:: Diary - June 2024 ::

:: Sunday, 2 June 2024 ::

It's TVR Car Club day, except I'm not going. I'm taking the Vixen to its first show - the Borders Vintage Automobile Club rally at Thirlestane Castle near Lauder in the Scottish Borders - it's about 40 miles each way, which isn't much - but it's the furthest it has been from the house since I got it!

I've registered as an individual entry, not through the Sporting Bears, so I am in Class 4 - 1970s cars. We have to be there by 10.30, but I like to be early, get registered and not leave it to the last minute (like 1/2 of the attendees do, and then moan because there were delays getting in, because everybody arrived at the same time). So I'm up and ready, earplugs in and away at around 8.15.

The drive down is around 40 miles, but most of that is on single carriageway roads, and I know from past experience that it's likely to take over an hour, becausse those roads are usually busy with a wide variety of classic vehicles toddling along at various speeds. There's a thing - I can understand a 1920s or 1930s motor taking it easy because they were never built for modern roads - but what you get is a number of vehicles of varying ages that are quite capable of going faster, dawding along at around 50. We're looking at you, MGBs. This is a pain in the arse if you're in a TVR S or a Porsche, not quite so much in the Vixen, because you're at least below wheel-wobble speeds of around 65 (note to self - must get those wheels better balanced!).

I am passed by a group of Vauxhalls just as I join the Edinburgh Bypass (a Cavalier Estate, an Astra GSi and a Calibra, among others) and am still behind them as we turn into the show grounds. Along the way we have passed some interesting stuff such as a Model T Ford, a Sunbeam Talbot and the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer van.

The car has been faultless on the run down, it's noisy but pretty comfy, and handles well. I am directed to my spot and park up, beside an MG Midget on one side and a Triumph Vitesse on the other side. I have a wee chat with the MG Midget owner, and we both head off to the registration tent, then it's time for a wander (especially around the autojumble) before the public arrive!

I spot this - a Sunbeam Tiger - I had an Alpine 40-odd years ago that looks the same, but without the V8 Chrysler engine. Very nice.

This is nice too - VW Karmann Ghia.

Here's the Tunnocks Teacake van - no freebies yet though!

Ford Escort Twin Cam.

VW Beetles.

Subtle...

Droop Snoot and flat front Firenzas.

Autobahn Scotland Club.

A Lotus once raced by Jim Clark.

This the engine bay of a Vauxhall Victor that was parked behind me and came 3rd in class 4 - and before you ask, no I didn't win anything.

and finally, a couple of photos of the Vixen.

I have a few wanders round the show during the day, and end up speaking to a lot of different people - people who are interested in the Vixen, a couple of Sporting Bears that I met, a wonderfully eccentric artist from the Borders who has brought a Fiat 130 Pininfarina - a beautiful and very rare old thing full of 1970s style, and red velour upholstery. He also has a few other interesting cars, and has owned various Maseratis and Ferraris in the past - and a couple of De Tomasos.

Mick drops by to see me during the day, bearing ice cream - so always welcome! He has a TVR S Series, so we have a good chat about TVRs and life in general.

I also speak to a guy who asked where I bought it, because he looked at it in the same garage a couple of weeks before I did, and nearly bought it himself - but he didn't...

I also visit the TVR NE England stand and spend ages chatting to a lovely gent with a 3000M - he has converted it to a 5-speeed gearbox so I am interested! We also talk about a number of other things. The TVR CLub is a good club - I think that you have to be slightly (or very) off-your-head to own one (never mind 2 or 3) so there's a recognition of mutual experience and sympathy that you don't get, for example, in the Porsche Club, where the old air-cooled stuff seems (to me) to be barely tolerated.

I set off for home at around 4.30, although it takes ages to get out because the public are leaving by the same exit. Once on the main road, though, we're off - at a snail's pace... 3 times along the first 20 miles of the journey, we come to a total stop, and each time it's because of a cyclist that you can't pass with the new "1-metre" rule because of oncoming traffic. Now I fully understand the reasons for that - I used to be a pretty keen cyclist, and many times had to put up with commuter traffic whizzing past my elbow on 60mph roads - but you weren't holding them up! Now you sometimes have to follow them for ages (or rather, follow somebody else following them because they don't know how to overtake a cyclist unless the road is straight and clear for 1/2 a mile).

