What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[AustinWood]

In 8 minutes it'll be 20:20 on 02/02/2020

[Ian Williams]

Interesting Charles please do tell us more!

[Bob Culver]

Yes Charles please expand. Is the rear flange all new? Is it headed fro a new front retainer? Is it a new crankcase or has it been in the dishwasher?

[Chris KC]

That looks like one of Tony's to me?

[Charles P]

Well spotted Ian

It's a new 10 stud blown crankcase from the Dave Flake/Tony Betts lineage. It came partly machined by Dave Flake and needing "minor" details like crankshaft and camshaft bores machining.

This has led me to spend many hours with standard mag crankcases on my milling machine using the digital read out to measure centre distances and work out key dimensions (I had no drawing). The outcome is that whilst we all know that Austin had trouble keeping the timing gear mesh in tolerance, resulting in different gear sets, they had the same problems with keeping the camshaft in line with the crank. One crankcase showed the rear of the cam being 20 thou out of parallel with the crank (in the horizontal plane). I assume that they did this to allow the oil pump to mesh correctly when that position had machining inaccuracies.

[Ian Williams]

Yes Charles thought as much, it would be nice to see a thread about the machining and building of this engine, I am sure there are many here who would enjoy that. I certainly enjoyed reading about the adventures when building your previous blown engine.

[andrew34ruby]

The seven hasn't been started for about 4 weeks so I started it today. Whenever it has been stood for more than a couple of days it takes a LOT of cranking before it starts. If I dribble just half a teaspoon of petrol into the air intake, it starts instantly.

Oddly, my 1955 Austin behaves exactly the same.

[mk1-mark]

Sadly, we haven't done anything with Adam's Austin 7 for months.

We ordered a new Pigsty engine for it in May last year on the understanding it would be delivered before the end of October ready for installation & testing well before the new season.

We are 1/2 way through February now & all I get is Bull$h!t promises from Alex.

I have managed to keep very calm about this, but regardless of a great reputation for building A7 engines, I have had so many lies told to me & so many missed deadlines that I am totally loosing all hope. I have never dealt with anyone so adept at lying to his customers.

[Tony Griffiths]

Thanks Ruairidh, I like the soft touch however, I think my present pack is "XL Black Rhino Nitrile" we are the best I've tried yet.

Getting ready for a little engineering

Is that a Maho miller?

[Charles P]

Thanks Ruairidh, I like the soft touch however, I think my present pack is "XL Black Rhino Nitrile" we are the best I've tried yet.

Getting ready for a little engineering

Is that a Maho miller?

Yes. Maho MH600 with a Heidenhain DRO and the ISO 40 taper. 
Lovely machine but accessories are beyond rare.
Charles