Six Cylinders Motoring Notes

[Six-cylinder]

Today was a @Slowsilver afternoon. First was cure a misfire the Metro had developed coming back from BL day, turned out to be the points had closed to 8/1000 inch, a reset and test drive solved that one. The front o-s bumper was rattley as the bolt insert had broken away from the plastic corner bumper. A fuel hose clip and glue seems to have resolved the problem but we still need to see how long the repair lasts.  The Metro showed low antifreeze strength and was a strange colour so it had a cooling system drain. New antifreeze at 33% and it is all fit.

Next was the Rolls Royce, it came without a jack and originals are rare, old and expensive so I opted for a hydraulic bottle jack. I selected the 10 ton one not because the car is that heavy but it is taller at min height as a starting point for lifting the car. Slowsilver performed an experimental lift and we were happy it does the job. Next to fit it under the bonnet in the jack storage spot and again it fits nicely. We rubber covered the jack storage base plate with thick rubber and drilled holes for the tie down straps but ran out of time today so that will have to be finished another day.

[Saabnut]

Are you sure the Royce does not have built in jacks? Both of mine do and I thought it was standard.

[Six-cylinder]

33 minutes ago, Saabnut said:

Are you sure the Royce does not have built in jacks? Both of mine do and I thought it was standard.

I believe that was not introduced until 1934 and mine is a 1933 chassis.

[beko1987]

We need to wash the rolls one day... It also wants paste wax, none of this modern ceramic bollocks 👌

I assume it's about 47% waterproof though? 

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, beko1987 said:

We need to wash the rolls one day... It also wants paste wax, none of this modern ceramic bollocks 👌

I assume it's about 47% waterproof though? 

Yes the carpets are wet!

It definitely could do with a clean as it still has Sahara sand over it and now bits of tree as well, looks like it is time for it to go away for the winter next week.

[Saabnut]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

I believe that was not introduced until 1934 and mine is a 1933 chassis.

Makes sense as mine are 34 and 35

[beko1987]

46 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Yes the carpets are wet!

It definitely could do with a clean as it still has Sahara sand over it and now bits of tree as well, looks like it is time for it to go away for the winter next week.

OK can you get that vax and it's wet kit together I know you have? Otherwise I can bring something, although I've lent the big Numatic out to a neighbor, that'd be overkill anyway though (we'd only need the wet float tank and the hose as a minimum) 

[Six-cylinder]

After I bothered you for advice if this wet Vac would work for me I have never used it!

I can't find a narrow end and can't remember if it came with one. Also I remember buying some upholstery cleaner but can't find it.

[Talbot]

owning that exact vax, I can offer information on that:

You're missing the water/detergent delivery pipe (it looks like screenwash hose) which comes from the black port above the vacuum hose, and that isn't the washing head, it's the dry vacuum head.

It does look like you have the clean-water tank installed rather than the dry-vacuuming filter, which is a good step, but there are definitely still bits missing.  I'll get a photo of the correct setup when I get in later.

... I say "correct".. it's actually a lash-up using a 6131 body but with a 402 washing head on it.  It works.  Turns out the "correct" 6131 washing heads (and the 402 head) are NLA and no-one makes them any more.

You can still get, and for car upholstry is probably ideal, a narrower washing head (about 3" wide) which does a brilliant job.  But you still need the clean water pipework from the VAX to the head.

[beko1987]

For now just a sucky wet vac to clean up the inevitable will do, but it needs the float insert for that. 

I'll make your neighbors hate you and fetch my Aquavac 620 down from the loft, or bring the cordless sealey

That random bent pipe is for your Henry 👍 As Mr T says, that's dry suction only in that setup, you got a bag for life stuffed buried somewhere with the rest of it? 

[Talbot]

1 hour ago, beko1987 said:

Mr T

😁

I hadn't considered being referred to as Mr. T before now.

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, Talbot said:

owning that exact vax, I can offer information on that:

You're missing the water/detergent delivery pipe (it looks like screenwash hose) which comes from the black port above the vacuum hose, and that isn't the washing head, it's the dry vacuum head.

It does look like you have the clean-water tank installed rather than the dry-vacuuming filter, which is a good step, but there are definitely still bits missing.  I'll get a photo of the correct setup when I get in later.

... I say "correct".. it's actually a lash-up using a 6131 body but with a 402 washing head on it.  It works.  Turns out the "correct" 6131 washing heads (and the 402 head) are NLA and no-one makes them any more.

You can still get, and for car upholstry is probably ideal, a narrower washing head (about 3" wide) which does a brilliant job.  But you still need the clean water pipework from the VAX to the head.

 

1 hour ago, beko1987 said:

For now just a sucky wet vac to clean up the inevitable will do, but it needs the float insert for that. 

I'll make your neighbors hate you and fetch my Aquavac 620 down from the loft, or bring the cordless sealey

That random bent pipe is for your Henry 👍 As Mr T says, that's dry suction only in that setup, you got a bag for life stuffed buried somewhere with the rest of it? 

Yes it is a 6131T. I remember buying it as a fully working wet Vac all parts included from a school in Quainton. I sent @Mrs6C to mine out our cupboard under the stairs and look what she found!

[Talbot]

Thaaaat's better.

Keep close eye on that wet wash head.  They are unobtanium now.

[beko1987]

Sweet! 

I mean we could go all the way but if you could keep the crevice tool, maybe the flat small grey tool and the wet tank out we shouldn't need anything else. 

If it's nice enough you could be set up to do the mats and put the stripes in them, but I'd say it's too late in the year to want to dampen the interior unless we get really lucky. 

