invacar LightBulbFun's Invacar & general ramble thread, index on page 1, survivors lists on Pages 24/134 & AdgeCutler's Invacar Mk12 Restoration from Page 186 onwards, still harping on...

[LightBulbFun]

  On 09/11/2021 at 07:05, dollywobbler said:

Wow, I'm well behind here. Exciting times! Really pleased for you.

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Thanks! tis indeed quite exciting! although also I will say quite frustrating (not at REV, she cant help it, she clearly did not quite get the work done I thought she had done but frustrated at the situation in general) I had really hoped to have been able to take her for a drive to my local chippy by now!

and im also quite worried, because stuff like the door issues I am not sure I can solve from home, but we will see! (I can see myself revisiting early parts of Project TWC soon!)

I mean I know its a 45 year old car, so expect issues, just did not expect so many so soon LOL

  On 09/11/2021 at 07:05, dollywobbler said:

Wiper blades - you can indeed buy Mini 10" blades online. I did recently for my 2CV. Pretty sure TWC is running a larger blade than that. 11 maybe?

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ah good to know  most of the Mini blades I came across on my brief search where curved to match the windscreen I presume those wont work!, Im guessing the flat ones would bend to fit the curve of the windscreen when used on a mini?

I did come across an 11 inch blade and did wonder if that would fit (and give me a bit of extra cleared space) good to know it might work  

  On 09/11/2021 at 07:05, dollywobbler said:

Another tip I'll give is that blind spot mirrors are a massive help. Rearward visibility, especially over the shoulder, is hopeless in an Invacar. Try these. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164805129077 

I've got one on the interior mirror and another on the external mirror. I feel so much more confident that I know what's about me now. (did 130 miles in TWC yesterday!).

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ooh good to have a link  yeah will be interesting to see how I get on with that aspect of things, I am glad I have nearside mirror as well as that will be needed for spotting cyclists and the like who decide "ooh he is turning left I know I will undertake him to go straight on and hope he has noclip turned on" LOL

and yeah im quite looking forward to the videos of her recent adventure, very pleased to see her out and about after being dormant for sometime  

  On 09/11/2021 at 07:05, dollywobbler said:

As others have said, I doubt the over-filled oil has done any damage. If it was run at speed and chucked around a bit then yes, the crank could have hit the oil and frothed it up a treat, but I doubt that happened. Good luck getting it started again - TWC likes a lot of choke to get started, though I have to then back it off a bit once she's caught.

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yeah glad to hear the general consensus is that she will be alright from the over-filled oil!

am starting to think I should have also got myself a can of easy start or something such to make my life a bit easier!

hopefully ill be able to get something done today, im up nice and early (thanks to the post man LOL but I have my Jug of 20W50 now , surprisingly heavy LOL)

so hopefully Ill have a bit more daylight to play with etc!

[Crackers]

  On 09/11/2021 at 09:11, LightBulbFun said:

am starting to think I should have also got myself a can of easy start or something such to make my life a bit easier!

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You shouldn't need it, check that the choke is operating properly. You may remember a seized choke cable prevented the choke on my P6 working properly. As a test, you can rig up some cable ties to hold the choke in fully on the carb itself, removing the rest of the mechanism from the equation, to see if it will then start. 

If that's already been covered, then ignore me, I haven't read the thread in full. 

[LightBulbFun]

  On 09/11/2021 at 11:58, Crackers said:

You shouldn't need it, check that the choke is operating properly. You may remember a seized choke cable prevented the choke on my P6 working properly. As a test, you can rig up some cable ties to hold the choke in fully on the carb itself, removing the rest of the mechanism from the equation, to see if it will then start. 

If that's already been covered, then ignore me, I haven't read the thread in full. 