This is where the Porsche 911 GT4 comes into its own - batter past the queue like an arsehole, when you cant see what's coming, push in a couple of times when you suddenly can, and then disappear up the road to look for your next blind overtake. This happens twice. This has been my experience of Porsche Club runs too (admittedly very limitd experience because I can't be arsed with all the willy-waving).

Anyway, I arrive back home after another good (albeit slightly frustratig) drive, and chuck the Vixen in the garage. I've done 88 miles today, and I haven't used all of the 4 gallons of fuel that I put in the other day. That's not too bad! I'll work out the fuel consumption better when I refill it, but not today - I fly off on holiday tomorrow!

It feels like a totally different car from the one that I drove home from the garage just a few weeks ago. It's getting there!

:: Thursday, 13 June 2024 ::

Got back from my hols very early on Tuesday morning - 3am early, thanks to Easyjet and their well-know inability to keep their planes on time over a whole day. Then we were up again and out for a funeral at 10am… so the rest of Tuesday and Wednesday were spent in a stupor. I did, however, manage to box up the original AC Delco fuel gauge and send it off to a repairer.

Today, though, I decide that I had better start preparations for my TVR run this weekend with Dave, Jim and Adrian - the original musketeers from the early runs. I won’t go into the reasons for that, but that’s what we wanted to do. So the first thing is to go out for a jerrycan of fuel and put that in - that takes the tank the brim.

Then I take the car out for a short run just to warm it up, then back to the garage to check the ignition timing and fuel mixture. I retard the timing ever so slightly, then use a Gunson colortune to check the fuel mix - it shows that it’s running slightly too rich, and I watch it turn richer as I turn the mixture screw out, but I can’t turn the screw in any further to lean off the mixture to the right level. Maybe the air cleaner is partly blocked? Or maybe the carb needs cleaned out? I don’t haven time to risk taking it apart before tomorrow - it’ll have to do!

Then I put the car on a battery charger to help it start tomorrow.

Adrian is travelling up from Yorkshire today, and staying with us overnight. All necessary preparations have been made - I.e. sod all.

However, my wife is still here (despite feeling widowed by the amount of time I spend in that garage) and she has prepared a delicious dinner and cakes for dessert!

:: Friday, 14 June 2024 ::

Mrs tvrgit has also prepared a cooked breakfast to send us on our way.

Then we set off, with a brief stop so that Adrian can refuel his car, then we head for Dave’s house. After the usual introductory chat, we set off as the rain comes on - and I’m reminded that the wipers are really slow… it’s probably the first time the wipers have seen rain for years, but they do warm up and go a wee bit faster after a couple of miles.

We head over the forth bridge and north through Fife and around Perth to our first stop at Bankfoot for our 2nd breakfast (although Dave and Jim have only had cereal). As we park up, a guy comes over for a look at all the cars, and asks the usual question about TVR reliability… I tell him that we go all over the place with no real problems, so you shouldn’t listen to Jeremy Clarkson and his acolytes.

After a very nice ciabatta, it’s time to head off again for another hour, to the tourist café at Ralia in the Highlands. By this time it’s absolutely pishing down. Their muffins are good though!

As we wade back to the cars, Jim asks me if the Vixen has any water leaks. I tell him that tests are currently in progress…

Then we’re off for another hour on our last leg to Inverness, and the hotel where I lost my keys a couple of years ago. It’s a Premier Inn so check-in is the usual melee watching a frenzy of computer-keyboard-clicking. We book a time for dinner and retire to our rooms to recover from the trauma of a rain-soaked journey in a TVR.

My room is at the furthest end of the building, as usual. At least there won’t be people stomping past the room in the middle of the night… but I’m still closer to reception than Jim, who is in separate building altogether.

I go back out to check the car for water leaks. It seems to be ok except for the door seal at the front of both doors, where water is dribbling down the inner door trim. To be fair, the car has had an extreme water test today!

