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...

[MrBig]

57 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

Glad you captioned this. I just assumed it was your click and collect order....

[LightBulbFun]

5 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

Nothing to lose by replacing the fuel filter to see if there is any improvement- cheap and cheerful fix. 😊 Just check the air filter too for any debris. Sounds like crud in the carb - but try the easy stuff first.

Marathon tomorrow probably why London was busy getting stuff done before the city closes down in the morning.

Oh, oh bugger, this could make things rather interesting for me tomorrow!

[Mrs6C]

9 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

Oh, oh bugger, this could make things rather interesting for me tomorrow!

Avoid these areas...
https://www.londonmarathonevents.co.uk/london-marathon/course

[D.E]

1 hour ago, LightBulbFun said:

the chassis of something very old, and curiously petrol-electric by the look of things?

 

Looks like a Tillings-Stevens drivetrain.

Quote

stopped via the bakery

I cannot deal with the fact that the 00s are apparently "vintage" now, still feels like that decade only ended about five years ago right?

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Yoss said:

Acton shed is so much better than the actual LT museum mainly because it's not set out as a museum at all. It's kind of the overflow storage for the museum. It's usually only open to the public a couple of times a year. 

Here's a few from some of my previous visits. 

This is Mrs Yoss being taught how to not crash Underground trains. 

Very art deco poster. 

 

A row of RM grilles, but proper original grilles with stainless trim and badges that always got stolen. And one can only imagine what is in those cabinets. 

 

Random furniture. 

 

A row of engines all palleted up ready to go should one of the museums fleet of buses need them. 

 

Some fantastic models in there too. This is a cut away of an Underground station, I forget which one. Shows how all the passenger and train tunnels link together

 

And this is a very small scale model of Aldenham works. If you look carefully you can see some tiny buses which show how absolutely massive the place was. It appears to be the size of a small town. 

I'd love to go there, do they have a site with availability?

[Yoss]

16 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

I'd love to go there, do they have a site with availability?

Their website says the next open weekend is 3rd to 5th July followed by the 25 to 27th of September. 

[LightBulbFun]

41 minutes ago, Yoss said:

Their website says the next open weekend is 3rd to 5th July followed by the 25 to 27th of September. 

I wonder if we could convince them to host a Shitefest?

 

going by the "show us your classic" thread on here, i'd say a good number of us have suitably Historic exempt vehicles so as to not have to worry about the ULEZ zone  

[LightBulbFun]

2 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

had a fair day out in REV today, to attend the Anual general meeting of the Routemasters Owners and operators association, it had been almost 20 years since I went to one last time, and this time it was at the London Transport Museum Acton Depot where they gave a free tour (more just let us loose ) traffic was quite gnarly both ways (A40 was quite buggered in particular), & REV's idle completely left the chat, tho i found by opening the choke a bit i could keep her ticking over, but I managed to get there and back without issue otherwise  

heres a bunch of photos in no particular order

CUC192 was fun to see, theres a fun website that has a list of all of London Transports Non-bus vehicles, all the support vehicles, and I had read about this one on there  I think this was the website https://www.ltsv.com/

FRM1, the rear-engined-front-entrance Routemaster Prototype, I have often wondered how things might of turned out if the built a load of these instead of the unsuitable DMS's

RM2, the second Routemaster Prototype, apparently it had a FTP at RM70 and its been worked on since, not sure what went wrong but I see evidence of recent work on the cooling system I think

Leyland Titan, if I was to have a 1980's bus, it would be one of these  

something normally unloved and small, so ill tag @Inspector Morose

I wonder what the story is behind this TX1, its not like its the first or an early one like that or anything

the chassis of something very old, and curiously petrol-electric by the look of things?

a Leyland Cub, was quite fascinating to see one of these in person, and see all the details I had not noticed before now, like the Central mounted fog lamp, and big filler cap

the info sheet on the bike says its number one but it says number 10 on the side so i am confused LOL

inside a Red Arrow single-decker 

I could not help but notice the juxtaposition of the war-time black out headlights/mudguards  and a modern QR code...

a Q type, fascinating buses way ahead of their time, how I wish some of the double-decker ones survived

a couple number plate close-ups

the arse of DMS1 and the front of FRM1

a 'Diddler' trolly bus  I wonder if @Inspector Morose has driven this one? I wonder whats under the "bonnet" side of the half cab...