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Yeah I know I really should not need it, but I have the same problem here she developed a sized choke cable, which was disconnected from the carb (but helpfully* not something I was told about until yesterday)

(or maybe sized choke control im not sure which, Adam says cable, but I can see the controls sizing as well, its very difficult to move but that like wise could be the sized cable)

I do very much appreciate the advice  

 

I had another go today with the jump pack and pumping the throttle but no luck sadly, the Jump pack does its thing, so, im pleased about that, but no signs of life at all ignition wise

I think really need a 2nd pair of eyes and hands so someone can crank her over while someone checks in the engine bay to see if we are getting spark and fuel and to operate the choke on the carb

I may try again later today or tomorrow depending how I feel bringing with me a pice of string to tie to the choke lever on the carb and tie somewhere else or bring into the cabin for me to pull on

(id of done it today but I got sidetracked by more important other things)

heres some photos from today, heres the whole roller setup for @Mrs6C and anyone else wondering, here it was just about to fall off, but I was able to catch it before it did and then push it back on the rail, curiously the bobbin roller here is on the bottom rather then the top as it is in the workshop manual

(I did manage to give most of the sliding surfaces a liberal spraying with some white lithium grease which has helped getting the door to slide smoothly so it does not bind up and then fall off)

and I also took out one of the spark plugs, looking quite dark but not pitch black, not sure what to make of it exactly but id say she was running a bit rich when she did run in the past (or was not run up to temp)? (but I dont know if its to the point where they have been fowled up and now wont fire?)

[reb]

If I was closer I'd be willing to come and help, even if it was just to stand over the bay and say things like "well this is a pain isn't it" and "maybe we should XUD swap it?".

[LightBulbFun]

  On 09/11/2021 at 14:32, reb said:

If I was closer I'd be willing to come and help, even if it was just to stand over the bay and say things like "well this is a pain isn't it" and "maybe we should XUD swap it?".

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I appreciate the thought  

(but theres already Diesel swapped Model 70 out there!)

[reb]

  On 09/11/2021 at 14:40, LightBulbFun said:

(but theres already Diesel swapped Model 70 out there!)

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I'd guess a Kubota or similar rather than an XUD?

[Mr Pastry]

That plug looks dry to me, i.e. not enough fuel getting through so you need to get that choke working.  The soot on the plug is about what you would expect from cold/slow running, and the insulator in fact looks clean so I wouldn't worry too much about that. 

As said, you could do with a second pair of hands/eyes - surely there must be somebody within range?  I'd gladly assist but I am 200 miles away.

[LightBulbFun]

  On 09/11/2021 at 14:41, reb said:

I'd guess a Kubota or similar rather than an XUD?

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indeed a 3 Cylinder Kubota lump, installed just because something went wrong with the original Steyr puch engine from what I can gather (shame I was not active back then as today I could of easily sourced them a replacement Steyr puch engine or the parts needed to repair the existing engine!)

its a pretty nifty install still running the original CVT system too, but they cut holes in the rear engine cover for the radiator, which makes me wince a bit given how rare and hard to find/source good Model 70 bodywork is! 

(VAV1L is a private plate its currently wearing, its actual number is MPD553P)

[reb]

That's quite a neat install! I'll bet it does mega MPGs. It is a shame about the engine cover, but I suppose if you've done a swap like that you're likely to keep it as a going concern for a long time anyway so the part wouldn't be available for others either way. I don't know much about working with fibreglass but the holes could probably be filled if need be.

[LightBulbFun]

  On 09/11/2021 at 14:56, reb said:

That's quite a neat install! I'll bet it does mega MPGs. It is a shame about the engine cover, but I suppose if you've done a swap like that you're likely to keep it as a going concern for a long time anyway so the part wouldn't be available for others either way. I don't know much about working with fibreglass but the holes could probably be filled if need be.

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Yeah I get why its was done etc and im sure as you say they could be patched back in so to speak! and indeed I also wonder if it can run on Veg for maximum shite points  

  On 09/11/2021 at 14:48, Mr Pastry said:

That plug looks dry to me, i.e. not enough fuel getting through so you need to get that choke working.  The soot on the plug is about what you would expect from cold/slow running, and the insulator in fact looks clean so I wouldn't worry too much about that. 

As said, you could do with a second pair of hands/eyes - surely there must be somebody within range?  I'd gladly assist but I am 200 miles away.