I also check where “dip” and “main beam” are on the light switch - but only the side lights are working… I check the connectors under the bonnet but still not working - and then, suddenly, they are! I know they were working on the way up, I could see their reflection in the back of Jim’s car.

I’ve also been keeping an eye on the fuel gauge, which is now on “1/4” - but I don’t know where “empty” is, or where the car stops going!

I also don’t know how the heater controls work - the wording has worn off the know so I’ll have to read the instructions (which are 180 miles away under my desk). Tina Turner would be proud (Mary) of my steamy windows - they’re simply the best.

I’m also going to look into more detail of the 5 speed gearbox conversion!

:: Saturday, 15 June 2024 ::

I woke up far too early today, so had a bit of time for website-writing before our agreed breakfast time at 8:00. Only the text, mind - I can’t format photos etc or upload the pages until I’m back home on my computer.

Then we head off for fuel - we have 200 miles to cover today, so I need to get it as full as possible - which seems to take half the morning - the Vixen is a slow filler - and I mean very slow. The S is bad enough but this takes ages of trickling in fuel and letting it go down the neck… Dave suggests that maybe the breather is blocked - worth investigating!

A quick calculation of mileage since yesterday suggests that I’m getting around 25 mpg, which isn’t great, but considering that I’ve been wellying it up the A9 etc, not too bad.

So at last we set off, around Inverness and down the south side of Loch Ness, not the main road. There’s single track bits, and wee villages, but it’s fun.

We stop for photos and and also to give Adrian a chance to look at a wee exhaust blow.

I manage not to get lost this time, and avoid driving down the off-road obstacle course that we took a few years ago, so that’s a bonus!

We do encounter the usual single-track road problem though, of people who can’t use passing places. I go around one corner at a “stop within distance you can see” speed and there’s a BMW SUV battering towards me. I stop, she charges on at unabated speed with one hand on the horn. Dozy mare.

I also have an unexpected front wheel lock-up at another downhill bit, which creates a bit of a smoke cloud for the others to drive though.

Onwards to Fort Augustus for a wee walk and some refreshment, in the form of a wee cake beside the Caledonian Canal. We watch boats going down the locks while we listen to Dave. Mostly.

Back to the cars where a nice old couple (listen to me, they’re probably only a few years older than me…) tell us they had a TVR S…

Right, a quick discussion agrees that the next stop will be just before Oban for lunch. Adrian leads on, through Fort William and on down the west coast over Connon Bridge...

to Stalker Castle, near Appin in Argyll. It's a castle on an island in a loch, constructed originally by the MacDougall clan. ut used later by the Stewarts and Campbells. More important to us, it's overlooked by a nice cafe. This is a great leg of our journey, with good roads although a wee bit busy. It’s also a wee bit damp at places, so I’m wary of skinny tires on wet roads.

The rain starts as we leave Stalker Castle, and Jim leads us down through Oban to Lochgilphead and Tarbert. Skinny tyres on even wetter roads! Great fun although still slightly unnerving.

Tarbert is lovely though. We park opposite a wee cafe that sells ice cream floats. Sold!

As usual, I’m the only one who seems to know where we have to end up, so I take the lead for the last leg to Campbeltown. By now the rain is off, the roads have mostly dried, and this bit isn’t on the tourist trail for coaches, caravans and camper vans. It’s also late in the day for lorries who don’t want to get stuck in Campbelltown with no driver hours left in the tacho. So the road is almost empty and we cruise down at a reasonable old speed. The car is brilliant, although I’m suffering a bit from range anxiety because I don’t know where “totally empty” is on this fuel gauge.

We get to our hotel and fill up its wee car park, check in and up to the room to get ready for dinner. I also have a wee walk around - it’s a lovely wee place, with a petrol station that sells E5 fuel only a couple of minutes from the hotel for tomorrow morning. And half the afternoon, by the time the tank is full.

It took us nearly 6 hours to cover the first 100 miles, including stops. The second 98 miles took 2 hours. It’s amazing how the ability to persevere through near-starvation increases when you think you might miss your dinner.

