What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Reckless Rat]

Surprisingly, quite a lot. I've left it draining overnight and then I'll see exactly how much came out. It actually looked OK, no bronze or steel coloured bits in it either. I have to admit I was exaggerating about it being 30 years. I think it was in 2001 before I drove it down here...

[Nick Lettington]

I was going to weld mine mainly because I recently got a TIG and need and excuse to learn to use it! I have some 1 inch thin wall pipe, galvanised but I will strip that off before welding. For bending I was going to make some formers from hardwood to bend around. I might need to do the fill the pipes with sand trick but when making my body frame I was able to bend that tube fine with nothing but a hole in a block of wood and it worked ok. 

I was going to try the four straight pipes coming out then curving into a tapered collector. I know it's not the most efficient but its easier for me to try to make as a first go and it will suit the car and work with the body style I have. And I can make it all in one flat plane with simple bends rather than trying to work out some complicated 3D shape as a first attempt. I really just need something I can use when I first try to start the car.

What diameter should the outlet be? About 30mm?

This sort of thing (from this page https://www.speedwellengineering.com/news/page/2/): 




Also I got an answer to my bolts question (thanks David). They are special bolts, will order those tonight.

Simon

This was my first attempt... I bought a few lengths of 1 1/8 tube and an old plumbers pipe bender... It's a copy of the original Speedex one also pictured.

   

Patience is definitely needed... But it is nice to get out in the garage and play. It's been so long since I made progress on the Silverstone I found myself pondering selling it. 

[Reckless Rat]

Rear axle refilled this afternoon. It took approximately 250ml of new oil (1/2 pint) which I warmed thoroughly in front of the fire before squirting it in with a big 100ml plastic syringe. It's amazing how the viscosity changed with heat. Cold you couldn't push the piston in on the stuff. It helps if you've got a light so you can see the crown wheel. Best to inject between the teeth or you'll be at it all day! Spin everything round when full and then let it drain off to level. That's me set for another 30 years!

[John Mason]

I refilled my rear axle using a pump style oil can with a plastic spout. I cut the brass end off the spout to make the hole bigger it all worked a treat. I also warmed up the oil.

John Mason

[fatcatvera]

Drove Burt to work in -6'C. Beautiful sky and an amazing view of Venus, the Moon and Jupiter from Chesterton Windmill hill.

   

Luckily I knocked up a quick grommet to fill in the hole through the floor around the steering column...-6'C air up your left trouser leg isn't the most pleasant!

[jansens]

When making their own exhaust do people leave the entire base plate on then mount the inlet on top of the exhaust (so needing two gaskets I guess) or do they make the exhaust on the plate then cut out the inlet parts so the inlet manifold sits on the block between the exhaust manifold flanges (on the same gasket).

Nick's picture above shows both styles. I imagine all on one plate is easier to keep flat. Or at least to make it so after fabricating it. But then cut each of the 3 sets of exhaust pipes might have more flex allowing them to bolt up hard to the block?

Simon

[Alastair]

We don't often get snow here in Cornwall but have had several inches in just over an hour. Responding to a challenge from a fellow 7 owner who lives not far from me I got the Ruby out to go for a quick spin in the snow. Spin turned out to be the operative word because having reversed on to the neighbours' forecourt , I pulled out into the road and went nowhere...
I had to leave it blocking the road while I went back indoors and got some ashes which enabled me to get back onto the foreciourt, take a pic, and then back to the garage.
I await suitable abuse from our friend north of the border!

[Biddlecombe]

Wrong sort of snow!

[Reckless Rat]

19" wheels with triple stud tyres are the way to go. Never ever been stuck in the RP and I've been places!

[Alastair]

In my defence, back in the late 70s I was trapped by snow in Honiton and had to spend the night in a Roman Catholic seminary (where one couple couldn't understand why there weren't any double beds available). The next morning I managed to get to the M5 at Exeter, having wrapped my jump leads around the tyres. Reckers' former colleagues were not impressed but allowed me to continue to the exit at Taunton. I managed to get to within a mile of my home in those days, when a 12ft snowdrift put an end to my travels. It was also the end of the jump leads...