Project The Austin 2dr 1100 story - Part IV - Now in sharleys hands

[Mally]

Just chuck all the bolts in a bucket.

It's amazing how many you have left at the end!

[purplebargeken]

I have a well thought of HVLP Apollo spray set up that could do with some action. I will likely have retired by the time it's 'get the paint on time'.

 

Just saying.

[SiC]

What is this?

 

Proper old fashioned, quality metal working tools!

 

SiC PM me your address and I'll send you something to help with metal work.

Massive thanks!

[Guest Hooli]

Oh lovely, one is even left handed to get in corners where your right arm won't fit!

[Mally]

Just need a few Dollies now.

[vulgalour]

HAMMERS!

 

You'll be sorted in no time now.  Hammers are great at making problems go away.

[SiC]

Is water a safe, temporary substitute if I want to pump up the suspension again? If I keep having to put fresh fluid in, it could get quite expensive. I'll be interested to see what colour the fluid comes out is and how much rusty, dirty crap.

[dozeydustman]

Hydrolastic fluid is 49% distilled water, 49% 'alcohol' and 2% what appear to be corrosion inhibitors. I think for flushing distilled water would be OK but dry things thoroughly to prevent further damage from corrosion. How easy a task this would be I don't know.

 

http://www.hydragas.co.uk/technical.html

 

Reading around the interwebs some people have used a 50-50 mix of water and antifreeze to fill the system for road use, I can't see this hurting as a flushing agent either.

[Mally]

I used water + 25% antifreeze for Auto grass racing.

[purplebargeken]

 

 

Hammers are great at making problem people go away.

 

 

EFA

[SiC]

Might go down to poundland and buy some cheap, weak antifreeze to lob in. However not sure if mixing that with hydrolastic is a good idea though?

 

I've got some proper hydrolastic fluid coming anyway for longer term.

 

How much does the system take to fill? I guess not a huge amount?

[vulgalour]

It should say in one of the books but that 5l container will be plenty.  I would recommend against fannying about with the suspension too much, repeatedly pumping it up and letting it down in a short period of time can cause premature hydrolastic can failure.  It's best to only depressurise when necessary and repressurise when necessary to avoid stressing the system.  If you keep the system pressurised (even if it's not to the full pressure of 350psi) it has the rust-inhibiting fluid in and will protect the internals of the steel components better than if you leave it empty too.

[SiC]

Just need a few Dollies now.

I don't think Dollywobbler would appreciate being hit with a hammer!

[SiC]

Managed to get a smallish job done tonight.

 

Drained the brake fluid out of the two reservoirs and removed the clutch master, slave and pipework. I used my Gunson easybleed between the master and offside tyre to provide some pressure to force fluid out of the system.

 

Next I removed the pedal box. Apart from wanting to clean this up, it gives much better access to the footwell that needs welding without the pedals being in the way.

 

Brake master I'll remove another day as I'll jack it up so I can remove the bleed nipple on a caliper to drain as much fluid out as possible. Looking at the crusty nipples, I think this may require trying several until I find one that doesn't snap off!

 

I was trying to figure out what metal is left on the subframe mount plate in the drivers footwell. Obviously had some welding here before.

 

Is the thick plate above the rubber part of the subframe mount that is on the subframe side or bodyside?

 

To me that looks like the body side. But I can't figure what the rubber bush in the middle is supposed to be doing.

[sharley17194]

The rubber bit is the subframe mount, the panel is double thickness and should have a strengthening panel welded on the outside. 

 

Its fairly easy to recreate with flat steel.

[Noel Tidybeard]

Oh lovely, one is even left handed to get in corners where your right arm won't fit!

 

but it is plain to see it was used less as it has moar paint left

[Noel Tidybeard]

Just need a few Dollies now.

 

is a citreon 2cv a bodyworking tool as well?

