project Sharleys Reliant Robin 1993 LX

[sharley17194]

I cant decide who got the better deal, me or Tom?

 

[sharley17194]

Its here!!!! At last! What we have all been waiting for... tom shows off the brilliance of his pig, I'm still undecided who got the biggest lemon. 

 

 

[tooSavvy]

My 2¢

..... Working through issues, refurbing/scrappy salvaging equivalent, removing minginng items.... Always look for 'easy/little Wins'

Many on here would open a thread "4kg of Mig wire....!"

..... and be welding (in the lockup for 2years) before imagining an MOT.

 

[St.Jude]

22 minutes ago, tooSavvy said:

Many on here would open a thread "4kg of Mig wire....!"

4kg of Mig wire on a fibre glass shell can ONLY END WELL!

[tooSavvy]

9 minutes ago, sgtberbatov said:

4kg of Mig wire on a fibre glass shell can ONLY END WELL!

Yeah... Well then... You get my joke?

NO 2yr of fuckkin welding a bastard rot box = FG Reliant Winnah m8

 

[sharley17194]

58 minutes ago, tooSavvy said:

Yeah... Well then... You get my joke?

NO 2yr of fuckkin welding a bastard rot box = FG Reliant Winnah m8

 

 

You laugh but my plastic pig is rotten. FML! 

I am certainly updating my project thread to bge Sparks in my eyes and 4kg of mig wire. I spend more days welding shitboxes than i do anything, my issue is welding is free so it makes any rotten car at a shitbox low price appealing.

I think i must just enjoy the pain!

[stuboy]

they look like a project for a while....made me think what my mate done with his robin in the garage

[sharley17194]

1 minute ago, stuboy said:

they look like a project for a while....made me think what my mate done with his robin in the garage

the hope is to have them both working over the winter, Tom is fast replacing his head gasket as soon as he has the head off, hes been porting and polishing the manifolds so obviously i need to do the same!

[sharley17194]

head less!!

[RayMK]

41 minutes ago, sharley17194 said:

head less!!

 

I'm not familiar with that view of the engine. Is it taken through one of the inspection hatches in the cab?  Well done for doing it with the engine in-situ.  I'm probably preaching to the converted, but don't rotate the crank unless you clamp the wet liners.  They can be a pain to reseat if they move.

Good luck with the refurbishments (x2). Nice to see any older car getting some love, especially Reliants.

[PhilA]

Working on that looks like a right chore.

 

I'm mostly amused that the cabin ventilation system has a "contains asbestos" warning. 

[UltraWomble]

 

 

This revue makes me want one

[sharley17194]

Aging wheels was behind our purchase lol

[GeordieInExile]

I like that guy. Subscribed!

He would fit in perfectly around here...

[stuboy]

22 hours ago, stuboy said:

mate done with his robin

last time i saw it was tucked away in the garage

[sharley17194]

Head gasket nearly done one the blue one and I errr ermmm bought some spares? 

 

 

[sharley17194]

anyone here able to help me with a plan? I seem to be terrible at buying cars

 

[Zelandeth]

Well at least the head wasn't stuck to the block...I seem to recall that being one of their favourite tricks...

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, sharley17194 said:

anyone here able to help me with a plan? I seem to be terrible at buying cars

 

Nah, you're great at buying terrible cars.

[sharley17194]

On 11/21/2020 at 11:28 PM, Zelandeth said:

Well at least the head wasn't stuck to the block...I seem to recall that being one of their favourite tricks...

I recall Tom whining about how it wouldn't come off! 

On 11/21/2020 at 11:58 PM, High Jetter said:

Nah, you're great at buying terrible cars.

that's the boost i needed!

[sharley17194]

I had a very hubnut weekend,,..Sorry @dollywobbler i am sure you are accustomed to my plight! 

I spent a large chunk of Saturday shifting cars around in a tetras style way with the goal of getting two more into the fleet, this was managed to some effect! Sunday was spent filming for the channel and i had hoped to do videos on The Orange Robn, White Robin and Project Lily repaint. I got home and realised id managed to film about 10% of what i should have. 

In doing so i missed the grand moment where the White Reliant Robin fired into life, High fives all the way around till i realised the camera wasn't on. So that great memory resides only in my head! I thought no bother we would do it all again and pretend its the first start....sadly like Fox Ann the Robin decided once was enugh and the starter has promptly stuck so wont turn over!!

