MOT 2012 part ii

It only failed on 7 things! I was quite pleased with that, especially as the usual TR7 failure notice would include the phrase "weakened by corrosion". The list then:

(Another) MOT failure sheet

• R rear light

• L internal indicator dashboard lamp

• Dead hazards / dashboard switch

• A lost wheel nut

• R wheel rubs against brake pipe on full lock

• Emissions are dung - 3834 instead of 1200

• R track rod ball joint

Tamed electrician

The first three have been done by my tamed electrician, in about an hour! Here he is re-crimping the rear light. The other four problems I leave to Jade Motors

Wiring, Thermostat, Needles and Clonking

Best part of another 2 days spent in the garage this weekend. The needles went in. I presumed that the carbs wouldn't need fiddling with again as the seats, mixture and idle screws would not have moved. I now have high revs. Although still with the choke pulled out. It's all still very wrong at low revs though. So it's the timing then? Or is it simply time to set fire to it?

The new thermostat is now in. I took Lionel home which is probably about 0.2 miles away. The temp shot up to just below 3/4 again. Even with the fans on. And with plenty of water in it. So that didn't work either.

Lionel's main mission this weekend was to get the tacho working. After many hours of stripping the trunking, exposing wires which didn't go anywhere and trying to wire up the old dashboard, it was found that: the wire from the tacho to the coil wasn't wired up; that it is never going to work unless an electronic distributor is fitted; and the SD1 ballast resistor is needed because the TR7 tacho runs off 6v not 12v; and that a brown and white wire that was going nowhere is for the oil pressure warning light.

Paul reckons that the teeth sensitive metallic clonking noise is because the rear diff has got no oil in it. We shoved it over his pit and found the diff bolt plug. It was rounded off and stuck. Something fcuked on this car, what a surprise!

Rewiring the fuel pump switch

It was decided that the fuel pump switch needed to be off an ignition feed rather than simply hot wired to the battery. Makes sense really. During the process, the chief electrician decided to rewire and snap away useless or not used wires. This took longer than expected as he must have knocked another of the Beast's dodgy earths! Following are pictures of the process and of the mass of wires removed.

Bloody Wiring Part 3

I forgot to mention, look at my new switch panel! Behind is the new switch box of tricks thing and the relays. I can't add anything else now as there is no room left! And here is a picture of a new fuse that powers all of the new stuff. Don't the gold terminals look pretty?!

Bloody Wiring Part 2

The amount of wires wrapped around here and there in the engine bay was quite frightening. It would appear that whomever did the v8 conversion used the SD1 wiring, mixed it with the TR7 wiring and was too scared to throw anything away. Also, lots of the wires were joined here, there and everywhere, with various crimps and connectors of all shapes and sizes. It was a mere miracle that anything worked at all. Once the tape was removed, this is what we were left with:

The unnecessary wiring was removed completely. The joined 15 times wire was removed and replaced properly. It was then all wrapped up nicely in some plastic trunking stuff. Much better! Below is all the crap that was removed, Lionel's new little helper, and the finished work:

Reverse Light Switch

Also fixed was the reverse lights. It was decided that the switch must be at fault as the resident electrical genius managed to get the reverse lights working by adding feeds to various cables in the boot. I really ought pay more attention. So how to get the old switch out? Crawling under the car proved impossible, although Line was able to confirm that the wires from the loom to the switch were ok. We need a pit then. This is when we recruited a Paul.

My fat fingers were usless here so (just for a change) Lionel and Paul did the job, Lionel in the car and Paul underneath. It was switch then as we now have reverse lights! However, whilst messing with the reverse lights, it would appear that we disturbed some ore of th wiring in the engine bay as the car only started with a wobble of the mass of wires that were enclosed in tape. Which now brings us on to Bloody Wiring Part 2

Bloody Wiring

Whato. Yes I have been working on it and no I haven't been blogging much. So an update ... the wiring isn't very good. I have had my favourite car electrician person around every Sunday for weeks now fixing things. Just as we fix one bit, something else unfixes. The pics below show the front fogs, repeater lamps, side lights and indicators being completely redone.

A selection of the crap that was removed

Lionel also hooked up the front fogs too. So now we have front and back fogs all working nicely. Similarly, the side lights and cruise lights are all wired up properly.