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thats good to know on the plug front  and thanks for the offer! as always the thought is appreciated  

mum really wants to help but she is currently recovering from a major operation so will probably be out of action for at least a couple weeks

which is another reason im trying to get REV going as I could really do with her being operational so I am able to go to the shops when and as needed, I mean we do try and do as much of our shopping online etc

(thank you @maxxo and all of you delivery folk! yall really are a life saver and to whoever delivers our Morrisons I really do apologies about the 3 flights of stairs!)

but every now and then we do find ourselves caught short on something (a Modern Electric Citroen Ami would be ideal for doing these local shopping trips, but I cant afford one of those sadly and ironically for Central London, theres no electric charging facilities here)

[reb]

When I wasn't allowed to drive last year I got most of my shopping delivered through Asda but occasionally I'd run out of something small inbetween (usually tobacco, milk or bread) so I had to rely on a service called Snappy Shopper, basically a cornershop that does deliveries. It was great, things were a little bit expensive but delivery was only £2.50 and it generally arrived within 45 minutes. I haven't used it in months though because they put the delivery up to £5! I think the last time I used it was to get some tobacco and a case of irn bru delivered to the unit because I was in the middle of something and had stuff outside so couldn't just shut the door and go to the shop. Might be worth seeing if there's a similar thing near you, given central London there probably is, and it's probably more reasonably priced! Strangely enough Deliveroo might be the answer as they're quite reasonable and usually have at least a couple of grocery shops on. In St Andrews Aldi is on it!

[Eyersey1234]

@LightBulbFunI hope your mum has a speedy recovery. 

[BorniteIdentity]

Just catching up here!  

I wouldn't worry too much about what door you exit from - most of us get out of a door on the offside front of a car (!)  Granted, mine have a 100% record of remaining attached to the car - but that's my shortcoming and not yours.

Please stay safe in this wretched thing fine conveyance.  It's a big horrible world out there full of people with all the patience and understanding of an irritable wasp.  I'd rather mince across Hackney Marshes at night dressed as Savile than use this as my regular transport, but to each their own.  

Stay safe.

[Angrydicky]

When I delivered for Asda, I didn’t mind flats with no lift in themselves, but if I thought the customer was taking the piss with the quantity/weight I would refuse to take it upstairs. Unless the customer helped me.

Fortunately, our terms and conditions meant we only had to go as far as the communal door downstairs.

[LightBulbFun]

  On 09/11/2021 at 19:12, Angrydicky said:

When I delivered for Asda, I didn’t mind flats with no lift in themselves, but if I thought the customer was taking the piss with the quantity/weight I would refuse to take it upstairs. Unless the customer helped me.

Fortunately, our terms and conditions meant we only had to go as far as the communal door downstairs.

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thats one of the things I get worried/anxiety about and is when the person brings the shopping I try and hide as much as I can (although I am still needed to help mum unpack the shopping of course)

because I dont want to upset/make the delivery personal grumpy because theres this fairly normal looking 22 year old hovering about in his boxer shorts not helping him with the heavy shopping

which is a fair thing to be grumpy about if you did not know anything about said 22 year old

(my disability is not one thats not really visible, only major external clue to it is that I walk on my tip toes, Im not missing a leg or anything obvious like that)

so I just try and stay out of the way of things and let my mum handle the interaction with the delivery person so I dont make things awkward

[Angrydicky]

It’s easily avoided though, just by making your orders little and often (maybe 3 totes or so) rather than a months worth in one go, like some flat dwellers do.

Not every driver is fighting fit and capable of lugging 6+ totes of stuff up the stairs, and really I don’t see why they should have to. The customer has the choice of ordering less if they are unable to help.

[LightBulbFun]

  On 09/11/2021 at 19:28, Angrydicky said:

It’s easily avoided though, just by making your orders little and often (maybe 3 totes or so) rather than a months worth in one go, like some flat dwellers do.

