Project Dollywobbler's Invacar - Ongoing

[MorrisItalSLX]

I think we need to take a moment to appreciate that we are on page 100!

 

Congrats Dollywobbler!

[JimH]

Everything old is shit and can be improved. The problem is that if you start down the path of improving things the logical conclusion is that you should end up with a Fiat 500 Automatic with some modifications to suit your own specific disability all financed by Motability. It is far more interesting to take the original abortion and try to make it work at least as well as it once did.

 

If you have five minutes can you give the dimensions of the belt? I have one from a similarly silly transmission in an even sillier vehicle that looks very, very similar in size sitting in the store. I don't think the belt failing is the root cause but a new spare can't hurt.

[SiC]

If you want something blue, plastic, electric and operated by hand controls, don't convert the Invacar, buy one of these.......

 

IMG_20181017_110705.jpg

A perfect drivetrain donor to convert the inva' to electric?

 

It does keep in the spirit of what the Invacar is!

[LightBulbFun]

A perfect drivetrain donor to convert the inva' to electric?

 

It does keep in the spirit of what the Invacar is!

 

IIRC mobility scooters these days are sadly* limited to a massive max of 8Mph

 

a far cry from the 82Mph invacar 

 

 

glad to see TWC is running nicely once more, maybe we finally see you tackle an autosolo hill climb combo challenge in reverse gear after-all also bonus invacat? FTW

[dollywobbler]

Everything old is shit and can be improved. The problem is that if you start down the path of improving things the logical conclusion is that you should end up with a Fiat 500 Automatic with some modifications to suit your own specific disability all financed by Motability. It is far more interesting to take the original abortion and try to make it work at least as well as it once did.

 

If you have five minutes can you give the dimensions of the belt? I have one from a similarly silly transmission in an even sillier vehicle that looks very, very similar in size sitting in the store. I don't think the belt failing is the root cause but a new spare can't hurt.

 

Thanks. Someone from the states is sending some belts over, though they seem to have got lost between Heathrow and my house. Customs?

[LightBulbFun]

Was just reading through the comments on DWs latest video and I noticed this one

 

 

im most curious what invacar was that? IIRC TWC725K was one of the oldest known production invacars left?

 

also crap iv got competition in the "race" to find an invacar it seems LOL

 

(also also there was an invacar for sale recently?)

[egg]

Thanks. Someone from the states is sending some belts over, though they seem to have got lost between Heathrow and my house. Customs?

 

Maybe, I think once I got a note from Royal Mail saying, it's at your local depot, but pay duty first before we can deliver it (when I messed up a rockauto purchase)

[dollywobbler]

Was just reading through the comments on DWs latest video and I noticed this one

 

Screenshot 2018-10-17 at 16.37.35.png

 

im most curious what invacar was that? IIRC TWC725K was one of the oldest known production invacars left?

 

also crap iv got competition in the "race" to find an invacar it seems LOL

 

(also also there was an invacar for sale recently?)

Wasn't a model 70 but a 12 I think.

[LightBulbFun]

Wasn't a model 70 but a 12 I think.

 

 

ahh you meant out of invalid carriages in general I was thinking of Model 70s my bad sorry

[Noel Tidybeard]

I think we need to take a moment to appreciate that we are on page 100!

 

Congrats Dollywobbler!  TWC

 

 

FIFY

[richardmorris]

^^^ presumably mr McGregor the angry farmer didn’t come out and shout get orfff my land.

[dollywobbler]

The moments before and immediately after the "some miles later" caption on the latest video must rank in the top 10 funniest things I've seen on YouTube.

 

Its not nice to laugh at others misfortune but "if the transmission lasts until I get home I'll be pretty pleased....." cutting immediately to the camera shaking like it's been duct taped to a whacker plate and the exclamation of "oh crap!" was hilarious.

 

I did at least realise the comedic potential in that. Genuinely, those clips did follow on from each other in sequence! I did have no idea my initial words would be so close to the mark...

[Jon]

I have nothing helpful to add, though I did note your jumper in your latest video, the arm/torso composition of which is a Citroenian nod to the interior of a Visa GTi 115ch:

 

 

Subtle Easter Egg content there, DW. Nice one.

[dollywobbler]

I got sent some goodies from America!

 

Two new belts, some pulley lube and dirty magazines.

 

The belts are actually for a Kawasaki ATV, and are 2cm too long on the outer diameter. There is scope for adjusting the distance between the pulleys though, so I'm going to go for that and give them a whirl.

[dollywobbler]

Chucked one of the new belts on. It was a bit squealy. Increased tension, same, reduced it more than before, same. Decided to go for a gentle drive around the village, silence! There is a prescribed break-in process for new belts, which involves driving gently for 20 miles. That's a challenge around here, but I'm going to rule out the big hills (most of the routes out of the village) and do some more gentle pottering before going for maximum power.

[Cavboy80]

Fingers crossed the new belt sorts out your woes.

Was the Invacar plagued with this issue when in service or is it just age that's brought on this?

