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]

20 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

I take it they're unique? Tab washers are used in a lot of applications, would be a bit surprised if nothing could be adapted.

they look pretty unique to me?

20 hours ago, Andrew353w said:

When you've recovered from your ordeal send me the dimensions of the CVT belt and I'll see if the supplier of the DAF ones has one to match. Those fitted to Dafs last for at least 30,000 miles and are usually changed owing to their age, not because they fail. May be it wasn't adjusted properly? No insult meant, just a thought. 

quite sure it was tensioned correctly, the workshop manual and the DHSS where very explicit in that its 10.25 inches between pulley centres and when I checked that fitting the now dead belt, it was bob on  details for the drive belt can be had below  Dayco 43-5639 and STY801 are the official DHSS items, the HP2020 is what Dayco themselves recommended a few years back to someone who contacted them looking for a suitable modern replacement (and *touches dashboard of the VDP* appears to be doing just fine in @Zelandeth's Model 70)

On 04/09/2020 at 20:03, Mrs6C said:

Pics to follow in due course, but there was a bit of an impromptu Model 70 jamboree today, when Zel swung by the FoD with TPA. We measured and compared the various M70 drivebelts and confirmed that the Dayco 43-5639 belt as now fitted to TPA and HP2020 belt are the same length at 39 3/8" (1000mm) while the STY801 belt as fitted to Dolly is 39 1/8" (994mm). The HP2020 is around 0.5mm more narrow than the Dayco 43-5639 but this shouldn't make a practical difference in service.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=4785036

 

[auntiemaryscanary]

10 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

the HP2020 is what Dayco themselves recommended a few years back to someone who contacted them looking for a suitable modern replacement 

Well I think I'd be buying a couple of those at that price. Got to have a longer life span than a NOS that could be anywhere between 25 and 50 years old.

Pleased to hear you were able to get repaired and moving again relatively quickly yesterday.

[auntiemaryscanary]

26 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

they look pretty unique to me?

I don't think those tabs would present too much of an issue for someone good at metal bashing/fabricating. I'd imagine the issue would be finding someone willing and able to do a small volume at a realistic price. 

[Jazoli]

You could probably knock something up with a hacksaw and drill and a couple of strips of scrap steel, it’s hardly precision engineering they don’t have to be identical to what there is.

[captain_70s]

2 hours ago, auntiemaryscanary said:

I don't think those tabs would present too much of an issue for someone good at metal bashing/fabricating. I'd imagine the issue would be finding someone willing and able to do a small volume at a realistic price. 

[danthecapriman]

As others have said, it’s most likely old age that’s causing the failed belts. Even if they’ve been stored well ultimately the rubber and any glues etc making up the belt are just going to degrade from age. 
NOS parts are generally well worth getting but anything with rubber or seals etc I’m wary of purely because of the age these things are now. There’s people on eBay and such selling things like NOS brake hoses etc, which I think are a pretty risky think to be using! 
Modern rubber is generally inferior to old stuff but I think in many cases you’re better off using modern ones and just keeping a close eye on their condition over time. Certainly in the case of any parts safety related or that have potential to cause serious damage.

[Zelandeth]

The age aspect is why I switched straight to the HP2020 pretty early on even though I had a couple of "new" old belts in stock.  Though they (as with a lot of my spares back then) had been very poorly stored so even if they weren't older than dirt I wouldn't really have trusted them.

Only belt I've had fail did so with absolutely no warning - it was fine until it wasn't.  

I've never removed the pulleys when changing belts - in fact it was quite a ways into ownership before I ever managed to shift the retaining bolt in the primary.   Back the adjuster off a bit and it's easy enough to just walk the belt on/off.

[LightBulbFun]

31 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

I've never removed the pulleys when changing belts - in fact it was quite a ways into ownership before I ever managed to shift the retaining bolt in the primary.   Back the adjuster off a bit and it's easy enough to just walk the belt on/off.

indeed I had thoughts to doing it like that, but elected not to in this case for 2 reasons, 1 I did not know exactly how accessible the chain case bolts where, I knew how to do it in theory from your previous posts, but its not something I had done in practice and I figured the side of the A12 was not the time or place to go trying new methods out I, just figured best stick with what I have already done before, and secondary from the last time the drive belt went pop, I knew the centre of each shaft where set exactly as they should be 10.25 inches apart, and I did not want to mess with that  and thankfully I had my torque wrench on me (with this being a 200 mile round trip, I had the foresight to bring my full tool bag with me incase of such a situation as this!)  so with removing the pulley I was able to torque it back up to spec without issue, and the recovery guy was incredibly strong, he was able to grab the secondary pulley and open it up with his bare hands so I could then trap the belt in it for reassembly, thats certainly the one place I would come a cropper if I had to try and do my method entirely by myself and a point in favour of your method

thinking about it I wonder if it would be possible to knock up some sort of distancing tool a bit of flat bar/plate/square section what have you with 2 centring /locating fixtures that you could use to quickly and reliably reset the pulley distance when replacing the belt via your method?

