The Current Driveway...

[TrabbieRonnie]

Hello all,

Question for the hive mind...  We've had a bit of trouble with the old Hilux Surf, specifically the brand new alternator.  My youngest was driving home and got a dash full of lights, shortly followed by a slight temperature increase (the alternator belts run the waterpump/fan also).  

On inspection, the alternator pulley was lying on the sump guard, it's retaining nut nowhere to be seen.  He wasn't far from home, so we let things cool down and drove on home.

A bit annoying on a new (and expensive) part, but we'd kept the old one so had a spare M14 fine pitch nut, and resecured it.  Bit of a hard thing to do up, you can't get to the front with an impact gun, so resorted to jamming a screwdriver in the front of the alternator and torquing up with the socket wrench...  No Woodruff key(?!) or taper to help keep the pulley on, strange but as per the original.  

Anyway, I didn't have any thread-lock, which will be applied when it arrives, so put a witness line across the nut and shaft, and instructed youngest to check periodically. 

He did so this morning before heading for work, and found that the nut had moved slightly.  I was summoned for a look, and assumed it had undone by nearly a full rotation, almost lining up again.  However, I couldn't get any torque on it, it is 'kin tight... therefore it appears to have very slightly tightened itself up?  I assumed that as the engine and belts rotated clockwise, the inertia of the pulley would effectively be trying to 'undo' the right-hand-thread nut over time, but apparently not?

Happy it's ok, just a bit puzzled.  And Toyota, just use a bloody Woodruff key would you please?  I know the original lasted 30-odd years, but still!

[TrabbieRonnie]

Hello all,

Surf has been fine, the alternator seems to have decided it's own torque setting and is running well.

Looking good too, with it's 'new' rear spoiler...

I have continued progressing the odd jobs on the P4, following the successful waterpump change and service.  

Finally sick of cleaning out the float bowl and dismantling my inline filter due to my hideously rusty tank, I have fitted a glass bowl filter... more along the lines of what would have been fitted originally I think...

This has really shown the state of what's being dragged up from the tank, but I was hoping to avoid dropping it before the winter.  We'll see...

Took her for a run anyway, she's so quiet now (without the waterpump grind) that she feels slower, but 55mph is no problem at all for the old girl.

Today's street scene...

I'm happy with the progress anyway.  I've been steadily cleaning up the engine bay too, as I'm quite proud of the old straight six...

A long way to go, but at least looking like somebody owns it now!

The RX8 is still in dry dock, sulking after it's refusal to control it's emissions!  I'll get to it soon hopefully, plan is to change the lambda probes next, but I really should keep it out of the salt anyway I guess.

 

Cheers all.

 

 

[TrabbieRonnie]

 

Hi all, 

The lads took their respective chariots to a local car meet a couple of weeks back... a photographer seemed quite taken with them, thought I'd share them here...

The old jeep is looking good, and has just passed the MOT with an advisory for a worn ball joint... But annoying, as it was only about a year old, but replaced by my youngest now anyway.

We didn't ask for the plates to be photoshopped away btw...

And the 323 bought from this place some years ago...

Also running very well, which is good as we haven't done much with the Xedos, it's planned replacement.  The wee Maz is on 140,000 now, with the engine on 100k as far as we know.

It really suits the exhaust (a slightly butchered Fiesta ST job), it sounds much faster than it goes!

 

My own efforts on the P4 have resulted in a spotlessly clean carb, adjusted in accordance with a book from the 60's.  It now really motors, starting effortlessly and pulling much harder than before.  No fancy pics of it though!

[TrabbieRonnie]

Morning all, 

Had a lovely drive in to work today...

The old Rover can still make having to work the weekend a bit less shite!

[TrabbieRonnie]

Well, well...

The old girl's in the air again... 

The to-do list is as below...