looking into the DMS

trade plate and their quirky triangular tax disk

I like the dedicated Green-line grill badge this had

Brown and Beige wonder if they would lend it to a Shitefest... I have always thought the pneumatic tyres on this one looked a bit incongruously/oddly chunky, like they should be a bit skinnier...

a very shiny Metrocab, just for @warren t claim & @wuvvum

very big motor or generator looking thing

a couple broad shots of the tube-train side of things

looks a bit cosy...

inside some I wanna say 1938 stock, sadly all fitted with LED bulbs *sad face*

battery powered tube train-locomotive for when they dont have an exact fair of 20p for the electric meter...

some very old looking carriages

and finally, some proper incandescent lighting! 

I also managed to find the Wagon the museum keeps all its spare fluorescent tubes/lightbulbs in, how I would love have a good rummage through it and take home a few souvenirs! 

they had also removed all the tubes from the 1972 stock for some reason

but can you spot the odd one out?

yeah see the one without pins? I really-really-really want to know what thats doing there and where thats come form, because thats an American high-output fluorescent tube (different from the American Slimline tubes found in 1990's Trasnmatic lighting that found its way into many 1990's buses and refurbished RMLs), seeing that tube there is like seeing a Row of FX4's at a taxi rank and randomly in the middle of it is a full New York spec/Livery checker cab in the middle!

 

finally a couple shots of REV outside the depot  

then headed home, got some petrol, 44Mpg, which given the horrible traffic REV has had to slog through since last fill up, ill take that!

stopped via the bakery

then finally home

all in all a good day, if not a bit longer then I expected! was lots of fun being allowed to just run around the depot  

Oh and one more thing! I really want to know how this works!, fantastic bit of electro-mechanical bit of kit, but so frustratingly nowhere was there any explanation about how it worked! or what it looked like on the inside! 

 

[Snake Charmer]

On 24/04/2026 at 16:54, MrBig said:

I'm loathe to start that "I was today years old" bollocks, but please someone tell me I'm not the only one who wondered why those inline fuel filters are directional. Please. Anyone?!?

The casings are usually see through so you can see debris and water in them, fuel needs to flow into the outer casing and out the blind side.

My friends Zephyr 6 took two days to drive from Essex to Staines when he bought it as an inline filter had been added the wrong way round. It would do around 9-11 motorway miles and block the filter internally, after an hour the debris would flow back to the tank and do another 9-11 miles. 

This filter had been added due to a fine layer of rust in the fuel tank passing through the brass gauze filter on the glass topped fuel pump and filling the carb up. The carb had been apart many times and someone had also managed to drop a 1/8" non return check ball down the carb venturi that bounced around in one of the cylinders.

The cast iron head and top of the piston looked like a shotgun had been fired at it. Where the ball had been trapped many times in the squish band it had compressed the piston crown down locking the piston rings in their lands. Bye bye compression, all for a filter fitted incorrectly. 

[Andrew353w]

As regards the uneven running you're experiencing with REV, might I suggest you check the condition and tightness of the joint between the carburettor and the inlet manifold? As I've found reading your fascinating exploits the similarities between my Daf 33 & REV are clear, and I've had some of your problems with the Daf. When you set up the ignition did you use a dell angle meter to set the points gap? I helps in setting the gap very accurately and makes the engine  run more smoothly as well.  

[LightBulbFun]

BTW Anyone have any thoughts as to where the VDP might of puked a bunch of oil from…

[captain_70s]

Dizzy drive?

Looks like quite a lot of oil...

[Snake Charmer]

Looks a fairly serious leak. Is the oil pressure switch in that area? 

(Should have gathered a small crowd of experts in the 5 mins since posting!) 😊

[lesapandre]

See if you can get some nitrile or other gloves and get in there and wipe it down (bog roll will do in an emergency) and identify the source - may just need something tightening.

Looks like you are in the right place for a problem with an ADO16 there. 👍

[Zelandeth]

Filter housing and oil pressure gauge to block union would be the first places I'd look as they were persistent offenders when I had the car.

The latter should be fine though hopefully as it was a buggered washer to blame and I replaced that.

[Six-cylinder]

Next stage!

[Andyrew]

I'd guess oil filter housing , mainly the  Oring under the retaining bolt and the fans blowing it everywhere. 

