WINTER:
ROPEY SNOW CHAINS:: As
well as carrying a spade, candle and a box of matches (as recommended
by the RAC) it is well to carry a couple of lengths of rope. You
can use these as
snow chains by wrapping them around your tyres and rims.
GRIT: A plastic one gallon container filled with grit can be sprinkled on
snow and icy ground. A must for any motorist!
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FOOT WARMER: My wife keeps her
legs warm
in the Seven by filling a plastic bottle with hot water and placing it
on the floor in front of the seat and behind her legs. We find a
one gallon container stays warm for about 1½ hours.
GENERAL WINTER JOBS:
Alhough
it's been a mild winter so far don't forget to add antifreeze, this not
only stops freezing but it has anti corrosion properties as well,
use only the blue type in your austin7. Make sure your brakes are
in tip top order and adjusted correctly, And most important, check your
tyres for tread depth and for cracks in the side walls. Check tyre
pressures, Austin recommend 22lbs sq.inch in the front and 24 lbs sq.
inch in the back. Also check oil levels in the engine, gearbox and don't forget the back axle. Check all lights are working properly. Enjoy safe, happy motoring.
Glyn |
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MARKING UP: You
know the problem: a saw-cut needs to be made or a hole drilled in a
particular place where the light is not good and the metal is
inevitably blackish or black-painted. Identify the general area for the
cut or hole,
place a piece of ordinary masking tape
on it, mark the line or spot with a black ball-point or dark pencil, do
the job, and pull off the tape – hey presto, job done and no unsightly
marks left on your little beauty! |
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RCDs: When using an
RCD safety adapter,
which you should always use with power tools, it is most important that
you plug it as close to the tool as possible. I.e. if you are using a
100 foot extension lead, put the protector at the power tool plug, not
at the mains supply at the start of the extension lead. The
reason being that if you put it too far from the tool, electrically
speaking, the delay due to the resistance and voltage drop down the
extension cable, may well prevent a vital trip out in the event of an
accident. Another tip, if using an extension cable reel, you must
fully unwind it from the drum, before use, otherwise the coiled up
cable will act as a resistor and cause voltage drop, and will result in
the cable heating up and at worst catching fire. |
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REMOVING RUST: It is often difficult
to remove rust
from small, intricate parts but the following electrical process works
well: Ingredients:- plastic container, a piece of lead, a handful of
salt or bicarbonate of soda and a direct current source of
electricity. This can be provided directly from a car battery or
through a battery charger. Thoroughly dissolve the salt or bicarb
in a quantity of water. The rusty article is attached to the
negative terminal, the piece of lead to the positive terminal and both
are then immersed in the solution making sure that the two metals do
not touch one another. Turn on the power supply and watch the
bubbles rise. These bubbles are hydrogen and oxygen and both are
highly explosive. Do not carry out this operation in an enclosed
space! The hydrogen takes oxygen from the rust leaving a loose
sludge that can be washed away, probably needing a wire brush, before
applying a primer. The time taken depends on the area and
thickness of the rust and the amperage used with heavy encrustments
taking several hours. After a time, the lead will become coated
with a sludge which, if left, becomes a hard deposit and so should be
cleaned from time to time. The article is unaffected but, if left
in the salt solution for too long would soon be attacked. The
solution becomes rusty and muddied but, as long as bubbles appear, the
process will continue to work. With many thanks to Phil Allman
from the Isle of Wight Austins Club. |
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OIL FILLER TUBE: One
way to prevent oil spilling (or dripping) onto the ignition wires and
the starter motor etc., is to temporally extend the
oil filler tube.
I use a plastic Coke bottle with the bottom removed, the screwed top
seems to just fit nicely into the top of the filler tube of my Box
saloon and the ignition wires support the bottle too. Now I rarely
spill any oil over the off side engine area.
Sandy Croall (Cornwall
A7C) with many thanks. |
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LUBRICATING LOCKS: If your
door key,
or any other key for that matter, is a bit 'sticky' in the lock, don't
use oil to free it off, rub the key with a soft lead pencil. Most
pencil leads are made from graphite, which is a great lubricant, with
the added bonus that it will not attract dust and dirt like sticky oil
will. You can also buy powdered graphite which can be 'puffed' into
keyholes. You can also rub the pencil over the latch on your door, this
will make it shut a lot easier.
