14-05-2020, 06:06 PM
(This post was last modified: 14-05-2020, 08:31 PM by David Stepney.)
Those of you who have been following this thread will be aware that, when I posted on 10th April, I had reported that I had suffered from vapour lock problems climbing up from Lake Vyrnwy over to home. Except that it wasn't vapour lock! The problem began to become increasingly apparent on any long hill that required an extended period in second or third gear. I rebuilt the fuel pump (twice! Once on the side of the road!). I even tried a couple of 'long shots' swapping the coil for a new one and trying a known good condenser, remembering that often, what appears to be a fuel problem can be electrical. All to no avail.
As far as I was aware, there was nothing to account for the problem. The tank had been professionally cleaned shortly after I bought the car, the fuel pump was new and there was nothing at all in the fuel filter. In desperation therefore. and it being the only bit of the fuel system that hadn't either been refurbished or renewed, yesterday I fitted a new fuel line right from the tank through to the pump.
An online plumbers merchant supplied the requisite amount of 1/4 in copper piping and I managed to remove and re-solder the fittings for the tank and pump. It looked to be a fairly straightforward job. In fact it proved anything but! Getting the pipe clips off proved to be a headache. The little bolts were all seized (who on earth thought it would be a good idea to fit cheese headed bolts with the slotted head inside the chassis?) but I didn't want to simply saw them off. I could be very pious and say it was for reasons of originality, but the real reason was I hadn't got any 2BA bolts , not just of the right length, but at all! If the new pipe was trial fitted once, it was fitted half a dozen times whilst i struggled to get it to be the right shape. Eventually, having started at 2 pm. by 7.30 or so, it was on, the right shape, even down to the expansion loop under the rear seat and all the little clips refitted despite all the furniture under the car (mostly the exhaust system) determined to get in the way. My back, however, protested, whilst my thumbs and wrists have been really painful today. Old age creeps on!
However, today I decided to see if there was any improvement, so I took the little car over to Berwyns to to my horses and back and the car seemed to run much better. So, this afternoon, I thought to take the car on a proper test: up to Bwlch-y-Groes (incidentally, the highest pass in North Wales), over to Lake Vyrnwy and back to Rhosygwaiau over Foel Goch, where the problem first reared it's ugly head. The little car performed stunningly well! I can only imagine that the original fuel line must have become furred up inside over its 87 year life, but it was a bit of an obscure fault
Pictures of the test run:
S003I001.JPG (Size: 172.86 KB / Downloads: 197)
On the way up to Bwlch-Y-Groes. That 'Cofiwch Drywerin ' sign gets everywhere!
S003I003.JPG (Size: 107.53 KB / Downloads: 194)
View from Bwlch-Y-Groes looking back down Cwm Cynllwyd
S003I004.JPG (Size: 127.26 KB / Downloads: 193)
It appears from the tourist blurb, that Austin test drivers used this road to test the cars
The Englsh is a bit obscure, but the Welsh reads: " If you were standing her in the 20's or 30's, you would have been in danger of being struck by an Austin car, because this road was used by Austin drivers to test the cars."
S003I005.JPG (Size: 118.09 KB / Downloads: 194)
View of the top of Cwm Dyfi
S003I007.JPG (Size: 140.47 KB / Downloads: 194)
Llyn Efyrnwy from the far end.
S003I008.JPG (Size: 107.98 KB / Downloads: 195)
From the top of Foel Goch, looking down Cwm Hirnant (and on the road home!)
PS Sorry about the pargraph spacing. The website appears to insert them on its own and every time i try to get rid of them, they come back!
As far as I was aware, there was nothing to account for the problem. The tank had been professionally cleaned shortly after I bought the car, the fuel pump was new and there was nothing at all in the fuel filter. In desperation therefore. and it being the only bit of the fuel system that hadn't either been refurbished or renewed, yesterday I fitted a new fuel line right from the tank through to the pump.
An online plumbers merchant supplied the requisite amount of 1/4 in copper piping and I managed to remove and re-solder the fittings for the tank and pump. It looked to be a fairly straightforward job. In fact it proved anything but! Getting the pipe clips off proved to be a headache. The little bolts were all seized (who on earth thought it would be a good idea to fit cheese headed bolts with the slotted head inside the chassis?) but I didn't want to simply saw them off. I could be very pious and say it was for reasons of originality, but the real reason was I hadn't got any 2BA bolts , not just of the right length, but at all! If the new pipe was trial fitted once, it was fitted half a dozen times whilst i struggled to get it to be the right shape. Eventually, having started at 2 pm. by 7.30 or so, it was on, the right shape, even down to the expansion loop under the rear seat and all the little clips refitted despite all the furniture under the car (mostly the exhaust system) determined to get in the way. My back, however, protested, whilst my thumbs and wrists have been really painful today. Old age creeps on!
However, today I decided to see if there was any improvement, so I took the little car over to Berwyns to to my horses and back and the car seemed to run much better. So, this afternoon, I thought to take the car on a proper test: up to Bwlch-y-Groes (incidentally, the highest pass in North Wales), over to Lake Vyrnwy and back to Rhosygwaiau over Foel Goch, where the problem first reared it's ugly head. The little car performed stunningly well! I can only imagine that the original fuel line must have become furred up inside over its 87 year life, but it was a bit of an obscure fault
Pictures of the test run:
S003I001.JPG (Size: 172.86 KB / Downloads: 197)
On the way up to Bwlch-Y-Groes. That 'Cofiwch Drywerin ' sign gets everywhere!
S003I003.JPG (Size: 107.53 KB / Downloads: 194)
View from Bwlch-Y-Groes looking back down Cwm Cynllwyd
S003I004.JPG (Size: 127.26 KB / Downloads: 193)
It appears from the tourist blurb, that Austin test drivers used this road to test the cars
The Englsh is a bit obscure, but the Welsh reads: " If you were standing her in the 20's or 30's, you would have been in danger of being struck by an Austin car, because this road was used by Austin drivers to test the cars."
S003I005.JPG (Size: 118.09 KB / Downloads: 194)
View of the top of Cwm Dyfi
S003I007.JPG (Size: 140.47 KB / Downloads: 194)
Llyn Efyrnwy from the far end.
S003I008.JPG (Size: 107.98 KB / Downloads: 195)
From the top of Foel Goch, looking down Cwm Hirnant (and on the road home!)
PS Sorry about the pargraph spacing. The website appears to insert them on its own and every time i try to get rid of them, they come back!