Finally - does anyone know how to test an alternator? My car came with two which i thought was a little odd, till i realised one was off my engine, i now have two which neither are marked and i assume one is baddddd. The alt on a Reliant is not the easiest to swap and i'm 100% likely to get the wrong one!

[castros_bro]

Alternator - clamp to a Workmate style bench possibly with a ratshit strap, connect a 12V car battery with a couple of jump lead, -ve to the case +ve to the BIG lug electrical connector, get electric drill, check the direction the alternator should rotate, connect voltmeter tween case and +ve lug.  Monitor voltage whilst spinning alternator with electric drill. Voltage should go from approx 12.6 to 14 as it spins faster.  Then check the voltage between the small lug and case when not spinning and when spinning (this runs the dash battery light) so approximately not spinning = 12V,  spinning =0V. 

OBS this can be highly dangerous for the inexperienced bodger.

[sharley17194]

TBH highly dangerous seems like something i should definitely be doing! Im lacking a few items on your list but what im lacking i make up with determination! 

2 minutes ago, castros_bro said:

Alternator - clamp to a Workmate style bench possibly with a ratshit strap, connect a 12V car battery with a couple of jump lead, -ve to the case +ve to the BIG lug electrical connector, get electric drill, check the direction the alternator should rotate, connect voltmeter tween case and +ve lug.  Monitor voltage whilst spinning alternator with electric drill. Voltage should go from approx 12.6 to 14 as it spins faster.  Then check the voltage between the small lug and case when not spinning and when spinning (this runs the dash battery light) so approximately not spinning = 12V,  spinning =0V. 

OBS this can be highly dangerous for the inexperienced bodger.

 

[castros_bro]

PS.

I assume it is an alternator and not a dynamo?    It's several years since I swore at Reliant engine bays or went down the Mulsanne Straight when it opened up after some race in a topless Bond Bug.

[sharley17194]

1 minute ago, castros_bro said:

PS.

I assume it is an alternator and not a dynamo?    It's several years since I swore at Reliant engine bays or went down the Mulsanne Straight when it opened up after some race in a topless Bond Bug.

its a 1993 s def Alt, the early ones were dynamo until about 1975 i think.

[SiC]

Check volts coming out and get yourselves one of those DC current clamp meters. Clamp around the power feed and directly monitor the amount of current it's putting out. Also check volts as if too low or high then that'll affect the power output as well as if it's going to boil your battery off. 13.8 to 14.2v is reasonable output. High than 14.5v you'll be roasting the battery, lower than 13.5v you'll not be fully charging it.

I have one of these and has been pretty useful:

https://www.uni-trend.com/html/product/General_Meters/digitalclampmeters/UT210_Series/UT210E.html

[sharley17194]

On 11/20/2020 at 11:01 PM, stuboy said:

last time i saw it was tucked away in the garage

Never seen so many k plate robins, thats 5 in 2 weeks!

5 minutes ago, SiC said:

Check volts coming out and get yourselves one of those DC current clamp meters. Clamp around the power feed and directly monitor the amount of current it's putting out. Also check volts as if too low or high then that'll affect the power output as well as if it's going to boil your battery off. 13.8 to 14.2v is reasonable output. High than 14.5v you'll be roasting the battery, lower than 13.5v you'll not be fully charging it.

I have one of these and has been pretty useful:

https://www.uni-trend.com/html/product/General_Meters/digitalclampmeters/UT210_Series/UT210E.html

That looks nifty! looks like i will be making another purchase

[Tommyboy12]

Tom here! Lurked for a little bit but thought I'd add some details.

My reliant is well on its way to being up and running. Head change was a pig. And I am yet to do the third and final recommended head retorque. The head was well and truly welded to the block as mentioned. Access was 'ok'. It's clearly designed to be done in the car but it isn't much fun. Had to drill some holes in a bit of box section and use the rocker posts to press down on the head studs to lift the head millimetres at a time.

[doug]

Hi Tom, in one of the earlier videos we got a little glimpse of your motorbike, what is it? Looked like sort of XT/SR with an alloy tank.

[sharley17194]

Just posted a short two part series on Tom attempting to get more power from a Robin, how much extra power we will never know. Lock down was clearly a very boring time for him.....