Six Cylinders Motoring Notes - The Italian Job

[Six-cylinder]

Any recommendations for obtaining a replacement starter motor for our VP1500?

The starter has always been a bit hit and miss and the problem was always the first start of the day. I have cleaned all the connections and replaced the body earth bolt, but still the starter was hit and miss. Now it has stopped working with smoke from the wire between the solenoid and motor. The "power in" post on the back of the motor is wobbly.

[ianbmw]

Is it worth taking it up to Willow Bridge Marina and seeing if he can refurb it?

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[Six-cylinder]

23 minutes ago, ianbmw said:

Is it worth taking it up to Willow Bridge Marina and seeing if he can refurb it?

Sent from my SM-A530F using Tapatalk
 

They did the E type, but it was £100 and that seems a lot.

[Slowsilver]

This is the one I bought in April 2018.
Still the same price that I paid - £88.74.
Still working fine.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUSTIN-MAXI-MK2-II-1750-1980-1981-1982-Starter-Motor-Reliable-Tested/253840030029?hash=item3b1a0b794d:g:ljoAAOSw9GhYhxPm
 

[ianbmw]

They did the E type, but it was £100 and that seems a lot.

You must of told him it's for an E type....different pricing structure applies even though the tools,parts and skills are exactly the same

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[richardmorris]

Will a modern one fit? I know x1/9 folk fit a Mazda? One instead which has something like twice the rpm of the original.

[GoGently]

On 10/28/2019 at 6:55 PM, Six-cylinder said:

I collected our Metro today after having a few bits attended to before it gets put away for the winter. Fuel leak from the gauge sender unit, exhaust blow manifold to down pipe and poor running at idle all now sorted. It runs really well and looks good. I had the paint rectified on the front wings and I now have the MG graphics, but I think I am going to wait until spring now before fitting them. 

 

This is how it had ended up before we got it.

Nice Turnaround

 

On 10/31/2019 at 7:08 PM, Zelandeth said:

I wouldn't worry too much as they're not that we'll sealed, water can get back out again.

Far worse in a normal car where any water getting in will tend to get trapped.

 

[Six-cylinder]

5 hours ago, Slowsilver said:

This is the one I bought in April 2018.
Still the same price that I paid - £88.74.
Still working fine.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUSTIN-MAXI-MK2-II-1750-1980-1981-1982-Starter-Motor-Reliable-Tested/253840030029?hash=item3b1a0b794d:g:ljoAAOSw9GhYhxPm
 

Thanks for that.

I was concerned what you said about the bolt holes not lining up making it difficult to do up the bolts so I have decided to have mine reconditioned and andyrew is helping me with that.

[Six-cylinder]

Is it Christmas yet?

[richardmorris]

27 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Is it Christmas yet?

No. 

[Six-cylinder]

[LightBulbFun]

23 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

ohh I hope this is some sort of 3 wheeled tit for tat game between you and Mrs6c, because I know of an Invacar Mk12 that's still looking for a good home

[Six-cylinder]

5 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

ohh I hope this is some sort of 3 wheeled tit for tat game between you and Mrs6c, because I know of an Invacar Mk12 that's still looking for a good home

This is 70% Mrs6C as well so no Mk12 needed.

[LightBulbFun]

14 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

This is 70% Mrs6C as well so no Mk12 needed.

Aww?  

i look forward to hearing what the deal/story is with it  

I noticed its a Wales & Edwards float, I come across them from time to time when searching for Invacar blocks via the DVLA checker

heres a fun little website in the meantime   http://www.milkfloats.org.uk/

[JimH]

On 10/28/2019 at 6:55 PM, Six-cylinder said:

I collected our Metro today after having a few bits attended to before it gets put away for the winter. Fuel leak from the gauge sender unit, exhaust blow manifold to down pipe and poor running at idle all now sorted. It runs really well and looks good. I had the paint rectified on the front wings and I now have the MG graphics, but I think I am going to wait until spring now before fitting them. 

There are some people who claim that the MG Metro was not the best hot hatch ever built. However, we live in a kinder, more tolerant society and these poor individuals can now be treated in secure hospitals until they are ready to rejoin society.  The early MG Metros were close to perfect as a hot hatch and each person who says otherwise carries a small amount of blame for the Golf R. 

That looks absolutely smashing.

[Six-cylinder]

11 hours ago, JimH said:

There are some people who claim that the MG Metro was not the best hot hatch ever built. However, we live in a kinder, more tolerant society and these poor individuals can now be treated in secure hospitals until they are ready to rejoin society.  The early MG Metros were close to perfect as a hot hatch and each person who says otherwise carries a small amount of blame for the Golf R. 

That looks absolutely smashing.

Trouble is I am still loose in society. Without guidance from Mrs6C I would still have my 114 SLi. You know the quiet one with a smooth revving 75 bhp engine and a 5 SPEED GEARBOX!

[Six-cylinder]

Another Friday when my parking neighbours asked does my bum look big in this!

[Six-cylinder]

Our GS is currently on TV!

Sky one "In the Long Run" so far a flash in series 2  Ep 2 and a scene in Ep3.

 

Also parked in the street is our MGB GT in Ep3, blink and you will miss it.

