NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post Reply
User avatar
Grahame59
Posts: 327
Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2004 12:42 pm
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: Hillman Imp Super
Location: Billingshurst, West Sussex
Has thanked: 22 times
Been thanked: 47 times
Contact:

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by Grahame59 »

Looking good Jeff though to be honest if it's the car I'm thinking of (see pic) I kinda liked it in it's 'used' look, had a lot of character!
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Grahame Pearson
Member No. 23
Editor, Impressions

1967 Imp Super
(0-60 like a Porsche, only slower)
impstress2003
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 11:00 am
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: Various Hillman Imps

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by impstress2003 »

Hi folks,

First of all, I should say an overdue THANKS! to Jeff Day/Fennlane for an excellent job. The car is every bit as good as it looks and even with my picky eyes I simply cannot fault it.

Anyway, more of that when I have time to put up some pictures of progress so far (every day, another bit goes back on)

I have a problem... in my infinite wisdom I didn't label everything I took off. Being an experienced Imper of 12+ years, I didn't expect to find anything I couldn't identify... wrong, but in my defence it's a Mk2, and generally I only do Mk3s.

I have a bracket, which appears to be a captive nut. I think it fits in the rail behind the binacle (dash), and I think it holds the flasher unit, but Tim M reckons the flasher unit goes on the column bracket (look on archie to compare says he... archie has a non-imp flasher on long leads and scotchlocks in the glovebox.... :? )

It's about 3.5cm by 4.5cm. the top has a slight radius, and matches the top edge of the dash rail behind the binacle. See pictures attached (if I've done it right). If the flasher unit doesn't go here, what does? Should this bracket go here? It's an exact fit behind the dash rail. The car is a '67 E-plate californian. If the bracket doesn't go there, where does it go, and what does it do?

Also, if anyone could provide a picture of the area behind the binacle of a MK2 Imp with the wiring in situ that would be extremely handy.

Thanks!
Simon
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
impstress2003
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 11:00 am
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: Various Hillman Imps

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by impstress2003 »

Well, the bracket turned out to have a metric captive, which on a '67 car tells its own story! Mystery solved and full marks to Dick Tompkins for that one.

Anyway, I have a new question. I've just walked in from the garage (2:30am!!), having gone on a bit of a mission to finish the engine. I think everything is ok, but wanted to sense check this as I have been working so many hours in the garage I'm beginning to lose sight of things.

Basically, I've put all new main/big end/cam bearings, timing chain, camshaft/carrier/followers, headbolts, valves and piston rings in, Ben Boult honed the bores, and I've ground in the valves and reassembled it all with new locktabs/gaskets. Tonight I finally got the head on and the cam timed in, then I wound it over by hand (slowly, the engine is tight). On numbers 2, 3, 4 I get a god tight compression and only very slight sounds of gas escaping past the valves, really just a wheezing sound in the engine. On number 1, the compression stroke feels about/nearly as tight, but the gas is escaping via the exhaust valve, you can hear it whistle, and if you put your finger down the port, you can feel the air escaping down the port.

As I'm turning this over slowly, by hand, on an engine that has not yet been run, I'm thinking this is probably ok.... the valve was well ground in, and the shim is seated correctly in the carrier - I checked the tappet gaps and they are all hunky dory (5 thou inlet, 11 thou outlet std Mk2). My thoughts are that the compression has to escape through the weakest spot. On numbers 2, 3, 4, that's seemingly a bit of everything, but on number 1 that seems to be the valve more than anything.

Does this set alarm bells ringing? I'm sure I've had this before and it has been ok; once at running speeds the blow by stops I think - I'm just too tired to be able to think straight. If this sounds like major trouble (I really hope not) then please feel free to warn me of impending doom.

Just to check, what's the standard Imp thermostat temperature? I always fit 74s but that makes the heater a bit feeble. I thought it was meant to be 82, but I have a boxed mopar one that is an 88?

Just put in my own headlining; I made the headlining from three layers - one vinyl, one cloth (mixed with lycra) and 1cm upholstery foam. It's lush!

I seriously can't wait to get this back on the road now; there are only a handful of jobs to do to get the car on the road now!!!

Si
User avatar
imp.sport
Posts: 129
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2003 11:45 pm
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: Sunbeam Imp Sport (Marv)

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by imp.sport »

As long as now't is fouling when you turn it by hand it should be Ok to try and start.
You looked in the most obvious place for the fault when you checked the tappet clearance.

I don't even think there is the slim possibility you have something holding the valve slightly open. Or even a lightly bent valve stem that stops it from seating all the way.
Maybe tip the engine way over on its side with no oil in and turn it by hand to open the suspecting valve. With luck if there is anything there it will drop out the exhaust port. But I think it would have found its way into the combustion chamber by now if it was in there. The only other thing you can do to look any further is to take the head off again.

