project 1974 Dolomite Sprint

[Andyrew]

5 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

New clutch slave cylinder needs to be on that list, or haven't you yet worked out what me and Ken were talking about.

I can't see it in the pic either if I'm honest! Looks okay to me.

I Assume these use the same as the discovery/land rover did with the little push rod?

[busmansholiday]

The slave cylinder has two lugs, one on each side which are bolted onto a bracket.

This one is gold, probably a 'factory recon', look at the pictures. You can see a bolt then grey metal behind it. The reason you see that grey bit, and the bolt, is that the lug is broken off and what you are seeing is the bolt just simply screwed to the bracket and the broken end of the casting. You should see just the head of the bolt and a gold casting between it and the bracket.

 

[busmansholiday]

It should look like this.

One of the arms /lugs / mountings, call it what you want is missing.

[SiC]

Is it the lug is much further forwards than it should be?

It's on the list for inspection - Investigate Clutch Hydraulics.
Funnily enough I'm outside right now trying to figure how to get the transmission tunnel cover off without getting the seats out.

[SiC]

I've found a mystery switch! Not sure what it does, apart from actuate an after market relay under the bonnet.

[busmansholiday]

Should have lugs, same length, both sides. That grey metal in  the pic is a broken casting. To me looks like it's just holding together with the clamp.

 

[busmansholiday]

1 minute ago, SiC said:

I've found a mystery switch! Not sure what it does, apart from actuate an after market relay under the bonnet.

I had one of those, used to press in before starting to stop horns activation. Sort of early burglar alarm.

 

[SiC]

I think it was for a rear mounted sub and amp. Cables went to relay in the front and then a red cable all the way to the boot. Disconnected now.

[SiC]

Got side tracked from removing the transmission tunnel cover...


Plentiful application of gt85 got it unjammed.

[greengartside]

Love this car! One of my bucket list motors for sure.

 

I’d still like to own the one that the Haynes Museum has got currently.

[Andyrew]

This bit behind the nut? That is a return on the bracket isn't it?

The tab is in front of the bracket. And the grey is just the reflection of the camera? 

[purplebargeken]

Phew!!!!

 

[purplebargeken]

Don't forget to clean up every single sodding earth point that you can find.

[SiC]

Results are in! Mounting lugs aren't broken.

 

However it is leaking through the seals.

 

Full write up of tonight's shinangians tomorrow. Need sleep!

[MorrisItalSLX]

I think it was for a rear mounted sub and amp. Cables went to relay in the front and then a red cable all the way to the boot. Disconnected now.

Those are very thin wires for an amp, my money would be on a rear fog lamp.

And that business with the wheel stud insert is quite bizarre! Only BL would come to that solution instead of fitting a matching set of larger or smaller studs.

[purplebargeken]

Yes, more likely a rear fog light, quite common addition.

[SiC]

Yes I think you're right. There is a hole in the rear valance and I seem to remember seeing some MOT history where it failed on the fog. I guess someone removed it as it's not a needed thing for a car this age.

[SiC]

Busy evening yesterday. Removed the transmission tunnel cover so I can get access to this clutch slave and rattling heatshields.

However before then I got distracted by trying to open the roof and give some more natural working light. Unfortunately it got jammed trying to open it slightly and thus committed me to sorting it. After plentiful use of GT85, I got it opened and closed reasonably smoothly. Going to need to grease the runners with some lithium grease or similar so it stays nice and smooth.


Next up was removing the parcel shelf. Wasn't too difficult, even if this one is pretty damaged and battered.


Removing the radio was the hardest bit. Not helped by this mess of spade connectors behind the dash. Many of the wires hadn't been crimped properly and were falling out. I've disconnected and taped up the power lines for now and I'll come back another time to clean and redo this lot up.


Then I made the mistake of looking up at the dash area for rust.

First off is this little hole which goes into the drivers wheel arch. Doesn't look too difficult to repair this one.


Looking up I noticed this suspicious looking mess covered up with black goo (Tigerseal by the looks of it).


I made the mistake of giving it a poke with my finger and was rewarded with a shower of rusty metal in my face!


