What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[John Mason]

I am like Reckless I have a little step up box made in China and it works well on satnav and phone charging. I wired it directly to the battery with inline fuse together with switch Bought step up box off eBay for around £10.00

John Mason

[David Stepney]

The Polo, having developed a wheel bearing noise on the way back from Monmouth earlier this week and, in any event, is due a (3)50,000 mile service, the Seven (newly serviced last weekend) has been pressed into duty as my daily for a couple of days whilst the VW receives a bit of TLC.

So, the Motoring Dog and I went to Rhuthin, some 20 miles distant, this afternoon to do some shopping, dodging rain showers as we went.

Leaving Rhuthin, the front brakes started to make horrid noises reminiscent of the sort of noise railway truck brakes make when being shunted - a sort of graunching screech,when lightly applied. I remember the noise well, as, when I was a nipper, I would stay at an aunt's house in Aberdovey, the house backing onto Dovey Junction.

When the brakes were inspected last weekend, all was well, and the only thing that I have done that might possibly have annoyed them was to blow out the dust and give everything a wipe down using brake and clutch cleaner.

Getting home, and after unpacking the purchases, I stripped the front brakes and found everything in order, so I have deglazed the shoes and drum in the hope that this will cure the problem. We shall see tomorrow!

The rain stopped just sufficiently for a couple of pictures taken in the town:-

[Mark McKibbin]

I Use one of those USB powerbanks. And use the twatnav provided by Google on my Android Smartphone. No extra wiring needed.

Works ace. Even on my traction engine (which has no wires)

I thought Tractions engines came with a USB (Universal Steam Bus) port?

---

Austin 7 Club Inc. (Victoria) had their Annual Rally today here are a few pictures from it.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yMXNgWUxoJiyh2C66

[Howard Wright]

Hi Mark

Some great pictures.  Thanks for posting.

Cheers

Howard

[Steve kay]

   

The low autumn afternoon sun puts into shadow some of class 1 about to climb Prescott. There were about twenty Sevens entered, though I am not quite sure how many were still running by the end of the day. One had an incident at Pardon, but the driver was seen walking to the ambulance so will no doubt be bruised but mightily relieved.

[Reckless Rat]

Today I have had one of those "Eureka!" moments. During my long trip to Santiago I had a problem with the steering on the RP which I couldn't bottom. It wasn't new, but obviously on a long run like that it became a bit of a pain. It manifested itself in stiffness in the steering in the straight ahead position which meant that keeping the car straight and level on those long straight roads was difficult.

Rather than trying to mess with the car on the trip, I decided to put up with it and sort it out when I got home. Over the past couple of days I have been going through the car to bring everything back up to 'spec' and this morning I started on the steering. The drag link was removed and the front end was jacked and everything greased with the weight off. No worries, all smooth and as it should be. I then checked the steering box action. There was a tiny amount of free play, which was normal but no stiffness. Everything seemed to be working as it should. I stripped the drag link to make sure the ball pins weren't sticking, but no, they were fine too. I put everything back together and had a final check with the front off the deck. The stiffness was back, but not only that I could hear a slight knock as it tightened and freed off. Then came the Eureka moment...

It was the drag link cup retaining bolt that was touching the brake pedal pivot nut. As the drag link had been re-assembled on the bench I hadn't taken into account the fact that with the exposed thread on the rear cup facing upwards there was contact between it and the pivot nut. Having removed it and turned it the other way round everything is now fine.

Who would have thought it.

[bob46320]

Bruce, where is the locking device on that nut/bolt on the drag link ?

[Reckless Rat]

Good point well made, Bob. Tomorrow's job will be to use nyloc nuts. The bolts are as supplied from one of our cherished suppliers.

[Tony Press]

I would prefer a shorter bolt without the washers and a castellated nut with split pin.

[Bob Culver]

Anything which stops steering very freely self centring makes for tedious straight line wander. (excess friction in kpins, ball joints, steering box mesh etc) Possibly in a modern with no geometric compromises nothing deflects from the ideal and high friction which may keep it there has no effect)