Good point - my room overlooks the car park where the cars are, so I can keep an eye on them. Bad points - it also overlooks the beer garden for the bar next door, where people seem to be engaged in some sort of al fresco bawling competition, with interval breaks for female shrieking demonstrations. It stops abruptly at 1am. Thank God.

But then the hotel and the bar put the bins out - bins full of crashing bottles, natch. At last, all is peace…

:: Sunday, 16 June 2024 ::

Breakfast isn’t served until 9 (this being one of the remoter parts of Scotland, we’re lucky that anyone is working on a Sunday at all!) so I think I’ll have a wee walk first, to check out the petrol station and have a look around.

First, though, I decide to have a look at the tyres on the car, specifically the 4-figure code for when they were made. One of them is 2018, another is 2008. The other two have three-figure codes that were replaced by the new system in 2000, so they are at least 24 years old… now the “working life” of tyres is around 10 years - older tyres begin to crack in their sidewalls because UV light oxidises the rubber, causing it to dry out. Tyres contain anti-oxidising chemicals to slow this process down, but these only work when the tyres are moving. If a car is left unused for ages, the tyres deteriorate faster. I’ve only got 1 tyre less than 10 years old, and the car has barely moved in the last 10 years… new tyres required!

We set off just before 10, after completing pre-flight checks. First stop is fuel, where filling is a bit faster than yesterday, but still slow… again a quick calculation of fuel versus mileage suggest around 25 mpg. The inside of the car is stinking of petrol though…

We head up through Tarbert and Lochgilphead to Inveraray, where we stop for a rest. And a rather lovely apple strudel. As we go though Lochgilphead, I notice that the right hand indicator only works when I hold the switch down. The left one is ok.

Then it’s off again, by this time in drizzly rain, heading for a garden centre east of Balloch. When we get there, though, all the tables have been booked for Father’s Day. We try to convince them that we’ve brought Dave for his annual treat, but they’re not having it.

After a final chat, we head off for home. It’s now really wet, the roads are soaking and I feel like I’m just waiting for the car to skate off into the scenery. It’s fine though!

Just as we approach Stirling, I find that the indicators aren’t working at all now - left or right. Is it water in the electrics? Is it a broken switch! Don’t know, but I’m not stopping to check - instead I plot a route home that minimises the need to indicate…

Home again, I go in, to be told that I stink of petrol fumes. She’s right… so I put the car in the garage and get my bag. Which is wet on the bottom, but with water, not petrol. I decide to empty the rest of the stuff out of the boot. My tool bag, behind the driver seat, is also soaking, as is the carpet under it. Stuff on the other side off the boot, and at the back, is dry… closer inspection shows water drops from the back window seal in the corner just above the driver seat. Add that to job list, along with “indicators”, “fuel tank breather” and “tyres”! Oh and “see if you can raise the back of the exhaust to reduce scraping”. Oh and “how does the heater/demister work?” I have to remember that I also need to get the S here, and get it ready for Blackpool in July (although I think it probably only needs cleaned).

All in all, though, another fantastic weekend with great people and our great wee cars. The Vixen seems to have held its own against its bigger newer cousins (largely I think because they have been gentle) but it’s still a really fun wee car!

Roll on the next trip!

:: Monday, 17 June 2024 ::

Back to reality today... the first task on my list is to investigate the fuel tank breather. First I remove the boot floor - it's just a bit of plywood with one screw at the front and two at the back.

And here's the breather. Can you see the problem? It has been blocked up... that means that fuel can't get in until air gets out, hence the slow filling and gurgling. I need a vent tube on there... But where do I vent it to? Not inside the car, obviously - it's honking as it is. There is no sign of any possible vent exit in the filler hose or elsewhere on the car.

I could take a hose along and down through a hole in the boot floor (which is how it would have been done in the days before recirculating fumes, carbon canisters and all that jazz) or (preferably) I could vent it to the filler tube. But how do I connect it to the filler tube - it's one single rubber hose from the filler cap to the tank inlet. I note during this pondering that the hose clamp fixing the hose to the filler cap is too low, so it doesn't clamp anythng to anything - the filler cap just pulls out of the end of the hose. I'll fix that while I'm at it!

