressed-steel clip fastened to the brake rod could not be tightened, so I replaced it with a small but robust wire type, as shown. Unfortunately, not having an original spring - or the correct switch - meant some experimentation which failed, as it proved impossible to balance the pull-on spring with the pull-off one inside the switch. Finally, at Stonehurst, I found an original switch with a strong internal spring. After messing about trying to get the new switch working, I finally realised what was making the problem worse. The angle of the pull-on spring added so much friction to the switch's actuating rod that it just would not pull off. So, armed with some 6 mm rod, I made a new "U" bolt for the clip and made one end so long that it enabled the spring (trapped between two nuts) to be brought directly in line with the switch - and the brake lights now work correctly.

[David Stepney]

To continue the tale of the RP, Wednesday was rather a write off and I didn't manage to get back into the garage until the evening. However, I managed to get the bottom end completely reassembled and fitted the head and manifold, set the tappets and retimed the ignition.  Then I tried starting it! Would it go? Would it hell! I must have checked and rechecked everything half a dozen times and even had the carb to bits just in case. Eventually the battery went flat. By this time it was almost midnight so I abandoned the whole job and went to bed.

I was out yesterday, so recommenced work this afternoon. Still the engine would not start. However, I put the radiator on, whilst contemplating what I had done wrong. Checked everything again. Flattened the battery again. Waited a couple of hours for the battery to charge up and went out at about 7 pm for another go at it. Guess what? The little car started straight away, so I ran it for twenty minutes or so to get it warm, then put the clutch cover on and the mats back, and put the bonnet on. One last check that all was in order and took it for road test over to a friends house. The car appears to be running as it should and started readily when required. And I now have that rarest of things - an oil tight engine, although how long that will last is anyone’s guess. So, hopefully it is now fixed and ready to resume its duties.
 
Can’t understand why it had a fit of the “I don’t want to’s” though.