[vulgalour]

I was trying to figure out that mount there too.  I assumed that the floor/heelboard had rotted away so what was being seen inside the car was the back of the mount, much like the other subframe mounts on this side of the car.  Your pictures show it much clearer, wish I'd taken the pedal box out when I was looking now, it gives a much better view and access to see what's going on there.

[SiC]

I still haven't quite figured it out. Don't know if I want to remove those bolts until everything is a bit more rigid on the floor and ready to weld that bit.

[vulgalour]

While the floor isn't in, access for chopping out and putting fresh metal in is going to be easier since you'll have more room to swing a power tool.  You can put the repair in without removing the subframe and that should keep enough strength in everything I'd've thought.  Even if you just tack/ugly weld the repair in it will be strong enough to hold it together and drop the subframe to do a neater job once you've sort of sketch-welded it all into one piece.

[Mally]

is a citreon 2cv a bodyworking tool as well?

 

I'm the last person to ask!

 

[Felly Magic]

Just need a few Dollies now.

 

I hear he loves hammering dollies

[Geep]

AUSTIN MORRIS 11/1300 FRONT SUBFRAME MOUNTS N.O.S

 

 

You are looking at a full set of New Old Stock Front Subframe Mounts that fit all 1100/1300 ADO16 Cars

 

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/austin-morris-11-1300-front-subframe-168459622

 

Picture is a bit small but may help identify what it looks like? There is also this:

 

AUSTIN MORRIS 1100 1300 1963-1974 NEW FRONT SUBFRAME MOUNTING (RJ034)

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUSTIN-MORRIS-1100-1300-1963-1974-NEW-FRONT-SUBFRAME-MOUNTING-RJ034/223059859788?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D49129%26meid%3D88ad818a7cfd4b6c82d5619f77ae2f56%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D281678187499%26itm%3D223059859788&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

Another here

 

AUSTIN MORRIS 1100 1300 1963-1974 NEW FRONT SUBFRAME MOUNTING (RJ034)

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUSTIN-MORRIS-1100-1300-1963-1974-NEW-FRONT-SUBFRAME-MOUNTING-RJ034/272919388587?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D49129%26meid%3D3cef291dc8814dea94773ade4b069982%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D223059859788%26itm%3D272919388587&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

I would say you can remove that mount to attend to the floor then reattach to get the position of the holes. The subframe is held by other mounts so won't move with taking off one mount. The frame itself acts as a sort of jig for positioning. Not sure about any reinforcing on floor but it won't be very thick if there is any. Check other side once you have mount off to see if there's any obvious double skinned panel behind mount. 

[SiC]

Yeah I was looking through eBay trying to figure out what the mount itself looked liked. It almost looks like the mount is bolted to nothing! The other side has been welded before and of course no guarantee its the correct design now.

[SiC]

If you take one of these:

£28 delivered next day. Search water pressure tester on eBay/Amazon. I ordered this one in particular as I could have it delivered to a local Amazon locker guaranteed next day for the same as the red ones that have no set date to be delivered.

 

And one of these:

Schrader 556 - cheapest in the UK I found here: https://www.lasaero.com/products/article/N04HO75SL

£38 delivered. Usually used for coupling to aircraft tyres to inflate them. Made by the actual company who invented Schrader valves.

 

Finally, not one of these:

This is a 1/4" BSPT to 1/8" NPT. However the end is tapered. The cheap Chinese hose appears to be BSPP which is straight thread. I bodged it for now by adding extra fibre washers and tightened up really tight. For replacement I've ordered this: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F131438350522

£3 delivered.

 

 

Screw it all together.

 

You get this:

 

Which can do this! Quite comical when it's deflated. Looks like some low-riding yank tank.

 

Fluid started coming out clean. Oily/dark looking water suddenly started being ejected and mixing.

 

Then it went a bit disgusting near the end.

 

It can also pump it back up again. Right now with water as my new fluid is at work.

