MAIN
Restoration
Previous Page | Next Page
Paul Just a little oil smoke - the oil is probably collecting on top of the inlet valve guides and sucking down into the engine on start up... I wouldn't be concerned unless it starts doing it while running or is using a lot of oil... As for the starting problem - probably to do with the distributor curve - I assume you have a modified one? check what your static timing is - should be about 8 degrees. Setting your dizzy for maximum advance sometimes means that the other end of the advance is messed up... Thing is,... MORE
Bill- I see these advertised in Hemmings or Classics & Sports Cars magazine (in the back pages in the latter case). Drop in to a Walden Books (or similiar) for a load of vintage car mags and look through the rear pages; the ads are there. I'm sure other listers will have better ideas on this. Cap'n. Bob '61 :{) PilotRob@... 4584... MORE
Hi David Next time you rebuild your rack, fill it with oil and notice the difference- you'll wonder why you didnt do it sooner. Lovely fluid steering, light, sharp and responsive. You dont know what you're missing. Cheers Grant "Grant Bowyer" 4541... MORE
I am interested in purchasing a sales brochure for a froeye ( bugeye). It is pictured in Lindsay Porter's," Austin-Healey Frogeye Sprite" on page 49 in figure C 1 and C 2. Does anyone have a suggestion on where to find a nice one of these or a good color copy? I did not see any on E- Bay. THE CAR THAT OFFERS SO MUCH...FOR SO LITTLE SPORTS CAR PERFORMACE..SMALL CAR ECONOMY. Bill French Hilton Head frenchww@... 4579... MORE
I would like to purchase a early sprite sales brochure as shown in fig. C1 on page 49 of "Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite" by Lindsay Porter. " The car that offers so much...For so little." "..Sports car performance...Small car economy." Does anyone have a lead on such an item ? A good color copy would work. Bill French Hilton Head frenchww@... 4574... MORE
Hello, Arnold- Unless I miss my guess, you about already have the "right" needle, if you got the HIF44 off a turbo Metro. Wouldn't happen to be a "BDD", would it? I know this because I am going the same way on my application as well and so is Mike MacLean (maybe, in his case, he's considering a 1275 with 5 speed now, not sure about the blower part) and have been doing the necessary research to get "basic" profiles sorted. Thanx to Mike MacLean, acquired fabricated manifold to place between HIF44 and Judson intake manifold. When I found... MORE
Tim, I have used similar products in a previous job (industrial paint spraying). You should be ok if you wash the surface down as you describe, flick over the surface with an abrasive to remove any loose particles then use a tac rag (sticky cloth) or ordinary clean rag. Next prime the body with a chemical etch primer. This as the name suggests will etch into the surface providing a key for whatever paint you apply on top. Now after saying all this rust can be a never ending problem and I would be tempted to remove all the... MORE
Sprigeteers, Here's a question I don't expect a lot of response to. I'm getting ready to resume the painting process, but I have some bare metal that has light surface oxidaton. I've been using a Phosphoric acid called "OxiSolve" to neutralize the rust, the directions say to remove the excess residue with laquer thinner, however, I'm concerned that the paint won't stick. The question is, do I sand everything yet again, or just wipe it down and start priming? Let me know if anyone on the list has any experience with this type of stuff. Thanks, TimS '63 Sprite... MORE
Terry, I did some major sill and right front wing reconstruction on my '63 Sprite. I may be of some assistance to you. My car had crash damage behind the front wheel that required replacing a portion of the sill, floor, inner rocker, etc. I used some galvanized sheet metal to fabricate some of the more simple parts. I've been told it can be dangerous to weld on galvanized steel because of the fumes that are released, I'm still here though. I bought a replacement rocker for $38, and used only the portion that goes in front of the... MORE
Hey, Tad- You are not raining on anyone's head, at all; we're referring to old engines, rebuilt, not the "new stuff" built with modern techniques, direct from the factory, which come "broken in" more or less. Wouldn't be using synthetics right from the start, were this not the case. So, despite your good intent, you're just a "tad" off the mark! No big deal. Cap'n. Bob '61 :{) PilotRob@... 4505... MORE
don't trying to rain on anybody's parade but corvettes come from the factory with mobile1 in the engine. i believe porsche does this also. Tad R. "richard rivenbark" 4501... MORE
Hi, Joe- You'll get different answers on this. Dave Vizard uses Valvoline 10/30 or 10/40 in accordance with what I've seen on his website. A straight 20 or 30 wt. non (low) detergent can also be used with the gentle driving one normally does for the first 500 miles, constantly changing rpm's no lugging and faily gentle acceleration to revs. less than 4,000 or so with occasional momentary bursts to between 4k-5k. Idea for street motor (with goal of longevity in mind) is gentle mating of metal surfaces while removing as little metal as possible from surfaces ("hills"). Change... MORE
Red, Just rebuilt my 60, I refilled at the damper. There is a cap at the left hand side that unscrews , As I added the 90 wt I squeezed the boots and the suction brought the oil in . Hopefully I havent botched the whole thing but it appears to have worked. Bob 60 AN5 TAMPA MTGBRKR1@... 4493... MORE