After pondering this for ages, and measuring the vent outlet on the tank and the filler connections, I order a foot of 50mm steel tube, and a foot of 10mm steel tube. I'll make a connector to go into the filler tube, and run a vent hose to that.

First, I use the hot glue gun to stick the rear boot supports to the bodywork, and a reversed g-cramp to hold them in place until the glue dries. I put the hot glue gun down carefully so that it doesn't burn anything. Then I tidy up my stuff from the boot area and burn my hand on the hot glue gun...

Then I go on to try the indicators - the left turn signal is now working normally, while the right turn signal only works if I hold the switch down. I need to remove the switch and test it, but not today.

I've ordered 4 new tyres through Blackcircles, to be fitted on Wednesday, so I take all 4 wheels off, ready to drop them off for tyre fitting.

Last, I remove the rear section of exhaust and its support clamp and rubber mounting. I bend the clamp to lift the exhaust, and then refit the rear exhaust section around 3/4 of an inch higher than it was - any higher and it will touch the chassis and vibrate.

Adrian and Jim have sent through a couple of photos of the weekend, during our run down the side of Loch Ness on Saturday.

This includes a frankly piss-poor attempt at writing "TVR" in shadow puppets while we are all taking photos...

:: Tuesday, 18 June 2024 ::

I've spent a fair bit of this afternoon achieving not very much.

First, I decided to nip along to the garage to see how the breather system works on the S. I know that it has more modern (for the time!) emissions equipment like carbon canisters etc, but basically, the tank vents into the filler neck. That's what I wanted to check.

This is the first time that I've even clapped eyes on the S since I put it in the barn on 16 April. Poor wee thing. It'll get its turn in a couple of weeks when we go to the TVR even in Blackpool, where it was built 34 years ago...

So, back to the gitcave and the sticking drivers window. I remove the door handle, window winder and door card, and try to wind the window. It's sticking in the frame, jamming on the runners and there's resistance in the winder. I spray the mechanism with grease, and lubricate the runners with rubber lubricant. After working it up and down, it's a lot less effort (still tight but at least it moves!).

Next, the indicators. At the end of our journey, the left-hand indicators weren't working at all, and the right ones only worked if you held the switch down. Now, the left ones work but the right one is still the same. I remove the wee cowls on the steering column (two wee screws top and bottom) and then unscrew the switch (another 2 wee screws). Now the left ones don't work at all, and the right one only when I hold the switch...

I unplug the wires and take the switch out for testing...

One of the wires is almost detatched from the back of the switch and comes off when I remove it. The wee self-cancel cams are held together by a spring which is broken, so the switch action isn't very positive. I really need a new one but let's try a repair.

I solder the wire back onto the back of the circuit board - testing with a meter shows that the switch now works in both positions - but the solder doesn't stick because there's hardly any wire on the board to fix it to, so it quickly comes loose.

I go back to testing the wiring on the car - I connect two of the wires together and the left indicator comes on. Connect the "supply" to the other side and there's nothing... I think there must be a loose bulb or something that's preventing activation of the flasher unit.

It's now dinner time though so... priorities!

I order another brand new Lucas switch for around £40 or so, so can't fix the indicators until that's here anyway. I'll have a look for the loose bulb or whatever it is that's wrong on the right side of the car though.

:: Wednesday, 19 June 2024 ::

First task today is to pack the 4 wheels and tyres into the back of the Range Rover and take them to the Blackcircles garage for new tyres.

Back to the house to find out why the indicators suddenly don’t work. After a bit of testing, it turns out that the connector block to the flasher unit has been knocked slightly loose. That was easy!

Next, it’s time to make this tank breather. I start by drilling a 10mm hole in a 2 inch bit of pipe.

Then I hammer a bit of 10mm pipe into the hole.

I’m not the greatest welder, as you can see (mainly because I can't see very well what I'm doing), but I weld the 2 bits together then cut it down to make a hose connector.

Here’s the completed filler pipe - exactly the same total length as the old one.

