Ask a Shiter

[cort16]

Ouicar

What if I want a big car ?

[barmatt]

There's a set of tyres on gumtree that I'd like but they're in Rotherham, Does anyone know of a courier that will ship tyres that are taped together in pairs? All the companies I've looked at say the need to be packaged.

[Guest Hooli]

Not off hand, but I can store in Doncaster (& work in Rotherham) if you need it while sorting out a courier/shitely.

[drum]

My transit failed its mot on (among other things, ineffective back brakes and hand brake.

 

I took the drums off for a look-see.

 

On both sides, the back shoe was more worn than the other. The self adjusters weren't seized.

 

Will new shoes fix this or is there likely to be something else causing the problem?

[twosmoke300]

The trailing shoes normally have half the thickness of lining from new . If the footbrake and h brake is down then it's an adjustment / friction issue . If it's footbrake only low then wheel cylinders / load sensing valve or an hyd issue

[barmatt]

Not off hand, but I can store in Doncaster (& work in Rotherham) if you need it while sorting out a courier/shitely.

 

That's incredibly kind of you to offer to do that. Would you be willing to collect them in Rotherham and just hang on for a couple of days until I work out getting them here?

[Guest Hooli]

Yeah shouldn't be an issue, drop me a PM with the details & I'll see what I can do.

[gordonbennet]

Two stupid questions:

 

Glass cleaner, any recommendations as anything I have used seems to make it a dirt magnet, especially the inside of the windscreen!

I haven't used anything from the car market but loads of different glass cleaners including an industrial one I got from work years ago.

 

 

Aftermarket stereos in cars with poor radio reception. Is it a new thing as it would seem if I am driving it doesn't like keeping any station!

Do I need an amplifier for the signal for anything I fit?

 

Try Chemiclean Birmingham (online sales mainly aimed at janitorial), they offer a blue window cleaner in 5 litre bottles, i have never had as good a window cleaner as this stuff.

Lots of their stuff is top quality and good value too.

 

www.chemiclean.co.uk

[drum]

The trailing shoes normally have half the thickness of lining from new . If the footbrake and h brake is down then it's an adjustment / friction issue . If it's footbrake only low then wheel cylinders / load sensing valve or an hyd issue

Doesn't sound like new shoes will fix it then. I had a job getting the drums off so wouldn't have thought the adjustment was miles out. The drum's were nice and shiny inside with no lip to speak of.

 

I'll maybe try adjusting them out until they bind then back them off a click. What's the best way to test the back brakes?

[barmatt]

Yeah shouldn't be an issue, drop me a PM with the details & I'll see what I can do.

 

pm sent

[scaryoldcortina]

I looked at your fail - you might have two issues going on, it says "little or no effort" for footbrake which is most likely to be a seized load valve and "fluctuating" for handbrake which is, well, odd. I'm not sure what is meant there, it's not usual to get fluctuation on a cable actuated drum brake, it's a symptom of leaky hydraulics or warped disks!

 

Check the arm on the load valve is free to move and that its spring is still attached to the axle, make sure the handbrake cables are doing their job and go back for a retest.

 

Edit - I know the siezed load valve would in an ideal world have been a fail in itself, but there is no certainty it got checked on.

[DodgeRover]

Doesn't sound like new shoes will fix it then. I had a job getting the drums off so wouldn't have thought the adjustment was miles out. The drum's were nice and shiny inside with no lip to speak of.

 

I'll maybe try adjusting them out until they bind then back them off a click. What's the best way to test the back brakes?

Has the load adjusting valve seized?

 

Edit oh damn replied before getting to the end of the thread! What SOC says

[Lacquer Peel]

Ouicar

Ta. I forgot it was only for France, I'm going to Prague next month and dreamt of hiring an old Favorit or something

[Talbot]

Does anyone know a car I am likely to find in a breakers that will have heated seats which are heated both on the base and on the back? Bonus points if they are fairly comfortable seats too.

[SiC]

Something Swedish?

[Noel Tidybeard]

Does anyone know a car I am likely to find in a breakers that will have heated seats which are heated both on the base and on the back? Bonus points if they are fairly comfortable seats too.

 

mk3 mondingo

[bunglebus]

Modern BMWs if you find a dead one.

[Guest Hooli]

Does anyone know a car I am likely to find in a breakers that will have heated seats which are heated both on the base and on the back? Bonus points if they are fairly comfortable seats too.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Seats-Universal-Carbon-Fiber-Heated-Seat-Heater-Pads-Hi-Off-Lo-Switch-12V-Kits/152557221504?epid=538255518&hash=item23851e7680:g:Fu4AAOSwDiBZIrOY

 

Fit them to your existing seats?

 

 

I keep thinking of getting such a kit to do my bike saddle but I don't think I've got the spare amps.

[Talbot]

Don't have an existing seat, this is for a very specific project.

 

BM or a Mondildo might be the most likely to find I guess, and common enough for the sest to be cheap enough.

[Guest Hooli]

Ahh, ignore me then.

[puddlethumper]

^^ O.k.

[twosmoke300]

Saab 9-5

[SiC]

Anyone know what the part number or what this bulb holder is for this? It's the alternator bulb holder from a Smiths speedo on a MGB. The bulb itself is a screw fit job. I've looked through Moss but I can't immediately find anything.

 

The wire has broken off mine. I could solder but tbh the contacts inside are a bit rough. Also it looks like I'll have to bend the holder apart to get to the contact and solder it.

 

[sierraman]

Re the Transit brake trouble...

 

Sounds like the load sensing valve for the back. The handbrake bit sounds like a strip down, clean and regrease the pivot points might sort it.

[loserone]

Are there any threads on here about buying and running leaves? (Or, indicating how well they might stand up to a 50 mile daily commute for a few years?)

