On a recent outing I thought my late Ruby was down on power - it was reluctant to go over 40, but seemed to be pulling okay up to 30 in 3rd.  

So I suspected it might something other than the engine.  On checking, the brakes were free, but I found a front tyre down at 14 psi from 25 - the result of a slow puncture.  At that pressure, the tyre didn't look very different.  I was surprised how much this lower pressure affected the rolling resistance - even just pushing the car around was harder.

Having fitted a spare - another Longstone, I ran the car out again and it pulled away happily at over forty now all the tyres were at the right pressure.  But the difference made me think about the effect of rolling resistance. 

I have a couple of spare wheels with the heavier 4.50 x 17 Avon tyres on them, so I replaced the two Longstones on the rear.  The car then went a bit better than before.  But whether this was from reduced rolling resistance or better gearing from the larger tyre circumference on the rear, I am not sure.   

Has anyone else considered the effects of rolling resistance for different tyre types and pressures?

I have read a number of times that bracing the brake cross shaft can improve the brakes by reducing the flex in the bearing hangers. However, I cannot find any pictures to see how people do this. Can anyone point me to any pictures or describe how they have done this, please?


Thank you. 

Jamie

Oil
I have a pair of new oilite bushes for my Girling brake cams. I guess engine oil is best, but how long do I need to soak them before pressing in to the housing??

Grease
I am fitting new felt seals in the front hubs. Do I need to soak them in anything? OR is a smear of grease on the inside enough? (as recommended by Doug Woodrow in the Big Red Book)

Thanks in advance for any guidance. 

Iam trying to reserch the history of a car i have, and i have attached photos from the mid-late 1960s when it had a badge bar, with three badges - the middle one is easy in that it is an AA badge, but the other two are unknown.

Its a long shot, from a very small, grainey image - but hopfully someone will regognise the outline or shape of the other two.

The knowlege and information on this forum does often surprise me when this type of puzzle is presented - so fingers crossed! 

   

   

After a long hiatus, I have managed to get back to rebuilding my Seven. I am currently starting on the chassis which needs a couple of minor repairs, but otherwise just needs cleaning and painting. 

I intend to clean the chassis up with wire brushes on the angle grinder, along with scrapers and anything else that I can get into the nooks and crannies. 

I am conscious, though, that there are some sections that will be difficult to clean as thoroughly as I would like. I was wondering what other people do about these areas and what sort of treatment they use to prevent rusting, prior to painting. I intend to use some sort of chassis black paint, but I am not sure which one yet.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Jamie.

    Just completing a couple of jobs before the Austin Seven special 1927 is put up for sale.
In the process of replacing the fabric joint I noticed the three securing nuts had different washers, one tab, one tooth washer and the third nut had no washer.
Can anyone inform on which is the correct type if any to use?
Many thanks.    

Hi all. I'm finally getting round to installing side and rear doors and their respective brass hinges. I have some questions to ask regarding the screws that hold the hinges to the pillars etc.

What would the size and length recommendations for the screws for brass hinges that were provided with the John Heath body kit ?

This is  pic of the same type of hinges I have:

  door hinge close up.jpg (Size: 84.96 KB / Downloads: 275)

Any help in this regard would be most appreciated.
Thanks,
Stephen

A bit of a long shot, but I might be lucky. I am refurbishing a pair of Lucas side lights, the small type with the little red tell-tales on the top.

I am missing one of the nuts that holds the light itself onto the wing: I believe that it might be a cycle thread.

Would anyone have one that they would be happy to sell?

Jamie.

The bearings for my cross shaft are non-existent and some fixing bolts are missing, so I am trying to remove it to clean and repair it. Trying is the operative word.

How do the ends come off? I have removed the cotter pins and used plenty of penetrating oil, but nothing seems to move. Is it brute force or something more subtle? These are the parts that I am trying to shift. Suggestions would be appreciated. 

Jamie

The pictures will not load, but I am trying to remove the ends which take the cables and the middle piece with the wiffle tree hanging down.