The Paul Atkinson - Augusta - news update [etc] ...

[Mark Dibben]

Thanks Mike, that'd be a great help yes please. Let me know by email the postage price on too and I'll wire you it all. That's very kind indeed. We're okay for the other bits I think. No rush with the covers, it's going to be a bit of a longer job I reckon.

[JohnMillham]

I bought the flat rad Augusta at Brightwells. It used to belong to Harry Gunner, then Gerald, then Lance Batt. It's a non-runner at the moment, with water in the oil and seized brakes, but it won't take long to fix it.

[Mark Dibben]

A brief update on where we are with SN7801, photos attached. The front suspension is back together and back on the car. Thanks to Mike Raahague, too, for the top covers (photo was taken before they arrived), and to Mike Clark for the loan of the suspension tools. The rear suspension is almost back together. We're waiting on new bushes and a fix of a leak in the hydraulic reservoir. Perhaps we now know why Paul disabled it! The starter motor is away being rebuilt as it had become temperamental, and then the only major thing that's left to sort is a new knock-on Bibendum for the spare wheel.

[Jay]

Very nice and clean rear telecontrol dampers, did you buy new bellows, also be interested in the mixture you are using.

[Mark Dibben]

Thanks, it's coming together. Nope, the bellows aren't new. The system was disabled but had been using antifreeze and that had gummed everything up. So we'll not be using that again. We were pondering Evans water-less coolant, but probably will go with what the book says. Unless anyone has any ideas?

[Mark Dibben]

We might be seeing some real progress now. It feels as if it's little jobs (with one big job still to do), per this update from Chris:

"I spent some more time on it today: I finished off the interior (I’ve hid the shiny sound proofing with some strips of black vinyl and have fitted clips to the front of the left side floor mat). I cleaned and waxed the rear wheel arches, removed & refitted the grill to refit a slat that had come loose at one end and, finally, put the bonnet on (see photo).

I spoke with Mike Clark to check the details on filling the front suspension with oil and then carried out this task - the covers Mike Raahague made have been painted and will be fitted tomorrow. I also fired it up again just to make sure it’s still good and it was so eager to run it kicked off on the first turn over. Hence fitting the bonnet. I’ll get information from [the person doing the bits for the rear suspension] on the last jobs and let you know when I hope to get the shocks back on and bled."

Then she might actually be able to turn a wheel for the first time in twenty-plus months. Sigh. From what was meant to be a good solid running motorcar, it's turned into almost a complete mechanical refurbishment. Touching sizeable lumps of wood, only the clutch and the gearbox haven't needed anything doing, ha - yet!

Thank goodness for Chris McPheat. Thanks ever so much, too, to both Mike Clark and Mike Raahague for all their wonderful help, and without which we'd have got almost the square root of nowhere, certainly regarding the suspension...

More updates as and when.
Cheers, M

[Mark Dibben]

Okay a bit more of an update from Chris re the rear suspension, as follows:

"Today I was able to fit the rear shock absorbers. Joe [the chap who does all Chris' special fabricating] has been in a couple of times, there was an issue with the thread cutting, then we decided to go with UNF as there would be more adjustment, then I was waiting for the new castellated nuts. It all came together this week, the bolts Joe has made are perfect, I have set the base tension equal on both sides, [although they] might need some adjusting with use. I have put the car on the ground as I can drive it if I get the chance while I wait for the shock absorber reservoir. [...]

I’ll have some more news next week I am sure, weather looks good so hopefully I will have driven it by then."

Fingers crossed all will be well. :-)

[Mark Dibben]

Okay another update. We've hit a further snag - sigh! -  and we need someone's help and advice, again. Per Chris' email and annotated pictures below. Hopefully this is the last snag...

"The [rear hydraulically adjustable suspension's hydraulic] reservoir is constructed with a reservoir chamber surrounding a central tube that acts as a cylinder when the plunger is pushed in. This cylinder has 2 feed holes about an inch from the bottom and a bleed hole nearer the top. The outer chamber appears to be soldered to the cylinder top and bottom. The plunger has a small rubber seal on the end, made so that it locates into the end of the plunger and seals much like a clutch slave. The reservoir has a sprung ball bearing type valve that is in good working order.

