The Vusky. Clutch , Bumped up the buttock

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Heres a weird one .
Vuskys running too cool ,
So obviously change the stat - 82˚C came out and a new tested 82˚C stat went in ( when tested it opened at 85˚C ) .
Fit new rad cap and pressure test for leaks .
This is front rad off but heater on ( only so it could bleed itself )
Why then does it run so bloomin cold - even ignoring the temp gauge the IR thermometer is telling me its too cool .
Heaters very toasty though - heres the IR readings
After this the Singer decided to fondue about - anyone want an Imp

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

As with the Singer the Vuskys high level brake light also LED

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

My OCD kicked in today .
Yonks ago i rewired the brake lights so they are permanent live like a Stiletto .
The OCD bit is the wire colour , on the original set up the brake lights run off the coil so are switched live , any wire thats switched live has a main colour of white and depending on the circuit sometimes theres a stripe added like the red stripe for the solenoid as an example .
Anyway the Stilettos brake light live is plain brown - anything thats plain brown is permanent live so this evening ive changed the Vuskys brake light live to brown.
It was done as i found it bazaar that Rootes uses the coil for the brake light live except on the Stiletto as it messed up its rev counter , on these it was taken from the solenoid , if its good enough for a stiletto its good enough for me --- plus it got one wire off the coil
Fuse set at 7.5A- Draw is just under 4A.
Anyway as stuffs been added there was rather a lot on the coil positive , live in , rev counter positive , alternator signal feed and fuel pump , brakes lights was one too many so had to go.
Singers to be done at some point .
And breathe

[Pog]

One day you'll take a step back at both your cars and say, "nope, nothing else to tinker with"...

Unless you simply like having jobs to do!

Pog

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Vuskys tailgate lock fixed .
It was getting tricky to open with loads of play on the handle before the lock turned .
Turns out the tiny roll pin had given up and the square bar was wearing away , id already repaired this once decades ago.
Anyway I had some brass bar exactly the right size so fitted this along with a new roll pin .
Also threaded tother end with a 2BA tap so the bolt and washer could be fitted inside ,

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Also replaced the entire interior with red fiberglass , fitted some door pocket dividers , made a fuse box cover to tidy up the interior , made a new headlining front board , changed the alternator bracket set up and some engine bay stuff including a new pump , cowel etc but as is typical with this place my images are too large so you will just have to imagine what it looks like .
Back in 6 months due to the stupid way you cant post up pics any sense

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Resized the fiberglass interior pics after much hassle

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Carpets wearing through on the arch by the throttle pedal .
No probs though - an old plant pot , some biffercated rivets and washers for said and we have this

[moose]

Brilliant solution.

[jetmech]

That's a very neat solution.

Simon

[bazzateer]

Beats removing the little toe on your right foot!

Nice work Dave.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

At the real risk of turning this thread into a blog it was Barnaby the Vuskys turn for a trip out .
88 miles trouble free miles to Weymouth and Portland with some serious ragging going on in places .
Annie was well pleased to get out and actually see the sea ,
You will be pleased to know Blog mode is now over.

[bazzateer]

It's been a good weekend for taking out the classics Dave. Gave my Datsun it's first proper run on Sat/Sun, about 130 miles in total. Blew the cobwebs out nicely.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Vuskys sunvisor vanity mirror was somewhat shot and needed replacing .
I did try and get a glass company to cut one but as its oval they said it might be tricky .
Anyway i did find some mirrored acrylic on Amazon - OK so its 3mm thick not 2mm but figured it was worth a punt an a mere £6 delivered.
Well it worked a treat and fitted perfectly , cutting it was easy however getting the old mirror out and the new one in much less so as it fits in a plastic groove moulded into the visor vinyl .
Not a fun job
Sunvisors with mirrors in were only fitted to early Hillman Californians and even then only on the passenger side so quite rare and needed saving .

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Had a play with the Vuskys SU throttle linkage .
When i initially fitted these 14 years ago I used part of the set up from the Triumph Spitfire they came off .
This worked fine until I fitted Frank Schoenbergers stainless manifold whereby space was more limited .
I got it working as best as i could and it drove fine however I couldnt get the solex " sprung link " and the centre return springs to both line up .
Outside two are just returns for the butterfly valves and provide zero resistance for the pedal , this means the pedal is so light its also not there - hence the centre spring which is just for feel.
Anyway i made a staggered pivot link so both now line up as they should , 4 holes give adjustable feel and second from bottom feels spot on .
Feels really nice now , light but a bit more responsive
The odd spring on tother side does nout really , just a good place to keep a spare

