A Californian drying out in South Africa

[The Nun]

The servo wont make the brakes any better it just means you don't have to press the pedal so hard to achieve the same braking effect, the Imp servo is 2:1 I think so you need half the pressure youre currently using, which is handy if you've got a gammy leg and it aches easily, and if you change the 0.7 master for a 0.625 that's a other 20% less pedal, you'd be almost stopping without touching the pedal , you may make it too sensitive and easier to lock up as there's not much weight on the front with your size 12 Doc Martens,?

You can also servo assist the clutch hydraulics too to halve the pedal pressure required again handy if you're invalided then you'd need an extra servo of course?

Another project?

[African Imp]

The servo wont make the brakes any better it just means you don't have to press the pedal so hard to achieve the same braking effect, the Imp servo is 2:1 I think so you need half the pressure youre currently using, which is handy if you've got a gammy leg and it aches easily, and if you change the 0.7 master for a 0.625 that's a other 20% less pedal, you'd be almost stopping without touching the pedal , you may make it too sensitive and easier to lock up as there's not much weight on the front with your size 12 Doc Martens,?

You can also servo assist the clutch hydraulics too to halve the pedal pressure required again handy if you're invalided then you'd need an extra servo of course?

Another project?

Thanks on your advice, yes I do have size ten shoes!

This is still a tempting job to tackle, at the moment I have a few persons asking about buying that Girling servo, so I will leave this alone for a while.

[African Imp]

I saw yesterday that the Imp Californian had a long list of extras that could be added to your original and new purchase.

Surprise to me was the brake servo and a fabric opening sunshine roof!

I had one fitted here to my second Sunbeam Stiletto, very nice too.

It was a Webasto and fitted by the agents just off Somerset Road, Green Point, Jimmys Trim shop.

[oli]

Roy, if you take a break from the garage, and fix the house, you will be able to spend as long as you like in the garage afterwards

The servo would not really give you much of a performance increase - it is more of a convenience kind of thing - like power steering. It just does the work for you so you don't have to press the pedal so hard to get the performance. The trade off is that you generally get less feel for how the brakes are working. I would imagine that currently you have a harder pedal than you should without the servo using the 0.7" master.

[African Imp]

Roy, if you take a break from the garage, and fix the house, you will be able to spend as long as you like in the garage afterwards

The servo would not really give you much of a performance increase - it is more of a convenience kind of thing - like power steering. It just does the work for you so you don't have to press the pedal so hard to get the performance. The trade off is that you generally get less feel for how the brakes are working. I would imagine that currently you have a harder pedal than you should without the servo using the 0.7" master.

I have the 0.70 master cylinder.

[Uncle Henry]

He knows that. You need a smaller one.

AG

[The Nun]

I saw yesterday that the Imp Californian had a long list of extras that could be added to your original and new purchase.

Surprise to me was the brake servo and a fabric opening sunshine roof!

Sunshine roof next then Roy, you need it there, or have a white painted roof? That's been done before, so it keeps the roof cooler in the hot sun? I don't remember a sun roof being offered as a factory fit option here, maybe a hot country thing?
Fabric ones were OK when new but soon start leaking as the material and seal ages and you can't get the new parts to fix them now either.

You could have a servo assisted open sunshine roof both my 205 Gti's had vacuum sealed sunroofs worked from the engine vacuum

[African Imp]

My other pastime is rebuilding engines, this one is a Perkins 4107 marine diesel which has around 47 hp, it depends on the speed rating of the vessel?

The quality of the internal parts has to be seen to be believed, Perkins produced around 500,000 of those engines and parts are still available and not at all expensive either.

I had just fitted the stainless trims to the rear window, what a job that was!

[The Nun]

It's crying out for the painted trims on the side rear windows too.

The engines in pink desert camouflage?

[African Imp]

It's crying out for the painted trims on the side rear windows too.

The engines in pink desert camouflage?

That was really a beige twin pack etch primer, as I took the entire motor down to bare steel, the original green went back on but blue was also a Perkins color. This was 2017, the Perkins is running, super clean, it had new rings fitted and the pump and injectors serviced ( at great cost )

I had decided not to fit the Californians alloy trims again and used the Stiletto twin white lines later on.