[Zelandeth]

I put a paint mark on the threaded adjuster to mark where it needed to be.  But yes, it would be dead easy to make up a tool for the job - just measure the distance between two set points that's easy to get to (between the pulley sheaves would also be fine) and cut something to size and stick it in the tool bag - or just include a tape measure!

[Zelandeth]

Thinking about it, you could even just use some paint and put a mark at the relevant point on the (17mm?) spanner needed for the adjuster - so your spanner is also the measurement tool.

[IronStar]

@LightBulbFun I think this level of explaining will be right up your street

[LightBulbFun]

8 hours ago, IronStar said:

@LightBulbFun I think this level of explaining will be right up your street

interesting! thats more or less what this PDF I keep linking to says  

https://www.widman.biz/mini_pics/classic-mini-oil.pdf

which is the guide I used to purchase the 10W40 Semi-Sythentic MA2 motorcycle oil I have

tho its interesting to hear that after API SN, they changed things for the better with regards to older engines, tho I'd have to ask with regards to ADO16/Mini usage specifically, if SP/SQ grade oils would still be bad,  just because as I understand it you dont want modern friction modifiers your gearbox-in-sump engines

 

speaking of ADO16's

On 08/01/2026 at 17:39, LightBulbFun said:

although in typical fashion, after I ordered them I then read in the workshop manual that there are 2 possible lengths of cartridge the Automatic can have, dictated by if you have a long or short spring in the filter housing, and I have no idea whats in the car

in regards to this potential issue, in the bundle-o-three oil filters I got, the Genuine AP Products one actually came with a spring in its box  what I find interesting tho is how its waxing lyrical about it being copper plated, I have to wonder whats the significance of that? did they just copper plate it to differentiate it from the other length of spring, or does the copper plating serve some other function?

also what does the card board sleeve with holes in it around the main filter element do? why do some filters have it and others dont?

[Snake Charmer]

8 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

waxing lyrical about it being copper plated, I have to wonder whats the significance of that? did they just copper plate it to differentiate it from the other length of spring, or does the copper plating serve some other function

Identification purposes.

[LightBulbFun]

yesterday had a fairly long day out in the Vandans Plas, mainly helping mum get about to various appointments, but also to see my brother to try and diagnose/fix his washing machine after the font of it got a bit wet from an overflowing sink (sadly the main PCB in the front which does everything had gone bang)

(no i was not parked like this, just pulled forward a bit and then got out for something and took the opportunity for a photo ) 

to the bakery

and other places

took the opportunity to pop to Ilford to pick up a very nice 1960's trough reflector equipped, SRS ballasted, Atlas Atlantic 3, 5ft fluorescent light fixture from facebook market place, (turns out REV is actually more practical at this then the VDP is (especially when your mum is in the VDP's passenger seat)

 and then eventually home, a long day, about 30 miles covered which does not sound like much, but given. i was mostly traipsing around Central London where the average flow of traffic is single digit Mph, its. fair amount! (we set out at 1:30PM and only finally got back home at 9:30PM)

[barefoot]

2 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

REV is actually more practical at this then the VDP is (especially when your mum is in the VDP's passenger seat

Why don't you sit your mother on the back seat with the picnic tables and thread your blubs in diagonally?

[LightBulbFun]

3 hours ago, barefoot said:

Why don't you sit your mother on the back seat with the picnic tables and thread your blubs in diagonally?

I did suggest just that, but she preferred to stay up front (I would say perhaps because thats where seatbelts are, but until I explicitly told my mum about the legal ramifications, she never wore seatbelts in the back of Ubers anyhow...)

I think she just didn't want to have to get out the car and get back in, same reason theres not so many pictures of the VDP from the outside about the place as there is with REV, because when im chauffeuring about theres no point me getting out the car, rather save myself the back pain otherwise!

instead yall can just admire the lovely wooden dashboard and how all the gauges point to the middle with pleasing symmetry  speaking of I had a rummage around the glovebox and found a spare Fuel gauge in there in a Smiths Gauges box wonder what the story behind that is!

 

 

along those notes I was ogling its keeper change history

and decided to do a bit of digging into its history and rather interestingly/amusingly turns out it was available for hire at some point in time!

owned by someone called Hazel

https://www.bookaclassic.co.uk/vanden-plas-princess-london/

who called it Margaret! (Princess Margaret!)

(Speed 60 Mph? thats selling it short I had it up to 77 on the M4 on the way back from Bristol, until I remembered its the M4 theres speed cameras everywhere and brought it back a touch, if I ever get done for exceeding the NSL on a motorway I want it to be in REV  )

Photos tally with these 

On 29/01/2024 at 07:39, HMC said:

Here a a few pic the previous owner sent me (they lived in central london) which further tap into that vibe…

and on the forum Its been owned by @HMC (Twice) @Sigmund Fraud, @Andyrew, @SiC and currently Me   

 

if any of the previous owners have any details about any history of the vehicle im all ears, ill certainly be doing a bit of digging in time  in particular @HMC did you get any details from the person you got it from/how did you find it?  

