A Californian drying out in South Africa

[African Imp]

Roy asked me to post on his behalf that he can no longer access the forum for posting but can read replies still, he has reported the fact but nothing has happened about it as yet.
But Merry Christmas and Happy New Imping Year to all

I thought maybe he's reached the max limit on posting comments in his one thread so maybe we will find out?

Thanks Peter, it took a while but Paul the Forum manager put up with me and I have eventually got back in!

All the very best to everyone.

[African Imp]

Did you find out what caused the image to pop up Roy?

Sorry, my use of words was wrong, it did pop OUT at me but in my own picture files!

[African Imp]

I have become brave enough to attempt to produce my own set of alloy pullies, I have this image and of my own 998cc race Imp engine.
They came with all the related parts from the Rootes Competition Department, was that Des O'Dell back in 1971/72?

Bob Allan was good enough measure the basic sizes off some used ones that were made by Carter, I will not be making them as small as some of the Carter ones were?

[The Nun]

The smaller ones were for an alternator I believe, if you fit the large one as per that on the dynamo it doesn't spin the alternator fast enough for it to kick in and charge at low road speeds.

[African Imp]

The smaller ones were for an alternator I believe, if you fit the large one as per that on the dynamo it doesn't spin the alternator fast enough for it to kick in and charge at low road speeds.

Thanks, that I did not know.

Happy Christmas to you!

Some practice works on the Maximat VP10 S lathe, I have had it nearly a year now and slowly I am making more sense about what it can do, right more its more about what I cannot do?

In this picture I was using the chuck jaws that allow me to hold the pulley on the outer edges, this was not a success, as the center showed a wobble, I then machined an alloy nipple, fitted that in the center hole, reversed the pulley and it spun up fine then!

Note the SKF Speedy Sleeve, it was on the cars original engine and has done many hours and miles, its not worn at all, they are 0.025mm thick.

I am preparing to remove the center out of the steel pulley and for use in the new pulley made from alloy.

[African Imp]

Way back in November 2007 I fitted a new crank seal to a spare timing cover, I have wanted to remove it for some time.

Three days back I made up a removal tool which really worked well

It fits the seal from the inside and a sharp tap with a one pound copper faced hammer on a block of wood pushed the seal out easily.

[Uncle Henry]

So would a hooked tool. Presumably if the timing case is off, the reason for removing the seal is to replace it, therefore it doesn't matter a hoot if it gets damaged. No special tool required ?

AG

[The Nun]

It's not often you have the cover off to replace the seal though so you have to remove it from the outside, with the engine in situe, the simplest way is just to screw a self tapping ecrew into the seal, apply some mole grips to the head and lever the seal out, comes out easily.
Of course the seal is wrecked but then you wouldn't be removing if it didn't need renewing?

[oli]

I think Roy wanted to remove a brand new seal without damaging it. (A large enough socket tapped with a hammer would have done the same thing without the wasted time to make the tool though..?)

[African Imp]

I think Roy wanted to remove a brand new seal without damaging it. (A large enough socket tapped with a hammer would have done the same thing without the wasted time to make the tool though..?)

Yes, your correct, I do want to re use the seal, which is still new, would a socket fit I wonder, as there is very little free space, a tube of metal with a wall thickness say no more than 2mm would also have worked.

[African Imp]

Happy New Year to everyone from Cape Town!

[The Nun]

Wife's looking good Roy

[African Imp]

Wife's looking good Roy

Thanks!

[African Imp]

The return of my 1967 Hillman Imp Californian seems to be a long time ago!

It was in a sad condition but remarkably all the parts were intact, many damaged but still there.

The date it was returned by the Johnston brothers was 07 July 2014, I had to pay them R1000 more than they had paid me when they bought it from me some four years earlier due to the fact they had a new set of tyres fitted!

What happened to the nice Pirelli 2000 tyres on the car when I sold the car I wonder?

[African Imp]

This morning I checked the number two spark plug, looks ok given the shorter distances I have driven in the car recently?

[African Imp]

I have seen mentions of Imp water pumps leaking?

Often the advice given has been to run them up dry for a short while with an electric drill to bed the carbon seals in?

Mine has been on the car a good while now, every so often it drips a few drops of water but after a drive that stops, same issue I expect?

I do carry made up spares but prefer to stay with the one on the car for now.

[The Nun]

1.38 million thread views now Roy, I also noticed your Californian has been drying out for almost 10 years too

[African Imp]

1.38 million thread views now Roy, I also noticed your Californian has been drying out for almost 10 years too

Wow, I had no idea on those thread views!

Dried out well in the end I guess, it was the arrival of the 1971 Hillman Imp of Rob Young which started it all again, I had sold the Californian some four years earlier, then I took on Robs car, it was he that saw my Californian for sale in Gumtree.

