Project Rusty Triumphs in Scotland - Dolomite in "most reliable" shocker - 08/02/24

[Squire_Dawson]

Strewth, you got a good draught on that stove! That could power the Titanic.

[junkyarddog]

Very enjoyable video.

 

Looking forward to part 2.

[SiC]

I really enjoyed it to. Cat got halfway, got bored and disappeared off though.

[HMC]

Great vid, bonus stag content (non triumph)

[captain_70s]

Part 2 (plot twist, nothing eventful happens)

 

 

Over the three days (Mon-Tue-Wed) I got a combined 10 hours of sleep and had to be up at 5:30am for work on the Wednesday. One of the main reasons I take the mountain roads up/down the country is because the motorway route (up to Aberdeen and then head West) is so boring and tedious I run the risk of falling asleep.

 

The Dolomite is fairly comfy but does make my left shoulder sore over prolonged periods, although this is due to my left shoulder having some odd problem which flares up if I'm driving anything which requires me to keep both hands on the wheel most of the time. It eats up poor road surfaces far better than the Acclaim, which is quite crashy over bumps.

 

I need to pull the rocker cover off and have a nose around as there is a distinct growl from the engine which seems to be top end and I reckon is probably bad wear on the second hand rocker assembly I fitted some years ago. I reckon the engine is developing poor oil pressure and starving the top end as they can run a bit too dry even at the best of times and it seems to sound better immediately after I pour fresh oil in the top.

It didn't actually burn through as much as I expected it to, although it was fairly rare for me to be off power on this trip due to hilly terrain.

 

Starting the car is a bit odd, over the course of the trip it varied wildly. If it was dead cold it'd take a load of cranking (as in the first video) and will only fire with careful feathering of the choke and throttle. If it'd been running and left to cool it'd fire up after less cranking with a bit of throttle, when up to temp it'd start on the button no throttle required. I reckon it is running lean so will give the mixture a tweak in the rich direction, also going to order a carb rebuild kit, because why not? Ignition timing is set correctly (although orl modern fuels r shit) and the vac advance is working.

[Broadsword]

Very nice videos. I love your care free ambition, taking the Dolomite on such a long trip at the drop of a hat with just a slight hint of terror in your voice at times as you realise what you are actually doing. I agree though that old cars should be used.

[junkyarddog]

Shit old cars can really surprise you at times,

By being not as shit as you realise,or expect.

 

[plasticvandan]

The more you use them,the better they get,you get through the teething problems,and eventually all you need to do is servicing and general tinkering.so many cars on here and elsewhere are a nightmare because they hop from driveway to driveway,doing minimal miles,till the owner gets fed up with its problems and punts it on,and the cycle continues.

[captain_70s]

Seems I planned the trip well, as the snow has now hit.

 

 

I did this when collecting the car from it's garage as well, the following week there was 2ft of snow on the ground and all the road were closed!

 

Random bonus video:

 

 

Was intending to do car stuff today but I slept in and it is very cold...

[Supernaut]

I don't think I've done Glen Shee in the dark. Nor have I done it in such a low-powered car.

 

Well done!

[LightBulbFun]

have to say I really enjoyed those videos

 

 well done to you and the ol Dolomite (the moment where the wind suddenly picked up and the car swerved must of been fun*)

 

it gives me hope for my plans to find an invacar and "daily" the damn thing 

[Captain Furious]

Cracking vids, you have some stones doing that journey, in that car, in the dark with no breakdown cover. I actually felt the anxiety climbing the hill in the first one.

[davehedgehog31]

Very much enjoyed the video.

[Noel Tidybeard]

most excellent "elevator music" in vid 2

 

i kan haz envy of your feeble yellow headlights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

actually no i haven't :mrgreen:

[mrbenn]

You've got balls to undertake that journey in any car without breakdown cover!

 

Great vids, thanks for sharing.

[davehedgehog31]

Regards limited miles on insurance policy, remember the clocks go back this weekend.

 

[somewhatfoolish]

most excellent "elevator music" in vid 2

 

Yes, most fine choonz; are you in possession of my iPod which I lost about a decade ago and had most of that on permanent shuffle?

[captain_70s]

Yes, most fine choonz; are you in possession of my iPod which I lost about a decade ago and had most of that on permanent shuffle?