Unless you can find a one of them probe camera things for...... "medical uses"
Make sure you sterilize it when you give it back though :lol: :lol: :lol:
impstress2003
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 11:00 am
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: Various Hillman Imps

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by impstress2003 »

Hi all

Not sure why, but the forum seems to think I am not a club member. Both me and Nikki are fully paid up members (oo er) so how do I change this? I tried the password in the mag but nothing changed.

Anyway,

I have a new and hopefully final dilemma (well for this car anyway..). The car is now basically finished apart from two things - fitting the carpets, and fitting the front seats. To make this easy I bought a coverdale carpet set, (£85), but the kit really doesn't seem to fit the car at all. Every piece I have tried is too large, there is no handbrake hole in the rear section, the sill carpets are about 1.5" too deep so wont fit as-is, the finishers which go under the back seat on the inner sills are .5" too deep, the front section of the carpet has only a small slot for the gear lever and will not go over the boot (I always thought the boot should be under the carpet and protrude through - certainly that's how both my old deluxes were). The sections which go on the front inner wings are Granada sized and there are two triangular pieces of carpet which really don't look like they are anything to do with the Imp.

Has anyone fitted one of these carpet sets? Does anyone have a set of templates for the shapes these pieces should be? Am I simply missing something? I can understand the gear lever cut out being small because Mk1 cars have a small boot - so I guess I just cut the carpet to the correct shape around there. There are also no cut-outs for the seat mounts like my old factory carpets... should I add these too, or use the seats to pin down the carpet in situ and bolt through it?

Aaaaarggghhh!

Everything on the last stages of this project has taken twenty times longer than it ever should have done. Nearly there though now.

Any suggestions/offers of help in exchange for beer and food gratefully received. PM if you fancy a trip to Northants (EMAIL NOT WORKING)

Thanks
Si.
angela
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 8:27 pm
Club Member: No
Car Model: sharing my dad's super, husky and Caledonian!

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by angela »

Oooo well done you lot.
So you can come up here and visit me now, all our lovely potholes, cobbles and unmade road are just right for making sure everything's fastened on nice and tight! :roll:
Really chuffed you've got it done, I know it was a bit 'darkest just before the dawn' for a while there!
So, next stop a revamped VTB? :twisted:
angela
still trying to think of something pithy and relevant to sign off with
impstress2003
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 11:00 am
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: Various Hillman Imps

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by impstress2003 »

oh yes

VTB + Fennlane = end of this month (if everything goes to plan)

a project of frankly biblical proportions. POWER!!!

and on that bombshell, er, sorry, went a bit Clarkson there....
impstress2003
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 11:00 am
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: Various Hillman Imps

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by impstress2003 »

Just an update...

Very nearly there now.

Only three things to fit:

Underbonnet sound proofing pad
Wing trim strips
Rear shelf mat retainer

For the underbonnet soundproofing pad, I have the wire thing it fits on, but the original bag thing has disintegrated. I remember Graham Miller bought one made to size by a company, does anyone know who that might be?

The wing trim strips - I have the clips, and the strips, but need to drill the body. I'm not too confident about taking a drill to my shiney paint, so I plan to use a pro, unless anyone on here has some nuggets of wisdom? I thought about using masking tape and marking on that where to drill, but I'm not confident I wont slip or drill one a few mm out of line (meaning the strip will not fit).

The rear shelf mat retainer - I'm making this on my sheet folder as it will have to be 3cm deeper than the original. I'm using a saloon mat in a coupe so I need to make up the difference (saloon mats are shorter than coupes as the rear shelf has a prop on it to make the rear seat more upright in the coupe - stops your head hitting the rear screen)

Otherwise, the only gremlin on the car is the charge circuit, which isn't. Typically the only thing on the whole car I absolutely didn't touch and it completely doesn't work. The bearings are screaming and there's no output, so I've ordered a brand new dynamo and control box today. Once these are fitted, it's off to the MOT centre.

Pictures will follow shortly.

Once again I must compliment Jeff Day/Fenn Lane for a staggering job on the body, even the holes drilled in the new floorpan for the seatbelt mount plates lined up perfectly. The undertray fitted perfectly in the new captives in the new floorpan... It's made the reassembly part of the project about as painless as it gets. The shuts are A1 too and amazingly even the doors actually look like they FIT!!

Best all, and a happy new year

Simon
graham_h_miller
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2004 4:55 pm
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: Hillman Husky
Location: South Wales

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by graham_h_miller »

Kitto's Coachtrimmers
Harvil Road, Ickenham
Uxbridge
UB10 8AJ
01895 253366

I would personally get some proper trim tape and stick the trim on. All the badges on modern cars are taped on as is the rear plate on HYU the orange Imp - that has had a lot of abuse and has never even wobbled. Go to a motorfactors and talk to them about the different sorts of double sided trim tape...

