Project Dollywobbler's Invacar - Ongoing

[LightBulbFun]

an invacar is mostly fibre glass and does not rust so by your logic it should be removed from the bushes and saved right? dont want it ruining the scene by sticking out like big blue sore thumb among all the rusting chod 

 

(aka please tell me something is being done to save that invacar? )

[dollywobbler]

Here I am leading the pack (ie holding them up).

[MorrisItalSLX]

Excellent to see TWC out and about once again!

 

In return, have some wiper porn:

 

[dollywobbler]

Excellent to see TWC out and about once again!

 

In return, have some wiper porn:

 

 

Wow! A pantograph I knew nothing about.

[Talbot]

There's still something pretty badly wrong with the transmission. She shouldn't struggle that much on hills. I reckon one reason she's so quick on the flat is because she's going into 'high ratio' too early.

Have you looked at the spring tension in the driven pulley yet? I am really quite sure that both your belt-tension woes and your incorrect-ratio woes are both caused by insufficient spring tension in that pulley.

[dollywobbler]

Not sure exactly what I'm looking for to be honest. The pulley does spring about, and works fine on stands. I've been sent a video of another pulley behaving exactly the same way off the vehicle. But, the fact I've now got a horrible bearing noise suggests tension isn't the biggest problem here...

[wuvvum]

Wow! A pantograph I knew nothing about.

I didn't even know you could get FJ80s with asymmetric rear doors.

[wuvvum]

Fun times (and another crap phone mount).

What was that thing which passed you in the opposite direction at 9:10?

[Remspoor]

an invacar is mostly fibre glass and does not rust so by your logic it should be removed from the bushes and saved right? dont want it ruining the scene by sticking out like big blue sore thumb among all the rusting chod 

 

(aka please tell me something is being done to save that invacar? )

and the Fox is "plastic" too.

[dollywobbler]

What was that thing which passed you in the opposite direction at 9:10?

 

I have absolutely no idea. There were some very odd homebrew kits about at this one. I didn't see it parked up.

[Zelandeth]

The manuals are very unclear about the testing of the spring loaded bits of the governor pulley. To the extent that there's probably a Salisbury written manual somewhere specifically for the belt bits...sadly not found it yet. DW's spare one is seized solid as I recall.

 

 

My spare is now on its way to him...it ain't pretty and is untested, but it's not totally seized up and the sliding "axle" seems to be in okay shape, so it might well work, or it might be possible to make one good one out of the three.

[dollywobbler]

Alas, it turns out your pulley has no springs in it! So, I decided to attack my other spare pulley with hammers and WD40 and did manage to free it up. It feels more positive than the one on the car, so I'll keep exercising it before swapping them over (and perhaps fitting my other spare belt). That said, someone in America is currently sending over some belts he reckons will fit! We'll have to wait and see...

 

The 'Zel' pulley is indeed in good condition overall, so it may yet be useful for spares. As Zel says, the shaft is in good order. Far better than either of the others.

[Zelandeth]

Oops...

 

In my defense, it's the only one I've seen not attached to the car...and I never really properly examined it. Hopefully it can yield some useful bits at least.

[dollywobbler]

Oops...

 

In my defense, it's the only one I've seen not attached to the car...and I never really properly examined it. Hopefully it can yield some useful bits at least.

 

Hey, it prompted me to have another go at the spare pulley I had, so not wasted effort! I must owe you several drinks by now though...

[Zelandeth]

Hey, it prompted me to have another go at the spare pulley I had, so not wasted effort! I must owe you several drinks by now though...

Don't worry about it, postage was only £10 or so. It's more than worth that to me to be helpful.

 

Buy me a coffee or something if we bump into each other at a show somewhere if you want to!

 

I wouldn't be anywhere close to as close to having a functional Invacar myself if it hadn't been for your efforts in rescuing the pair originally anyway...heck, I wouldn't even have *heard* of them for that matter...

[st185cs]

........(and perhaps fitting my other spare belt). That said, someone in America is currently sending over some belts he reckons will fit! We'll have to wait and see....

