What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Alan]

Well, I know him, I have two red cars, both little, but it wasn’t mine.

[Malcolm Parker]

Bill Williams and Chris Dalby were good people to listen to.

The engine is in very good order - great job.

This morning I took the rods off the crank to further assess the condition of the old engine.    The white metalling looks as if has just been done and the crank journals are unmarked.   To my mind this is quite amazing after 42 years and the sump having never been off, not to mention the various oils that have been used over the years.   I still have a small pocket diary for 1982 in which I noted the work on the engine as I built it.    On November 6th that year I made a note that I torqued the big end nuts (nylocs) to 15 lb/ft, as recommended by Chris Dalby.  Good advice!
I also see from my notes that I broke two of the piston rings whilst fitting them to the pistons.  I recall that I used two secondhand rings to replace the broken ones.
As reported earlier I have found a stock of new piston rings which will allow me to replace the two upper rings on each piston.
The engine will then be going back together as soon as I have finished the new one.  The rear end of the crank needs a modern oil seal and I will dispense with the deep Nippy sump.

[AustinWood]

I got fed up with the pressed steel sumps which seem to leak by design. They also tend to have pin holes rusted through. If an engine is left standing then the condensation ends up in the sump and rusts it's way through.
In the end I got a shallow alloy sump from Tony Betts. The Nippy sump is so big I suspect the oil never really gets warm.
When removing the engine I take the sump off and remove the oil pump pickup. Ours is extended to allow for the slightly deeper sump. It makes getting engine out much easier.

[dickie65]

Hi All.
I checked the car over took the screen off and fitted the aero screen
Then I put the 65 onto its trailer for a spirited drive in the park tommorow.
If anyone is at VSCC Wiscombe come and say hello.
I am hoping for a personel best time in the car as it will be the first time I have done VSCC Wiscombe with Blockley tyres.

[Steve kay]

42 years and never dropping and cleaning out the sump and checking the gauze. Must be God’s Own Engine Oil in Yorkshire. Either that or in Wales we are just worriers. Cast ali sumps are a very good idea indeed, I wonder what percentage of running cars still have their tin sumps.

[Howard Wright]

42 years and never dropping and cleaning out the sump and checking the gauze. Must be God’s Own Engine Oil in Yorkshire. Either that or in Wales we are just worriers. Cast ali sumps are a very good idea indeed, I wonder what percentage of running cars still have their tin sumps.

Two of my three do.  The RK has a very good tin sump. The Van has a tin sump that is almost more solder than tin!  The Special has a Barlow aluminium sump.

On that very wide ranging survey…..66.6 % 

Cheers

Howard

[Malcolm Parker]

To my mind there are two problems with the deep aluminium Nippy sump.   Firstly, the oil does not warm up, especially in North Yorkshire!  The old engine I have taken out of the Pytchley never ran with the oil level up to the 'Full' mark on the dipstick, I suspect that most of the time the oil level was little more than with a standard steel sump.   The second problem is removal of the engine.  I have always managed to get the engine out without removing the sump, only because the engine has only ever been in specials that were made to facilitate this.   The best sump in my book is one of the cast aluminium ones with the angled front and a capacity only slightly more than standard.

[AustinWood]

That's the one we have.

[David Stepney]

My car still has a tin sump which is in remarkably good condition considering.

[Steve kay]

David, that is because the spray blown off Bala Lake isn’t salty.