Advertised at twice the sum that I sold it for, I gave them R1000 over the original selling price as it had new tyres fitted.

Some news that came in yesterday, this 1971 Hillman Imp will be in Impressions soon and on offer for sale, its a two owner car, never been welded and is really in top condition. It has an original numbers engine, plus front disc brakes, LED side lights too!

[The Nun]

It's there though Roy that's the problem in shipping it back here, unless the cars price is reduced to cover the shipping cost which I doubt the owner would want to do, so one has to hope someone there already wants it, maybe those that had your Californian before you bought it back could have it for a few years? then you would have another restoration project to do in 4 years time?

[African Imp]

It's there though Roy that's the problem in shipping it back here, unless the cars price is reduced to cover the shipping cost which I doubt the owner would want to do, so one has to hope someone there already wants it, maybe those that had your Californian before you bought it back could have it for a few years? then you would have another restoration project to do in 4 years time?

I know, its a problem, then we do see some Imps being shipped to NZ, then to the USA, the costs are not small!

[The Nun]

Maybe ideall for you Roy to buy it to upgrade to a more modern version of the imp that needs nothing doing, as you say its almost like new, then you could sell your Californian to finance it?.
Then start a new thread "A Super Imp drying out? "

[oli]

[African Imp]

Maybe ideall for you Roy to buy it to upgrade to a more modern version of the imp that needs nothing doing, as you say its almost like new, then you could sell your Californian to finance it?.
Then start a new thread "A Super Imp drying out? "

Robs Imp was never wet, well damp, in fact it was housed in a factory for years and had not been outside for decades!

I see that a Sunbeam Imp Sport is being shipped to California, USA, its a twin head light version.

[African Imp]

My Imp has had a rest this past two weeks, its been a tad warm here, past 30c on many days.

I have kept myself busy with the rebuild of my 1968 102 series British Seagull instead, the block is sort of special as it has no cylinder head, the piston is fitted from below.

I had to make up a water pump cover to allow me to fit the gear box, works well too but not as in this picture as the lower leg needed to be deeper into the water.

Its a nice 27c today and I will be driving the Californian again!

I had a nice drive and all is well as far as I can tell?

[African Imp]

The HMS Endurance called into Cape Town in 2008, the radio officer on board was an Imp Club member and he contacted me.

I went down to the harbour to meet with him, the guided tour of the ship was impressive.

It was built in Norway or one of the Nordic countries, more like a hotel inside than a British Navy ship, carpets on the passageway soles.

Later and on another voyage the ship caught fire, in Rio do Janerio I think? it was damaged enough to be laid off and scrapped later.

[Uncle Henry]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Endurance_(A171)

AG

[African Imp]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Endurance_(A171)

AG

On duty in the ice, I was given this image as an A4 picture while on the ship.

[The Nun]

Later and on another voyage the ship caught fire, in Rio do Janerio I think?

It's good to know we aren't the only ones that suffer with rubbish fuel hose to the carburettor then

[African Imp]

One wire not in my stocks was the one from the coil to the side of the distributor, a white wire with a black tracer, eventually I found a short offcut and joined it into another wire to get the original look.

Now and today I discover a long length hidden with some other gear!

[The Nun]

Phew that's a relief Roy, now you have a job for next week correcting the previous repair

[African Imp]

Phew that's a relief Roy, now you have a job for next week correcting the previous repair

All done and some time back, when I had a look last week the wires at the coil and the distributor are the correct colours, I think I must have found a short length and spliced it into another wire to get the correct length?

Given that it will be soldered then fitted with some shrink tube over the joint, so its safe and inside the wire loom .

[African Imp]

The Singer Chamois Sport re built engine on its 0.060" Hepolite Powermax pistons was started for the first time dated 24 10 2019, since then I have driven the car some 3404 kms or 2127 miles, I would like to think that the new pistons and rings are run in now?

Looking at the price I paid The Imp Club spares department at 120 pounds, It was a good purchase at the time.

Bob offered me the set the year before the National at The Wirral, was that in 2003? as I was expecting to be on Merseyside in 2004 I asked him to hold the set for me and I would take them then.

[Uncle Henry]

Yes, the Wirral national was 2003, my first. And I'd owned my Imp for 2 weeks.

AG

[African Imp]

Yes, the Wirral national was 2003, my first. And I'd owned my Imp for 2 weeks.

AG

We met with Malcolm Anderson, John Simister, Simon Worland and Bob Allan who had those Heoplite Powermax pistons for me, we went for the day but never stayed over or got involved with the events.

We did see some amazing cars!

This is the then owner of that Sunbeam Stiletto and Jean my wife.