I fit that to the tank and then install the filler cap from the outside, then tighten all the clamps. Finally, I run the breather hose to the tank. That should make refilling a bit easier!

Just as I finish this, the garage calls to say the new tyres are ready. I pick them up and clean off the soapy stuff they use for fitting.

That’s all for today folks! That might not seem like much, but that little lot has taken me bleeding hours!

Next tasks are:

Refit the wheels and tyres;
refit the boot floor, carpet and trims;
fit the new indicator switch when it's delivered;
seal the water leak at the rear window.

:: Thursday, 20 June 2024 ::

Not much time for the car today, for various reasons. I do, however, get the wheels back onto the car and adjust the tyre pressures from the 31psi set by the tyre-fitting garage - now 22 front and 24 rear.

Then I stick the wheel centres back in with Evostik. This seems to be the accepted method!

Last, I reinstall the boot floor, then the trim and carpet.

I was hoping that the indicator switch would be delivered today, but no... I won't have time for the car tomorrow either - believe it or not, I do have a life that's not TVRs!

:: Saturday, 22 June 2024 ::

I had a day off yesterday, because we went to the Royal Highland Show near Edinburgh. We decided to get the bus (as we have a couple of times before) because parking at the show is (a) expensive and (b) shite, oh and (c) takes ages to get out of. The bus, on the other hand is (a) free (for us because we are old duffers), (b) still shite and (c) takes ages to get there. But the over-riding factor is (a) free. So we walk down for the bus - which is only 5 minutes late, and gets us there within 30 minutes or so.

However, I notice that even this bus is not free of disadvantages - everybody on the bus seems to have some form of breathing difficulty - honest it's like a mobile TB ward, with everybody around you coughing and sneezing and snottering all over the place...

Anyway, the show itself was excellent, lots to see and do, we walk feckin miles, eat feckin loads and spend like a rock band on a coke and booze spree.

So today, it's back to the car with aching feet and legs, and there’s good news and bad news.

First the good news: the fuel tank breather works! When we were away last weekend, we did around 200 miles each day, and took ages to fill up each time. Well, I haven’t filled up since we got back, so I put 200 miles of fuel in today - and it was easy - open fuel cap, put pump in, hold pump till it stops, exactly the same amount of fuel as before in one single go… I think we can call that a success!

On the way home I blast up the motorway and there’s no wheel vibration - good news number 2 is that the new tyres have also resolved the wheel balance issue.

However by the time I get home, the inside of the car absolutely stinks of petrol again (as it did over the weekend). I’m imagining leaks at my new breather system, but I get home and lift the boot carpet, to find that the sender unit on the top of the tank is sitting in a wee puddle of petrol. Bad news - the sender unit is leaking when the tank is full.

The sender unit is nowhere near the filler or the breather, so at least I’ve not broken it!. Someone has helpfully written that the sender was overhauled on 3/11 - presumably March 2011 - or is it November 2003? Unlike the S, the tank is inside the body, so fuel leaks run down into the boot well, and stink the car out until they evaporate...

I siphon around 20 litres out of the tank and dry off the sender. I need a new gasket, and the "book" says that the sender is apparently out of an MG midget or Morris Minor or early Mini - but as far as I can see, those have a 75mm diameter sender, and mine is only 60mm… which seems to be the same size as very early Fords like to Model Y or 105E Anglia. I'm not sure though...

After more non-conclusive research, I order a sheet of nitrile-bonded cork so that I can make the correct gasket myself. In the meantime, no overfilling the tank!

More good news though - I fitted the new indicator switch earlier, before I went for fuel - that was relatively straightforward!

:: Monday, 24 June 2024 ::

There isn't much that I can do to put the car back together, until I fix this fuel sender gasket.

I decide to have a look at the rear screen to see if I can tell where water was leaking in. There's no sign by now, but the main drips were in the top corner above the driver headrest. I find some black sealer, and a relatively fine nozzle, and inject some sealer on the inside between the glass and the rubber, around that top corner, then down the side and along the bottom for a foot or so. This involves contorting into an upside-down position behind the driver seat, that takes ages to extract myself from... it's a good job that I was born twisted...

then I decide to install new boot supports to the rear of the bodyshell. I buy a cartidge of epoxy adhesive, which appears to stick just about anything to just about anything else. Wood to fibreglass is on the list!

