Project Dollywobbler's Invacar - Ongoing

[egg]

I'll ask a daft question, could you paint the exhaust to help preserve it as they are a bit unobtanium? 

[SiC]

Surely these are simple enough for new ones to be fabricated by the average person in a shed?

[dollywobbler]

I'll ask a daft question, could you paint the exhaust to help preserve it as they are a bit unobtanium? 

 

Yes, I'll probably do that to be honest. A coat of BBQ paint would probably do it quite a favour.

 

Surely these are simple enough for new ones to be fabricated by the average person in a shed?

 

Don't let appearances fool you. There's a heat exchanger built into it, which adds complexity. It's effectively two exhausts in one. This one is solid enough. It'll do. Naturally, I did briefly run it without an exhaust at all. Has to be done.

[320touring]

Need video of no exhaust running!

[dollywobbler]

Bear with me. I've got Welsh broadband to deal with!

[twosmoke300]

Having a bear with you won't help ! Unless he works for BT

[dollywobbler]

Having a bear with you won't help ! Unless he works for BT

 

Well I don't want anyone getting bare with me. Apart from Mrs DW. No invites otherwise.

 

Noise is located here. https://twitter.com/HubNutVids/status/945744096911659009

[mat_the_cat]

The more I'm reading up on these things the more seriously I'm finding myself wanting one.  Really clever minimalist engineering, which I always enjoy.  It's almost elegant in its simplicity.

 

I started off enjoying this thread because of the oddball nature of it all, together with the unloved aspect of the car. Now I'm enjoying the engineering behind it as well - simple and seemingly designed for a reasonable lifespan.

[Zelandeth]

*adds Rover P5 to the list of cars with a green oil pressure warning light...*

[twosmoke300]

Cabin heater

[320touring]

That sounds filthy! APPROVED

[dollywobbler]

That sounds filthy! APPROVED

 

Neighbour thought I'd bought a BMW motorbike. He was ever so disappointed. 

[dollywobbler]

Poisoning the driver.

 

EFA.

[twosmoke300]

Ha - you may be correct there

[dollywobbler]

Is there really no way you can fit a Cherry Bomb to it?

 

It'd have to be very short...

[PhilA]

A very small cherry bomb would be a cranberry firecracker, perhaps?

 

Sounds good though, excellent on over-run. With a decently tuned exhaust (which the original probably is) I reckon that should be pretty torquey for it's size. Sounds eager enough off load down the low end.

 

Phil

[Zelandeth]

It'd have to be very short...

 

Probably easiest would be to put it across the back like tended to be done with Imps and Skoda Estelles.  Two-into-one pipe then double back.

 

Given the small size of the engine, you could probably fit it all within the space of the original system though.  Obviously then you'd lose the cabin heater...

 

I'd be really curious to cut the failed silencer apart to see how it's put together, give some idea of how hard or not it would be to replicate.

 

Heater could well work okay, ones *when working well* in the old air cooled 911s worked just fine - one in my T25 did too, despite having only one heat exchanger and ducting that was more duct tape than duct.

Edited December 27, 2017 by Zelandeth

[dollywobbler]

Had this running again today. Very merry it sounded too, until I revved it, and then it just stopped running for reasons unknown. Not a sniff on Easy Start, power reaching the coil but nothing further along tested as yet. Very odd. Still turning over merrily. Hopefully the service kit will arrive today, so I'll change points and condenser (still used even with electronic ignition) and see where we are.

 

Also starting to ponder the fuel system. I'm reluctant to refurb the tank myself, so may farm that out, though I might use my new USB borescope to have a peek inside the tank first. Maybe it's not as bad as I'm expecting it to be. *positive thoughts*

[320touring]

I think the approach taken on the Geep fuel tank may work for this one?

[barrett]

I actually much prefer the Mini pick-up lamps. Has been nice to finally work out the history though. I'm not used to owning a car where the history is so patchy. I've no idea who at AC designed the Model 70 (or its forerunner).

It's generally known that Spike Rhiando designed 'a fibreglass invalid car for AC' and as the Mk14 Acedes was the first fibreglass AC Invacar it must be that one - the model 70 is simply a refinement of the Mk14 design although obviously mechanically quite different.