[African Imp]

I was going through some old CDs, lots of images, this one caught my eye as the brake master cylinder is a 0.70" sized one, so suitable for cars with disc brakes?

The peddle box is from the 1967 Hillman Imp Californian, I have to assume that when refitting the car I fitted two 0.625" cylinders, as later on I then fitted the 0.70" brake cylinder to suit the Ford Fiesta front disc brakes.

Did the Californian come out with the 0.70" brake cylinder, I have to assume yes?

[The Nun]

No it didn't, only cars factory fitted with servo had the 0.7" the rest had 0.625

[African Imp]

No it didn't, only cars factory fitted with servo had the 0.7" the rest had 0.625

Thanks, I did read that very early Imps had the 0.70" cylinder, so this one was changed in a service and some time before the car came into my ownership?

[African Imp]

What happens to brake pedal pressure if a 0.75" cylinder is used?

This one that I have is new old stock.

[oli]

Even less pedal travel.

[African Imp]

Even less pedal travel.

Thanks, that is what I was thinking ?

There was certainally a big difference between the 0.625" cylinder and the 0.70" cylinder, so perhaps this one makes it even better?

[The Nun]

You will have less pedal travel but another 15% more pedal pressure is required to what you have now for the same stopping power, you only need that one if your pedal travel now isn't sufficient to shift the volume of fluid needed before the pedal gets too low, bigger bore cylinders say or multi pot calipers? You will then definitely need a servo or bigger boots

[African Imp]

You will have less pedal travel but another 15% more pedal pressure is required to what you have now for the same stopping power, you only need that one if your pedal travel now isn't sufficient to shift the volume of fluid needed before the pedal gets too low, bigger bore cylinders say or multi pot calipers? You will then definitely need a servo or bigger boots

Ok, case closed, all very good information from you guys, I think I stay with what I have but as a matter of interest, where would the suction pipe exit?

[Uncle Henry]

Its not "case closed" if you continue with the subject is it ?

AG

[The Nun]

The 3/8" dia vacuum pipe runs along the drivers side (offside UK) bottom edge of the tunnel retained by P clips, at the front it goes behind the steering rack mounting plate and follows the fuel pipe and emerges right next to it through a hole of its own, only front mounted servos have this hole in the floor, the pipe protrudes though that hole about 40mm where a rubber hose is attached and that goes up to the servo.

At the rear it follows the fuel pipe again above the rear suspension cross member goes upwards about 12" and stops just before the vertical engine shield where a rubber hose is attached and that goes through the vertical shield and connect to the inlet manifold in the normal place.

Screenshot_20240323_104102_Chrome.jpg

But I've told you this in the past Roy, you even had a photo before.

[African Imp]

Its not "case closed" if you continue with the subject is it ?

AG

Just a matter of interest as the rear looks easy enough, dropping the front suspensions will not be hard as Ive had it off about ten years back?

[The Nun]

Its not "case closed" if you continue with the subject is it ?

AG

It's the end of the matter until the next matter

[The Nun]

It's easy if you want to drop the front suspension yes, but not if you don't.

You don't necessarily have to have the vacuum pipe above the front suspension following the fuel pipe, (only if you want it factory spec using the original pipe), you could bring a new pipe out of the tunnel and around the edge of the suspension plate and generally follow the clutch pipe route and enter the boot on the nearside with the clutch pipe, that would mean you didn't have to remove the suspension.

[oli]

Which is why I used a flexible hose in the first place...

Peter, some people just seem to like to make things more difficult than they really are...

[African Imp]

It's easy if you want to drop the front suspension yes, but not if you don't.

You don't necessarily have to have the vacuum pipe above the front suspension following the fuel pipe, (only if you want it factory spec using the original pipe), you could bring a new pipe out of the tunnel and around the edge of the suspension plate and generally follow the clutch pipe route and enter the boot on the nearside with the clutch pipe, that would mean you didn't have to remove the suspension.

Thanks, its all being memorised!

[African Imp]

I discovered the original CD and pictures of the brass shims to the gear shift long shaft tube.
There were new plastic bushes but the wear on the tube required removal.

This was back in August 28th 2014.