Thankfully the metal behind looks in good condition and a simple area to work on - apart from the "joy" of welding upside down. However it looks like it'll be a dash out job to repair this. Right now I'm thankful of having that rather rusty Austin 1100 I welded up - otherwise I'd be freaking out right about now! This area will have to wait until I've moved house though. If that all goes ahead, I can strip the car out while it's undercover and not worry about rain getting in between working on the car. Also hopefully that'll all be done and dusted before the end of the year. That way I can get it sorted over the winter period.

Passenger side isn't much better. I resisted the urge from poking this took hard just yet.


I wouldn't be surprised if there are many a Dolly with rust hidden away in these sort of areas. Not something you find unless you start pulling bits off and go poking.

Finished off getting the transmission tunnel out.


Ended up being a bit of a fight with this heatshield from earlier not wanting to release itself. Looking at the backing insulating material it was sat on, it looks almost certainly to be asbestos. I'll remove it and probably put some exhaust wrap or similar over this area.


Clutch slave


Pulling back the rubber boot revealed a fluid like substance behind it. I think this is brake fluid or water. If brake fluid then it's been leaking, if water then it'll rust out the bore and leak either way!


Given the ease and cost of buying a replacement clutch slave, I think I'll just replace rather than rebuild.

This project seems to be finding me more jobs to do all the time!! (Don't they all...)

[purplebargeken]

Welcome to Triumphs Si.

[High Jetter]

One of my first jobs was in the parts dept for a Jag / Rover / Triumph dealership, and a 'perk' was being able to use a ramp at lunchtimes for own vehicles. There was a very smart green dolly sprint on the ramp though, but I was given permission to move it. Nervously, I lightly* touched the gas and the damn thing rocketed backwards off the ramp and headed for the parts counter! Have always had a 'thing' for them ever since so will be watching your progress with much interest - and very well bought, Sir!

[captain_70s]

All common Dolly rot spots. My 1850HL was rusty in the same places, albeit to a greater extent...

[Tadhg Tiogar]

7 hours ago, SiC said:

.....this mess of spade connectors behind the dash. Many of the wires hadn't been crimped properly and were falling out. ....

Never really liked crimped connections. Where possible, I solder them.

[SiC]

Never really liked crimped connections. Where possible, I solder them.

Crimps are alright providing a decent crimping tool is used. For the cheap end tools, the ratchet crimpers are the only ones I have any trust of doing a decent job. The piler & wire stripper types that are included in many connector sets are awful at getting a decent shaping of the crimp piece. You can spend hundreds of pounds if you want a high quality molex or similar tool

 

Problem with most of our spade or bullet connectors nowadays is that they're not designed for soldering. If you solder, there needs to be support on the cable further down from the solder joint for strain relief. Otherwise flexing and movement of the cable will cause it to work harden. Thus there will be a weak point at the area of the end of the solder joint and it'll fracture over time.

 

Likewise a proper crimp operation should both crimp the conducting wire and the insulation further down to provide strain relief.

 

It's not recommended by many to both solder and crimp together. For our uses, both can achieve very acceptable results if done properly with the right tools. It's easier and quicker to do a good crimp than solder - which is why it's usually done in automotive and most things mass produced.

 

Connectors are very much an engineering discipline with a lot of science and research in its own right!

[Tadhg Tiogar]

20 minutes ago, SiC said:

....Problem with most of our spade or bullet connectors nowadays is that they're not designed for soldering. If you solder, there needs to be support on the cable further down from the solder joint for strain relief. Otherwise flexing and movement of the cable will cause it to work harden. Thus there will be a weak point at the area of the end of the solder joint and it'll fracture over time.....

I've had a fair few crimped connections where the wire went brittle with age, shearing off at the end of the crimped section.

On the Citroen recently, I've had a different type of connector failure, where the female spade connector itself snapped; because the tubular end of the connector was crimped, I couldn't open it up again and had to sever the wire, strip the sleeving again and then solder the newly-bared wire into a new connector. Fortunately there is little movement anticipated as the cable is the one feeding into the radiator fan switch.

[SiC]

Current shopping list.