[SiC]

Removing the back seat might give you a bit more length. There is a brace bar in the middle that will be in the way, but you probably could poke tubier stuff through that.

[Andyrew]

The fuel gauge didn't work when I got the car I'd figured it was the sender but when I was at the 1100 meet with it a nice chap selling bits had a box of NOS gauges mostly the unpopular BL tat by this point, He also had an old catalogue of part numbers etc and after a rummage we found the one listed for VP and he wanted something like 5 quid for it, so a little bargain.

I felt if I didn't buy it I'd end up needing it so bagged it and lobbed it in the glovebox.

It was the sender broken in the end and its "fixed" in a rather questionable manner because it turned out its Ado16 specific and not shared with anything because BL were fuckwits, Its no wonder they had no money.

 

[LightBulbFun]

had another evening out in the VDP helping mum get about the place

]

nothing too exciting, but the VDP has been working well, pushed straight into service without any complaint, I have not even had a chance to see whats in the boot!

 

speaking of figuring out whats what,

anyone have any clue what this thing is? it fell out of the behind dashboard area a little while back, has a single wire going to it oddly enough... (is it a light for something that grounds out via the metal can?)

 

[SiC]

16 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

speaking of figuring out whats what,

anyone have any clue what this thing is? it fell out of the behind dashboard area a little while back, has a single wire going to it oddly enough... (is it a light for something that grounds out via the metal can?)

Erm Mr Lightbulbfun, as an expert on all things in illumination, you're going to find this slightly embarrassing...

...it's a light bulb holder. 😄

[SiC]

It goes into the back of the clock I gave you that I never got around to make it work again. I think I nicked the bulb to replace a dead bulb elsewhere and completely forgot to replace it. The insulation tape is to stop the terminal shorting on the body when the lights are on. 

[LightBulbFun]

15 minutes ago, SiC said:

Erm Mr Lightbulbfun, as an expert on all things in illumination, you're going to find this slightly embarrassing...

...it's a light bulb holder. 😄

hey I did suspect such!. you have gotta give me that!  (Just based on the fact I know automotive lighting tends to be one wire devices that ground out on the bodywork)

14 minutes ago, SiC said:

It goes into the back of the clock I gave you that I never got around to make it work again. I think I nicked the bulb to replace a dead bulb elsewhere and completely forgot to replace it. The insulation tape is to stop the terminal shorting on the body when the lights are on. 

das good to know, I actually popped the clock back in the dashboard today, just because having a gaping hole in the dash was bothering me, Im guessing this is where I find out to get it back out involves taking half the car apart?  

[SiC]

3 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

, I actually popped the clock back in the dashboard today, just because having a gaping hole in the dash was bothering me, Im guessing this is where I find out to get it back out involves taking half the car apart?  

Take the ashtray out and you should be able to get your fingers behind to pop the clock out from the back of it. 

[Zie]

Another stolen from Facebook, 1973 salford area. 

[Mrs6C]

17 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

had another evening out in the VDP helping mum get about the place

I'm glad this one has turned out to be a useful member of the fleet. Has your Mum had a go at driving it yet?

[LightBulbFun]

2 hours ago, Mrs6C said:

I'm glad this one has turned out to be a useful member of the fleet. Has your Mum had a go at driving it yet?

Yeah I may be over doing it bodily wise, but it gives me the warm and fuzzies knowing I am able to help out like this  things like "oh this will have to wait till after the weekend" "or I could take you out now in the VDP and get it sorted now" and also gives me the warm and fuzzies in justifying the expense purchasing it and PITA wrangling parking for it was!

Mum's not had a drive of it yet, but it will probably happen before not too long! she already asked for a tour of the controls and insisted a few trips ago in filling it up with petrol 

which was not a bad shout, managed to get 36.2L into a nominally 36L Tank... #cuttingitfine

 

 

also for @Six-cylinder the other day a small lightbulb went off in my head and sure enough, checked my photographs from when I picked up REV in late 2024

an unknowing ominous sign of things to come! 

[Six-cylinder]

I hope you are not going to bully me like Colin does with his VP1300, about me having a poverty spec Morris and no leather and wood!

Any other ADO16 owners or even likers "Drive it Day" 26 April 2026 there is a Spring gathering at the Oxford Bus Museum that LBF, Colin and I are planning to attend.

[SiC]

I suspect you've driven the VP more miles than I ever did when owning it!

[Snake Charmer]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

I suspect you've driven the VP more miles than I ever did when owning it!

Regular use will do it good. 👍

[SiC]

31 minutes ago, Snake Charmer said:

Regular use will do it good. 👍

I agree! My problem is the lack of time 😕