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Yeah thats generally what we do, they only have to usually make 1 or 2 trips, but I still feel bad about!

hence why I am very thankful for all the hard work you all do  

[warren t claim]

  On 09/11/2021 at 19:23, LightBulbFun said:

thats one of the things I get worried/anxiety about and is when the person brings the shopping I try and hide as much as I can (although I am still needed to help mum unpack the shopping of course)

because I dont want to upset/make the delivery personal grumpy because theres this fairly normal looking 22 year old hovering about in his boxer shorts not helping him with the heavy shopping

which is a fair thing to be grumpy about if you did not know anything about said 22 year old

(my disability is not one thats not really visible, only major external clue to it is that I walk on my tip toes, Im not missing a leg or anything obvious like that)

so I just try and stay out of the way of things and let my mum handle the interaction with the delivery person so I dont make things awkward

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If I was making a delivery and a 22 year old answered the door wearing just his underwear I'd leave everything at the threshold. 

[loserone]

  On 09/11/2021 at 19:39, warren t claim said:

If I was making a delivery and a 22 year old answered the door wearing just her underwear I'd leave everything at the threshold. 

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That too, probably

[warren t claim]

  On 09/11/2021 at 19:43, loserone said:

That too, probably

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Probably not.

[Crackers]

  On 09/11/2021 at 19:39, warren t claim said:

If I was making a delivery and a 22 year old answered the door wearing just his underwear I'd leave everything at the threshold. 

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Depends on the 22 year old!

[High Jetter]

  On 09/11/2021 at 19:39, warren t claim said:

If I was making a delivery and a 22 year old answered the door wearing just his underwear I'd leave everything at the threshold. 

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Can you please state which threshold you refer to?

[Noel Tidybeard]

i would be inclined to believe the rollers for the door are the wrong way round and the bobbin should be at the top

[bobdisk]

@LightBulbFun, Yes definitely,  that roller must be on top of the rail. Look at the other door. Try to get RoverSD1 (made contact yet?) man to help you lift the door back up, it wont stay in place like that. It could even come off while you are driving along.

[Dobloseven]

  On 10/11/2021 at 07:03, bobdisk said:

@LightBulbFun, Yes definitely,  that roller must be on top of the rail. Look at the other door. Try to get RoverSD1 (made contact yet?) man to help you lift the door back up, it wont stay in place like that. It could even come off while you are driving along.

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Agreed, looking at the "workshop manual" photo, there seems to be a stop below the roller. On LBFs photo, I can just about see the stop on top of the rail. How on earth would they swap places though? One good thing, it all seems to be "shed technology"! Getting quite interested in this, am old enough to remember when they were regular sights on the road. 

[LightBulbFun]

Yeah thats what I thought, ill check the other roller set on the door and check the other 2 roller sets on the other door as well

and dont worry after I took the picture, I gave the door a good shove so it fell back onto the rail properly (and when the door is closed its latched to the bodywork so I dont think its at risk of falling off when on the move, but yeah that could be quite exciting!)

I just took that picture to show the exact failure mode if that makes sense!

 

here is the workshop manual for those interested at following along at home so to speak  

DHSS Workshop Manual For The Model 70 Three Wheeler(OCR).pdfFetching info...

[Noel Tidybeard]

just looked at the manuel and your door rollers are deffo wrong way round

[Dobloseven]

  On 10/11/2021 at 15:38, Noel Tidybeard said:

just looked at the manuel and your door rollers are deffo wrong way round

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How on earth would they get like that though? Sounds like it needs what a "Purveyor of classic cars"might describe as a "sympathetic recommissioning". Pity there's not someone local who could lend a hand. We all seem to be a long way away. 

[somewhatfoolish]

  On 10/11/2021 at 15:38, Noel Tidybeard said:

just looked at the manuel and your door rollers are deffo wrong way round

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Ditto. He from Barcelona.

[LightBulbFun]

  On 10/11/2021 at 16:07, Dobloseven said:

How on earth would they get like that though? Sounds like it needs what a "Purveyor of classic cars"might describe as a "sympathetic recommissioning". Pity there's not someone local who could lend a hand. We all seem to be a long way away. 

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Yeah have been wondering! clearly something that happened in the distant past I think but still odd!  I do know she has one AC Door and  one Invacar door, ill have to double check which this one is!

(sadly not been able to get anything done today, did manage to find my ball of string so all set for when I am able do some further tinkering  )