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+--- Thread: What have you done today with your Austin Seven (/showthread.php?tid=1921)
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RE: What have you done today with your Austin Seven - David Stepney - 13-03-2022
Took the Seven over to Llangynog to feed the horses today, a round trip of 26 miles. Went first into Bala to get petrol - 10 litres (not quite 2 1/4 gallons in Good Christian measure) £17.60!!!! It has gone up locally 6p per litre this week!
Car went very well, although I was travelling on my own (no Leon and no Motoring Dog). Was quite amazed that it managed the climb out of Llangynog up Bwlch-y-Garreg in third for the first part and did over half the climb in top. No passengers (even light ones - Leon and the dog combined only just manage 9 stone) seem to make quite a difference to the performance.
No photos today, I'm afraid; I left the camera in my study. Anyway, you've probably seen the countryside on this run before and it doesn't change all that much.
RE: What have you done today with your Austin Seven - Robert Foreman - 13-03-2022
David,
probably also helped by having a wedged head.
RE: What have you done today with your Austin Seven - Ivor Hawkins - 13-03-2022
Took the Seven out for a run through some of the local oxfordshire and Northamptonshire lanes including this unmetalled one to sort out the high oil pressure and low dynamo output...at least managed to sort the former with a paper clip!
RE: What have you done today with your Austin Seven - Ruairidh Dunford - 13-03-2022
In the Highlands…
RE: What have you done today with your Austin Seven - Steve kay - 13-03-2022
There is a long held view that an hc head on a standard crankshaft is not a good idea. Will the basic, non Phoenix crank happily cope with the additional compression and power from a wedged head?
RE: What have you done today with your Austin Seven - Robert Foreman - 13-03-2022
Steve,
I run my RN saloon with an Austin crank, wedged head plus a few other discreet modifications and it runs perfectly.
RE: What have you done today with your Austin Seven - Ruairidh Dunford - 13-03-2022
Yes.
The standard Austin crank will also cope quite happily with the high compression head, without issue, for many hundreds of thousand miles as well - I refer the honourable gentleman to
BME 180 (as shown above), should he require proof…
RE: What have you done today with your Austin Seven - David Stepney - 13-03-2022
Steve, Back in the eighties, when I ran my special, that had a Cambridge head, Jack French cam, 'A' series valves and twin SUs, all on a standard 2 bearing bottom end. It would do a genuine 70 mph and I never had a moments trouble from the crank or bearings. It is one of the cars that I regret selling.
Robert, I am running a standard head at the moment. My wedged head has gone porous (I have checked it for a crack and it doesn't appear to have one) and water seeps into No 2 and 3 plug wells., and I don't know where to send it to to get it fixed yet. Any suggestion would be appreciated.
RE: What have you done today with your Austin Seven - Steve kay - 14-03-2022
The reason I ask is to look for a few horse power for the Ruby. Not savage new horse power to allow overtaking of GNs, but replacement horse power. When the front camshaft bearing lost the locating pin, the subsequent few moments of chattering unlocated camshaft caused damage to a couple of lobes, the bits falling into oil feed holes and scoring a big end. What might have been a subsequent error of judgment was to find a clean and undamaged looking camshaft in a crankcase lying about, and fitting that. What I failed to do was to check whether it was correct lobe sizes, I just made sure that there was no chipping or scoring. The Ruby now has notably less horsepower. It's perfectly usable, smooth and almost quiet with few passengers and not going up chevroned hills, but tends to be one gear lower than before, I have used first more in the last few weeks than the previous few years. There's been the usual detailed attention to plugs and points and ignition timing, filters in the fuel pump etc.
Like many forum contributors, this coming year has event organisation and participation and workshop projects that need to be finished, a centenary cannot be put off! Thus I certainly do not want to take out the Ruby engine for a new and correct spec camshaft. Which is why I was wondering whether higher compression would give an increase of power, or whether the whole exercise is unwise. The shelves in the stores hold an hc head, properly flat and drilled out for 18mm plugs, intended to put on a Swallow Doretti along with the alternator and electric water pump, and also an lc head wedged by Andy Bird.
RE: What have you done today with your Austin Seven - JonE - 14-03-2022
how much stuff is stored in the car, and do you have bumpers? Lighten it...
If you know the cam is to blame (was the original slightly warmed?) then it sounds like you should address that in time along with other mods, but don't disturb its good running presently.