[The Nun]

Never did that one, 1992 Beale Bird Park was the last National I did on the trot from 1983, then I took a break until 2016 and did Hatton Park, then I'm having another break up to now

[African Imp]

Never did that one, 1992 Beale Bird Park was the last National I did on the trot from 1983, then I took a break until 2016 and did Hatton Park, then I'm having another break up to now

we met with the Singer Chamois registrar, John Simister and his daughter as well!

[African Imp]

Never did that one, 1992 Beale Bird Park was the last National I did on the trot from 1983, then I took a break until 2016 and did Hatton Park, then I'm having another break up to now

Do I read that you may do another National again?

Its back on Merseyside again this year, I think one of your Imp restorations may be ready now?

[African Imp]

Yes, the Wirral national was 2003, my first. And I'd owned my Imp for 2 weeks.

AG

So we could have met each other that day!

This is one of the larger sized Hepolite Pistons that is now in my cars engine, a Singer Sport motor and from 1966.

[The Nun]

Bet you kicked yourself realising you hadn't met Uncle Henry, maybe time for another visit

[Uncle Henry]

Bet you kicked yourself realising you hadn't met Uncle Henry,

But of course ! As it happens, my youngest son and I stayed off-site, so missed a fair bit of the usual shenanigans !

UH

[African Imp]

Bet you kicked yourself realising you hadn't met Uncle Henry, maybe time for another visit

Another visit? well we do have new British passports now, its doubtful that we may ever use them though, the high cost to air tickets, a lack of somewhere to stay, such as with my parents , etc etc but I will keep an open mind to the subject!

This picture shows the Singer Chamois of John Simister and Simon Worland when booking into the camp site.

[African Imp]

One job that I may or may not do is a rebuild of the 1967 Hillman Imp Californians engine?

It is still on its original pistons, new rings were fitted some years ago, the cylinder head was changed to a sport version at the same time, with the Strombergs and related manifolds.

It uses little oil, runs at 50 pounds oil pressure hot or cold and all in all is not a bad engine but I did manage to buy a very decent set of used 0.030" piston's from The Imp Club spares department via Bob Allan.

To get them here I used a courier and a lady I know in Ireland, as she has an account with UPS, having an account brings the price right down!

My issue is why bother to do the work? the job will cost for the rebore and I may as well fit new crank bearings too, then what, I will have the cars original engine rebuilt and with no intention of fitting it!

I have Repco pistion rings, crank bearings and a cylinder head gasket by Reinz also.

[African Imp]

Bob in Imp Club Spares said they were in good condition, well I cannot but agree!

[The Nun]

I don't think you do enough miles Roy to worry about needing another engine waiting, the one you have will last another 30 years and the only thing stopping it will be a ban of petrol/diesel engines when you will have to find an electric motor instead in 2054.

[African Imp]

I don't think you do enough miles Roy to worry about needing another engine waiting, the one you have will last another 30 years and the only thing stopping it will be a ban of petrol/diesel engines when you will have to find an electric motor instead in 2054.

My thoughts too!
I still like the idea of actually owing an Imp with its original engine and on the Rootes crank bearings and pistons in a standard size.

The idea to sell this set of plus 0.030" pistons crosses my mind from time to time, then I leave the idea alone as that may be my next engine build?

[African Imp]

I don't think you do enough miles Roy to worry about needing another engine waiting, the one you have will last another 30 years and the only thing stopping it will be a ban of petrol/diesel engines when you will have to find an electric motor instead in 2054.

We will not be running out of LPG over here anytime soon, so if and its a very big if, we do run out of petrol a move to gas will not be impossible?

[African Imp]

Paul manager of the Imp Club forum@theimpclub.co.uk tells me I have been blocked for none payment of my annual subscription. Some months back I paid that subscription on the higher rate, then and as I have the Impressions magazine as a digital copy, they applied they lower and refunded the difference via Pay-Pal.

Can I now post this message?

Seems so?

Hi Roy,

I hope you're well.

I have been informed that your Imp Club membership has lapsed, and so have reduced your forum access level accordingly. If you should rejoin, your status will be upgraded again.

Kind regards,

Paul

[The Nun]

Oh the embarrassment Roy, everyone will think you're now so hard up and can't afford it , you should ask for compensation, maybe a years free membership would suffice?

[African Imp]

Oh the embarrassment Roy, everyone will think you're now so hard up and can't afford it , you should ask for compensation, maybe a years free membership would suffice?

Well I did pay in full on the understanding that when and if the AGM agreed to a lower subs rate on members who took digital copies of Impressions got a lower subs rate.

After the AGM I was refunded the difference!

[African Imp]

A technical matter, when we click on the " Subscribe " button of a page we should be sent a notice that someone has made a comment?

In my case this has not happened for a very long idea, can anyone advise how I can adjust the settings please?