• Front Calipers x2
• Front Brake Hoses x2
• Front Brake Fitting Kit
• Brake Master Cylinder
• Front Caliper hard lines
• Front Discs + Pads
• Rear wheel cylinders x2
• Rear wheel shoes
• Rear wheel springs
• Exhaust Wrap
• Drivers Footwell
• Pedal Rubbers
• Sparking Plugs x4
• Carpet
• Front drivers seat padding (reupholster/from another car)
• Front drivers seat webbing
  

Just ordered a clutch slave from RobSport, so hopefully that will be here in a couple of days. Problem is, I've been spoilt by living near a Moss Motors branch where I can pick up most stuff for my BGT during the day and fit it that evening! If its wrong or I over buy, I can take it back (within 12 months) for a full refund. With the Dolly though I need a bit more forward planning.

Need to figure out which bits I can get from TDC and which I need to get from suppliers. Mevspares was the cheapest for a few of the bits, but annoyingly (for me) they appear to have gone on holiday for a bit.

[captain_70s]

Not too bad of a list. My eyes still water when I remember buying new discs for my 1850. It's never seen the road since...

 

IIRC throttle pedal rubbers are NLA.

[Isaac Hunt]

14 hours ago, SiC said:

Busy evening yesterday. Removed the transmission tunnel cover so I can get access to this clutch slave and rattling heatshields.

However before then I got distracted by trying to open the roof and give some more natural working light. Unfortunately it got jammed trying to open it slightly and thus committed me to sorting it. After plentiful use of GT85, I got it opened and closed reasonably smoothly. Going to need to grease the runners with some lithium grease or similar so it stays nice and smooth.


Next up was removing the parcel shelf. Wasn't too difficult, even if this one is pretty damaged and battered.


Removing the radio was the hardest bit. Not helped by this mess of spade connectors behind the dash. Many of the wires hadn't been crimped properly and were falling out. I've disconnected and taped up the power lines for now and I'll come back another time to clean and redo this lot up.


Then I made the mistake of looking up at the dash area for rust.

First off is this little hole which goes into the drivers wheel arch. Doesn't look too difficult to repair this one.


Looking up I noticed this suspicious looking mess covered up with black goo (Tigerseal by the looks of it).


I made the mistake of giving it a poke with my finger and was rewarded with a shower of rusty metal in my face!


Thankfully the metal behind looks in good condition and a simple area to work on - apart from the "joy" of welding upside down. However it looks like it'll be a dash out job to repair this. Right now I'm thankful of having that rather rusty Austin 1100 I welded up - otherwise I'd be freaking out right about now! This area will have to wait until I've moved house though. If that all goes ahead, I can strip the car out while it's undercover and not worry about rain getting in between working on the car. Also hopefully that'll all be done and dusted before the end of the year. That way I can get it sorted over the winter period.

Passenger side isn't much better. I resisted the urge from poking this took hard just yet.


I wouldn't be surprised if there are many a Dolly with rust hidden away in these sort of areas. Not something you find unless you start pulling bits off and go poking.

Finished off getting the transmission tunnel out.


Ended up being a bit of a fight with this heatshield from earlier not wanting to release itself. Looking at the backing insulating material it was sat on, it looks almost certainly to be asbestos. I'll remove it and probably put some exhaust wrap or similar over this area.


Clutch slave


Pulling back the rubber boot revealed a fluid like substance behind it. I think this is brake fluid or water. If brake fluid then it's been leaking, if water then it'll rust out the bore and leak either way!


Given the ease and cost of buying a replacement clutch slave, I think I'll just replace rather than rebuild.

This project seems to be finding me more jobs to do all the time!! (Don't they all...)

Be careful of some of the modern day pattern parts, Somme are shite... if that is a genuine Lockheed unit and the bore is in a good condition, then hone it with some 1200 wet n dry with WD40 and resealable it.  

[SiC]

That already is a modern day repro part unfortunately. Probably why it's busted after only a few years. Hence it'll have to be replaced with another repro part for now. 

[vulgalour]

You are a brave man to open a webasto of unknown history, I salute you!  I'm slightly jealous, these are superb looking machines and they sound just right, I'd love to have a drive of one some day.

[MorrisItalSLX]

You are a brave man to open a webasto of unknown history, I salute you!

They don’t call them Webastard-o roofs for nothing!