I cut 2 lengths of wood to around 6 inches long, and apply 3 strips of adhesive...

Then I stick those in place. The adhesive has a good "grab" but I help by using reversed clamps to hold them against the rear valance. I also heat up the valance from the outside witgha hairdryer, to help the glue to cure.

Then, crucially, I leave the bloody thing alone until it sets properly.

:: Wednesday, 26 June 2024 ::

No work on the car yesterday - I'm waiting for this gasket sheet to arrive. I do however check that these boot supports have stuck properly - they seem to be very firm!!

I spent a lot of yesterday, and a fair bit of today, chasing up payment of an invoice that was due for payment in December. I have a claim going through the court, and have also had a solicitor send a legal warning that I hold the copyright and IP property of a report I prepared (until it's paid for) so this ex-client shouldn't use it (but he has anyway). This has been going on for weeks, but there was a slight change in circumstances yesterday that might open up another possible line of attack. I've lit the blue touchpaper, the fuse is burning and I need to see if the firework goes off under this guy's arse. It's looking more hopeful!

The gasket stuff was due to arrive today or tomorrow, but it's not here by teatime. I decide to go out to the garage and remove the sender unit in preparation.

You'll see from the photo I posted on Saturday that it's held in with 6 screws. I remove the gauge connector and then those 6 screws, making sure I don't drop them down the back of the tank.

With the sender out, I measure the depth of the tank as just under 10 inches, then I put a bit of neoprene over the hole and a block of wood to hold it down.

The sender has a rubber gasket, which seems to have been sealed with a white sealer. It looks like old bathroom sealer, and it has gone crumbly in places...

Then I check the range of movement of the sender arm. The sender isn't clamped in the vice here, it's held in place by the welding magnet. the yellow tape is 10 inches below that level (the bottom of the tank) and the steel rule shows the line of the top of the tank. The float moves exactly over that range - so empty means empty and full means full.

The sender resistance at empty is 267 ohms...

and at full, 18 ohms...

Now, let's see how resistant this sealer is to petrol... let's clean it off the gasket and the sender - with petrol! As you can see, it dissolves like a Scottish football defender when any half-decent opposing player is anywhere near... more evidence of the half-bodged fuckaboutery I've already seen in other work on this car since I got it.

Now, I know that I don't always follow the theory of car mechanics, but at least I don't (or try not to!) take short cuts that only mean you'll have to do the job all over again in the near future.

The gasket is in such good condition that I'm almost tempted to re-use it, sealed with blue Hylomar... but no, let's wait for the new gasket material and do it right.

:: Thursday, 27 June 2024 ::

No sign of the cork gasket sheet… but again I go out after teatime to prepare the sender unit for fitting. It was held into the tank with 6 self-tapping screws, and I notice that they are a tight fit in the holes in the sender unit, so they tighten in the sender before they tighten down to the tank. Those are never gonna seal no how, especially using a rubber gasket and a tube of bog sealer… I drill out the screw holes to 4mm so that the screws turn freely.

Then I put the sender and gasket into the tank. What will I use to seal the gasket? Bog roll? Pigeon shit off the shed roof? Lemon curd mix that I found in the kitchen? No. Let’s risk something unusual like blue Hermetite.

The sender is a right bugger to install, but I get the 6 screws in eventually, and tighten them down, then connect the sender wiring.

Then I refill the tank with around 5 gallons of fuel that I drained out last week - it’s around 1/2 way up the filler neck, a couple of inches higher than the top of the tank. The sender is weeping very slightly around the edge, so I nip up the screws a wee bit more, which seems to stop it leaking any more, then drain about half a gallon back out. So now I know that it only maybe leaks (very slightly) when it’s over-full.

Then I refit the boot floor to the new glued supports - the first time the floor has been fixed down properly. Then I refit the rear trim and the carpet.