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Chucked one of the new belts on. It was a bit squealy. Increased tension, same, reduced it more than before, same. Decided to go for a gentle drive around the village, silence! There is a prescribed break-in process for new belts, which involves driving gently for 20 miles. That's a challenge around here, but I'm going to rule out the big hills (most of the routes out of the village) and do some more gentle pottering before going for maximum power.

So what you’re saying is that if you’re a company that worked on Invacars back in the day, you’re best off being based in Cambridgeshire.

[dollywobbler]

Fingers crossed the new belt sorts out your woes.

Was the Invacar plagued with this issue when in service or is it just age that's brought on this?

Yeah, seems there were problematic back in the day. Mind you, TWC was first registered in 1972, and came out of service in 2003 having covered only 28k miles. This may be the first year that she's covered more than 1000 miles between MOTs! In the day, with the government paying, they just kept throwing new parts at them. Not an option these days.

[plasticvandan]

Iirc they were serviced every three months and had a major service every 12 months.They weren't particularly known for snapping belts,obviously the belts were new then,not 40 years old.

[dollywobbler]

No. Not snapping belts, but I think problems with the pulleys were fairly common - which they resolved by just replacing them.

[dollywobbler]

Well, that's enormously pleasing. Went for a gentle run down into town, trying to stay away from full throttle (not easy!). Delivered some packages, did some shopping and then came home. She's running beautifully! Transmission is bob on - drop to 35mph and you feel the ratios change, which means you can actually get up hills!

 

Feeling much more confident about the drive to Birmingham now. 

[LightBulbFun]

Very cool ("drop down to 35Mph" hehe you know some one is going "wait it can DO 35mph?!" )

 

more scenic invacar shots with bonus indicator light action too FTW 

 

im sure its all coming in a future video but to recap to get her running this nicely after she had a drive belt for lunch, you changed both pulleys and put on an actually new not 40 year old NOS new drive belt? did you use any of that lube?

 

(apart from being curious bugger, im also gathering information/doing research for when I hopefully get an invacar too like I recently read apparently they do have some sort of the throttle linkage thing setup so when you stick a model 70 in reverse it stops you from doing LOL-Speeds going backwards, unless you fiddle with it of course  )

[dollywobbler]

Most stuff explained here. As far as I can tell, there is no restriction on how fast you can go backwards. 

 

I am pretty chuffed right now.

[PhilA]

Marvellous!

 

Nice to see TWC taking on the hills with gusto.

 

Phil

[dozeydustman]

Like the box of goodies, DW. I'll catch up with the video at some point this evening

[LightBulbFun]

Just watched the video with a nice microwave Shepards/cottage pie

 

it was lovely the video that is   (the pie was pretty decent too)

 

she defo seems to be running very nicely as you say im curious does the engine have a rev limiter of any sort? (im also curious what RPM the CVT holds the engine at)

 

since TWC is running so nicely now, is it time to let gorge the cat Mrs DW have a go? I think she earned it after she saved your bacon when TWC ate the drive belt

 

and any plans for a revised 0-60 video?  (after you remove the restrictor of course  )

 

(PS I love the fact that model 70s have both an external "bonnet" and and an internal one, how many cars can you work on the gearbox/engine while inside the cabin? )

 

its just so awesome to TWC the invacar running so nicely now

[PhilA]

Rev limiter is probably when the valves begin to bounce...

 

 

Phil

[LightBulbFun]

I was just wondering since if I understand everything correctly (Ha!)

 

the gearbox stops "CVTing" at about 45Mph and the engine RPMs will have to rise to increase speed beyond that, and if Model 70s have an alleged top speed of 82Mph

 

then that must be one hell of a Rev range? LOL

[PhilA]

Twin opposed engine is a very well balanced layout, so can rev up pretty high without major vibrations.

[SiC]

I was just wondering since if I understand everything correctly (Ha!)

 

the gearbox stops "CVTing" at about 45Mph and the engine RPMs will have to rise to increase speed beyond that, and if Model 70s have an alleged top speed of 82Mph

 

then that must be one hell of a Rev range? LOL

Accelerating in a CVT is quite a weird experience when you're used to the revs increasing and dropping back. Feels like the car is making a whole lot of noise while the speed increases. It doesn't help that they tend to be put in small engines cars and so accelerate slowly.

[Video]

 

The way they accelerate is one of the reason why the market hasn't really accepted them. Also despite many different manufacturers implementing them in their own way, many have reliability issues. Not helped that people expect automatics to behave like slush autos (i.e. with a torque converter).

 

What I have noticed on the later CVTs by some manufacturers is that they do accelerate and drop the revs back. Not sure if they're working differently, or if the control ECU does this to fake accelerating like many are used to.

 

Here is an Audi multitronic accelerating. Note how that the revs still stay in the high range. This is why I reckon it's just having gear changed being faked to make it feel like to the user it is changing gear.

[Video]https://youtu.be/LTGxe0Ztp28

 

VAG have given up on their CVT system (multitronic) now and purely focusing on dual clutch and slush autos. Possibly because full electric cars don't need a transmission, just a gearbox.