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Part two of the Vuskys throttle actuation / removal of worn out bits complete - this time the bit thats bolted to the inlet .
So smooth , nice and light but not overly so and very responsive .
Very happy bunny I iz

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Vuskys glove box lid was getting tricky to close and rather loose .
As you would know it wasnt fitted from new and its one I fitted from a scrapped 67 Chamois around 1994 .
At the time i didnt have the parcel shelf rail which has the captive parts for the lid so just used self tappers .
Anyway its now all held with M4 rivnuts including two in the lid itself for the straps , i used up some allen key bolts left over from doing the door pockets for the hinges and normal M4 slotted ones for the straps .
Ive remade the straps from 3mm shock cord ( bungee )

[moose]

Another tidy job Dave, the vusky is getting some love at the moment. Whats next?

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Wont fit in !!!
Sod it , just put it on the roof instead
Actually it did fit in fine -
One slight issue though - i couldnt change gear

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

On Saturday I discovered the Singers steering rack was leaking badly - and knackered .
Well it Seems the Vusky wanted a leak sorted as well .
Got a Rather nasty waft of burning oil on the way to work this morning which was soon traced to this .
Its a paper gasket ( well it was anyway ) thats been fitted around 15 years ( last time it was removed was when a chunk of valve decided to leave the engine )
Fitted a cork one now so should be OK ( Its all ive got )
Never seen a gasket quite so knackered

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

No namby pamby not going out in the wet for poor old Barnaby the Vusky . This time to get a load of bags of compost , some plants and a rather large trellis
Working hard for a living out in the rain as normal

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Found the perfect way to soundproof Barnaby
Ram an entire double bed frame and mattress in the back ( although you have to smash up the frame )
Sewing machine and piano stool also quieten down the front , for once the radio was audible

[The Nun]

I think you need a Commer Superpoise for the amount of compost you buy, what do you do with it all ?

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

About 18 months ago I started doing the inner arches on Barnaby .
400,000 miles and 50 odd years had basically beaten all the paint off . I did the OSF inner arch way back then but sadly life got complicated .
Dad became ill and Mum ended up in a care home with advanced Dementia ( Dad was mums carer )
Sadly Dad passed away in May which meant paperwork , solicitors , paperwork , phone calls , paperwork , solicitors and clearing up their now empty hoose - Did i mention there was some paperwork and phone calls
Anyhoo finally I started on the OSR inner arch which was far more solid that i thought , yep there was more surface rust than the Titanic but beating it wiv a hammer proved it was still solid . The repairs i did 20 odd years ago were still attached to the thing
Cue much wire brushing on a drill , much flappage with a few flappage wheels , a clean up ( both of me and the arch ) and a coat or two of Hydrate 80 .
Hope to get it stone chip painted in a few days ready for more clearing up of Dads hoose

[bazzateer]

Good to see your previous repairs holding up Dave.
Sorry to hear about your parents. Mine are still taking care of each other but with both turning 90 next year I'm not sure how long that will continue.
You may as well give the Vusky that full resto it deserves - you're already half way there!

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Barnabys rear inner arch has been etch primed then sprayed with stone chip paint.
Needs more coats really but its too cold for that .
Besides as its marooned in the garage it wont matter none
Rear trailing arms need a referb as well , doubt thats gonna get done though

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Exciting times at Daves dwellings .
Ive changed its oil and filter
We done around 15 trips to my late fathers house trying to clear it out . Barnaby has done well but is currently filthy both inside and out .
Getting used how it should be . In all weather and loaded to the gunnels .
Its all good

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

More of an experimental " im bored " piss about than anything serious .
Anyhoo I knocked up a " Ive dribbled fuel on the front panel stopper " from some scrap
Its interference fit , just tapped it on , comes off OK too , not sure if Il use or on which one , still it was fun making it [media][/media]

[bazzateer]

Another neat solution. Nice work Dave.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Just in case anyone was wondering just how useful Imp Vans / Huskys are heres proof .
You can fit a solid pine double bed ( in newness kit form ) in the back AND shut the tailgate .
OK so the front seats need sliding forward a scratch meaning you need a really hot shower beforehand so you shrink to fit the new seating set up.
It weighed 48KG which is pushing the roof rack a tad .
Why - well I just aint paying £30 so that they can deliver it exactly one mile

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Ive splashed out on these NOS halogen Lucas main beam headlights and metal backs for Barnaby , Cibies ive got fitted are shot . Should arrive in a week or so

[colimp66]

Will the back bowls be getting one of the many Nods mods to them then Dave?
Making access easier.

Cheers
Col,

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Will the back bowls be getting one of the many Nods mods to them then Dave?
Making access easier.