As @Zelandeth said it was a repeat offender. It was replace before the trip, nipped up once or twice on the scotland run i think, then he put a new seal in when he borrowed it after I'd got back. 

That and maybe a bit of coolant from the overflow pipe mixed in if it's been pushed continuously on the motorway.

[LightBulbFun]

from one bus museum to another, the VDP had an early start, to attend the 1100 club's spring show at Oxford bus museum, with @Six-cylinder and @Mr Pastry (who very kindly dropped off a bundle of vintage flourcent tubes he had been holding for me) in attendance  

an ominous sign of things yet to come?, thankfully I had another empty oil-container in the boot so was able to transfer the oil into that!

made good speed on the M40, and got to the show without incident, except for an increase in vibration, and a poor pheasant that walked out into the road and got clouted by my offside bumper corner with a thump (where it flew rather comedically up into the air in a little arch off to the side before falling back down on the ground. like if you have ever played Mario cart and had the star power!)

where I noticed people where looking at/under the VDP and where it had driven, and I spotted that I had left a nice little oil trail...

much to my dismay I opened the bonnet to find the front of the VDP shall we say, well lubricated...

most kindly, several members of the club came to my aid and the fault was diagnosed as a failed oil filter seal (the big rubber O ring that comes with new oil filters), so a new filter was procured and its seal fitted to replace the failed one which thankfully stopped the leak (someone very kindly donated an oil filter, while I was purchasing one from the spares/sale stands)

you know a car is from the forum when it draws out an A for Autoshtie with its own major oil leak LOL thankfully the oil level had "only" dropped to the minimum mark and I never saw any loss in oil pressure on the gauge in my trip down.

I otherwise just enjoyed the show  I took a ride on this

Crash box! 

they amusingly stuck me next to the VDP Allegro 

at the end of the day, managed to get @Six-cylinder, his friend's VDP and mine, lined up  

this very cool Ford Thunderbird was in show too

eventually it was time to head off, visited a petrol station, 22Mpg

I did notice right after brimming the tank, it had a bit of a piddle from somewhere, but it quickly stopped, not sure what that was about!

and then I hit the open road, where that vibration from early suddenly got much worse, but despite the car vibrating like a Hitachi magic wand all the way down the M40, I was eventually home without things exploding

the vibrations felt very drive-line like and a few stabs of the throttle in neutral confirmed thankfully it was not my engine about to explode, so when I got home I jacked up each front wheel in turn looking for any play or bad noises, and found this on the nearside

its a bit hard to hear, but its definitely making a grumble (even with the wheel streight ahead), any ideas what might be at fault here and how hard it would be to fix it or get it fixed? (I have an important thing I ideally need the VDP around the middle-late may period)

and whats the immediate chance of things exploding? I have to make a trip across London on Wensday just all 20Mph and under roads, so I was wondering if i could still get away with? it only starts vibrating with issue at above 27-28Mph, 

I admit I was rather dismayed by the vibrations, but I am feeling a bit better in that at least I was able to find what I think is the source of them, and get some data/info that can hopefully provide the information for someone to tell me whats gone tits up and what the remedy is  

 

so yeah a much longer day than anticipated and the VDP is sadly a bit worse off, but it was still a fun outing, good to see @Six-cylinder again, and awesome to meet the Legendary @Mr Pastry and many thanks to the 1100 club members for assistance! 

about 145 miles covered today and the VDP rolled over 84000 miles as well  (I think its now on about 84085, so I have also done more then 750 miles since purchase just under 5 months ago!)

[Mrs6C]

15 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

any ideas what might be at fault here

First off, check the wheel nuts are all done up tightly...

[lesapandre]

Drive shaft bearings? Possibly. I'd not drive it very far - if it fails you'll need recovery.

[vtec-e]

It's a bit difficult to tell from the video what is moving in relation to what. Back in the day, 2 of my 1300's suffered from worn front wheel bearings, although I'm sure the car didn't vibrate as bad as you describe.

[Yoss]

The inner end of the driveshafts are attached to the gearbox/diff with these rubber crosses attached with simple U bolts. 

The ADO 17s had the same set up on the manual cars and they weren't really up to the job and needed frequent replacement. The automatics had proper inner CV joints which is what the manual cars should have had. 