I just want something to quickly clean out any large leaks! Will only use the open hose on the bodywork but if it goes in it'll go in 😂

Then you can do the hearth rug on Sunday. Somewhere I've got the rare optional. spinney turbo washing attachment for those. One day I'll be done with it and you can have it (if it survives) 

[Six-cylinder]

16 minutes ago, Talbot said:

Thaaaat's better.

Keep close eye on that wet wash head.  They are unobtanium now.

Yes I will hide it next time you visit!

[Talbot]

Rather than a vicious thread fork into washing vacuum cleaners... @beko1987 there was a couple of posts I put in your vacuuming thread about this very issue...

[hairnet]

3 hours ago, Talbot said:

😁

I hadn't considered being referred to as Mr. T before now.

comment i was gonna make but no

[Six-cylinder]

8 hours ago, beko1987 said:

I assume it's about 47% 25% waterproof though? 

Alerted to wet carpets @Mrs6C went to investigate and found the openable air vent on top of the scuttle was designed to accept some water but had a rubber collection trough with a metal drain tube. It turns out this was totally blocked with long term debris so water spills out into the cabin. The carpets have been removed and are drying out, but smell. Mrs6C poured water into the vent and now you can hear it landing under the car.

[hairnet]

beast

[hairnet]

404 not in the field shock

[beko1987]

If the carpets are easy to dry indoors and refit I can bring my drill brushes whilst we have means to extract it out then you refit when dry. 

Would they take hanging on the wall and a mild pressure washing do you think? They don't look 1920s to me... 

[Six-cylinder]

5 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

If the carpets are easy to dry indoors and refit I can bring my drill brushes whilst we have means to extract it out then you refit when dry. 

Would they take hanging on the wall and a mild pressure washing do you think? They don't look 1920s to me... 

Carpets are not ancient but still not new, I think they will need to be treated gently.

[Six-cylinder]

25 minutes ago, hairnet said:

404 not in the field shock

Error 404  runs and drives but the servo is not working so the brakes are very heavy. Do I buy the expensive repair kit or the very very expensive new servo is the question I am pondering.

[beko1987]

3 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Carpets are not ancient but still not new, I think they will need to be treated gently.

Fair enough. I did the allegro ones for andyrew with the same vax machine (6150sx but their the same) and a hand brush and G101. I could bring the Vorwerk VK150 over and Kobosan and we damp particle encapsulate/freshen the fuck out of them inside? They don't get wet then

[Mrs6C]

28 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

had a rubber collection trough with a metal drain tube

It's a metal (copper? aluminium?) collection tank with an open trough at the lower forward side, with a metal drain pipe about 1 1/2" long connected to its base. A flexible rubber pipe fits over this and leads down to join onto a fixed copper drain tube in the footwell. That leads away to below the car. The trough was full of wet black debris and  the lower copper pipe was blocked with the same. Water was backed up and seeping out from the top joint of the rubber hose and running into the footwell, which gave the game away...

The inside of the trough is just about accessible to clean out from underneath, if you are flexible and have small hands! I imagine the smallest stableboy was tasked with cleaning it out, back in the day...

The hole in the trough for the metal drain pipe connection seems about half the diameter of the drain pipe. I imagine this blocks easily too.  It wouldn't hurt to use a vacuum cleaner with a narrow and very bendy pipe to get any more debris out of the trough, when it has dried out inside.

[beko1987]

11 minutes ago, Mrs6C said:

It's a metal (copper? aluminium?) collection tank with an open trough at the lower forward side, with a metal drain pipe about 1 1/2" long connected to its base. A flexible rubber pipe fits over this and leads down to join onto a fixed copper drain tube in the footwell. That leads away to below the car. The trough was full of wet black debris and  the lower copper pipe was blocked with the same. Water was backed up and seeping out from the top joint of the rubber hose and running into the footwell, which gave the game away...

The inside of the trough is just about accessible to clean out from underneath, if you are flexible and have small hands! I imagine the smallest stableboy was tasked with cleaning it out, back in the day...

The hole in the trough for the metal drain pipe connection seems about half the diameter of the drain pipe. I imagine this blocks easily too.  It wouldn't hurt to use a vacuum cleaner with a narrow and very bendy pipe to get any more debris out of the trough, when it has dried out inside.

I've got a spare miele micro hose attachment, I'll try to remember to bring it.

It's a spare, there's another inside my full Vario boxed car cleaning kit, in the turbo head and extra long crevice tool. Never used it... 🤣

Or the blower we use at the FoD... That'll both clear it and test the strength of the rubber 😂

[richardmorris]

14 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

I've got a spare miele micro hose attachment, I'll try to remember to bring it.

It's a spare, there's another inside my full Vario boxed car cleaning kit, in the turbo head and extra long crevice tool. Never used it... 🤣

Or the blower we use at the FoD... That'll both clear it and test the strength of the rubber 😂

Is there a YouTube opportunity in vaxing a 90year old motorcar?

[Six-cylinder]

14 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Is there a YouTube opportunity in vaxing a 90year old motorcar?

None at all, the house maid has to do it with a brush on this age of vehicle!

[richardmorris]

Just now, Six-cylinder said:

None at all, the house maid has to do it with a brush on this age of vehicle!

@Mrs6C?

[beko1987]

45 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Is there a YouTube opportunity in vaxing a 90year old motorcar?

Very possibly! It's the filming and decent editing of whatever footage I make that I'd not be great at. If any car you tubers want to come and do a video I can try not to swear?