 

I'm not 100 per cent sure I belive this though, as Spike was getting busy working with fibreglass in the early 1950s it seems more likely he was responsible for the first plastic Invacar (mk12? I'm a bit rusty on this stuff) or perhaps the Harper? Certainly the Harper is flashy enough to have come from his fertile mind.

 

That doesn't really help, does it? This is the whole reason I love these cars - they must be the only postwar production cars about which so little is certain. I wish somebody would take the time to carry out some proper research before everybody involved is dead but it seems unlikely. I guess there is lots we will never know.

[dollywobbler]

Indeed. Sadly seems a lot of the knowledge has literally died with the workforce. Shame.

 

In other news, Christmas Part Two! DHL finally found my house.

 

So, I set about servicing. Just changing the condenser got the engine running again. Sweet. Followed that up with new dizzy cap, points and rotor arm, then assembled the HT leads. Very good. Not had to assemble leads before. Hope I didn't do a shit job of it.

 

With that done, and to test all was well, I started the engine and ran it for several minutes to get the oil properly circulating and warmed up. Then it was drained. Then I had to faff about with the stupid oil filter, which is the cartidge type. By the time my spares car was built, they'd sensibly changed to spin-on types.

 

I didn't hold out much hope for the seal on the base of the cartridge, and I was right to be concerned. It was hard, deformed and looked about as likely to form a seal as a paper hovercraft skirt. I was not disappointed, and was glad I'd taken the liberty of disconnecting the ignition before spinning the engine up to pressure on the Dynastart. UGH.

 

So, that's Project Invacar on the skids for a while. It'll need a new seal, and a new housing wouldn't go amiss to be honest. It'd smarten the engine bay up a lot. 

[omegod]

I'd look for a double threaded device you can use to convert to spin on filters, they were a popular mod on omegas, haven't a clue where you would find an invacar one though 

 

P.s don't ever change that marvelous carpet !

[twosmoke300]

New filters usually come with a new seal

[dollywobbler]

This one didn't. I was failed by the Mann.

[SiC]

Could you get some thick rubber sheet and cut one out?

[Zelandeth]

I've got quite a few random oil filters floating around in the "box of bits" for cars (and central heating systems!) that I no longer have, along with assorted O-Rings etc.  What's the diameter and thickness of the seal that's knackered?  I'll have a look and if I've got one that will fit will stuff it in a Jiffy bag and send it your way.

 

Regarding the sudden lack of ignition, my first suspect would be that the condenser has taken exception to being dragged back into the land of the living, and has demonstrated its displeasure by going open circuit.  The resulting sparking at the points has then promptly welded them shut.  Result: No spark.

 

Failing that it's going to be something daft like a wire that's fatigued by time and corrosion that has fallen off - but that should be pretty easy to check as there can't be that many.

[dollywobbler]

It's ok. It's only a few quid for the correct new seals. I've plenty to be getting on with while I wait for them to arrive.

 

I replaced just the condenser and the engine ran beautifully again. Then I started replacing other bits, so it's now had a fresh set of points, a new rotor arm and new HT leads. Given I've got electronic ignition fitted (albeit points assisted) I was hoping that would remove the danger of condenser failure, as the voltage is now reduced across the points, and therefore through the condenser. Perhaps not. Or perhaps it was some other random issue that I'm yet to find...

 

However, it ran for several minutes before I drained the oil. It wasn't necessarily entirely happy, with occasional minor backfires and a bit of a reluctance to idle, but then I've still got a rather iffy fuel supply rigged up from a 2-litre bottle, which was nearing empty.

[Zelandeth]

Just remembered the other theory which sprang to mind yesterday evening when I couldn't sleep.

 

Given you specifically mentioned that there was all manner of organic crud in the exhaust systems, is it possible that something had managed to get dislodged in there and stuck itself somewhere such as to strangle the engine - especially given that it died immediately after it had been revved.

[dollywobbler]

You know, that's not a bad shout. Exhaust is back off again. I was going to paint it, but I just found another bloody hole in it. It's quite small, so I've stuck some JB Weld in it, will paint it, then wrap it in ally tape and hope for the best. In fact, this exhaust HAS been welded! There's a ruddy great patch on it.

[SiC]

Are you still supposed to still run with the condenser with TAC ignition? I thought the box of tricks has it in there.