What did you do today?

[LynehamHerc]

It's character though.

My MGB still has a crease in the rear o/s wing caused in the 80s when I was shifting my company car around, in front of my garage, after a Sunday lunchtime session. It also has a bootlid that stands proud after cramming too much camping stuff in for a lads holiday in the Lakes.

They'll stay as they are as long as I have it.

[mercrocker]

Had another go at trying to trace and resolve small amounts of water ingress into the T25 cab. Last summer I did pin it down to the bottom left hand corner of the windscreen and oozed a bit of repair sealant into it. This seemed to work for about a month but having got it back out of storage last night's rain has proved once again to have worked its way in....

Thing is, it is on its 2nd windscreen and I have had the rubber replaced twice and the repairers have been called back twice to re-seal it. The first rubber was admittedly a bit shit but the 2nd one was from Schofield's which are accepted to be the best available. In fact, the screen has been out on another occasion to repair front panel work...It leaked like a fucking sieve when I got it back from there and I took it straight back from the campsite I was on at the time it rained.

Finally, a couple of years ago I mentioned to my MOT tester that the bastard still leaked and he asked who fitted the rubber. I told him it was a local specialist - one he happens to also use. He phoned them up and dragged them in to sort it - which they did. A bit.

Anyway, I've given up for now - I've drilled and countersunk two holes in the floor pressings where water tends to gather. Primed and ready for topcoat tomorrow. I'm beginning to wonder if the new windscreen is damaged - the one that was taken out had a small chip in one corner which would probably have prevented an effective seal - or substandard in some way on sizing. I dunno, it is pissing me off thinking about it.

Rationally, I will probably bite the bullet and have the dash out over the winter, fix the heater blower, distribution Bowden cable and sort out some shit-looking wiring up under there. Maybe then I can have a good look at where the water is actually running down from. It ain't a lot, never more than about a couple of thimble-fuls but it is pissing me off way beyond that volume. As you can probably tell.....

[captain_70s]

Trying to fix somebody else's car, it's got me stumped.

52a3feb7-8d33-4402-9783-561a6a6618c0.jpg (471.86 KiB) Viewed 2090 times

Dolly 1300, laid up for 1.5 years. I got it running a few weeks ago by hand pumping fuel up to the carb. Since then the owner started it a few times, got the clutch unstuck, changed the oil, ran it up to temp and then left it 5 days and now it won't run.

It spins over fine and quickly. It seems to cough a tiny bit, usually on the first turn of the key, just enough to kick the starter out and then dies. No hint of it running at all.

So far the following has been carried out:

Starter motor replaced with a refurbished one, then taken back out and the original fitted, just in case. Both were tested off the car and seemed fine.
All the starter solenoid connections taken off and cleaned and replaced.
The two chassis earths and engine earth have been removed, cleaned and replaced.
Spark plugs taken out and cleaned.
Points cleaned and gap set.
Swapped the rotor arm.
Dashpot oil replaced.
Air filter removed to check the carb piston wasn't stuck.
Tried retarding and advancing the ignition timing.

If you pop the dizzy cap off so the car won't try and fire it spins over fine. Spark seems decent, at least decent enough to run the car, and it's firing on all four. It almost seems like it's flooding, but it ran fine the last time it ran so I'm confused as to what'd be causing that to happen...

Both starters also sound quite rough when disengaging, making a grinding noise. The teeth don't appear to be badly damaged and the flywheel also looks to be in decent nick so I'm unsure as to the cause of that as well. One starter is old and fairly worn but seems functional, the other freshly refurbished. The spacing plate is present and correct.

I think next time I pop over I'll bring the compression tester and see if we're getting good numbers just as a matter of course, although the engine turns by hand fine and you can feel compression.

Any advice before I start fiddling with the mixture? I'm a bit loath to mess with the carb when the car was running with the same setup just a couple of weeks ago...

[SiC]

Tested and getting spark on all cylinders? Do these have a ballast for the coil?

Is ignition timing correct? I.e. has he fiddled with the leads and messed them up.

Also condenser. Might be one of the many shit ones around and not working properly. So goosed points or even just not strong enough spark.

If no spark, run a jumper lead directly from points to coil and coil to positive on the battery.