I don't know if the automatic ADO 16s had the rubber crosses but if they do then that's the first place I'd be looking. They are quite simple to replace even by the side of the road as long as you have a good trolley jack and can get a bit of height. From memory you just undo all four U bolts and it just falls out, you don't have to disturb anything on the outer end. 

Definitely the first place I'd be looking. If it was a wheel bearing making that noise I don't think you would have made it home. 

[Mr Pastry]

@LightBulbFunGood to meet you and @Six-cylinder today.  But as @lesapandre says, I think that sounds a bit like an inboard driveshaft joint, and best not to risk driving it, though it might carry on for quite a while before letting go.    A bit of a struggle to change it in the street if you haven't done one before, but it would be quite an easy job on a ramp for that mythical back street garage near you.... A pity you didn't mention it at the meeting!

 

[Somerset Suffolk]

 

bit ramdom (and apologies to @LightBulbFun for posting on his story)   Bristol registrations  not too far apart (My Beetle didn't survive past the late 80's despite me being only the second owner )

b

[Andyrew]

As @Yoss suggests there's a joint on the end of each driveshaft, this being an Auto means it has a small UJ rather that the rubber joints. 

I'd start with looking at those.

Could just have come loose , i Seem to recall finding one of those lose once on the gearbox flange bolts.

[Mr Pastry]

UNIVERSAL JOINTS x2 (Austin Morris 1100 1300 Parts) (1963- 74) (** Automatic Only **)

The line drawing here shows a RWD propshaft, not a FWD driveshaft, but as these are proper UJs rather than the rubber things the shaft will have to be removed from the car to fit them.

[Andyrew]

Also to add, if it is the UJ I think you'll find the nearside has had a yoke brazed or welded up in the past. So if it's not just loose and needs a uj that repair could fail on replacement. 

I found when I had the car appart that the two sides didn't match, I think in a previous life someone had just swapped out the whole nearside suspension, hub, caliper etc from a donor, mostly using just a hammer aswell it appeared.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, LightBulbFun said:

I have to make a trip across London on Wensday 

Take REV, that needs sorting.

[lesapandre]

Fixing: I think 'BL Transverse' in South London have now closed? 

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, Andyrew said:

As @Yoss suggests there's a joint on the end of each driveshaft, this being an Auto means it has a small UJ rather that the rubber joints. 

I'd start with looking at those.

Could just have come loose , i Seem to recall finding one of those lose once on the gearbox flange bolts.

which bit exactly would I be looking to check for looseness in? If I understand correctly this is an inner UJ (this is the offside one I just photographed while I saw it for future reference, like now  ) in my photo are visable 2 bolts, are those the ones your referring to as having come loose?

1 hour ago, Mr Pastry said:

@LightBulbFunGood to meet you and @Six-cylinder today.  But as @lesapandre says, I think that sounds a bit like an inboard driveshaft joint, and best not to risk driving it, though it might carry on for quite a while before letting go.    A bit of a struggle to change it in the street if you haven't done one before, but it would be quite an easy job on a ramp for that mythical back street garage near you.... A pity you didn't mention it at the meeting!

 

the vibration only started making itself known towards the end of the trip up, at first it was just a relatively minor change that in the moment I was not sure if it was just "A series/BMC things" (in general the whole car rattles and buzzes all the time the amount the steering wheel shakes at idle is comical) and then I got rather distracted by the oil leak, and it was only one the way back did the vibrations suddenly get much worse!

1 hour ago, Mr Pastry said:

UNIVERSAL JOINTS x2 (Austin Morris 1100 1300 Parts) (1963- 74) (** Automatic Only **)

The line drawing here shows a RWD propshaft, not a FWD driveshaft, but as these are proper UJs rather than the rubber things the shaft will have to be removed from the car to fit them.

interesting the description on that, which reminds me

Quote

Symptoms of worn joints are - A 'clonk' noise under power / pulling away OR continued clonking if the joints have deteriorated badly.

at crawling speeds I noticed a notchieness, like every second or so driving over a shallow cats eye, pretty much the same clunking noise you hear in the video I recorded just more felt than heard if that makes sense?

 

is there a handy visual or video guide on replacing these things? I had a look at the workshop manual and it seems a bit involved, but i have often found that how it seems in the workshop manual and how its actually done are 2 different things!