[JimH]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

Trouble is I am still loose in society. Because without guidance from Mrs6C I would still have my 114 SLi. You know the quiet one with a smooth revving 75 bhp engine and a 5 SPEED GEARBOX!

Red seat belts? Tweedy seats? Big round instruments? Nicely tweaked A Series?

Massive, massive hot hatch fails. 

[chaseracer]

A GS at a backstreet garage?  In the 80s?  Now that's stretching 'suspension of disbelief' a bit thin...! ??

[hairnet]

nice sherpa m9 did you rip some bits off it for your coupe

[Mrs6C]

1 hour ago, chaseracer said:

A GS at a backstreet garage?  In the 80s?  Now that's stretching 'suspension of disbelief' a bit thin...! ??

Not sure about the Irish flag hanging up in the back either, as Don the garage proprietor has no hint of an Irish accent... but perhaps there is an Irish-French-East End sub-plot to come...

[Zelandeth]

Your patient is currently on the operating table.

Yep...this needed a clean...

Have a sneaking feeling that tiny nick in the otherwise fine gasket may well have also contributed to your lack of idle.

It's currently enjoying a much needed hot bath in what must be the mechanical answer to a jacuzzi.

Must be doing something as that fluid was crystal clear sixty seconds before that photo.

[LightBulbFun]

it would be interesting to know exactly what that hole in the gasket corresponds to in the carb and see how the missing bit of gasket affected things exactly  

interesting how the fluid turned a blood red colour!

I wonder if that was some sort of iron oxide deposits in the bottom of the carb?

[Zelandeth]

I believe that is part of the idle circuit and would normally be pulling fuel through from the float chamber via vacuum from the venturi...being essentially open to atmosphere there would result in no fuel being delivered.  So irrespective of which circuit that was part of the car would run crap with that gasket breached there.

In any case the idle jet it turned out was *totally* blocked, 140psi from the air line didn't even touch it...has to manually poke it clear with a bit of wire.  So no surprise she wouldn't idle.

Main jet 85% clogged. Couldn't even see the hole in the accelerator jet...yeah, she needed some love.

My new gasket is ugly, but should do the job. 

At least once this is refitted she has half a chance of actually running properly I think.

I hope anyway...rebuilt probably a dozen carbs for myself without any issues, never done one for someone else before though!

[Mrs6C]

It's a special effect held over from Zel's Hallow'e'en decorations!

[Mrs6C]

5 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

I believe that is part of the idle circuit and would normally be pulling fuel through from the float chamber via vacuum from the venturi...being essentially open to atmosphere there would result in no fuel being delivered.  So irrespective of which circuit that was part of the car would run crap with that gasket breached there.

In any case the idle jet it turned out was *totally* blocked, 140psi from the air line didn't even touch it...has to manually poke it clear with a bit of wire.  So no surprise she wouldn't idle.

Main jet 85% clogged. Couldn't even see the hole in the accelerator jet...yeah, she needed some love.

My new gasket is ugly, but should do the job. 

At least once this is refitted she has half a chance of actually running properly I think.

I hope anyway...rebuilt probably a dozen carbs for myself without any issues, never done one for someone else before though!

I have every faith in you and your abilities here!

Many thanks for having done that. If you still have the gasket (broken though it is) then I'll hang on to that as a pattern. It looked very complicated as a design, so well done for having created a new one, especially as the gasket paper we had was more like cardboard!

Your ultrasonic cleaning bath looks very impressive.

[richardmorris]

The baths are great. I have one in the lab at work that sometimes gets used for car parts. Brings old coins up well too!

[LightBulbFun]

21 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

I believe that is part of the idle circuit and would normally be pulling fuel through from the float chamber via vacuum from the venturi...being essentially open to atmosphere there would result in no fuel being delivered.  So irrespective of which circuit that was part of the car would run crap with that gasket breached there.

In any case the idle jet it turned out was *totally* blocked, 140psi from the air line didn't even touch it...has to manually poke it clear with a bit of wire.  So no surprise she wouldn't idle.

Main jet 85% clogged. Couldn't even see the hole in the accelerator jet...yeah, she needed some love.

My new gasket is ugly, but should do the job. 

At least once this is refitted she has half a chance of actually running properly I think.

I hope anyway...rebuilt probably a dozen carbs for myself without any issues, never done one for someone else before though!

interesting, I could of sworn poking the jets through with a bit of wire was one of the things we tried at the FoD

I must be mistaken or maybe it just blocked itself up again once reinstalled (I would not be surprised given the amount of crud in the carb!)

its always amazing how broken/sad machinery can be, and still "run/function" etc

will be interesting to see what sort of shape the REV's carb is in!

[richardmorris]

21 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

interesting, I could of sworn poking the jets through with a bit of wire was one of the things we tried at the FoD

I must be mistaken or maybe it just blocked itself up again once reinstalled (I would not be surprised given the amount of crud in the carb!)

its always amazing how broken/sad machinery can be, and still "run/function" etc

will be interesting to see what sort of shape the REV's carb is in!

When something is so badly blocked though only a full strip down will work. Poking jets often just pokes the dirt further along.

 

edit. X1/9s reportedly often suffer with blocked jets. Touch wood, but mine hasn’t. Mainly because it’s not been messed about with and has always been on the road. Stale fuel can leave a lacquer* when evaporated over time which is what can block the carb jets.