[Eddie Honda]

Fuel coming through and good? A crappy pump will leak back badly and a rust tank will clag everything up.

[captain_70s]

I think all post '76 Dollys have a ballast built into the loom.

Fuel all good, had to clean the plugs 3 times over the course of the afternoon...

[DodgeRover]

It's there any petrol in it? Ignore the gauge...

[BenHar]

Had another go at trying to trace and resolve small amounts of water ingress into the T25 cab. Last summer I did pin it down to the bottom left hand corner of the windscreen and oozed a bit of repair sealant into it. This seemed to work for about a month but having got it back out of storage last night's rain has proved once again to have worked its way in....

Thing is, it is on its 2nd windscreen and I have had the rubber replaced twice and the repairers have been called back twice to re-seal it. The first rubber was admittedly a bit shit but the 2nd one was from Schofield's which are accepted to be the best available. In fact, the screen has been out on another occasion to repair front panel work...It leaked like a fucking sieve when I got it back from there and I took it straight back from the campsite I was on at the time it rained.

Finally, a couple of years ago I mentioned to my MOT tester that the bastard still leaked and he asked who fitted the rubber. I told him it was a local specialist - one he happens to also use. He phoned them up and dragged them in to sort it - which they did. A bit.

Anyway, I've given up for now - I've drilled and countersunk two holes in the floor pressings where water tends to gather. Primed and ready for topcoat tomorrow. I'm beginning to wonder if the new windscreen is damaged - the one that was taken out had a small chip in one corner which would probably have prevented an effective seal - or substandard in some way on sizing. I dunno, it is pissing me off thinking about it.

Rationally, I will probably bite the bullet and have the dash out over the winter, fix the heater blower, distribution Bowden cable and sort out some shit-looking wiring up under there. Maybe then I can have a good look at where the water is actually running down from. It ain't a lot, never more than about a couple of thimble-fuls but it is pissing me off way beyond that volume. As you can probably tell.....

Maybe try Captain Tolley's ?

Ben

[BenHar]

Trying to fix somebody else's car, it's got me stumped.

52a3feb7-8d33-4402-9783-561a6a6618c0.jpg

Dolly 1300, laid up for 1.5 years. I got it running a few weeks ago by hand pumping fuel up to the carb. Since then the owner started it a few times, got the clutch unstuck, changed the oil, ran it up to temp and then left it 5 days and now it won't run.

It spins over fine and quickly. It seems to cough a tiny bit, usually on the first turn of the key, just enough to kick the starter out and then dies. No hint of it running at all.

So far the following has been carried out:

Starter motor replaced with a refurbished one, then taken back out and the original fitted, just in case. Both were tested off the car and seemed fine.
All the starter solenoid connections taken off and cleaned and replaced.
The two chassis earths and engine earth have been removed, cleaned and replaced.
Spark plugs taken out and cleaned.
Points cleaned and gap set.
Swapped the rotor arm.
Dashpot oil replaced.
Air filter removed to check the carb piston wasn't stuck.
Tried retarding and advancing the ignition timing.

If you pop the dizzy cap off so the car won't try and fire it spins over fine. Spark seems decent, at least decent enough to run the car, and it's firing on all four. It almost seems like it's flooding, but it ran fine the last time it ran so I'm confused as to what'd be causing that to happen...

Both starters also sound quite rough when disengaging, making a grinding noise. The teeth don't appear to be badly damaged and the flywheel also looks to be in decent nick so I'm unsure as to the cause of that as well. One starter is old and fairly worn but seems functional, the other freshly refurbished. The spacing plate is present and correct.

I think next time I pop over I'll bring the compression tester and see if we're getting good numbers just as a matter of course, although the engine turns by hand fine and you can feel compression.

Any advice before I start fiddling with the mixture? I'm a bit loath to mess with the carb when the car was running with the same setup just a couple of weeks ago...

Condenser.

Ben

[mercrocker]

Maybe try Captain Tolley's ?

Ben

That is what I used in the corner and it did stop the leak for a bit. However, I think it is only really effective on perished, cracked or dried rubber rather than what is essentially a new seal. It is good stuff, though, so I may use the rest of it up elsewhere around the rubber and see if it helps.