Modestine

[Dilambdaman]

Another short run which suggests that all is well with the gearbox, oil pressure and water pump. However, front wheel vibration is getting steadily worse so, on Morris Parry's advice have had the tyres (which are just about at the end of their useful life) removed and checked the balance.

The wheels are well out of balance and not running true. So, they are away to see if they can be trued up by adjusting the spokes. The plan is then to secure metal to the rims to balance them, fit new Blockley tyres and balance again.

Robin.

[DavidLaver]

Great news - that's a massive step forwards - albeit I expect it will be a few runs before you start to relax.

David

[JohnMillham]

And don't forgrt to have the brake drums balanced. My Augusta drums were miles out, but Vibration Free ssorted them out. I'm glad the rest of the car is at last OK.
 Regards, John

[rogerelias]

Right soddit, enoughs enough, i'm out of me chair and staying out. well done Robin. whoo hoo!!

[fay66]

Great news engine wise,  not so good wheels & Tyres , fingers crossed, hopefully nearly there.

Brian
8227

[chugga boom]

great news robin well done, when getting the wheels balanced did they pick up on the inside of the inner face and the outside of the spinner edge of hub?? often people just put 1 cone in the center at the spinner end and if you look carefully these are never round and on the car obviously they are located on the outer edge, the back face also needs support on the taper as the flage area is rarely true, we made an adaptor "like a dummy spinner " to go on the outer face and use a standard cone on the inner face, hope this helps , worth checking before you do anything to the wheels 

[Sliding Pillar]

Good news.....Shall I put you down as an entry for the Sliding Pillar? 

[DavidLaver]

Wherever the wheels are being seen to - to me - the obvious place to get the Blockley tyres fitted is MWS, and if they can't balance it nobody can.

http://www.mwsint.com/

Having said that of course I completely ignore my own obvious advice  , and when I got my set of Blockley tyres (for the Austin 7) it was mail order and the local motorbike tyre place put them on.  Ten years ago they did a nice job balancing them, but with a new machine or new laws they couldn't help this time  so either I take it somewhere that can or live with it.  At the moment it just goes up and down the drive so no issue.

David

[Dilambdaman]

Thanks guys - its been a long slog! and I don't seem to be able to relax just yet. Margaret says I'm like a coiled spring when driving and seem never to take my eyes off the oil pressure gauge.

Thanks James for the balancing advice which naturally concurs with your dads. My local vintage workshop understand the requirements and will do the balancing for me. We also need to replace one broken spoke and two or three loose ones.

John, I'll see how things are before having the brake drums checked for balance. If the problem persists then Vibration Free it is, maybe with the car. They sorted Victor lanes Dilambda steering vibration and did a terrific job with my prop shaft.

I too purchased the Blockley tyres mail order from MSW  David, thought about making the journey to them at Slough but the £12 charge for next day delivery was too tempting.

SP rally is always high on my events to do list Ade, let's hope she makes it in 2010.

Robin.   

[Dilambdaman]

Got back yesterday after a couple of weeks in France only to discover that the front wheels have not been sorted and the new tyres not fitted. Disappointing to say the least as I was so looking forward to using her this weekend.

Robin.

[Dilambdaman]

Well, they had a go at fitting the new spokes without success and suggested that I have the wheels rebuilt by a specialist. I've had a look at them and after a chat with Morris Parry recon there's a good chance that I can do the job myself. The guy I bought the new spokes from said that it was something he could do and told me how to go about it, he just hadn't got the time to take the job on.

I've also come up with an idea on how to make up a mounting plate which will allow accurate fitting of the wheels to a modern wheel balancing machine. Watch this space.

Robin.

[rogerelias]

Hi Robin, if you get really stuck a company next door here build m/cycle wheels, and John the wheel builder knows his stuff, worth a call maybe, tell him you know me from Auto fx next door,(then call back when he hangs up ) SRM engineering 01970 627771 www.srm-engineering.com

[Dilambdaman]

Thanks Roger, I'l keep that in mind.

Robin.

[Dilambdaman]

The replacement spokes are in and I've had the plate made up to fit the wheels to the balancing machine. See picture.

It is made from an unusable knock on wheel spinner which, unlike the balancing machine cones, locates perfectly onto the wheel. The ears were ground off, a circular plate welded on and a hole to fit the balancing machine spindle bored in the centre.

It appears to work fine and the wheels without tyres are not far out of balance. Waiting for the rim tapes to arrive and then we'll fit the tyres and balance.

Robin.

[Dilambdaman]

With the tyres on the rims the wheels are so far out of balance that stick on weights are not an option. James Parry tells me that this is often the case with hand cut tyres. Lead strips wound round the spokes are an option but a visit to the tyre fitters yesterday found the operative unable and a tad unwilling to persevere.

So, where to now? 

Robin.