Cheers
Col,

For certain , grinder action is predicted to happen

[colimp66]

Good stuff Dave,
Thats when I am at my happiest grinder in hand cutting something up to be modified or should that be "Nodified"???

Cheers
Col.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Barnabys headlights arrived .
I fitted the complete unit on the drivers side as this was a tad rusty .
On the passengers side unit was good however the upper adjuster was broken meaning the light wobbled about like a weeble .
Rather than scrap it I removed a good adjuster from the now scrapped drivers side and fitted it on the Passenger side one . I used my original wiring as its the correct length already .
This gives a complete NOS bowl as a spare , they are the same for inners and outers , its just a case of sorting the wiring out .

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Sommat strange .
Took Barnaby to work and then got some fuel on the way home.
At the pump a chap came over and said " I see youve still got my Van then "
Apparently it was his wifes old car and she loved it .
She Used to keep Horses and took bales of Hay to them in it daily .
Heres the strange bit
If it was forecast to rain for most of the day she left the bales in the back , parked it in the field with the tailgate up so the Horses got dry hay during the day .
Im surprised its got a load area left after a few years of this .
He said we sold it for £40 and bought an Austin 1100 which was a pile of utter crap.
Final comment " should never of sold it "

[bazzateer]

Cool. I recently made contact with the people I sold my Frogeye to about 20 years ago. They still have it.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Twas minus 4˚C this morning , Barnaby wasnt phased by it at all - unlike me . Still heater does blow warm air within 2 miles so its doing its best to stop me freezing to death

[The Nun]

Sommat strange .
She Used to keep Horses and took bales of Hay to them in it daily .
Heres the strange bit
If it was forecast to rain for most of the day she left the bales in the back , parked it in the field with the tailgate up so the Horses got dry hay during the day .

Must have been the last straw when they flogged it then

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

PROBLEMS PROBLEMS PROBLEMS
Barnabys gearbox is miserable
Doesnt like selecting 1st
Crashes going into 2nd unless i change really slow
Doesnt like selecting reverse at all
3rd and 4th are fine
Any ideas , any thoughts and anyone got a decent working box lying about
Also anyone willing to give me a hand as im not sure my back will take much more .
Box has been rebuilt and only done 800 miles since fitting.
Im going to double check the flexi gearlinkage thingy just to rule it out plus re bleed the clutch.
Not sure i can cope with this shit much more

[The Nun]

Only lasted 800 miles, thats nearly as bad as water pumps go now too, then poor quality head gaskets, rotoflexes, what's next on the duff stuff list?

[briang]

I had a similar problem some months ago, it turned out to be the aged clutch pipe not allowing the clutch to engage or dis-engage properly, just a thought.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

I had a similar problem some months ago, it turned out to be the aged clutch pipe not allowing the clutch to engage or dis-engage properly, just a thought.

Its got an aeroquip pipe on it , seems to be OK
Anyway after Much pacing myself so as not to really piss of my back in just under 3 hours im currently at this stage --- back is still OK

[oli]

Check the clutch fork for fractures / flexing? Release bearing if not a roller type? Slave cylinder travel? Driven plate thickness?

[moose]

get a spotless drain pan and drain oil from box into it and inspect the oil. You have nothing to lose by opening it up and checking it over there are plenty of second hand boxes out there so even if you open it and find the problem you can just make an ornament out of it.

[The Nun]

Bit of a swine though if the box has been rebuilt at 500 quid jobby and it's only lasted 800 miles, it's a bit like rubbish water pumps that we have to replace every year, now gearboxes too?.?, its getting too much of a joke.Imps are getting nearly as expensive as 911s to run at that rate.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Check the clutch fork for fractures / flexing? Release bearing if not a roller type? Slave cylinder travel? Driven plate thickness?

All fine , its got a roller bearing in it , thats free and spins well , arm is H/D and well beefy , driven plates only done 800 miles so it better be good

[impmann]

.Imps are getting nearly as expensive as 911s to run at that rate.

911s are more reliable - so in many ways cheaper. Certainly the waterpumps never fail in the early ones.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Barnabys new box is in .
Took a staggering 8 hours at semi broken back pace
Far better box although not the greatest ever .
First to second is still a bit notchy but not crashing , all other gears are good , changing down is now lovely .
Strangely selecting any gear engine off with the clutch up is tricky.
Dip the clutch and it all goes in fine .
Oil from old box has two distinct colours in it .
Bronze like colour and black , oil was correct BTW Used Castrol EP80 GL4 .
This box used to kick out of second quite often especially changing down.
Still it moves which is the main thing , i guess the box will bed in with use

[Uncle Henry]

Obviously the golden colouration will be from syncro rings ?

AG