Lee Webster. Cornwall A7C with many
thanks. |
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HELICOILS:
are supplied as a kit with the correct drill, tap and insert tool -
everything you need but at
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Bolt size
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Helicoil drill size
BSF mm
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Helicoil drill size
BSW mm
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3/16
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4.9
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5
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1/4
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6.6
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6.7
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5/16
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8.3
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8.4
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3/8
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9.8
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9.8
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7/16
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11.4
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11.4
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1/2
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12.9
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12.9
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9/16
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14.5
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14.5
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5/8
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16.1
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16.5
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3/4
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19.3
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19.7
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an
eye-watering price (£73.59 including 20% discount). For this you
get 10 helicoil inserts so I guess at £7.35 per repaired hole it is not
too bad. With the kit (incidentally now marketed as Armstrong Precision
Components - Armacoil Thread Repair Kit, Helicoil to you and me) came a
table of drill sizes which I list below. To drill out prior to tapping
for the Helicoil insert, very little extra metal has to be removed –
really just the removal of the remnants of the old threads. This
compares well with tapping out to the next size up. The special tap
supplied is quite short and well tapered, so care is required to keep it
running straight and to avoid too much swarf build up. The helicoil
inserts went in easily using the insert tool. The inserts are
effectively springs and the tool slightly compresses them so they wind
in easily. On release of the tool they grip tight. John Miles (DA7C)
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CIRCLIPS: We all use
circlips,
but did you know there’s a right and a wrong way to fit them? A
careful inspection of the flat sides of the circlip will reveal a dead
flat face and, on the opposite face, a slight curve on the edges.
When fitting the circlips in their groove, always have the dead flat
face taking the force in the groove, i.e. away from the cause of the
pressure the circlip is trying to stop.
Vince Leek |
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FOOT REST: Am I alone or do other A7 drivers seek a place to rest their
left foot whilst not using the clutch? A little
dodge I use is to undo the centre top bolt on the drivers side of the
gearbox cover, drill a length of steel strip about 1.5 ins. long at one end
and bolt this to the gearbox top (length is critical as it must leave
clearance for your foot to depress the clutch) - Hey presto! A nice
comfortable foot rest. Glyn Llewellyn
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UNDER-CHASSIS GREASING:
Now that Spring has Sprung it is time to do those routine
under-chassis greasing jobs.
Pump sufficient grease in to clear away any old grease particularly in
suspension joints and kingpins where road dirt will combine with grease to
form a very effective abrasive inside sleeve type bearings. Spray leaf
springs with motorcycle chain lubricant. Bumbling, A7OC Magazine |
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CLEANING UP FILINGS:
A little trick
for cleaning up metal filings
or swarf: Wrap a magnet up in some rag and pick up all the metal
into the cloth, then removed the magnet—nice and clean!
Gary & Colin |
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STUBBORN WOODSCREWS:
How to remove a
stubborn woodscrew,
the slot for the screwdriver having been damaged? First centre-punch the
centre of the slot and using a 1/16th drill and drill the screw until you
have reached the bottom of the screw head. Successively increase the size of
the drill drilling to the same depth until you reach the full size of the
screw head. This will allow you to remove the item attached by the screw and
leave a small stump which you can grip with a Molegrip with sharp teeth.
Lock the Molegrip on and rotate the stump backwards and forwards carefully
until you break the seal between it and the wood. The remainder of the screw
should come out easily now - ‘Bumbling’ (A7OC) with many thanks.
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REAR HUB
BRACE: Another use for a worn
out brake drum: Drill 2 x/8 inch (16mm) holes in the side of a brake
drum, slip in 5/8 bar. Assembly can now be used to
brace the rear hub when tightening the
half shaft nut up tight. Roger Ballard |
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RUNNING PROBLEMS:
Q
I had an
Austin 'Seven' decarbonised about two months ago. Afterwards, I found that
it was pulling very well, but had a tendency for the engine to stop while
negotiating left-hand corners. This tendency is gradually increasing, so
that now it is almost impossible to rev. the engine in order to change up or
down, or, when changed down, to pick up until the car is once more on a
straight course. I do not want to readjust the carburettor, which is a
standard vertical 'Zenith' unless this is necessary, as in all other cases
the car pulls remarkably well and does 40-45 m.p.g. G.M.S.(Minehead)
A The controls on your car are partly seized in the steering column and
counteract any pedal movement you may make on the throttle. Disconnect the
arm from the bottom of the column and test this. It is the only part that
can have an effect on the carburettor.
From the Practical Motorist
Magazine.
