Front cover

[David.H]

The nose of the casting on my engine has suffered over the years & quite a large chunk at the end (about 5-8 o'clock & an inch) is no longer there! Clearly the starting handle has been rattling up & down. Unsurprisingly there is significant wear on the starting handle shaft as well.
I am not minded to find a replacement cover & think this must be a well known problem...is there a "fix"? I am thinking of fitting a bush/sleeve over the handle shaft & fitting it into the nose of the cover. Maybe made from a hard plastic polybush?. The car starts well on the motor, so I don't anticipate lots of winding in future. I am more concerned to stop the handle shaft rattling about.
The bush would be quite thin as the gap from shaft o/d to cover i/d is "only!" about .030" (variable!). I recall seeing "steel tubes" from somewhere that might be to solve this one, but cannot find them...do they work? I don't want to have to machine the components unless I have to. My plan is a to just find a "fix" at this stage.

[Douglas Alderson]

The nose of the casting on my engine has suffered over the years & quite a large chunk at the end (about 5-8 o'clock & an inch) is no longer there! Clearly the starting handle has been rattling up & down. Unsurprisingly there is significant wear on the starting handle shaft as well.
I am not minded to find a replacement cover & think this Jmust be a well known problem...is there a "fix"? I am thinking of fitting a bush/sleeve over the handle shaft & fitting it into the nose of the cover. Maybe made from a hard plastic polybush?. The car starts well on the motor, so I don't anticipate lots of winding in future. I am more concerned to stop the handle shaft rattling about.
The bush would be quite thin as the gap from shaft o/d to cover i/d is "only!" about .030" (variable!). I recall seeing "steel tubes" from somewhere that might be to solve this one, but cannot find them...do they work? I don't want to have to machine the components unless I have to. My plan is a to just find a "fix" at this stage.

Hi It is possible to fix with aluminium welding/brazing rods by putting the starting handle in the end and heating up and filling the gap.  But there is a fine balance between melting the nose cone and fixing the hole. Or another way is an oilite bush put in a shorten damaged ruby nose cone.

[David.H]

The nose of the casting on my engine has suffered over the years & quite a large chunk at the end (about 5-8 o'clock & an inch) is no longer there! Clearly the starting handle has been rattling up & down. Unsurprisingly there is significant wear on the starting handle shaft as well.
I am not minded to find a replacement cover & think this Jmust be a well known problem...is there a "fix"? I am thinking of fitting a bush/sleeve over the handle shaft & fitting it into the nose of the cover. Maybe made from a hard plastic polybush?. The car starts well on the motor, so I don't anticipate lots of winding in future. I am more concerned to stop the handle shaft rattling about.
The bush would be quite thin as the gap from shaft o/d to cover i/d is "only!" about .030" (variable!). I recall seeing "steel tubes" from somewhere that might be to solve this one, but cannot find them...do they work? I don't want to have to machine the components unless I have to. My plan is a to just find a "fix" at this stage.

Hi It is possible to fix with aluminium welding/brazing rods by putting the starting handle in the end and heating up and filling the gap.  But there is a fine balance between melting the nose cone and fixing the hole. Or another way is an oilite bush put in a shorten damaged ruby nose cone.

Thanks...I will look for a bush...I don't fancy the welding/brazing route!
D

[Austin in the Shed]

If you know some one good with a lathe they should be able to cut the end off,bore the front out to fit a new aluminium sleeve/bush to the end and make a proper job of it.

[Steve Jones]

I've repaired a fair few of these in a similar state to that described indeed at one time I was buying up damaged ones to repair. My method doesn't involve welding/brazing nor any lathe work but ends up with a repaired front cover that is indistinguishable from the real thing when fitted and is also stronger. Photo below is of a repaired cover fitted to my Ulster.

   

You start with two pieces of exhaust tube. First is 24mm I/D, 2 1/2" long. Second is 38mm O/D, around 1" long depending on the length of the missing piece on your casting (please excuse the mix of units).

The longer piece is inserted into the cleaned up casting such that it's front edge is in line with the remaining nose of the casting. Mix up some epoxy metal/plastic metal stuff and fill the missing piece of the casting. Once it's gone off, shape the repaired area such that it is now the size the casting would have been if it hadn't been broken. Continue to shape the end of the casting/repair such that the shorter length of tube will fit snugly over it. Glue in place with your favourite epoxy glue/putty and, when all cured, dress the exposed end of the casting/repair flush. Finally, paint the exposed piece of tube with aluminium paint. 

It's all rather easier to do than to describe but, as they used to say on 'Blue Peter' here's one I did earlier that should make things clearer. 

     

Steve

[Reckless Rat]

I had a mishap some time back when taking the engine out of my RP. The brake on the block and tackle failed and the engine/gearbox fell to the garage floor flattening the sump and breaking the front nose cone clean in two.

The sump was an easy fix as it's steel and just needed bashing back into shape, although I had a reinforcing panel welded onto it just to make sure. I took the sump and the nosecone to an artisan welder in town and he stitched it back together using a TiG. A good welder that knows his stuff should be able to repair yours without too much fuss.

It has been fine ever since.

[David.H]

Thank you all for that information. Maybe as the radiator etc is off I will remove the cover & have a go. Steve - did you leave the inner longer tube in place? I imagine so. I see from spares lists that the gasket does not seal the "top face", is there a seal & does the cover come off "easily"....

[Steve Jones]

Yes, longer tube stays in place. The top face isn't sealed and yes, the cover comes off easily once you've removed the dynamo/fan pedestal casting that sits on top of it.

Steve

[cardiffrob]

I've TIG welded some back together.  There are some photos of front covers on the old website showing new threaded lugs welded up.  Not sure if the photos still exist on my home computer, though.

[jansens]

Steve Hainsworth recently gave me a good nose cone with working lugs but it turns out my handle doesn't fit it. It seems like it's been sleeved by someone in the past?

Either that or I am dealing with mismatched parts again. Was trying to explain it to another friend on the phone but pictures might help.