1. Replace the faulty brake light switch.

2. Drain, remove and clean out the tank and pump etc.

3. Sort exhaust.

The brake light switch is a pressure switch, mounted in the lines under the servo.  It's very hard to access without sufficient elevation.  I know the rest of the wiring etc. is good, as when I bridge the two terminals on the switch the brake lights come on fine.  £10 has been spent online, and a nos item is on its way.

The tank job has been put off long enough, the filth is spoiling my enjoyment of an otherwise great running car.  Also, the fuel gauge hasn't ever really worked for me, so a fine chance to investigate that.  There's a solenoid arrangement in there as well, that should provide a 'reserve' function... not sure if anything's happening there either.

Anyway, the fuel has been partially drained, the car's not at the right angle to get it all out, but the stuff looks like this...

Kinda soupy... I'm sure the rusty dregs are yet to come.

To aid access to the tank for removal, the exhaust would be better out the way, which is ok as it is past it's best...

That split has appeared over time, as my right foot has got heavier!  Initial plans are to remove that silencer, replacing with stainless pipe... let's hear the old six pot sing!

The only other thing I want to do this time is clean/oil the leaf springs, they seem fine, but I'd like to preserve them as they don't have the Gucci wee covers I've seen on some.

Cheers all, and Merry Christmas... I haven't been on much as our early pressie has been soaking up our spare time and attention somewhat...  High maintenance but good on fuel!

Not much interest in car spotting though, not a flicker of attention for this old 2CV...

Lazy.

[TrabbieRonnie]

Further works this morning...

First off, I removed the drain pan from under the tank...

The true state of things inside there is obvious after a bit of settling, urgh.

I then set about removing the exhaust, from about the A-post back, as that's where the joint is.  I'm planning to re-use the flange and a small straight section (which will provide the original sprung mount), before making the rest up in stainless.  I'll add silencers as I deem necessary...!

Loads of space underneath now, and good access to the tank's four hard mounts.  This'll be dropped out tomorrow if the weather's still good.

Generally great underbody condition too, probably the best non-aluminium car on fleet to be honest!

While the weights off the springs, I've given them an initial wire-brush and WD treatment...

They seem alright.  Small steps I know, but 'tis the season, so lots of family commitments are dragging me away even though I'm off work!

 

[TrabbieRonnie]

Hi all, next step completed, the tank is out...

It put up a fair fight, but nothing is broken except an ancient hose clip that secured the filler pipe to its flexi.  That required some hacksaw blade acrobatics... I have no idea how the last person did it up!

First step was to disconnect the wiring to the level sender, and then I got curious and just pulled the thing out...

It is of course seized solid, so that explains my non-functional fuel gauge.  I will dismantle and investigate further...

The pickup assembly was easily removed once the tank was out...

...not least because whoever was last in sheared one of the two bolts and slathered some gloop on to make up for it!

The solenoid should pull in and allow fuel to be drawn along the longer pickup tube, as a reserve.  The wire to it is broken, and has been taped up on the chassis...

The shorter pickup is clear, but the stuff in the tank must've been really horrible for it to be dragging up what it has been.  The fuel I removed was basically brown/red sludge.

So the next step is to clean it out, and tidy up the outside.  I'll have a play with the reserve solenoid, see if it moves, but won't spend too much time on it I don't think, as long as I can get the fuel sender working/replaced.

Obviously the tank being out has provided a lot of access to usually hidden bits, so I'll have to do the usual wire-brushing and oiling...

Quite chuffed to get it to this point, it's miserably drizzly weather here, but this feels like a big step forward.  I'll renew all the fuel lines too, and enjoy the fruits of these labours in 2026 hopefully!

Happy New Year to all, have a good one!

 

[Matty]

3 hours ago, TrabbieRonnie said:

Hi all, next step completed, the tank is out...

It put up a fair fight, but nothing is broken except an ancient hose clip that secured the filler pipe to its flexi.  That required some hacksaw blade acrobatics... I have no idea how the last person did it up!

First step was to disconnect the wiring to the level sender, and then I got curious and just pulled the thing out...

It is of course seized solid, so that explains my non-functional fuel gauge.  I will dismantle and investigate further...