Laura, Chris, Peter, David, and all listers, Thank you very much for your information! My reply took some longer as I was abroad for work. I have just booked my crossing and found the Camping and Caravenning site in Chertsey Laura referred to. I'll call them tomorrow for a reservation. Anybody else planning to camp there ? Might be fun on Saturday already. I'll try to dress up my (boss's) car as a Midget, maybe I'll be allowed on the circuit, you never know (spirit of MR2 should be OK, not?). 1.WALKING I checked some maps (thanks again for... MORE
Well the front wing is off thanks to your help in finding the hidden bolts. The bolt in the wing channel near the windscreen was into a captive nut, I had to grind the head off it. The wing has had a repair section fitted but the previous restorer left the rust behind it for me to sort out. How nice of him. Now I could do with some advice on how to repair the rust that is all indicative of water getting in between the wing and sill. So if any one has done this bit of restoration... MORE
Yeah, I was an aeronautical structures engineer (my first career). What I think you are proposing is fairly simple - just look at the passenger door. Now whether you could convince the manufacturers to come up with a design mod, and the airlines to pay for the mods is another question. These guys are typically very cost sensitive... But in principal it could be done. I would argue that a far simpler and just as effective method would be to do what they do with bank safes - timer operated doors. i.e. the cabin door *can't* be opened for... MORE
One of my competition engines is a +0.020" full race engine (~310 degrees duration ~0.5" lift, 1.5 rockers etc). I had done 2 meetings since the last stripdown where bearings and rings were done, head and crank were crack tested etc. I had used this engine in my bugeye in the races and rallies before the rebuild. After the rebuild it was in the Midget. I took the car to the Australian National Sprite challenge, held in Mallala in Sth Australia. At that meeting (3 days over Easter), we had two days at the track, one day in a... MORE
Holy Christmas on the "copy" list, Rick!! How many miles on the newly rebuilt engine, my friend and where is the oil level? Cap'n. Bob '61 :{) PilotRob@... 4454... MORE
Does anyone have the details or know who to contact for them regarding the car show at the BMW Center on October 20th in Spartanburg, SC? How about a website? Thanks. Regards, Bob Spruck Sharpsburg, GA ' 67 Midget Vintage Racer ' '72 Midget Weekend Car 4 parts cars in the woods Bob Spruck 4673... MORE
You're mistaken. We are not weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot be measured by arsenals. IN PAIN Yes, we're in pain now. We are in mourning and we are in shock. We're still grappling with the unreality of the awful thing you did, still working to make ourselves understand that this isn't a special effect from some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't the plot development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of the awful scope of their ambition and the probable final death toll, your attacks are likely to go down as the worst acts of... MORE
"Roger" Outcast message of "controlled contact" in rebuilds of "old" style engines (as in Series A units and the like). Am about to run in newly "rebuilt" Rivergate 1293 "tailored" for Judson blower. Initial 3,000 miles will be normally aspirated. Breaking in newly rebuilt Datsun 5-speed concurrently. Less "slippery" is best initially (first 500 to 1,000). Then more "slippery" for next 2,000 and finally, Oil Extreme synthetic at 3,000. Oil and filter changes at 500, 1K, 2k and 3k. Gentle driving for first 1K, progressing to "normal" after that, with a few short, heavy foot accelerations thrown in for... MORE
Joe, First things first, sorrow and sympthathy from over here in relation to what happened to America - and the rest of the World because of it. I only hope that the Politicians wake up to what they have already done and stop it happening again. All Human life is precious and we only have it the one time around. If "I HOPE HE KICKS ASS" is the answer, then you will find my heart alongside yours at the start of the queue. My prayers are with you. RUNNING IN OIL IMHO you must consider the purpose of running... MORE
Thanks to those who replied on my attempts to get the front wing off my midget. I have found the missing bolt. I only pulled back the trim panel in the footwell to see the front 3 bolts, it is now out. Now I see why I wanted to get the wing off. The side panel has a large rust hole just underneath this bolt. This bolt just turns round so I assume the captive nut has broken loose. Feeling down the inside of the wing I feel a repair panel at the bottom and a lot of rusty,... MORE
I need some advise again. I just received my truck load of engine parts for the rebuild. I looked at the timing chain and it has a split link to adjust the chain for varions cars. My old chain does not have this. Is this the way the chains come now. I am a little apprehensive about putting something in there that can come apart. Can one purchase a solid chain these days. Doug 77 dougp@... 4366... MORE
Hey all , I just got back from my very first ever rally, and then car show the next day (today) I did miserable at the rally, I tried to do it alone. But I sure did have fun. The car show today was great! about 800 British cars from mini's on up to rolls Royce, everything in between, my little midget was outclassed but again I had fun, met some nice people. you Healy guys///wow were there some nice cars!!! a few concourse quality rides. They only 2 problems I had the entire trip was 1 my wipers... MORE
