Project Dollywobbler's Invacar - Ongoing

[dollywobbler]

Suitably period looking push button in place, generic 12V washer pump under the dash...job done?

 

Sadly I've only got one good washer pump and it's attached to the car that's being fixed. Got several broken ones though of three different types. Looks like it's a control that came under the "whatever we got cheap this week" heading.

I don't actually like electric pumps. Maybe I'm just being daft. It'd be easy to wire in. I could even do it by foot...

[PhilA]

Foot pump? Plenty of mechanical ones available.

 

Advantage- plenty of oomph to get water onto the screen.

 

Disadvantage- if you need an Invacar with hand controls, chocolate teapot

 

 

Phil

[Remspoor]

It'd be easy to wire in. I could even do it by foot...

 

Now theres cleaver for you.

[dollywobbler]

Got lured out for a 25-mile drive to Machynlleth today. Was quite a nice day apart from the terrifying gusts.

 

I went there to collect an aware. 'Most Unique Vehicle.' While that'll make the grammar police's teeth itch, I appreciated the nod. It was after going on a road run, with a couple of hundred cars, back in September.

 

So, 50 miles in all, same horrific hill-climbing moments, down to 20mph in places. Driving an Invacar certainly isn't easy! Just in case Zel has any more silly ideas about driving all over the country.  

[Cavcraft]

Congrats!

[richardmorris]

I’ve watched the vid.

Can I recommend solar battery conditioners? Aldi had them af £20 and it seems to have kept the fiat and 2cv topped up despite a few months inactivity.

[dollywobbler]

Haven't those solar conditioners been provided to be bunkem? I'm using one of the batteries Cobblers gave me, so maybe they're not designed for sub-zero temps. Or maybe I've just hammered the crap out of it...

[Zelandeth]

Driving an Invacar certainly isn't easy! Just in case Zel has any more silly ideas about driving all over the country.

Never claimed I was sensible!

 

If I was I'd have taken up a nice cheap hobby like stamp collecting by now...

[vulgalour]

'Most Unique' is very Animal Farm.  All vehicles are unique, it's just that some are more unique than others.

[RayMK]

I’ve watched the vid.

Can I recommend solar battery conditioners? Aldi had them af £20 and it seems to have kept the fiat and 2cv topped up despite a few months inactivity.

 

Can't comment on solar conditioners, but my '61 Reliant Regal MKVI has a battery off my old mobility scooter so it's at least 6 years old - car type, not Gel.  The car covers a maximum of 500 miles per year these days and frequently has no activity whatsoever for 3-6 months.  The battery is not trickle charged.  The car always starts without difficulty in the 5-10 seconds it takes for the fuel system to prime itself and the dynamo gives the battery an adequate re-charge after 15 miles or so in daylight.  Older cars should not have anything draining the battery when switched off, unlike many moderns which will go flat in an airport carpark after a 2 week holiday.    

[LightBulbFun]

Got lured out for a 25-mile drive to Machynlleth today. Was quite a nice day apart from the terrifying gusts.

 

I went there to collect an aware. 'Most Unique Vehicle.' While that'll make the grammar police's teeth itch, I appreciated the nod. It was after going on a road run, with a couple of hundred cars, back in September.

 

So, 50 miles in all, same horrific hill-climbing moments, down to 20mph in places. Driving an Invacar certainly isn't easy! Just in case Zel has any more silly ideas about driving all over the country.

 

thoroughly enjoyed the video #hothandlebaraction and congrats to TWC for winning the award 

 

BTW I noticed recently when you start TWC theres a slight clanging noise on idle, is that the clutch shoes dragging slightly?

[dollywobbler]

thoroughly enjoyed the video #hothandlebaraction and congrats to TWC for winning the award 

 

BTW I noticed recently when you start TWC theres a slight clanging noise on idle, is that the clutch shoes dragging slightly?

 

Yes. The clutch drum acts like one heck of a bell. Has a beautiful ring to it.

[Squire_Dawson]

A solar conditioning charger has always sounded a good idea to me, as I sometimes leave batteries for months unused. I try and trickle charge them at least every two months, any longer and there's a risk of damage to the plates through sulphation, reducing the battery's capacity.

 

Perhaps time for another Hub Nut product review? Mind you, that depends on the sun coming out in Wales...

[richardmorris]

Haven't those solar conditioners been provided to be bunkem? I'm using one of the batteries Cobblers gave me, so maybe they're not designed for sub-zero temps. Or maybe I've just hammered the crap out of it...

The one I’ve got works, puts out about 13.5v connected up. 19.5 just to the multimeter. It’s also brought a couple of dead batteries up to 12.6 v from nothing. The smaller ones won’t have the current capacity though.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Got lured out for a 25-mile drive to Machynlleth today. Was quite a nice day apart from the terrifying gusts.

 

I went there to collect an aware. 'Most Unique Vehicle.' While that'll make the grammar police's teeth itch, I appreciated the nod. It was after going on a road run, with a couple of hundred cars, back in September.