The rubber seal has signs of wear and cracks, I don’t think it will work as it is, fabricating a new piece of rubber is going to need some thought.

There is still something loose in the reservoir chamber, it can’t be seen, I have a feeling it is a lump of coagulated anti-freeze. I don’t think it will do any harm leaving it in there. If you do want to have it stripped and rebuilt we are going to need to find a specialist, I don’t know anyone who could do this, I think Joe [Chris' go-to man for fixing things like this; see previous post] has done a good job of sealing up the chamber but I am sure he won’t want to take on the overhaul."

It's been such a mission this car and, well, I'm running out of steam even if Chris isn't! So, any thoughts or advice, or does anyone know of a specialist who could take this on, either the rubbers or indeed an overhaul? because the rear suspension won't work (properly) without it and I want it right in deference to Paul Atkinson as much as anything else. I know how important the car is re the Augusta section of the LMC. 

Thanks ever so much and all best cheers,
Mark

[Jay]

My one I found out after reading the user manual was broken, as the plunger had detached itself from the shaft and was well and truly stuck. As you know you can’t see inside the reservoir and it seemed overly heavy. So, I took the liberty of unsoldering the tube to investigate, plus the bottom value holder was sweated in and needed to be removed to see how to push out the plunger. It was full of gunk plus the holes were blocked, if I remember hot water did the trick. Regarding the seal, it seemed to be leather and didn’t stick out so much as yours, so I replaced with a couple of disks of inner tube, but now seeing how it’s meant to be, I may readdress this. After cleaning it out I resoldered and tested it with water using a length of original (brake) pipe, making sure it pumped and held pressure.

Now knowing what I do now, I would screw back the valve, fill up with boiling water and slosh it round, repeat many many times.

[Mark Dibben]

Thanks Julian for the thoughts on the rear suspension; I'll have Ashton Keynes Vintage Restorations take a look. The next problem that has emerged is the car run out of fuel going uphill, sigh!, so Chris is now dismantling the fuel filter to fix. We had talked about fitting a fuel pump, but Chris wants to solve it without doing that so as to keep it original. Then it will come South to AKVR for them to finish off. Thankfully, it's now either too hot for the owner's MS but dry, or the right temperature but wet. So there's plenty of time before I can drive it reliably. 

[donw]

Fuel starvation on steep hills is well known, on an Augusta rally in the lakes a number of us failed on Honister due to not having filled up with fuel before starting that day.

The problem is the carb ends up above the level of the fuel in the tank which with gravity feed results in failure to proceed, turning round & facing down hill instant startup.

[Running Board]

another common mistake on Augustas is not big enough needle valve in the carb , when running at full throttle or up hills etc where power is needed the fuel delivery isn't adequate to keep up , seen this on a few cars with zeniths fitted

[Kari]

Not many Augusta owners know that there is a mesh inside the petrol tank that can become clogged. Unfortunately it's only visible by using a light and a small mirror. Or open up the tank of course.

Also, the parts book lists a mesh at the petrol inlet banjo bolt at the Zenith carburetor. (31-625/41)

I could not find a reliable source regarding the size of the needle valve, but I think it should be 250 for gravity feed and 150 for fuel pump feed.

Karl

[Mikenoangelo]

Awful warning there Karl - if the tank is cleaned and then coated internally to prevent rust surely that filter will be clogged?

My tank  was coated by the previous owner  and looks perfect inside although I have not looked at that filter. I did have fuel starvation problems initially but this was related to an incompatibity between fuel tap and the glass filter and certainly does  not happen now, however steep the hill.

Mike Clark

[Kari]

Well, yes that's a good point. It probably depends on the viscosity of the sealing compound. As it should creep into small gaps etc. it might not clog up a mesh. (I hope)

My tank has been repaired a long time ago and a repair sheet soldered to the bottom and rear. So it was possible to open up the tank and remove all the rust again. I got rid of the mesh in the tank but added one at the top of the glass bowl.

The photos above are not from my tank!

See the Augusta Newsletter issue 3, September 2012.

Karl