Engine failure

[lichfielddriver]

12 hours ago, bigjohn said:

 

Easy clutch replacement? Access panel in inner wing so that input shafts etc can be removed easily. 

Didn't work with all though - for some reason on the very latest versions they did away with the inner wing access panel! 

 

In the past I had a Datsun 100a that had a similar clutch arrangement - replaced is less than 20 minutes even as a one off DIY.

 

 

I only recall a removeable panel in the bellhousing, cheap clips didnt work, i borrowed some sykes pickavant and it took under an hour

[bigjohn]

On 11/03/2022 at 10:52, lichfielddriver said:

 

I only recall a removeable panel in the bellhousing, cheap clips didnt work, i borrowed some sykes pickavant and it took under an hour

 

I seem vaguely to remember the bellhousing under panel and an easy way of getting to some bolts via the inner wing - can't remember fully what this was though as many decades have passed by!! I seem to remember it all got a lot harder when 16v petrol and the 1.7 td Isuzu diesel engines were introduced. 

 

These days my clutch changing days are over - it'll probably cost more in Chiropractor fees to get over it that the clutch labour cost!

 

 

[bigjohn]

On 08/03/2022 at 22:24, lichfielddriver said:

Seems the cambelt tensioner fell apart, belt shredded, engine dropped its lunch down below

 

How fragile these things are... 

 

Come back crossflow pushrod Ford Cortinas

 

 

 

 

 

First car I used to drive was my Dad's pre-crossflow mkII Cortina - easy to fix although it wasn't that reliable. Total pig to start on a cold morning and the dynamo control box was just bonkers. It had two steering boxes fail as well. You could fix almost everything with a plain socket set, a few spanners and some screwdrivers. (af!)

 

I was in a miIII Octavia Uber in the Manchester area this weekend -1.6 diesel with 303k miles on the clock and sounding well.

 

 

 

[J.R.]

My memory for detail is equally poor but I do recall that larger engined RWD Vauxhalls, not Vivas etc but Victors & the like, had a bellhousing arrangement where you could remove the gearbox alone leaving the heavy bellhousing in place and then replace the clutch, I recall using the gearbox itself to align the clutch.

 

Endurance racers using the 16V Vauxhall engine in a RWD configuration would use quick release toggle clamps etc for the gearbox to bellhousing joint for rapid clutch or transmission changes in the paddock or pits.

[rum4mo]

On 10/03/2022 at 22:01, Cap44 said:

They copied Saab from about 15 years before

Same owners ie GM, which eventually was SAABs undoing sadly!

 

There was a SAAB 96 L on Banger and Cash last week, a 1972 one, clean as a whistle, it made £12,300, I'd doubt if my mate's one will ever get back into that condition, though it now can use lead free fuel.

[lichfielddriver]

I had a 2300cv viva (not magnum) 

Basically a VX 4/90 engine and box shoehorned into a HC viva, Vauxhalls answer to hot fords, looked standard except for RoStyle wheels

No room to work around engine and box 

[lichfielddriver]

Also had a MG Montego Turbo 

 

Flying machine

[Cap44]

19 hours ago, lichfielddriver said:

Also had a MG Montego Turbo 

 

Flying machine

I had 1 of those come with a noise like a farting. It was a spilt in the vacuum hose to the wastegate so it got full uncontrolled turbo boost. The wheel spin & tramping was unbelievable . Re the comments on belts breaking just after being replaced. Just how many are those due to **** mechanic's not knowing what they are doing, I speak  after near 60 years in the motor trade

[lichfielddriver]

34 minutes ago, Cap44 said:

I had 1 of those come with a noise like a farting. It was a spilt in the vacuum hose to the wastegate so it got full uncontrolled turbo boost. The wheel spin & tramping was unbelievable . Re the comments on belts breaking just after being replaced. Just how many are those due to **** mechanic's not knowing what they are doing, I speak  after near 60 years in the motor trade

Well it was factory built

Might be loads like it

 

As for the Montego... 

Hairy and a Licence loser for sure

 

The MG Maestro turbo was pure lunacy

[Cap44]

Ah The MG Maestro. I had a customer bring a brand new one in.   He said there's a noise under the bonnet after I park it? A quick look showed that there was a small fan & some awful ducting to cool down the Weber carbs to stop the petrol boiling away with the latent heat. When does it stop he asked when its cool enough I replied I think.

He Rang up the next day " It stopped when the battery was flat"   He had it 1 day then dumped it on the main dealers forecourt. Only 1 I ever saw with carbs, All the rest were injection and they went very very well.      Apart from the voice synthesiser 

[lichfielddriver]

21 minutes ago, Cap44 said:

Ah The MG Maestro. I had a customer bring a brand new one in.   He said there's a noise under the bonnet after I park it? A quick look showed that there was a small fan & some awful ducting to cool down the Weber carbs to stop the petrol boiling away with the latent heat. When does it stop he asked when its cool enough I replied I think.

He Rang up the next day " It stopped when the battery was flat"   He had it 1 day then dumped it on the main dealers forecourt. Only 1 I ever saw with carbs, All the rest were injection and they went very very well.      Apart from the voice synthesiser 

Injected was the MG Efi. I'm sure that was a different engine, im certain the MG turbo had 1 SU carb

Any more would have made your eyes bleed on full chat

Pity the brakes weren't as good 

I believe for a while the MG turbo Maestro was the quickest factory production 4 door 

The Tickford body kit was nice

Rarer than hens teeth now

[PetrolDave]

15 hours ago, Cap44 said:

A quick look showed that there was a small fan & some awful ducting to cool down the Weber carbs to stop the petrol boiling away with the latent heat.

My Renault 5GT Turbo had a similar fan to cool the carb, made several people jump when it suddenly turned on a few moments after I turned off the engine!

 

After having Brodie Brittan Racing 'do their thing' (negative camber front suspension and a boost tweak) that was a cross country beast (no ABS and no TC) - not surprising since it had 180bhp according to their dyno and weighed less than an empty baked bean can!

[Cap44]

I had a Turbo 5 for a weekend once & it ****ed down the whole time. Very entertaining drive !! My son has a BBR  MX5 with the 210HP set up. Quite boring really

But then Ive got 220HP Lotus 7  that weights in at 515kg

[lichfielddriver]

*Note to younger members (i.e. anyone under 40 years old)

 

We didnt need laptops either