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On my 1275 I hooked the steel mesh pad out with a piece of bent wire. Washed it and the cannister out in petrol, rinsing repeatedly, and stuffed it back in again. These cars were made to be simple. They come from an era, long gone unfortunately, before the "throw away society" was thought of. Guy "Guy Weller" 22659... MORE
measure inside dimensions of a window frame. They each need to be somewhere about 3/4 of the track width between the inner faces of the front wheels - give or take a few inches. Measure by holding the sticks side by side and slide them lengthways so that one end of each stick contacts the face edge of each wheel rim. Mark the overlap position on the sticks accurately with a sharp pencil. Do this at the rear radius of the wheels first, with the sticks held close up to the chassis rails or engine sump. Repeat at the... MORE
As there was a thread recently regarding front end alignment, beginning with message 22461, I have posted a couple of photos of a simple apparatus that I used this week to estimate and rough-in the toe in on my Sprite this week, in case it might be useful. The apparatus comprises a 48" construction ruler, and a pair of 18" x 24" L squares. The short legs of the L squares are clamped to the opposite ends of the ruler, such that the long legs extend outwardly from the ruler and parallel to each other, such edges being separated... MORE
Robert, Success! I think... I set the key in the ON position, took a piece of heavy wire and jumped the solenoid. The starter motor ran - it would have started the car if I held the connection long enough (someday I will get a more efficient starter). SO, it seems my solenoid is shot. I will attempt to get it out of the car and open it up. Steven Michelsen 22616... MORE
I was wondering the correct engine starting procedure for a 1972 MGB 1800CC 4spd w/electric fuel pump and twin SU carbs. I can usually get it to start with manual choke on third try after pump stops clicking without touching the acceelerator pedal. I was wondering what the original owners manual said, if anything. The car was recently given to me and it has become my duty to bring it back to order. I have rebuilt and adjusted the carbs as well as performed normal tune-up procedures. Your help is appreciated! "nipper6579" 22575... MORE
THE "EARTH" or ground connections David A. Stevens Jr. Utilities Engineer II NYS Office Of General Services Sheridan Avenue Steam Plant 79 Sheridan Avenue Albany, NY 12210 "Stevens, David" 22555... MORE
Well, I think I win the "I knew I probably shouldn't have done that" prize for the day. Last week I power washed the engine on my '78 1500. I proceeded to drive it for about 20 minutes, after I cleaned the engine. Everything was fine. Today I go to start it up - turn the key - nothing. No clicking, nothing. I find that the lights work, and the brights, but I cannot flash the brights. I can also hear the whine of the fuel pump. I look under the hood and check every connection - everything looks... MORE
I would start by trying to jump the solenoid with a remote starter. Sounds like the problem is in the starting circuit. Jay Shaffer 22536... MORE
Don You're most welcome to the advice. I'll try and answer some of the questions you've asked here. As far as I'm aware, the MIG wire sizes relate to the thicknes of metal you're welding. As a rule of thumb, the wire size diameter should be slightly less than the thickness of steel you're welding. So, my wire size was 0.9mm so that was ok for steel thicknesses of about 1.0mm, although in principle is was fine for steel of about 0.8mm, which roughly equates to 18-20sg steel thickness. My 90 amp welder had 4 power settings, Min/Max and... MORE
what have you got against alignment specialists?! Seriously, once you get it something near, by whatever method you come up with, I'd get it checked out properly. There could be a problem with the string from the rear wheel method, as the front and rear track aren't the same (the difference is not so much for Rostyles as for wire wheels) One way of doing it would be to use a plumb line from the front wheel rim, front and rear (you'll probably have to use a spacer to clear the tyre) and mark the equivalent point on the... MORE
There was a thred a little while ago where the subject of DOT 4 brake fluid was discussed, especially brands other than Castrol GTLMA. Here is a short list of the other brands of DOT 4 that are available: 1)Radiator Specialty (also known as Gunk / Solder Seal) M45-12 or M45-12/6 (12 oz.) M45-35 (32 oz.) 2)Wagner FC120838 (12 oz) FC120839 (32 oz) 3)Raybestos APF-124 (12 oz) APF-14 (32 oz) I hope this helps those of you unable to source the Castrol Chris 60 Sprite et al "miguy1950" 22476... MORE
Don I feel for you. It brings back memories of when I first started welding, it's such an unnatural process, it is difficult to get to grips with, but you can do it with patience and practice. Having just finished welding my 71 Midget, new floor pans, inner and outer sills, front and side footwell panels, lower rear wings all on both sides and outer boot floor area, I wil happily share some tips with you. I had never really welded before I started and it did take some practice to get used to it, even now I can... MORE