The pickup assembly was easily removed once the tank was out...

...not least because whoever was last in sheared one of the two bolts and slathered some gloop on to make up for it!

The solenoid should pull in and allow fuel to be drawn along the longer pickup tube, as a reserve.  The wire to it is broken, and has been taped up on the chassis...

The shorter pickup is clear, but the stuff in the tank must've been really horrible for it to be dragging up what it has been.  The fuel I removed was basically brown/red sludge.

So the next step is to clean it out, and tidy up the outside.  I'll have a play with the reserve solenoid, see if it moves, but won't spend too much time on it I don't think, as long as I can get the fuel sender working/replaced.

Obviously the tank being out has provided a lot of access to usually hidden bits, so I'll have to do the usual wire-brushing and oiling...

Quite chuffed to get it to this point, it's miserably drizzly weather here, but this feels like a big step forward.  I'll renew all the fuel lines too, and enjoy the fruits of these labours in 2026 hopefully!

Happy New Year to all, have a good one!

 

Looks very solid under there Ronnie (albeit scruffy). No doubt itll clean up lovely. Another right good result!

[TrabbieRonnie]

Nah... cup of tea time I think...!

[TrabbieRonnie]

On 31/12/2025 at 18:41, Matty said:

Looks very solid under there Ronnie (albeit scruffy). No doubt itll clean up lovely. Another right good result!

About eleventy-three times more solid than the RX8 was, that's for sure!

Cheers bud 👍

[Matty]

5 hours ago, TrabbieRonnie said:

About eleventy-three times more solid than the RX8 was, that's for sure!

Cheers bud 👍

Theyre another car that ive always thought should attract more money and popularity than they do. Like the 4 pot P6s and 6 pot SD1s. Maybe its a Rover thing?

[TrabbieRonnie]

1 minute ago, Matty said:

Theyre another car that ive always thought should attract more money and popularity than they do. Like the 4 pot P6s and 6 pot SD1s. Maybe its a Rover thing?

Aye, although I'm quite happy to get one while they're cheap!  

Speaking of undervalued Rovers though, my sons' pal was round the other night showing off his latest... a 2003 75.  I can't remember ever seeing one in real life (I must've done at some point?), and it was bloody lovely.  I'm hoping to talk him into a photoshoot of the two together, maybe even a YouTube video comparison.  I could see more P4 inspiration in it the longer I looked.

[Split_Pin]

17 hours ago, TrabbieRonnie said:

  I could see more P4 inspiration in it the longer I looked.

Compare the dashboard clocks! The similarity is uncanny!

[TrabbieRonnie]

39 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Compare the dashboard clocks! The similarity is uncanny!

...and the chrome trim along the door bottoms...

[Split_Pin]

26 minutes ago, TrabbieRonnie said:

...and the chrome trim along the door bottoms...

If its a saloon 75, look at the rear profile, especially the boot although I think this might only apply to early P4s with a more sloping boot.

Happy to provide mine for a YT comparison if you can't get a loan of your son's pal's one!

[TrabbieRonnie]

Somehow forgot that you had one SP!

I'm sure he'll be up for it, if I can ever get the work on the P4 done...!  

Current conditions at Trabbi Towers, after a good hour's shovelling as I've to pick the eldest up shortly...

Nice to look at if nothing else!

 

[Brigsy]

Decent covering of snow! Hilux looks like the perfect vehicle for the conditions. 

[TrabbieRonnie]

2 minutes ago, Brigsy said:

Decent covering of snow! Hilux looks like the perfect vehicle for the conditions. 

If I got desperate I would use it, the A8 is always my first choice though, the Quattro is usually enough to push through... and I like my comfort and luxury these days!

[Matty]

Trabant would absolutlely blitz those conditions. Front wheel drive, narrow tires, low weight, low power. Ill bet its superb in snow!