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KEEPING TABS ON SERVICESNot so much a technical tip, more of a reminder! I
am not getting any younger and being the privileged owner of more than
one Austin 7, it is not always easy to remember when the various mechanical and lubrication checks were last carried out on each vehicle! I find it very useful to keep a notebook in the glove box of each car noting the date and mileage of any works carried out on each vehicle together with reminders of jobs such as brake re lines (and tax date reminders etc) that might be due in the future. So
when I think back, was it maybe 2 months ago when I last checked the
axle oil, my little book can then tell me it was in fact 6 months ago!
I had better check the level to avoid VERY expensive repairs!!! Gary Munn |
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TONNEAU
COVER ZIPS: I notice a few
of us do fit a tonneau cover to their open A7s – some with a long zip down
the centre. Whilst not very ‘original’, it’s extremely practical and very
useful. The other day I was shopping in Ringwood with Rhubarb and struggling
with a recalcitrant sticking zip when a very chap stopped by and reminded me
a small drop of suitable lubricant would do the trick. Like you, the idea of
greasing a zip hadn’t occurred to me. However, a small smear of Vaseline on
the offending item worked wonders and the tonneau opens and closes as
smoothly as silk. Many thanks to that passer-by. Probably works for zips in
other places! Ian - Ed's Note: I have
also rubbed an old candle down zips of coats and tonneaux with much success. |
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REAR VIEW MIRROR AND
THE MOT: If your only rear view mirror is only fixed to the
windscreen by suction alone and the tester noticed it, then your car
would probably fail the MOT. [MOT Inspection Manual Rule 8.1 View to
Rear and 9.8 Drivers View of the Road] Vince Leek
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GASKETS:
We are all fully aware that it is almost impossible to keep an Austin 7
engine oil tight for long, indeed this incontinence has probably saved
many a chassis from terminal rust!
At Munwellyns we have tried various methods to alleviate leaks over the
years, generally we find that provided surfaces are clean, flat and
completely free of contamination we still tend to use traditional paper
gaskets using a smear of Loctite 5980 gasket sealer on both sides of the
joint. This is a black silicone looking compound available in tubes. We
generally assemble, pinch tight and after a short time fully tighten
down once the paste has gone off a while. When fitting the rear main
housing be careful not to apply too much compound near the crankcase
rear oil return hole, many a c/case we have found this hole blocked with
compound!
With the recent advent of Teflon gaskets available for certain joints
from Jamie at the 7 Workshop, we have followed his instructions, so far
with continued success.
The cylinder base gasket: both bottom of block and crankcase mating
surface must be completely contamination free - we generally clean with
cellulose thinners. Assemble without ANY jointing compound and just nip
up nuts. Leave a short while (over lunch) and tighten down. Leave again
(overnight if time permits) and fully tighten home, then adjust tappets.
The Teflon later tappets’ cover strip: notice it is shaped to fit in the
cover lip. Apply Loctite compound into cover lip and let it go off a
while before setting the Teflon joint into it and try to fit cover
before it jumps back out or leave the cover plate on the bench face down
and weighed down letting the compound dry off, then fit to engine.
The new Teflon sump gasket: like most rubber gaskets, Loctite paste one
mating surface, fitting the gasket accurately to that surface and let
dry. Then offer the other component to it WITHOUT any further compound.
and tighten, not stupidly tight. This method should ensure the gasket
does not slide away as you tighten.
New copper head gaskets: especially lately we have found, after a short
while, you need to re-torque new head gaskets. They seem to settle a lot
and if you do not, you will end up with a blown gasket just when you
don’t need it!! Gary Munn DA7C
SMELLY GARAGE/SMELLY CAR:
Does your A7 and car garage smell of old oil? It may be time to give the
engine a bit of a wipe down and remove some of that spare oil you are
carrying stuck to the engine, gearbox and back axle. While you are doing
that it may be time to clean out the oil in any drip trays under the
car. You might be surprised the difference it makes. But don’t go too
far as a bit of oil does stop rust! Douglas Alderson DA7C
ENDOSCOPE: Looking on the internet, I
see that they are
 as
cheap as £6 and can be up to 10m long. The one I have connects to my
iPhone via an app and will let you see the live images on the phone and
also record a video to take photos. The end of the camera has%20photo.jpg)
powerful led lights and also comes with a small magnet and hook
attachment for the end, so if you have lost something you can use the
camera to find it.Examnple of use - looking in though the access hole
in the top of the gear box at the clutch levers.
COLD STARTING:When cold,
always turn the engine over on the handle to circulate oil before
starting. DA7C TECH FORUM
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