Nigel, Thanks for the lesson. The manual that came with the welder, a similar model to yours, 90 amp MIG flux wire high and low switch, only gave instructions on changing the wire but no instructions on how to use it except to brush the metal with the wire tip to start the ark . . . that was it. It has a wire speed control . . . but nothing said about setting it for various jobs ?? Came with a 4" spool of .030 wire. also uses .035 wire but I haven't a clue as to the... MORE
Hey all, I just want to tell a story about an averted disaster at my home yesterday. I have an older home (built in 67-68) that had used the Zinsco brand breaker box. The design of this older box is VERY dangerous. If you live in an older home, please see if you have this in your house!! What happened at my house was, I had lights go out, but the breaker was not always tripped. I rewired the ceiling fan I had installed a month ago, I had found a loose neutral wire. When I went to turn... MORE
Don, I expect you will get many replies on this one but here's my two cents' worth....... I experienced your frustration initially with being totally unable to see where the heck to start welding, but my solution was really simple: you must have really good strong light onto your target area. I whenever possible took my welding job outside into good daylight, preferably strong sunshine - this makes a world of difference. When I absolutely had to work in the garage, I always used a good 500W halogen portable lamp where access was limited, and 2 X 500W lamps... MORE
Thanks guys . . . sometimes a person needs encouragement and this is one of those times. I'm a very visual person who likes to see what he is doing and this first attempt was like painting in the dark. Needless to say I am not going to take any chances with my eyes. I came home excited with the new welder then hit rock bottom when I couldn't see where the wire was touching down. I notice on ebay there are a number of people selling the automatic helmets for around $50.00 Their feedback seems to be very... MORE
Feeling incompetent. I've done many crafts in my life time. Know as a Mr. Fix-it by family and friends, but I have never welded until today and that experience is best described as a futile attempt. It's hard enough to learn to weld but . . . how the hell do you weld what you can't see? Seeing that I am on a limited budget and most what I will be doing (or hoped to be doing) is tacking spot welds I had drilled out back together I bought a small flux wire mig. Welding mask included . .... MORE
How are the starters failing? I can't see that it would be the regulator. When you start you start from battery voltage, the engine isn't turning fast enough for the alternator to bne doing anything. I have a 74 midget that is eating starters left and right... I'm a novice electrician (I know I picked the wrong car to restore BUT...) It has an electronic ignition, and so far it's gone through 3 starters in 4 months. (A couple was the shop's fault) Is there anyone out there that might be able to point me in the right direction... MORE
Hello, I have a 74 midget that is eating starters left and right... I'm a novice electrician (I know I picked the wrong car to restore BUT...) It has an electronic ignition, and so far it's gone through 3 starters in 4 months. (A couple was the shop's fault) Is there anyone out there that might be able to point me in the right direction to WHY it's doing this? Everything under the hood, starter, generator, distributor, wires etc have been replaced except the voltage regulator (I am guessing this might be why). "Mike" 22408... MORE
This has happened to me. Check the battery "under load", not only statically. It was a new battery, also.... NG! Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 22413... MORE
I just got on line and do not know what has been suggested so far ,so if anything I come up with has been mentioned please excuse me.. Here goes: Try plug wires if the engine vibrates under a load they sometimes can be bad even if they look good are they old ? If the u joints are bad that also can be something to check . crfkingfish@... 22403... MORE
Thanks to all. It's all clear to me now: Muratic accid = HCl = Hydro-Chloride = "Zoutzuur" (Dutch). This is indeed also present our stomach (low concentrations). Acid in the battery = H2SO4 = Hydro-Sulfate (?) = "Zwavelzuur" (Dutch) Eeg.Oberije@... 22376... MORE
Hiya Not that I'm in the US or will be able to participate in this, but it sounds like a wonderful idea to me. The only aspect that gives me the wobbly's, being a purist, is the thought of spraying this car metallic gold! The idea of a gold plated Sprite badge on the back in my mind is a much nicer idea and would look really good, as long as the car was sprayed in a OE colour. The only other aspect that would concern me, is the need for 'builders' to donate not only their time but... MORE
The acid in the battery is sulfuric. David A. Stevens Jr. Utilities Engineer II NYS Office Of General Services Sheridan Avenue Steam Plant 79 Sheridan Avenue Albany, NY 12210 "Stevens, David" 22374... MORE
Well, Chris... Intelligent routing of "ventilation hoses" (vertical travel) and/or a draught tube run off a "catch can" makes "liquid pollution" a thing of the past in any case. I don't know what everbody else looks for when they check their oil level at least once a week but, I know what I look for besides oil level. The reek of gasoline is all pervading, believe me! If you are not smelling this (it pervades the atmosphere around and within the car, especially on older vehicles which is our subject) or noticing a definite drop off in performance while... MORE
