MY SPRINT VXG 707N (W london)

[straylight]

looks like an absolute cracker. fantastic engine bay.

the gloss black really does suit it out in daylight, makes it look really mean

stu

[montythemole]

MMM that looks proper tasty. Does have a hint of mustang I suppose (few too many doors?). The hint of the side pipes out under the sill is good too.

Glad you kept the wheels as I really thing the suit it, never too keen on the standard alloys. Black and silver plates really suit it too (did I give you the original ones as well in the sale? If not let me know and I'll try and look them out).

[alolympic]

I think you have done a cracking job. Black suits the car brilliantly and I will be very interested to see your finished exhaust!

We should organise a meet at the Ace Cafe or somewhere when it is done now we are blessed with lighter evenings?

[Jon Tilson]

I hope the gear selection problem isnt due to either a snapped wedgelock or the clutch cross shaft weld coming away.

When yellow is clear if you are still stuck for a heavy fix you can get in touch. I have a crane etc.

The starter removal on a sprint is a pain...you need a wobbly 3/8 drive 9/16 socket filled with grease to get the top nut off. The stud stays in place on the gearbox adaptor plate. Bit of a nack to it but it is doable.

Shame about the stressy end at the garage. We would all have let you finish having seen that level of progress.

Jonners

[johnnyv1]

Took the starter out yesterday after a bit of cursing to myself, took it up today to a motor shop who tested it in front of me and could not get it to do anything either. I then went up to a local auto elec shop who tested it and said it was fine. . I asked how much to recon it and they said basic would be £65. I know i would be able to do it myself if i got the parts but i'm in the middle of doing other work too so not sure what to do.

I could fit it back as the elec guy said it was fine,and i'm thinking now if it would have been something else not right on the car end, when i tested the ignition feed coming when you turn the key it was giving around just under 8v, this might be a cause maybe due to low batt/wiring problem, but then first motor shop could not get anything from it either. So, i guess i will charge my batt and test it out of the car again and see what happens.

As for the gearbox issue, when i first drove the car it seemed fine, then before i started the resto it would crunch now and again when putting it into gear. To be honest back then i didnt know it was a hydraulic clutch, and thought the clutch was on the way out, so i kept driving it until i would bring it in garage and change clutch anyway. Then a few days before i had problems getting it into gear sometimes especially reverse, when i brought it into start the resto i noticed that it had a hydraulic clutch, and that the clutch fluid bottle was totally empty, which would explain the gear crunching. So i am unsure if the gear selector problem is related or not. I still have not bled the system after fitting the new clutch as i am still sorting out the starter issues, so i guess i will fill,bleed then check after but i dont think that will fix it.

[johnnyv1]

car looks excellent how is the fire wall material any good?you started yours roughly the same time as me and mine is just a bare shell still,paint job looks superb. lee

Cheers Lee, to be honest I haven't had a proper test of the stuff due to car not being driven yet. It is thinner than the original, it is meant to be great in cutting down engine bay temp thou and looks ok. I've seen similar stuff in homebase at a good price meant to be for general use so you could have a look around, i could find a link to where i got it from if you want let me know...

[johnnyv1]

Black and silver plates really suit it too (did I give you the original ones as well in the sale? If not let me know and I'll try and look them out).

Yep, cheers monty i did get the other plates, but i relly like the black an silver ones even though technically its meant to have the others on...



Oh, and Alolympic, I would be up for a meet some day, i think there is a triumph day at the ace in june? Either way it would be cool to organise something when i get the car finished.

Thanks again everyone for the good comments

[lwalton]

i had a similar problem with my starter motor and i traced it to the gearbox wiring loom which i had unplugged which has a link wire and that in turn energizes the starter, i had all the symptoms you have had i took out the starter tested it all was fine fitted it back in and nothing.I am a electrician by trade for the last 11 years and i spent two days tracing the problem try it you may solve your problem

[johnnyv1]

i had a similar problem with my starter motor and i traced it to the gearbox wiring loom which i had unplugged which has a link wire and that in turn energizes the starter, i had all the symptoms you have had i took out the starter tested it all was fine fitted it back in and nothing.I am a electrician by trade for the last 11 years and i spent two days tracing the problem try it you may solve your problem

Cheers Iwalton, I will have a look at this, i was sure i had plugged up everything but i will check again...

[johnnyv1]

Hello all, sorry as usual for the absence for awhile, work and then a short trip to ireland to do a bit of much needed fishing/relaxation kept me from the car work...

Fitted the starter back and it would not go as usual so i then checked and cleaned the connector that goes to the gearbox, removed the wires to the starter, refitted everything up and turned it over and...it worked!

Still not sure what the problem was but it may have been what Iwalton-(cheers ) suggested to me, sure would not start before i did the remove/clean and refit jobs. Anyway, since then I have had other issues to do with the clutch cylinder being jammed against the bell housing which I sorted too and have since bled the clutch with new fluid.

With starting the engine though i have found another problem, the exhaust manifold had a leak somewhere. I thought it could have been due to the heat wrap tape i used stopping the manifold being tight against the head so i spent quite some time removing it by loosening the bolts and unwrapping it. When i went to do this I found one bolt to be loose, which would explain the leak, i tried to tighten but it seems that either the head needs re-threading and using another bolt or the bolt threads are shot. I was sure they were all tight before, I am not very happy about this...


Anyone have a fix that i could try without the engine coming out/up?

Cheers

[Toledo Man]

Try some exhaust putty between the head and manifold. One of Brown's aftermarket exhaust manifold gaskets was leaking so I removed the gaskets, smeared some exhaust putty on the mating surfaces and bolted it back on. Result! I've found that Halfords exhaust putty is the best stuff for the job. It worked for me.

[tinweevil]

Not a hope of exhaust paste holding it. Not the slightest, faintest, remotest whisper of a hope. Is it the front one that's gone? Mine was. That one gets yanked by the engine stabiliser.

I'm afraid the only way to sort this is to helicoil the fixings. Any machine shop should be able to do it for about a fiver a hole. Sensibly this means head off I'm afraid, an hour tops since the only fixings that can make the job a pain are the downpipe flange and yours are known to be movable.

Don't forget to drain the block before removing the head (drain bung is above the starter).

[Lewis]

Is the leak from the downpipe and not the manifold itself? Worth checking out first.

[johnnyv1]

Starting from the left,engine stabiliser end, its the second one in. Just wont tighten up, so as far as i can tell the air is leaking from there.

Didnt think i'd need to take the head off to fix, thought it was a case of retapping and using a different thread bolt or something similar.

It feels like everything i sort on this, another problem arises, just so that i will never finish it. Going to need a exhaust system too by the looks of it the one fitted is way too loud for london driving, so to sort the manifold issue i can not even drive it to somewhere to fix.

Anyone have a system (standard or sports) they want to be rid of? (cheapish) just a thought.

I could do some sort of px maybe with a set of original sprint wheels i have with tyres...

[tinweevil]

Anyone have a system (standard or sports) they want to be rid of? (cheapish) just a thought.

I have a standard stainless system that'll be cheap. Some of the hangers have broken off so the choices are use the alternative mounts the PO has put on or weld on something more original.