[The Nun]

Which is why I used a flexible hose in the first place...

Peter, some people just seem to like to make things more difficult than they really are...

Yes maybe it's about the challenge, don't do it like everyone else would do it, no doubt some would gold plate the pipe too and others would leave it rusty, it's how your OCD works in your brain

[African Imp]

Has anyone got any experience with the Aldon kit?

I asked as this one was gifted to me and as new, I could not get it to work!

[The Nun]

Maybe it was a duff one, it's very easy to blow the unit if you mistakingly connect it up backwards which is easily done on the Imp where the car could be positive or negative earthed?
Blow it, put it back in the box and move it on as a brand new unused unit then when the new owner finds it doesn't work they ask on the forum why doesnt this work.

You need to check the unit is actually working first before fitting it just incase its faulty.

[African Imp]

Maybe it was a duff one, it's very easy to blow the unit if you mistakingly connect it up backwards which is easily done on the Imp where the car could be positive or negative earthed?
Blow it, put it back in the box and move it on as a brand new unused unit then when the new owner finds it doesn't work they ask on the forum why doesnt this work.

You need to check the unit is actually working first before fitting it just incase its faulty.

How do I check to see its working without trying it out in a distributor?

[African Imp]

Its a few year back now, was it in 2016 that I sent the car off to the trimmer?

They made a great job too, I asked that they try and replicate the original patterns and design layouts, I supplied them with all the artwork that I could find, plus a set of seats from the 1966 Singer Chamois Sport that I had to get panel widths from ( not panel layout )

The ribbed rubber covering on the fold down seat backs and the parcel area was changed for black carpet as it looks better?

[African Imp]

The results were top class, I was super happy with the works done and standard of finish, they re covered the 14" Mountney leather steering wheel with Nappa leather also.

[Uncle Henry]

it's very easy to blow the unit if you mistakingly connect it up backwards

Poor show by the manufacturer then, who could have added a couple of diodes to this and prevented the potential to wreck it !!

AG

[The Nun]

it's very easy to blow the unit if you mistakingly connect it up backwards

Poor show by the manufacturer then, who could have added a couple of diodes to this and prevented the potential to wreck it !!

AG

Maybe they did and the diodes blown that's why it doesn't work?

[African Imp]

it's very easy to blow the unit if you mistakingly connect it up backwards

Poor show by the manufacturer then, who could have added a couple of diodes to this and prevented the potential to wreck it !!

AG

I will see if I can send them an email and discuss the issue?

The number on the box is LU-142A, does that relate to manufacture or a suitability for the Lucas distributor?

Mail sent this morning:
Good Morning,

Some time back I was gifted with an Aldon LU-142A ignitor, it was said to be new, my friend who gave it to me was leaving the country so passed it on to me.

I have tried twice to get it to work, the last time being March 2017, this was on my 1967 Hillman Imp Californian.

The engine is in very good condition and has two earth straps fitted, the distributor is a Lucas 25D type, using Lucas points.

The unit with a red and black wire on it is marked Lot # 21AF NV5, can it be tested with a multi meter?

Regards

Roy McBride

[African Imp]

My Mountney steering wheel is about thirty years old, it was bought for my 1975 Reliant Scimitar SE5a GTE, when that was sold after eleven years of ownership, the wheel went on to Jeans 1967 Chamois Imp, then to the Californian as the Chamois was sold.

Its a fourteen inch diameter which I find to be perfect for me, the cost to recover was around R1900 , not a small amount of money but it does take one man a day to do the job.

[moose]

it's very easy to blow the unit if you mistakingly connect it up backwards

Poor show by the manufacturer then, who could have added a couple of diodes to this and prevented the potential to wreck it !!

AG

To be fair not difficult to get red to positive and black to negative as per the instructions. It is the same as connecting a battery, if you cannot work that out should you really be working on your own car ?

[John A Ross]

Mike

The Lumenition Magnetronic module you pointed me to performed flawlessly on both cars and thats now nearly 4k miles in each of mostly motorway driving.

Only issue was the plate needs modified as the pillar which hold the spring pivot is too long and you cant fit the module until you crop it.

I put in the 2 plastic bodied "points replacment" I had in my dump bin and ran the car for 10 minuites 4k rpm.