 

So, 50 miles in all, same horrific hill-climbing moments, down to 20mph in places. Driving an Invacar certainly isn't easy! Just in case Zel has any more silly ideas about driving all over the country.

Just watched that video, and enjoyed it very muchly.

 

I've got into a habit of catching up on your videos while I cook dinner - "tonight on cooking with HubNut. Spaghetti Bolognese with a side of invacar road testing"

 

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

[Zelandeth]

Yes. The clutch drum acts like one heck of a bell. Has a beautiful ring to it.

 

We used to know someone who had an early 80s 3-series BMW which used to go *ding* really loudly when the starter motor disengaged...we never did figure out why.

[LightBulbFun]

going back to the whole CVT gearbox discussion i had here when as I tried to figured out the ratios n what not

 

I was doing some light* reading of the Model 70 manual and it mentions the engine produces peak torque at 3500RPM and peak Horse power at 5000RPM, but I remember we figured out the CVT keeps the engine at 3000RPM until it runs out of ratio at 45Mph, I was thinking shouldn't it be at 3500RPM as such why was it set for 3000RPM? or maybe it was set to 3500RPM in the past and needs adjusting? I dont know if that can be adjusted on such a setup but if it can and if its out of adjustment it may explain why TWC slogs up hills, since she is not at peak torque.

 

just figured id throw that out there

[Zelandeth]

I suspect the 3000 rpm figure is a compromise between power output, torque output, fuel economy and noise levels.

 

Changing the rpm level things sit at would require alteration of either the spring rates or weights in the CVT governor.

 

Remember though that in a car with a normal gearbox you're going to spend a lot of time not at exactly the right engine speed...TWC shouldn't be having quite as much trouble with hills as she does. Power wise there isn't a massive void between an Invacar and a 2CV, but an Invacar is a lot lighter...I seem to recall that she does okay if starting from a dead stop, it's if hitting a hill while moving that she struggles as the system isn't "dropping a gear" as it should do.

[dollywobbler]

No, she really is struggling on hills, even if I stop. Something is clearly not right somewhere. Perhaps it is actually time to do a compression test (not that I have a tester...)

[dollywobbler]

This is the Invacar as she hit 30,000 miles! Had a great hoon out, though the belt system is still shite. I barely have to brake, because the belt drive is so reluctant to turn. Hills are still painful, even the slightest gradient.  Work to be done in 2019.

[LightBulbFun]

Congrats TWC (and to DW for getting her there!)

 

but no Speedo shot?! what a tease! 

 

BTW referring to your 2CV grease video, I was reading the Model 70 manual and it mentions model 70s also have a few grease points, although helpfully* it does not mention when you should grease said points...

 

 

(also referring to your 2CV video, TWCs MOT is up in march too isn't it? at least she is MOT exempt so you cant wait a little bit before booking her in for her second MOT )

[dollywobbler]

I forgot to take a photo...

 

I did shoot some video of the magic moment though.

[LightBulbFun]

Looking forward to seeing that

 

I do wonder whats up with the transmission, especially since when you lubed it up and put the "HP2020" belt on she seemed to actually roll.

 

I wonder if the properties of the belt has changed as its broken in, so the distance thingy needs readjusting or if it just needs more lube... (Thats what she said?!) 

[dollywobbler]

I may try lubing the pulley shafts again. To be honest, they're not in great nick, but what are you going to do? I've not found pulleys exactly sitting on the shelf for them. I could maybe try pulleys off something else, but would they fit? Would they behave correctly? I've ruled out just buying another transmission as you need somewhere to put the sodding things, and there's no guarantee that pulleys would be any better.

[LightBulbFun]

im curious whats wrong with the pulleys exactly? and is it possible to clean them up or take them to a shop and have em smartened up a bit?

 

failing that, maybe put on some Ski goggles and give a snowmobile forum a shout and see what they say?

[dollywobbler]

I'm curious myself, but the belt drive is not functioning correctly. Unless the gearbox is f*cked. That's a possibility

[LightBulbFun]

I'm curious myself, but the belt drive is not functioning correctly. Unless the gearbox is f*cked. That's a possibility

 

im wondering myself if bits of rust or whatnot on the shafts is preventing the pulleys from moving around properly? (or maybe its something to do with the CVT weights?) is it possible to completely disassemble the pulleys and give everything a good polish?

 

I should probably shut up at this point since I dont really know what im on about at this point, im just eager to see TWC running properly

[Zelandeth]

Has anyone actually managed to find a proper exploded diagram of the bits of the CVT setup yet?

 

I did have a rummage around when you started having issues, DW but didn't turn up anything better than the manual.

[LightBulbFun]

theres some pretty good diagrams in this manual for the Transmission I think? http://www.vintagesnow.com/Clutch_files/SalsburyShopManual.pdf

[LightBulbFun]

check out the coloured brochures here! http://www.6x6world.com/forums/content/section/299-salsbury-torque-converter.html shame they are a bit low rez

 

I found googling "SALSBURY TORQUE CONVERTERS" seems to pull up a good amount of info on the whole CVT transmission side of things  (including some NOS pulleys no idea if they are of the right type however)