What was it that I said recently (well, only yesterday) about having to do the job all over again in the near future? I realise that I might have to do this again with a new gasket, but this at least gets the car mobile, in case I need it - the Range Rover is out of action because of a stuck electronic handbrake. I’ve used the emergency release handle, but it’s still dragging - I drove it around 2 miles on Sunday and the rear wheel was hot! I can’t get it booked in before I go on holiday next week.

The Vixen needs to be ready the day after I get back, to go to the TVR Car Club meeting. Then it has to go to the farm so that I can get the S ready for its trip to Blackpool the following weekend. So even a temporary sender repair is helpful!

Cars, eh?

:: Friday, 28 June 2024 ::

A tisket, a tasket
I made a little gasket
and as we speak
it doesn't leak
no matter what I ask it.

Yes, the cork gasket sheet arrived this afternoon. I took one look at it and decided that it was almost guaranteed to provide a better seal than the rubber one that I refitted yesterday.

The outside diameter is around 62mm, but the cap that I had to draw around was only 60mm, so I cut slightly outside the line. The inside diameter is 45mm, which is exactly the size of the cap off a brake fluid bottle. After the photo, I filed the outside down a tiny bit, nearer the line. Then I cut out two tiny "tags" opposite each other, to fit tabs in the sender unit, so it would sit flat.

First I remove the carpet and the boot floor, then I unscrew the six self-tappers holding the sender unit in, pick out the rubber gasket, fit the cork gasket and screw it back down - not too tight, but enough to make sure the cork is compressed. I decided to fit the cork gasket dry - sometimes hermetite can lubricate cork slightly so it squashes out of the joint.

Then I put that half-gallon or so of fuel into the tank,until the tank is full to the top of the filler neck, i/e about 9 inches higher than the top of the tank. It doesn't leak!

What was it that I said recently (well, only yesterday) about even a temporary sender repair being helpful! Well now it's sorted properly.

I go for a wee run of 15 miles or so, just to burn off the fuel in the filler neck.

:: Saturday, 29 June 2024 ::

Feckin’ cars - you’ve no sooner sorted one bodge, and another one appears.

With the Range Rover still being out of action, I used the Vixen for a wee run today. By the time that I got home, it wouldn’t idle, and kept cutting out every time I stopped at junctions etc.

Into the garage, air cleaner off and I find this…

There’s two problems. First, the fast idle control (yellow arrow) has fallen off, fortunately, the screw and wee collar were still there, so I can put that back together.

Second problem - I noticed that the choke butterflies on top of the carb are part closed, when they should be wide open, cos the engine is still hot and the choke (manual) is “off”.

A check shows that the butterflies aren’t connected to the choke mechanism at all. The bottom of that spring should be fitted into a clip on the choke arm (blue arrow) but is hanging off. Instead of a clip there’s a bit of copper wire hanging down.

I get the car started and then adjust the idle speed with the choke disconnected and the engine still hot - so there’s no choke and no fast idle setting.

I haven’t got time to fix these two problems though because I’ve got friends visiting tonight and I’m under strict instructions not to get manky before their visit (or indeed, during it).

:: Sunday, 30 June 2024 ::

This morning's task is to fix these carburettor linkages.

The first step is to disconnect the choke cable and remove the screw holding the choke linkage on, being careful to ensure that the coiled spring doesn't disconnect suddenly and fly off into a dark and dusty corner.

then clip the choke operating rod back into the linkage, and screw that back on to the side of the carb.

then reconnect the fast idle operating rod and tighten that.

then reconnect the choke cable. Here's the carb with the knob pushed in - choke flaps open on the top of the intake.

and here it is with the knob pulled out - choke flaps closed on the top of the intake.

I thought I would mention these - two-fingered gloves with wee lights in the end of the first finger and thumb - I was given them during the week by my daughter-in-law as a late birthday present. This is the first time I have used them and they are briliant - the light goes exactly where you need it, and it's always handy!

Then I replace the air cleaner and start the car. It starts first time from cold - it has never done that before! Let it warm up then a few minor adjustments to the idle speed, and I go for a short test drive - it's much better but still not as smooth as I would like - I think that the carb mixture still needs adjusting.

---

[last month]

[home]

[next month]