Joined: Apr 2019 Posts: 31 Threads: 5
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Location: Sheffield UK
Car type: 1937 Nippy
Just completed another week's commuting to work in the Nippy (about 150 miles or so) interspersed with a return run to Mansfield to play cricket on Saturday and a short run on Sunday to the local steam and "vintage" car rally. Total miles were just over 250 miles in the week with no apparent issues.
The next few weeks look similar (without the trip to the steam rally) which begins to make me wonder why I also keep a modern car - other than the 3 series is warm, comfortable, has space for more than a small bag, has 5 seats, the wife likes it etc. etc...
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 848 Threads: 122
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Fitted the repaired (with a reserve pipe now) fuel tap to Chitti (AG). put about a gallon in & it ran on the "non reserve" pipe (using the tap inside the car) However it stopped quite soon, so I put in a "bit" more & set off to get the paper 3 miles away.
Whereupon it started raining! The wipers work though!
On the way back it went all spluttery so I pulled out the Reserve Tap and off she went! So now I know the reserve on this car is about a gallon!
Now to find out why the ammeter doesn't show a charge, but the battery is getting 8 or so volts. The points are open at the cut out....hmm. When closed it shows a dead short on the ammeter.....
I do not have empathy these switch panels. (see earlier post about the '27 Chummy!)
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 923 Threads: 6
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Location: Scottish Borders
I finally finished re-assembling my spare engine yesterday. I took it to bits in 2010 when the smaller core plug at the back of the block popped out while driving from Cambridge to Kings Lynn.
The original engine then went into the car with a 1-1/8 Phoenix crank and has run reliably ever since.
The spare was built up from a 1934ish 1-5/16 engine on a 1931 crankcase. The later flywheel was modified to lighten it and take the early clutch & bacon slicer starter. It has been lightly modified.
At the time I lived in Cambridge where motorways & dual carriageways are unavoidable. The intention was to be able to keep up with trucks. However here in The Scottish Borders there's no need as the roads are ideal for Sevens.
Jim
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 107 Threads: 6
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Just put my Speedy's engine back in, for novices (like myself in some/most areas) the clattering noise coming from the front of the engine was due to a loose flywheel obviously at the back! Initially I was caught out and took out the dynamo and found some (1/16th") end-float and thought it was the cause but sadly no, the engine had to come out. The cause was probably my failing to properly lap the flywheel onto the new phoenix crankshaft. The engine is now running sweetly and silently apart from throaty exhaust.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 848 Threads: 22
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Location: Near Cambridge, UK
Car type: 1928 tourer (mag type), short chassis Gould Ulster
07-07-2019, 04:59 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-07-2019, 05:03 PM by Robert Leigh.)
For those that don't already know you can get by with a squash ball for quite a while: just push it between the failed core plug hole and the bulkhead. It has plenty of resilience to cope with the engine moving a bit in relation to the bulkhead. I usually carry a squash ball as a get you home measure, since first trying it in about 1960. It is also possible to clean out the core plug seat (small right angle screwdriver?) a fit a new plug in situ: when the new plug is in place wedge it there with a suitable bit of metal (I find a hammer head of the right size will do it and spring the bulkhead into the car a bit); after that belt the bukhead at the critical point and you will settle the core plug into place just as well as if you had removed the engine.
Robert Leigh
I understand that it is only the Union Jack when flying on the jack staff at the bow of the ship.
Robert Leigh