Also since we last met, he has sourced a magic fuse box thing. It has been wired to the battery via a groovy fuse (I'll get a photo of that too). The idea is that the stereo and rad fans have a separate feed and relays so as to ensure that the car doesn't set on fire. Or something like that. This fuse box has been installed behind the switches, which is quite spectacular as there is not a lot of room behind there. The new relays are also on show.

Going backwards

Unfortunately, not the car. It was pushed out of the garage on Sunday for some more trmming and things. It took several hours for Lionel and I to cut chunks out of the rear backboard thing so as to fit the plastic hood cover things. This of course included removing the hood several times. They look nice though and have really helped to tart up the trim.

Lionel also helped in getting some more electricity things done which included putting in place an in line fuse for the fuel pump and fitting the fan to a proper TR switch in the centre switch panel. I now have the black centre consoles properly in place and they look great against the new carpet. The new fan on a switch is a "rear demist" switch out of the teabag, it looks much better than having wires sticking out of the dash.

Talking of dashboards, it's gotta come out now as everything else is black! Guru Ed promised that he would assist on this one as he has done this job several times before.

As for the engine, it might be time to call upon Master Guru Guy again as the bugger has stopped starting and started to stop! I had the plugs out (again) but to no avail. I really have no idea wtf is going on here. An MOT was iminent. Not any more. Bugger!

No more funny winking

Very little was completed this weekend due to a quickly planned weekend away to sunny Clent. I managed to pop into the garage for a couple of hours, she started first time again, growling away nicely and adding another couple of tons of toxins to the ozone layer. Two small achievments: rewiring the OSF indicator and side wing light thing. All lights are now working except the reverse lights! I think I may need to do a "To Do List ii".

Whilst mooching through my boxes of teabag bits, I found nearly all of the black interior that is going to go in the Beast. I shall be short of the sun visors and may need to get onto eBay for some door card handles as the black ones haven't turned up yet. And whilst on the eBay subject, in anticipation of the arrival of lots of Birthday cash (hint hint!), a carpet set is on its way!

A Good Day

Some great Beast action this weekend - damned cold though! Lionel came over to assist as did Simon. When I say assist, I mean I made the coffee whilst they slowly took the car apart. I'd like to think that I am a sort of Project Manager, although if you ask either of them, I am sure that they would suggest that I simply get in the way.

Anyway, like I say, Saturday was a good day (except for the starting debacle). The headlights now pop up together. The little turning knob thing on the actuator had fallen off. We changed the Beast's actuator/arm set up with one from the Teabag. Part of the Teabag lives! Lionel also set to work on sorting out the electricity problems. Whilst changing the NS headlight, a clump of wire fell out from somewhere. It was noticed that with a waggle here and waggle there, the side light and indicator would/would not work. He found where it was shorting/earthing (or something like that) and all was well. Whatever he did also sorted out the hazard lights problem. Being the electric Guru that he is, he isn't happy with the wiring of the cruise lights or front fog lights and thus I have added these to the To Do List.

The other electric thing that he did was the main beam flash. The contacts in the the flasher switch/stork were corroded and needed sandpapering. The new revamped LH light is ace. The RH light sounds terrible and needs a greasing somewhere. This has also been To Do Listed.

The bolted in seat (Neil owned up to that one!) is now unbolted. I was right, NRDFCRT was never going to fit under there. The solution required a non-portly person. Thanks Line. (I jacked the car up, but i reckon he could have slipped under without it). The seats are now at 271 as mum has some sort of hoover thing that cleans things with water?

I also took out all of the rest of the interior, except for the plastic bit that goes around the handbrake. The bugger wont come off as the handbrake won't move high enough. I'll have to loosen it off first. I have also decided to change these bits for the ones out of the Teabag as they are in better condition.

By this time, it was dark thus the Hammerite was not applied. This will have to be done one night this week as I want to put the carpets in next weekend! I have now got a carpet - enough for Dan's bedroom and the Beast. Not bad I thought. Gary has kindly said that I can cut around his proper convertible carpet set so as to make fitting easier. Thanks Gary!

This weeks things to cross off the To Do List include: 08, 10, 12, 13. Hurrah!