There are so many variations on the Austin 7

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/146388670909?...R7jH-ZGgZQ

Amongst other jobs that need doing is fixing a oil leak which I am sure is coming from the sump - now even losing when not running.

So a new silicone gasket is about to be applied. The sump bolts are fairly new with the elongated washers. When I bought the car it had two sump bolts that had obviously been stripped and it looks as though the holes were tapped out 8mm and bolts with nuts used to apply a nipping force. Another bolt feels "soft" now.

Obviously this will need sorting eventually - is it always an engine out job to use heli-coils or similar?

In the mean time, and I am sure I have asked this before, how much oil does a standard A7 engine need on refill, and what is the amount of oil between min and max on the dip-stick. I have search all my books and come up empty.

All help appreciated.

I have finally got around to doing this job which I posted a thread about last Summer - Ruairidh has given me much advise offline and this has moved me forward some what.

In the thread last Summer Ruairidh and others mentioned that the brake levers on the Girling front brakes were too far back - and the thought was that the front brake cams were the wrong side. Unfortunately they are not, which would have been easy to put right. The near-side cam has a very faint marking which I think is FN, but the off-side cam is very clearly marked FO which I assume is Front Offside. Back to the drawing board. The shoes will be relined and everything refurbed, but how to assemble with levers further forward???? I haven't taken the cams fully apart yet.

It was suggested that the shorter Austin arms could be used but would these require Austin cams - I assume they would as I note the cotters are different.

I am reinstalling the old "open" bearings as there is nothing wrong with them, together with a modern lip-seal. Just packing the bearing with grease and little more to avoid contamination again. If I had replaced the bearings I would probably have gone for sealed to get around the problem. How much grease is too much  !!!!!!!!

Has anyone got advice on the best grease to use given the need for it to stay there for a while. Well the rest of my life anyway!!!!

I have seen descriptions of two ways to remount the hubs.

1. Build the inner hub and bearings with spacer on the stub-axle tightening the hub nut and apply the split-pin. Then pressing (well hide-faced mallet) the outer hub (and maybe the puller to add weight) over the top and screwing the two hub halves together.

OR

2. Build the hub entirely and screwing together before installing over the stub-axle. Apply the nut and tighten adding the split-pin through the holes in the threaded section of the outer hub.

A paper gasket and seal cement being used in either method.

Any help gratefully received as always.




Supplementary advice required please - 

I use a lithium grease cartridge  (Witham Oils) in the usual style of gun for regular greasing. This often drips from the gun as "oil" - of course grease has an oil base but is this a common happening. My old Mini grease gun never dripped in this way??!!

On my way back from the lunch time meet in Litton where only 2 RN's had braved the cold I called in on a friend who had refitted the dynamo following repair and thought he'd got the timing one tooth out. I removed No 1 plug and the distributor cap and turned engine to No1 firing and noticed the rotor arm wasn't turning so well and tried turning it. It's an auto advance distributor and the rotor arm turned over half a turn, I removed the distributor base plate and saw this      . All the bits were there just in the wrong place with the missing D plate under the weight, all I can assume is that the screw securing the rotor arm shaft had loosened enough for everything to come adrift. The screw wasn't tight.

Apologies if this has been covered before...

The project Chummy is near completion and is entered for it's first event, the VSCC Hereford trial, as a standard car, class 1a.

   

However, the entry regs. state:

J5.14.1 (WET BATTERIES) If located in the Driver/Passenger compartment, where a Passenger/Co-Driver is present, the battery must be situated behind the base of the Driver or Co-Driver/Passenger seat. Any wet Auxiliary batteries in the passenger compartment (including under the seat), must be enclosed in a securely located leak proof container (in the event of the battery being damaged and the car rolls over, this will stop battery acid leaking onto the occupants.) Fully wrapping the battery in heavy duty plastic is an acceptable leak proof container.

Anyone have any wisdom on this? 

Is the location OK (completely standard, under the passenger seat, in a standard battery box) and how do I seal a wet battery, especially around the leads?

I know I have to put some restraining straps/bars on it to physically locate it....

If you live near Hornchurch this is a terrific bargain. It's just appeared: https://store.lathes.co.uk/adverts/for-s...l7-lathe-0

He'd be far too modest to post this himself...

Well done Ian!

https://www.veterancarrun.com/news/49-ye...n-counting

I'm building up a replacement block for the Ruby including replacing worn valve guides. Should I warm the block first, given that it's not got much above freezing today? 

The worn guides have been shortened at the top, presumably to improve gas flow. Is this modification worthwhile? and what about any mods that facilitate removal of the cam followers if necessary? I don't want to make work for myself, just wondering about the pros and cons.

Thanks in advance.

Hi folks, a general query to one and all, I have just received my annual renewal statement for my “modern”, a 2020 VW Tiguan 1.5 which we purchased new and have only done 22000 miles in since.
There is an increase in premium this year of 39% which, whilst I know everything is going up up up, seems a little extreme.
Do any of you insure your moderns through specialist insurers like RHS which I have Ruby insured with or MGF which is insured through Lancaster Insurance.
Each time I insure  these oldies with these companies,  I always get asked about other vehicles in my possession but I have always stuck with the moderns insurers.
Any insight or thoughts would be much appreciated.
Cheers Denis S

Dr. Penelope Hawthorn, the renowned botany professor at the University of Upper Lowminster, noticed a glimmer of colour at the edge of a stone wall. ."Oh my goodness.“ she whispered, Flora mirabilis, an Enchantress Orchid, the rarest wildflower in England. Thought to have been extinct for over 200 years. What an extraordinary discovery, quite extraordinary. I shall rip it out of the ground and press it inside the family bible. And, while we're at it, I'll have the rest, too.”

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