Phil's Workshop

[Phil]

Wiring loom is ALL the electrical wiring in the car.

1) Do I really need that ?
2) If I gave it to anyone, would anyone know what part was what ?

Phil

[Sprintinbits]

Possibly parts of it but not likely the whole thing.

For example the headlight wiring might be needed sooner than you think if your 1850 is anything like mine. You just plug in/out the bits you need or don't need.

Don't forget wires break down and disintegrate, get caught/snagged, need extending or replacing, connectors break or corrode.

It's one of those sod's law things. You could spend ages stripping the loom out to never ever need a single part of it. Or it could all short out in a moment of accidental stupidity.

I'd say get the easy bits out then (hopefully you wont need them) get what you can of the difficult bits.

Apparently (I read somewhere) the little plastic roundy joiny bits cant be bought new anymore, whether this matters or not I don't know

[tinweevil]

Correct, plastic joiny bits are on the unobtanium list in this thread.

If you don't want to store the loom I'll take it out of your way but please don't let it go and please please don't cut a complete loom to get it out of the car the quick way.

Tinweevil

[Phil]

If you don't want to store the loom I'll take it out of your way but please don't let it go and please please don't cut a complete loom to get it out of the car the quick way.
Tinweevil

Check. I'll see if I can get it out for you. Some parts of it are attached to other parts though.. like the indicator stalk. I'll get it out though..

Phil

[Phil]

Ok, I few questions for my 1850 now

1) How many revs should my car idle at? When I have the choke out it sits at 1000, and when I put it it it drops down to abour 500/600.. Speaking to my Dad we thought it should idle at about 800-100 with the choke in? Is that right, and if so, how to we 'make it so'.

2) How does one reset the mile counter? I don't mean the main one, just the 'how faw is this journey' or 'how many miles since last servive' one. Also, what's that really called? Is it a case of taking the clock out?

3) Can I book my car in now for the November restoration show?

Phil

[DavePoth]

Old cars usually idle a bit lower than new ones, you want to be aiming for 750 RPM as a target. If the ignition bits are old and tired, it will make the idle a bit slower, so it might be worth checking plugs/points/leads/condenser/coil if it hasn't already been done.

If that's not the problem, then there is a screw on the top of each carb, just to the side of the dashpot. You turn them anti-clockwise to increase the idle speed, but make sure to do both carbs by the same amount. It shouldn't take much turning (I'd guess 1/8th turn each).

[Mad Mart]

2. On the early cars there is a lead from the rear of the speedo which travels below the dash somewhere near the HRW knob, grab this & twiddle it. You obviously have the older model as on the newer one you just press the button on the front of the speedo.

[Phil]

After crushing my left leg this morning, my car chucked our a whole load of coolent this afternoon.. although I can't see from where or why it would.. any ideas ?

Phil

[Nick C]

coolant?

checked all the following? radiator, hoses, stat, stat housing, manifold-head jont, water pump, overflow hoses, heater hoses, silly little hoses on top the block, block drain plug.

Did the coolant splurt out, or just vanish? if the latter, check the oil!

[DavePoth]

Was the car hot? It may well be the expansion tank lid, which will pop up at I think 15psi and allow the water to escape if it gets too hot. When they get old the spring inside the cap gets tired and will pop up at lower pressures (which is for the purpose of this the same as temperature if you can remember all of those fun gas laws from GCSE science. )

[Purplebargeken]

Phil, ya should have bought a good 1300

Ken

[Phil]

Phil, ya should have bought a good 1300

I tried, and we all know how that one ended up

Okie Dokie.. had a little look yesterday and I'm still a bit stuck. I still can't see where it is coming from. It chucks it all out after a 'reasonable' drive and does it when I park up.

I took the coolent tank lid off when it did it yesterday to see how much it had chucked put and when I did that, what was left got sucked out to bottom throught the pipe - which I thought was odd.

Phil

[Purplebargeken]

Ah, the emphasis was on the 'good'. Not too late you know.

[Phil]

It never rains but pours:

Today, on a short drive, it sounded like something had fallen off the car while I was driving along. Unable to stop straight away, I pulled into a car park and had a little look.

It took me a while to notice what had fallen off but it was a wheel nut of the front right wheel..or so I thought.

On 'closer inspection' it turned out the whole stud has sheered off ! I have no idea how it happened, but I know a new nut won't fix the problem

Question is - do I have to replace the whole hub*(?) or can studs be replaced individually ?

Phil

*When I say hub, I'm not sure if it really is the hub.. I think it is.. the bit the wheel 'sits' on with the four (or three!) studs on it.

[Purplebargeken]

You should be able to remove the broken stud with either some Plusgas and a big hammery thing or a bit of 'heat' then replace it with a new 'un.

Sell it and get a 1300, you know it makes sense.