Still sooner be sat in the Audi when its this cold mind 🤣

[TrabbieRonnie]

23 minutes ago, Matty said:

Trabant would absolutlely blitz those conditions. Front wheel drive, narrow tires, low weight, low power. Ill bet its superb in snow!

Still sooner be sat in the Audi when its this cold mind 🤣

You're not wrong on either count!

[TrabbieRonnie]

Big liability Audi doing it's thing, just one dash light on (eml) for the upcoming MOT too...🤞🤞🤞

Lovely motah.

[Split_Pin]

Its the perfect all-season car.  4wd, heated seats and all aluminium, even the subframes and suspension components! Such a quality feel to them as well.

I will have another one day!

[TrabbieRonnie]

I've a few days off following my back shift/weekend, so progress is once again occurring. 

The Rover's fuel tank is bubbling away, I've set it up as it's own electrolysis bath, after a good mechanical clean/hose out...  The red/black grit that came out was hard to believe, but that's what 66 years can do I suppose.

A pro set up I'm sure you'll agree... please excuse the state of my garage!  It's working though, hard to photograph the bubbling...

I'll give it a couple of days, my new exhaust silencer has arrived so I can get on with that job in the meantime, now the snow has finally melted!

 

 

[TrabbieRonnie]

I'll start with an admission, in that I am fully aware of how potentially dull this is, but I'm always amazed by the electrolysis magic!

Below is my anode, that 24 hours ago was two brand new bolts, joined together in a nut..

I cleaned and wire-brushed all that lot off (the amps had dropped off as indicated by the battery charger), and popped it back in for another 24 hours.  The amps jumped back up to nearly 2, and on we go.

Check out the rusty sludge being dragged up to the top...

Lovely jubbly.

[Surface Rust]

Fascinating. Have you got a 'before' shot of inside the tank for later comparison? 

Fortunately somebody has already replaced my P4 tank with a stainless one, but there are other members of the fleet with rusty tanks!

[TrabbieRonnie]

5 minutes ago, Surface Rust said:

Fascinating. Have you got a 'before' shot of inside the tank for later comparison? 

Fortunately somebody has already replaced my P4 tank with a stainless one, but there are other members of the fleet with rusty tanks!

They're not very good, my endoscope camera thing doesn't export images so these are just  photos of the screen...

What I could see didn't look too bad, but as you can see, it's not a straightforward shape internally.  That's the big advantage of the electrolysis I think, it acts on all surfaces equally (given enough time).  The other positive is that it can't remove anything bar the rust, you can't do it too much... cos chemistry.  Or something.

A lot of rusty debris came out during my initial clean (just sloshing water around in the tank, and hosing it out), and although I'll not  see the results this time, I'm confident it'll do the business after seeing so many jeep bits transformed a year or two ago.  

I'll paint the outside before refitting, but it honestly seems solid, with hardly any rust.  I saw one of the P4 suppliers had a tank online, an aluminium one I think, but it was over £500...

 

[TrabbieRonnie]

Well, I didn't really plan this tank job too well, with work shifts taking up most of my waking hours yesterday and Thursday, it's been on the boil for a week!

I've been nipping in to the garage each night to remove, clean and replace the anode though, and every day it pulled more rusty goodness out...

(You can't just switch it off of course, otherwise it's just a tank of salty water!).

Anyway, I've been out today and emptied and rinsed it out multiple times.  The water now comes out crystal clear.

Next step was a thorough drying out...

...followed by a quick wire-brushing.

I'm planning a coat of rustoleum before it goes back under, but that'll be tomorrow's job.

[Matty]

Thats 500 quid saved right there then 👍

[TrabbieRonnie]

Painting completed...

Blue is the colour, as it was the only Rustoleum tin I had!

Adds a bit of 'racecar' I think, and no-one will ever see it (all being well!)...

I then gave the old girl a wash with my new snow foam thingy, finished up just as it was going dark...

Slow progress in these cold, short days... 

[TrabbieRonnie]

Northern lights over Old Red tonight...

I'm taking it as a positive omen for her 67th year on the road!