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At Brands Hatch on Sunday for the 750MC event I saw a gear reduction starter motor above a gearbox and assumed it was a cunning piece of fabrication. To my surprise it was an "off the shelf" item. There's also a version for the later engines (mine). Both are 12v "off the shelf" and while they can do a 6V its a special order and twice the price. (Auto Electrical Supplies - v.helpful)
Having looked that one up and exchanged emails I looked at the "alternators that look like dynamos". They are available in 12v and 6v negative earth and 6v positive earth. They're from Accuspark who have the "electronic ignition distributors" in 12v and 6v positive and 6v negative.
My own car (a special) was built up as 12v with a gizmo in an aluminium box to keep the dynamo happy (Dave Lindsey?) but at the time it went off the road wasn't charging - it wasn't important at that time as it never went far so I could top the battery up each time. The starter motor has a fractured lug.
The attraction of both "modern gizmos" is very much "plug and play" - and also the prices... Perhaps half what a refurb costs these days? As a special I also like the weight saving. In terms of 12v or 6v its possible for me to revert but I like being able to throw any old battery on it or to jump start and use bulbs from any garage and when I built it I loved how the starter span with such enthusiasm...maybe too much enthusiasm given the broken lug on it now... (A lesson when I first built the car was that supermarket jump leads would spin the engine but it took "van spec" heavy duty leads to start it). Its got a 12v fuel pump and I might fit an electric water pump and a fan... (London traffic).
Reading other threads I don't think I'm at all tempted by the electronic ignition, but both these units appeal. I also like that I could run a much smaller battery both for starting and not feeling I need "a reserve". My other option is to run a little alternator off a V-pulley and replace the dynamo with an empty tube.
Thoughts?
Anyone know what the VSCC's attitude to the "its an alternator but you'd never know"? That's not as relevant to me as it once was, but I'd like to be able to do Brooklands driving tests with them and perhaps I'd get back to hill climbing. I assume the Bert Hadley lot are open to them...
The objective for now is "back on the road" - run to the shops - day out to an event.
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I'm new to Sevens some of you know I had a recent issue with my starter housing and crankcase. The car came to me with 12 volt, two converted dynamos and armored wiring for 12volt and a 12volt cutout. I will stay on the dark side(figuratively) for now. That said, if I had known better, I would have gone with 6 volt. I am very much in the same frame of mind as Ian. If the cars have done alright for 90 years, why change to make them more modern?
Erich in Seattle
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27-04-2018, 06:58 PM
(This post was last modified: 27-04-2018, 07:01 PM by DavidL.)
Why change them? Its a great question to ask before such a move (and I am asking it) but in general terms that horse has long bolted with this car... The radiator is half the height and the engine twice the power so cooling is a bit more of an issue that it was - putting aside the change in traffic conditions. (I'm in SE London). Cooling issues are another story entirely, but being able to turn on an electric fan and a water pump is a fairly common wish with prewar cars. As a special weight is an obsession and development is very much part of the fun.
My godson lives somewhere where he can go for a bike ride all morning and not see a soul. Not the same issues. He's no need for indicators or hazards and the only reason he's going to stop is for a chat.
The other question that gets asked all the time is "why not buy a Caterham and be done with it", and the answer to that is I built the thing (in what feels like a previous life) so there's a strong tie there, I like the narrow tyres and vibration and the way it rides and the cable brakes and the LACK of performance, for all I'm doing my best to improve it, as an academic and engineering exercise as much as to get me to work ten mins earlier. There's a saying that in mid life you want to buy the cars of your youth, I'm in the position where I still own one of them for all its been off the road 18 years and I'm not as supple or competition minded as I once was...
Another option - a genuine option here - is to detune the engine, rebody, run a standard height radiator. With a mechanical pump there's only the ignition load out and about in the day. With LED bulbs I can have brake lights as bright as I like on 6v. I'm mostly driving with street lights so "seeing where I'm going" is less of an issue.
...or buy a standard car...
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The VSCC does not allow alternators, disguised or otherwise
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so is that tapped, or drilled through and bolted on the other side?
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Location: Scotchland
I tapped it Jon, plenty of clearance behind.