 

Might have put too much in this side as the top of the hydrolastic strut is looking a bit bulging out. Both sides read 100psi originally. Not sure how true that is as the gauges are known to lie. But there is also no engine weighting it down either and increasing pressure. Didn't take too many pumps to bring it back up either. I pumped that side up to 200psi indicated as it seemed lower at that level than the other. I remembered then that the drivers tyre was flat. So I pumped that back up to resume correct height!

 

I think I have read that Hydrolastic can operate around 400psi or so. If that is the case them I'm not too worried about the pressure being a bit higher for now. Plus tomorrow I can bring the proper fluid home to drain and refill this. At least this gives it all a bit of a flush through.

 

Whole lot all in was about £70. You can buy them ready made here - which influenced my design (i.e. I copied):

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F352405947560

 

A fair bit more expensive but everyone needs to make a living and it's ready to go as a unit. I'm just too cheap to do that though.

 

Only thing it doesn't do is vacuum the system out. However apparently you can get away with just slightly over inflating it, leaving it and then letting some out. I reckon though another pump could have its input modified to act as a vacuum pump.

 

However its alright as it is for now. A very useful tool to have. If necessary it can get me to a local garage safely for a full hydrolastic service.

[SiC]

The reason for me deflating the suspension was to replace this Schrader valve. Unfortunately this has a very slow leak from it.

 

Which I failed miserably at removing.

 

Tried a deep socket. Just slipped. Tried a crows foot. Just rounded the head off. Tried mole grips. Just made even more of a mess.

 

I can't get the pipe undone either. If I could, I can send it off to just be rehosed and sorted.

 

Any suggestions?

 

I'm tempted to ignore it for now. I want to get it sorted before the engine goes in though as it's much easier to work on without it in the way. The pipe not undoing also precludes me from dropping the front subframe completely off.

[vulgalour]

That valve *should* have come out easily but it was being a right bastard.  Someone has been Bodgey Mcbodgepants and had filled the valve itself with what seemed to be fibreglass resin which I foolishly poked and unseated, causing the leak.  There's no way it should be as tight as it is.  If you can, undo the union on the solid pipe side and remove the hydralastic can from the car, that way you can remove the valve by putting the big bit it goes into in a vise and get a proper BFO bar on it or something.

 

We didn't want to risk putting too much force in for fear of twisting and shearing the pipes, since that's what the Princess did and those fittings were nowhere near as tight as this one.  The purple and green colour scheme did make me wonder if Bruce Banner worked on it at some point.

[SiC]

I tried undoing that fixing that holds the hose to the front-rear pipe but that's pretty stuck solid too. I was worried about forcing that pipe too much and snapping it. Then I'll be in deep doo-doo as I believe those people pipes have long been NLA.

 

Right now though the valve appears to have stopped leaking. Not sure how or why it has but nothing dribbled out after disconnecting the coupling. Could have been that the actuation of the valve has cleaned it. Or that it's pumped up higher than it should.

 

Some right crap came out of it though. There were bits even floating around too. Almost like wooden splinters or something like that.

 

One weird thing I found at the time was that slightly undoing the Schrader valve actuator (i.e. the knob on top that pushes the middle) actually increased flow. It did actually stop draining when fully on but then started again when loosened off. Writing that however has made me think that the bits of black stuff floating in the drain chamber may have clogged the valve. By backing off the control, there is more room for any crud lodged in it to pass through.

 

Maybe I've been lucky and cleared out whatever was gumming up the valve and it's now stopped it leaking? I.e. something sitting on the valve seat that didn't allow the valve to fully seat properly. I've put a bit of kitchen roll over the valve and done the cap up over it. That way I can check tomorrow and see if it's wet again. Fingers crossed it stays dry!

[iainrcz]

My grandad Sid had one of these, it was like pale / powder blue colour as I recall.

 

Erm..

 

Carry on.

 

Sent from my VFD 710 using Tapatalk

[purplebargeken]

Is there any magical fluid to flush this type of system out perhaps before refilling with the correct devils brew?