The plastic bodied ones were substantially hotter but isolated to the module almost, the magnetronic one ran cooler but the mounting plate shared the same temp almost. I wish I had kept the FLIR images as it spoke volumes especially at higher revs/duty cycle.

Still off board switching or good points is way to go

.

[African Imp]

it's very easy to blow the unit if you mistakingly connect it up backwards

Poor show by the manufacturer then, who could have added a couple of diodes to this and prevented the potential to wreck it !!

AG

To be fair not difficult to get red to positive and black to negative as per the instructions. It is the same as connecting a battery, if you cannot work that out should you really be working on your own car ?

A reply from Aldon:

Good morning

Please find attached some fitting instructions which have some test procedures.

If these do not solve your problem please contact us again and we will get our technician to see if he can help.

Kind regards

Aldon Automotive Ltd
Breener Industrial Estate

Well I really cannot complain about the after sales service from Aldon?
The info they have given is in a Word document and was also with the kit I have, the series of tests they mention may give me a clue as to whats wrong?
Station Drive
Brierley Hill
West Midlands
DY5 3JZ

[African Imp]

Can anyone advise how to stop 2K paint hardener from going off, turning to jelly basically?

I ask as a fresh 1 ltr can of it was opened mid last year, the plastic screw lid was replaced and tightly but the contents still went off.

An expensive event.

[The Nun]

It just goes off Roy, like black etch primer i have, just the same turns jelly after a period of time, it has what they call a 'Shelf Life" after a certain date it's no good to use, just like your food, they want you to buy more new and not keep loads of stock on your shelf.

[African Imp]

It just goes off Roy, like black etch primer i have, just the same turns jelly after a period of time, it has what they call a 'Shelf Life" after a certain date it's no good to use, just like your food, they want you to buy more new and not keep loads of stock on your shelf.

Do they sell in say 250ml sizes, I wonder?

The International Paints 990 polyurethane cure agent goes off too but this is due to moisture ingress I think?

I have used some top coats this week and again found a can that had gone off, went hard even though I had taped the lid up, so yesterday I sealed it with silicone, will that work, time will tell?

[Uncle Henry]

Probably not, as there is air in the tin. You'd have to remove the air I guess ?

AG

[RoyBlunt]

Most of these things (epoxy and polyurethane hardeners and resins) are temperature sensitive - thus they will 'go off' (i.e. partially cure) faster the higher the storage temperature in the same way (but much, much slower) that they do when mixed so they need to be stored somewhere cool. That should extend the shelf life but they will eventually go off or not set properly (usually leaving a weaker coating with a slightly sticky or moisture sensitive surface) whatever you do.

Roy

[The Nun]

Not an ideal solution Roy as you've got to go out and buy a roll of cling film and silicone sealer then for all your tins, and it does look a bit of a mess on your shelf

You need to buy a few more imps to restore so you're using everything before it's gone off ?

[African Imp]

Probably not, as there is air in the tin. You'd have to remove the air I guess ?

AG

Yes, I should have put some 713 International PU thinners in before closing the lid?

[African Imp]

Not an ideal solution Roy as you've got to go out and buy a roll of cling film and silicone sealer then for all your tins, and it does look a bit of a mess on your shelf

You need to buy a few more imps to restore so you're using everything before it's gone off ?

I have a large roll of clear plastic that I use to wrap things with, the silicone was here all ready, yes its a mess but if it works fine by me?

[The Nun]

It's the air already inside the tin that makes it go off faster, you need to put the remainder into small tins or bottles so they are filled to the brim with no air space, the paint will last considerably longer then.
Jean must throw out old jars and bottles that you could recycle and put your surplus paint in?

[oli]

Knowing Roy as we do, he would drill the lids of all his tins, fit one way valves and suck the air out!

[African Imp]

It's the air already inside the tin that makes it go off faster, you need to put the remainder into small tins or bottles so they are filled to the brim with no air space, the paint will last considerably longer then.
Jean must throw out old jars and bottles that you could recycle and put your surplus paint in?

When they pack crisps / potato chips they inject a gas into each enclosure to stop them going soggy, if I put thinners into the tin it would do much the same thing?