Thread: Series III (burned) rebuild

Originally Posted by lane

We have reversing lights.

Way to go!

And the final significant task done!

Famous last words!

So in a nutshell, here's what's happened.

Our engine had had a Stromberg fitted. It had been through the fire and the accelerator pump didn't work. I didn't trust the condition of the metal anyway, and we had been given the Zenith (above) which seemed OK. So we bought a kit for the Zenith and rebuilt it. All good. Went to fit it and found that the Stromberg had been sitting on an adaptor plate on the inlet manifold which had studs further apart than the Zenith requires...

So, tried to remove the adaptor plate and could not budge it. Thought "OK, get a replacement manifold if nothing else will work" so I called Peter from West Coast Rover and he was heading up to Cervantes (Saturday) and said he'd get the correct adaptor plate or the entire manifold and bring it down. Called on Tuesday to see how he went and his colleague said he was overseas for three weeks and no parts were there for me...

Spoke to Jono and he said yes, the offer of the parts from him still stood, so went out there Friday to rat his engine. Turns out his engine has a Stromberg. Hmmm. OK, so at least we know it works. We'll take it, bolt it straight on, and get the darn thing going at last and worry about the Zenith later. Got home and tried the Stromberg and discovered it has Zenith-sized spacing between the stud holes...

Unbelievable. Studied the two Strombergs to see if the base from one (the part carrying the butterfly) would bolt onto the other. No, they're different. OK, down to buy a brand new rat-tail file and oval out the holes so that the Strommy will fit where the other Strommy was. Makes sense, right? Got the holes sorted, sat the new carby on, and it fit. Well, it rocked a bit, turns out the base was not flat, so we filed it down and got it flat and it fit. All good...

Not so fast. The adaptor plate on Jono's car had been placed so that the Stromberg would sit with the throttle shaft sticking out towards the guard, making the linkage a simple matter. Ours has the studs at 90% to that, making the linkage a near impossibility requiring serious engineering...

OK, the adaptor plate simply has to come off. Which was where we were several weeks ago.

Will post photos later. Any advice welcome. I'll try heat-n-chill next, although I really didn't want to pour water over the inlet manifold with a gaping hole there for it to pour right into the engine, but we'll have to work something out. Hopefully we can get the bolts loose (they are counter-sunk with slots for a screwdriver, making them bl**dy hard to get any purchase on), turn the adaptor plate 90% and bolt it back down.

Fun times.

Mate if you need plates cut give me a bell

Adam

you might as well come pull the motor and take it foe spares (sounds like you need them)

Thanks Jono, maybe I should come and get the whole thing!

OK, progress.

An impact driver finally got the adaptor plate bolts loose and we turned it 90 degrees and refitted it, and got the Stromberg from Jono bolted into place. I also was able to use your Dizzy, Jono, which must be a later model one than the other one I had, because the electronic ignition kit I had fit yours but not mine. My dizzy cap was too small to fit the trigger under it.

Yesterday we finally got the motor running and the clutch and brakes bled and working, and drove it out of the shed last night.

Brakes need pumping once every time to get a "pedal" so there must be air in there still. (I presume this symptom does not indicate a leak?)

I'll post some photos later, but we still have a couple of bugs to sort out (besides the brakes). One is the throttle linkage, which does not appear to have enough travel to give us full throttle. The other is a back-firing problem, which I have improved by twisting the dizzy to alter the timing but which I cannot eliminate. Has me completely bluffed, but if I can get everything else sorted I'm happy to pay a mechanic to sort that out.

Years since I drove a vehicle without power steering. Heavy, isn't it?

Jono, if you need a name for your Disco, how about "Skippy" after the one that sacrificed himself for your (seat) comfort?

Originally Posted by lane

Brakes need pumping once every time to get a "pedal" so there must be air in there still. (I presume this symptom does not indicate a leak?)

If they are spongy there is air in them; if they are firm after the pump, the shoes need adjusting closer to the drums.

Cheers Charlie