Looking good!

Graham
Let's have a little talk about tweetle beetles...
cov_climax
Posts: 200
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2004 10:54 pm
Club Member: No
Car Model: Super
Location: Midlands

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by cov_climax »

Hi Si,

i'd cover the area in masking tape, mark the positions with a fine pen, obviously you can't centre punch them without denting the area, but you could get a magnet with a threaded hole in the middle, then insert a bolt to suit that you have pre-drilled down the centre. place this over your marks and use it as a guide. Never used this technique so have a practice on some scrap first, use a light drill and keep the bit sharp, it should only wander if you put too much pressure on it.

might be worth doing the above undersize initially (2mm or so) then opening them out once you have the 'pilot' hole to start with, i find the cone or stepped drills great for bodywork, you don't get 3-sided holes :lol: though imperial ones are harder to find, and more expensive.

here's idea's on magnets:
http://www.cromwell.co.uk/static/public ... es/956.pdf

Cheers Brian
impstress2003
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 11:00 am
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: Various Hillman Imps

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by impstress2003 »

Hi folks,

Update again.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions on trim fitting (thanks Graham too for the sound proofing pad pointer). I think once it is MOT'd I will take it back to Fenn Lane.

Had a blitz and sorted a few teething problems out:

Dash board illumination not working - new bulb
Washer squirts not working - replaced valve in bag - still not working - replaced t-piece (this has a valve in it too) now working ok. (set squirt angles too)
Replaced Dynamo and charge boxes for brand new units, charge circuit now 100%!
Removed the wiper motor, pulled the cable out of the linkage and removed all the old rock hard grease. Oiled the splines and ran some 20/50 through the linkage before cleaning again and repacking with grease. Wipers are now spot on.
Replaced brand new trim clip that shrank and broke in the cold (!!) on my engine cover californian badge.
Made good a bad earth on the n/s brake/tail light.
Freed off the petrol gauge sender (it was gummed up)

Took it for the MOT today, it failed on the off side front brake, low effort (approx 30% of what you get on the near side). Everything is brand new, but the tester thought it was either a bad flexi or a bad wheel cylinder. Everything I used was new new and not new old stock in the brakes, so will have to investigate tonight. Otherwise, not a single advisory! I knew the brake was a bit odd when I drove it down; at first I thought it was just bedding in, but after a few more miles it became apparent that it was not catching up.

Should be MOTd tomorrow if I get my finger out.

Cheers
Simon
moose
Posts: 1097
Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2004 11:41 am
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: rally imp
Location: forton lancashire north england
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 202 times

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by moose »

worth trying re-adjusting them, bed them in a bit more and re-adjust in case something was slightly out of alignment when you first adjusted?

on the rally car once i could not get the proper comp linings (worth every penny stops like hell on drums all round and a good compliment to front disc conversion) done in time for the next event so i used a well Known brand new shoes the actualy metal of the shoe that touches the cylinder piston flattened off or mushroomed whilst bedding in and adjusting and when used in anger on the first test the shoe bent causing excess pedal travel on the next test (no time to adjust or check) i hit the brakes hard and the piston popped out! ran the rest of the test using just the hand brake and set a top ten time. Worth checking the condition of the shoes and location i am sure you will not have punished your brakes like i do but worth a look.


regards mike
Regards Moose imp competition secretary
impstress2003
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 11:00 am
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: Various Hillman Imps

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by impstress2003 »

Thanks everyone, quarter to one in the morning and I have just finished the repairs and dropped the car off at the test centre for them to look at in the morning.

I had a suspicion that although everything was new, it was a fluid leak. It sounded like it to me when Nikki described what the tester had said about the brake. The shoes were a brand new axle set of linings, I bought the same brand for fronts as rears (Lockheed - as there are no rubber bits in the shoes I bought nos)

Anyway, when she drove it home, I took off the reservoir cap, which confirmed my suspicion. The level was only 1/4" or so over empty!

I took the wheel off and it was covered in brake fluid on the back. When I took off the drum it was immediately obvious it had leaked profusely from both wheel cylinders. As they were brand new I found this disconcerting to say the least. Anyway I fitted two replacement brand new cylinders, and another axle set of brand new shoes (I did the full axle set again and checked the wheel cylinders were not leaking on the other side). I cleaned everything up and tested it - the brakes were spot on after a few heavy applications. Annoyingly the old shoes are rubbish after only 18 miles! Two of them were completely soaked.

One more teething problem has come to light though, the waterpump pulley has come slightly loose. I don't know why but this often seems to happen shortly after waterpumps have been replaced. I didn't notice it till I was at the test centre and didn't have any tools on me to do anything about it (in any case those jobs always seem to end up in extra washers under the nut), so that's one for tomorrow.

Anyway, off to bed now!