Don’t forget Ian, I have possibly another couple of hundred of those belts if and when you need more.of them. They appear all to have come from the US.

[dollywobbler]

Thanks. I still have one unused spare here, but some chap is insisting on sending some over.

[dollywobbler]

New old stock belt (already looking a bit cracked in places) and one replacement pulley fitted. Awaiting a test drive, but I need tea more urgently.

 

The Number 1 pulley is from the spare transmission and seems to be operating well on a driveway test. The Number 2 pulley (which drives the wheels) is the old one, which I've cleaned the surfaces up on. My spare Number 2 seems to be seized and the pulley faces were in poor condition anyway.

[dollywobbler]

Well that's odd. It's now behaving like a three-speed automatic, with three distinct ratio changes, including downshifts when slowing! I guess that replacement pulley isn't any good after all. 

[dollywobbler]

Adjusted the tension a bit, which seemed to improve things at first, but the squeal remains after a while, as does the three-speed feel. So I went for a 40-mile drive.

 

That was good fun, though issues still remain. Still, she made it. Transmission is making some horrible noises though, which is driving me towards finding an electric solution. Having a belt drive system made with obsolete parts is a pain in the arse!

[loserone]

Don't do it man. If you go electric you'll regret not spending it on something you can use everyday.

 

Hence, the fox is perfect.

[dollywobbler]

Don't do it man. If you go electric you'll regret not spending it on something you can use everyday.

 

Hence, the fox is perfect.

 

But I could use an electric Invacar every day. Making the Fox practical for the longer trips I often undertake would require major investment and skill. I think it'd be a lot easier to convert the Invacar and it'd then be idea for village hopping or runs into town and back.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Just saw your livestream.  Bad luck, Ian.

[dozeydustman]

Just waiting for the youtube notification HubNut is Live: Mrs Hubnut fits a pulley

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

On the bright side - only 8 miles....... so a nice walk if it comes to it. Will Pulley be OK for remaining belt to make it back home? Or has the pulley itself siezed up?

[dollywobbler]

Just waiting for the youtube notification HubNut is Live: Mrs Hubnut fits a pulley

 

Well, technically, we fitted one each!

 

So, in summary. I went to the Post Office 12 miles away. It sounded horrific.

 

It got worse. Then it sounded like bits were pinking off. Drive belt? Then it all got very flappy, then I lost drive. CONFIRMED.

 

I was very VERY glad I refitted the protective cage that goes around the pulleys. That hadn't been in place for a few weeks...

 

Then we discovered that the second pulley had seized. Thankfully, Mrs Dollywobbler/HubNut grabbed several pulleys as well as tools when she launched her rescue mission. So, we fitted the original drive pulley (the one I took off at the weekend) and a replacement second pulley (the one that drives the wheels). I also opted to refit the original belt, the one that survived the Buckingham trip. Result? You bet! A car transformed. Pulls well, is exceptionally smooth and actually rolls on a closed throttle downhill. Caught me out a few times! Should do wonders for economy.

 

Home.

 

The live report.

[Squire_Dawson]

I am glad you are keeping the Fox petrol, as the Invacar is certainly the natural choice for electric. The Fox is just too useful a vehicle to convert; a van like that is worth its weight in gold and would already be very economical to run.

[dollywobbler]

I am glad you are keeping the Fox petrol, as the Invacar is certainly the natural choice for electric. The Fox is just too useful a vehicle to convert; a van like that is worth its weight in gold and would already be very economical to run.

 

That's pretty much my conclusion. Whereas TWC being electric could only be a plus really. She's not a long distance machine, and an electric motor would be a lot quieter for a start...

[plasticvandan]

Well of course previous versions of the invacar were made in electric form,so the info is out there.

[dollywobbler]

Well of course previous versions of the invacar were made in electric form,so the info is out there.

 

I think some Model 70s were electric. I can see that to some drivers, that would have been infinitely preferable!