[clayts450]

Are there any threads on here about buying and running leaves? (Or, indicating how well they might stand up to a 50 mile daily commute for a few years?)

 

This any help from a few yrs back ?

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/20266-the-future-meets-the-past/

[Stanky]

stupid and hypothetical question...

 

running a vehicle with no air filter fitted, but retaining all the stock air box and intake gubbinz. Assuming you live in the home counties (rather than Saudi Arabia for example) and don't accidentally ingest an ENTIRE BIRD like that person on here found when he went to change the filter, how much damage would it do to the engine/would it dramatically shorten the expected lifespan?

 

Would the lack of resistance inprove power noticeably?

 

I have no intention of doing it, but another thread made me wonder.

[danthecapriman]

stupid and hypothetical question...

 

running a vehicle with no air filter fitted, but retaining all the stock air box and intake gubbinz. Assuming you live in the home counties (rather than Saudi Arabia for example) and don't accidentally ingest an ENTIRE BIRD like that person on here found when he went to change the filter, how much damage would it do to the engine/would it dramatically shorten the expected lifespan?

 

Would the lack of resistance inprove power noticeably?

 

I have no intention of doing it, but another thread made me wonder.

In theory without the filter the air intake will work unrestricted so yes, power would be up a bit. But, I wouldn't do it as your just going to suck dust and crap into the engine. It wouldn't kill it over night but it's not good!

[Bfg]

stupid and hypothetical question...

 

running a vehicle with no air filter fitted, but retaining all the stock air box and intake gubbinz. Assuming you live in the home counties (rather than Saudi Arabia for example) and don't accidentally ingest an ENTIRE BIRD like that person on here found when he went to change the filter, how much damage would it do to the engine/would it dramatically shorten the expected lifespan?

 

Would the lack of resistance inprove power noticeably?

 

On most cars it's unlikely to improve power at all.  The reason being that the air filter (being negligible difference in £-cost to the car maker, between one size and the next)  is over spec'd re. through-flow-of-air ..on almost every car.  This is to allow the standard filter to be usable for up to 100,000 miles, between major services ..in the worst environmental conditions the car is like to encounter.      

 

The air intake into the engine is dependent on the engine speed and capacity, the timing and size of valves and the gas flowing around them,  the air intake venturi and air flow control,  etc.,  .. and NOT the surface area of its air filter.

 

As an illustration, let's say the intake venturi is dia. 2" (approx Area : 6.4 sq.in) and the air filter element is a small one at  8" x 8", which has a surface area of let's say 25" (within its the folds) x 8" wide = 200 sq.in.   And by design the filter restricts 15% of the air flow through it .. well that still leaves 85% of 200 = 170 sq.in.   It'll take a fair amount of dust compounded by humidity and engine breather fumes to block that down to 6.4 sq.inches.

 

If the car is being driven flat out and with foot still hard against the boards then perhaps on some ordinary* really-economy-model of small family saloon car - the filter may be just a little restrictive.  And then again, if the plonker has not changed his air filter in 15 years and it's full of pollen and dirt road dust, then yes a K&N., or no air filter., or even a new standard filter will show an improvement.  But for most (do I hear you all writing in saying but my super duper.. etc.) cars ..when routine maintenance is followed - then for normal (..fast) road use the filter's element is unlikely to be restrictive in the least. 

 

To confirm the supposition, I might add that I converted my 3.8ltr Jag from its 1966 air filter (well it looked original ) to a new one from the 4ltr XJ300 model.  I did this because the original air filter drew hot air from above the exhaust manifolds ..and I wanted cooler air from under the front of the car).  Anyway, despite being designed for a slightly bigger and faster spinning engine, my Jag's carburetor jetting remained correct. Whereas, if air flow had been greater (..for a set throttle setting) then the motor would have run lean - and its jetting would have then needed to be adjusted. 

 

However, the teaching of my mentor (Tony Stevens, who long ago was the chief engine designer for Rootes Cars) were still correct.. Colder air (intake) into the engine is more dense than hot air,  and so although the through-flow volume of intake air was the same, when mixed with fuel and ignited ..the bang was bigger and more engine power was produced.  ..enough to be obvious (despite the jetting being unaltered). 

 

How much damage without an air filter element, and how quickly ..depends on whether you live and daily drive down a farm dirt track (as I do) or are strictly an urban fine-weather driver.. It depends on where the air filter (sans-element) is sucking from  in the engine bay and the air circulation around that (..you'll see that some engine bays stay remarkably clean whereas others are always seen to be dusty).  It also depends on how the run of air filter pipes are designed (some get rid of some particles by centrifuge and velocity drops). 

 

In short, there are really too many variables to answer accurately but as a ballpoint I'd guess* in urban conditions : dust, pollen, minute crap particles in our atmosphere and along roads (see how snowy-white slush remains !) sucked through the air-intake-control valve and in the cylinder bores might reduce their useful lifespan by as much as 15-25%.   But that is only a guess.

 

Hope it helps,

Bfg.  

 

^ My '66 S-Type. The air filter case seen here is empty and its perforations closed off ..but it served well as a manifold. 

 

The air filter & element are tucked under the front wing ..drawing colder air from the front of the car (below) . .

[MrDuke]

Yes, it's super-stupid question time 

 

Smog-era yanks. Can they be 'de-smogged', or were the restrictions designed into the actual engines?

 

Basically, I have a soft spot for 80's mid-range saloons and would quite like to cruise round like William Petersen in To Live & Die In L.A., but I suspect that a wheezing 100bhp lump would get rather annoying very quickly. Are there usually straight-forward ways to make them more driveable, or should I just stick to euro barges?