2014
Friday, 19 December 2014
Cool old paperwork
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This is a photocopy of the 1967 Californian registration receipt for 881824. $3!!
Monday, 24 November 2014
I'm still here!
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It has been said that the Devil makes work for idle hands, and enforced idleness has forced my hand.
My 3.8 OTS is sloooowly grinding its way toward road registration. At present I am still waiting to get the last of the trim completed.
There is no room in the shed for my 4.2 series 1, so it is stabled elsewhere and as such can't be fiddled with.
Sooooo..... time to repaint my original car, 4.2 series 1.5.
Below some pictures of the lady sans jewelery and makeup.
Then..... off to Ross for a makeover!
The boot interior will need schutz and paint too so it's a good time to work out while the car always stinks of fuel. Tank out. Note tank sump half full of rust. I acid dipped this tank spotlessly clean only 2 years ago.
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Tuesday, 14 October 2014
Two heads are better than...
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Waiting to jump through administrative hoops to register my 3.8; hopefully driving it before Xmas...
My shed is being enlarged (no surprises there), so the grey coupe is at Dad's and the red coupe at Chris's to make room for the builders.
No harm in working on other people's cars...
A good day's work. I really like shimming heads.
All we are waiting on is a set of head studs and one of these can go onto the motor Chris and I have just built for my friend Andrew's 4.2 roadster.
Then I get to build the engine for the other head! Machining on the block is finished and I have cleaned and tapped it so I'll start that one next week hopefully...
Sunday, 14 September 2014
Introducing...my new car!
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OK so two E Types clearly aren't enough. My friend Rob was kind enough to sell me his original RHD Australian delivery Series 1 FHC.
Beautiful car in opalescent sliver grey with original red leather interior. An older restoration, Rob's owned her for 10 years. After taking delivery of her last week I spent a couple of hours doing a full lube and oil change. I then spent some time tuning as there was a miss. Turned out to be a broken plug lead cap and a few minor irregularities with one of the carbs.
As with most cars that have sat for a while there are always a few problems. In this case spongy brakes, disappearing brake fluid and very heavy steering.
To cut to the chase this weekend I have replaced the servo (leaking) and the master cylinder (see servo). The clutch master seemed to be working fine but was full of rust.
The steering problem turns out to be (at least in part) the rack which is stuffed. So it's new rack time too.
Saturday, 13 September 2014
Notes on brake bleeding
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Bleeding the E Type brake system can be very difficult, especially if there is a lot of air in it.
The use of a urinary catheter syringe has revolutionised this process for me. I replaced a brake servo on my S1 4.2 yesterday, and went from scratch to hard pedal in about 10 mins. I used just under 500ml of fluid, 240ml for flushing, the rest for refilling the reservoir bottles, although it would be wise to have a litre available.
These syringes are designed for flushing urinary catheters. They hold 60ml and differ from normal Luer-Lok syringes in that they have a much larger diameter conical tip. This is a perfect size to make a good push fit into the brake reservoir hose. I steal them from work but I'm sure you could buy them from any pharmacy.
A note about reservoirs. On 3.8 cars each master has its own reservoir. On most 4.2 cars the reservoir attached to the brake master cylinder supplies the front calipers. The servo reservoir supplies the rear calipers. This is apparently reversed on some early 4.2s but won't affect bleeding as long as you know which reservoir serves front and rear. You can tell by tracing the metal pipes coming from the booster. If you are unsure check the schematic diagram in the manual. If you are wrong you won't be able to inject fluid.
To bleed the brakes:
1. Select either the front or rear reservoir. It doesn't matter which as the systems bleed independently. Using the syringe, remove all the old fluid from the reservoir and discard this fluid.
2. Disconnect the reservoir from the end of the hose.
3. Fill the syringe (or another clean one) with 60ml of brake fluid. The less air in the syringe the better as you will be able to generate more pressure. Push the syringe firmly into the hose.
4. Attach a clear PVC tube about 1m long to the end of the brake caliper nipple. Run the hose so that it loops above the height of the nipple for a small distance before going into a waste container on the ground. The upward section of tube will allow you to see any air bubbles in the fluid.
5. Open the brake nipple. As usual start with the nipple furthest from the reservoir.
6. Forcing the syringe tip firmly into the hose, inject the majority of the 60ml of fluid. Hold the hose very firmly or brake fluid will go everywhere.
I tend to inject the first half of the syringe slowly, then inject more in a jerky, pulsatile fashion to try to dislodge any small bubbles.
If you have a helper they can tell you when no more bubbles are coming out of the PVC tube. You can do this by yourself however; just leave the syringe and inspect the clear tubing on the nipple for bubbles. If you have a few inches of fluid in the tube with no bubbles in it the bleeding has been successful. Keep going, with more syringes of fluid as necessary, until you have no air. Close the bleed nipple and move to the other side. and repeat 3 to 6.
7. Once you have finished the other side, carefully remove the syringe. Carefully add small amounts of fluid into the end of the hose until you can see a meniscus of fluid about half an inch below the end of the hose.
8. Reinstall the reservoir onto the hose. There will still be a small bubble of air within the hose. Put about 20ml of fluid into the reservoir. Tap and squeeze the hose until you see no more bubbles emerging into the fluid in the reservoir. Now put the reservoir back into the supporting clamp and refill it with fluid.
Wednesday, 10 September 2014
And then there were 3
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I seem to have bought another one...
1967 series 1 FHC, original RHD Australian delivered car. Pictures to follow.
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Sunday, 10 August 2014
Finished...meh.
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Final jobs were fitting the internal radiator protector screen, refitting the bonnet, aligning the headlights and putting on the glass covers.
Now I have to get it registered.
Sunday, 03 August 2014
Red is the colour.
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For when an E Type just isn't enough. 1938 Stinson Reliant.
Saturday, 02 August 2014
How to take your bonnet off by yourself.
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Before you start, disconnect the 8 pin wiring plug to the bonnet.
Put 2 pillows under the front of the bonnet.
Open the bonnet fully.
Thread a loop of strong cord through the rear bonnet vent.
Tie this loop to a rope that is securely attached to the roof. Use a knot that you can undo with one hand.
Remove the bonnet balance link bolt, then remove the hinge bolt. Support the bonnet with your shoulder under the wheel arch. Guide it gently forward and down onto the pillow.
Do the same on the other side. You may find a piece of cardboard useful to stop the bonnet damaging the paint on the front frame.
Roll the car back far enough that you have room to lie the bonnet down. The front rests on the pillows.
Position a 6' x 3' piece of carpet between the car and the bonnet, untie your knot while supporting the bonnet and then rest it down onto the carpet.
Then lifting the bonnet from the front, stand it upright on the carpet.
The bonnet can now be easily moved by pulling it along on the carpet; support it with a hand to stop it falling over.
You can now access the front of the car easily. Time elapsed; 10 minutes.
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