Doubt it. Had my iPod since 2007 and it was new out the box

 

 

Did a bit of tinkering. Looked over the tappets on the Doloshite, nothing amiss other than a single rocker which wouldn't slide horizontally on the shaft without being pryed with a screwdriver. I seem to recall it being like that when I fitted it so I've elected to ignore it.

 

Valve clearances were all bang on, all seemed fairly oily. More so in the back corner as Triumph OHVs are want to do.

 

Also got the alternator to stop rattling with the addition of some washers.

[320touring]

They vidyahs wuz braw, cheers!

[captain_70s]

Video of rocker action.

 

 

Should probably clean this car at some point...

 

 

Did the Acclaim's valve clearances yesterday morning, only one exhaust valve needed adjusting although I could probably be more precise with my crankshaft turning, they were all pretty damn good anyway...

 

 

It was much more oily in there than in the Doloshite's engine...

 

It is also starting to get cold now, Acclaim always starts first turn of the key!

 

 

The to-do list is still very much populated...

 

[SiC]

Is it just me or is this jubilee clip on the intake manifold really loose?

 

Just thinking if it is and you didn't know, it could be causing some running issues.

[Guest Hooli]

Is it just me or is this jubilee clip on the intake manifold loose?

Loose Pipe.jpg

 

Oversized clip massively tightened up to make it fit I'd say.

[SiC]

Oversized clip massively tightened up to make it fit I'd say.

I thought that at first, but I could see what looked like rust/marks on the pipe that looks under the clip.

[Guest Hooli]

I think that's the rest of the clip.

 

I wonder what the prize from Captain 70s is for whichever of us is right?

[Split_Pin]

Really enjoyed the first video, brightened up a dull work lunch hour very much so. Tense moments on the incline but you had preparerd the viewer well. I'm looking forward to watxhing the next few.

[captain_70s]

I think that it is a jubilee clip which is over tightened to fit.

 

I shall check tomorrow. Whoever guessed correctly wins the smug satisfaction of being able to make out blurry video footage better than the other.

[captain_70s]

The answer is...

 

 

Over-sized, over-tightened jubilee clip on the hose leading to the...

 

 

Brake servo! The hose is actually tight to the pipe at the clip although the pipe itself wiggles around in the inlet manifold. Oh well.

 

I feel these heater hoses may requiring replacing sooner rather than later...

 

 

I then ran the car up to temp, took the air filter off for access and fucked about with the mixture setting until it seemed less shit. I ran the car over to Lomond Shores yesterday with Girlfriend_70s and it was doing it's usual fuckery of stalling when hot and refusing to restart. I still reckon the carb needs a rebuild but the kit is £50 and I'm poor as fuck, having adjusted the mixture the car no longer bogs down  under heavy throttle and seems to pull better.

I also adjusted the choke/throttle linkages and the idle speed so hopefully they are slightly nicer. I had forgotten that a stud was missing from the exhaust manifold/downpipe join and now the "repair" paste has all fallen off it blasts hot air at the carb at idle. Might go some way to explaining the symptoms of vapour lock when in traffic...

 

 

I really want to start of a full strip down to get it properly sorted but lack of any off road parking will continue to thwart that for the foreseeable future.

 

I was going to do the Acclaim's brakes but when confonted with the concept of lugging the car jack up and down the stairs I decided I couldn't be arsed. I have ordered some grease for the wheel bearings and some new wiper blades for it though as the Lucas ones fitted lasted a whole 5,000 miles before loosing their ability to clear the screen. It is still most welcoming to have a car that will start on the first turn of the key on a frosty night after a long shift at work...

 

 

[big_al_granvia]

cant you have a word with andy (cant remember his username on here) see if he will let you use hsi workshop for a bit, ideally use his tools too. You cant work in the street, i have a driveway but with a caravan on it anything other than basic work is a pain. got a mate in bonnybridge with a workshop and 2 post ramp but you can hardly move in there. 

[SiC]

When it was playing up, was it sparking?

[captain_70s]

When it was playing up, was it sparking?

 

Sadly when it was being an arse it was on a busy roundabout, in the dark, in heavy rain. I confess to not leaving the car and simply turning the starter and praying until it restarted and then completing the journey with the choke at the fast idle setting...

 

When I am actively trying to get it to be an arse it isn't one...