Good day all
impstress2003
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 11:00 am
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: Various Hillman Imps

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by impstress2003 »

After the car passed yesterday I relaxed a bit and enjoyed the drive home. I added a keyed washer to the waterpump pulley which took up the slack and stopped the rattling, so I cruised back at a leisurely pace. I encountered something then, that I have never known in all the years I have driven Imps. This Imp has all new standard dampers, springs, spring-body insulators, wishbone bushes, wheelbearings, kingpins, inner and outer track rods, a rebuilt rack, new UJs, a rebushed column, new engine and gearbox mounts, new tyres, a rebuilt gearshift (with new flexi, nylon bushes for the tube and a nos rootes rubber gearstick ball cup - not nylon), new rotoflexes, a new clutch, and seats which haven't collapsed. (also it has a rebuilt standard Mk2 engine)

How amazingly smooth is a standard Imp when new?!!??! I couldn't believe just how modern and poised it felt. It didn't crash or wallop over bumps and the steering is incredibly light and surprisingly precise. The gearshift doesn't rattle, and there's no noise of the shift.

I'm really impressed!

Anyway, will re-torque the head tonight.

What speeds do people advise for running in? The engine has new rings, big ends, mains, camshaft, followers, cam bearings, valves, valve springs, etc and I'd like to get the best out of it. I've been limiting speed to 40mph in top, 30 in third, 20 in second, etc. I was planning to do this up to about 500 miles (if I have the patience) then gradually increase speeds over the next 500 miles so that by 1000 miles it would be fully run in. That feels a bit over-cautious though.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Si
User avatar
ImpManiac
Posts: 1855
Joined: Tue Feb 01, 2005 3:48 pm
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: Singer Chamois
Location: Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire
Has thanked: 184 times
Been thanked: 13 times

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by ImpManiac »

Sounds like you have a well-sorted Imp, Si. :) I was really taken with Imps the very first time Malcolm Anderson allowed me a test drive in the car I ended up buying from him - my first Imp. They are fabulous little cars - very under-rated by those not in-the-know. Which is fine by me! :D

Regarding running in, opinions vary. There are those that say keep the engine speed below xx rpm until you get to 500 miles, then gradually build up your maximum rpm until you reach the engine limit at around 1000 miles. Then there are those that say just go for it from the off because if you don't, then you will never bed in the new wearing components. I think the best advice is to gradually build up your use of the engine's rpm range over, say, 100 or 200 miles and just drive the car until it's warm through each time you use it.

It is very important that you vary the engine speed and load as much as possible and avoid long stretches of road at steady speeds. As you accelerate, the bores tend to get hot and the rings get a relatively hard time, which helps to bed them in on the bores. Then, as you decelerate, the 'vacuum' in the combustion chambers tends to draw oil back up to the piston rings, lubricating them again. ( :idea: This is also why a worn engine will smoke on the over-run.) So vary your speed and load and gradually increase the engine rpm to the engine's limit over 100-200 miles.

That's what I was advised to do by various folk in-the-know, anyway. :wink: No liability for resulting engine damage accepted! :wink:

IM 8)
Paul Harrison
imp: a small demon : FIEND : a mischievous child : URCHIN
maniac: Raging with disordered intellect: affected with mania: MAD
User avatar
impmann
Posts: 536
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 11:27 am
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: ...er, one or two
Location: Midlands
Has thanked: 18 times
Been thanked: 65 times

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by impmann »

Looking good! Great to see it on the road and being used - proof that you can do an all-out, nut and bolt resto and still use the car for the purpose for which it was built. From the work car park earlier (camera phone - soz about quality).

Image
Tim Morgan
Imps since 1987... one or two of them. ;-)
moose
Posts: 1097
Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2004 11:41 am
Club Member: Yes
Car Model: rally imp
Location: forton lancashire north england
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 202 times

Re: NIKKI BUTTS and SI Creasys Californian

Post by moose »

for running in see this site i am sure we have posted somewhere before. i usually run engines in fairly hard not thrashed but used, fire the engine up and run at 2000 rpm ish to bed in cam/buckets for 20 mins take for a good run and put say 100 miles on it, make it work for a living, up hills and accelerate along straights driving as though you want to get there, this puts gas pressure behind the rings making them bed into the cylinder. change oil and filter and do another 500 miles like this, change oil and use as normal. Any initial break in of bearings etc will be done in the first 20 mins with oil pressure high due to the increased tickover. if you are using plain oil it will help as it does not protect the cylinder walls as well as modern synthetic oils, remember oil pressure creates a wedge effect inbetween your shells and crank it is this oil wedge that the metal components run on not each other so any oil will do for the few miles you will be using it and the higher the rpm the better pressure to form the wedge so revving it will help not hinder so long as you are not abusing the engine and over heating the oil and causing it to break down.

regards mike
Regards Moose imp competition secretary
Post Reply