Mk2 1.8 HL Automatic update

[mickthefitter]

Or maybe pull the stub out, drill it and tap it and put a small metric screw in, if I've got a small enough tap. That seems like a better idea.

[JoshWard]

BL originally used a rubber 'nipple' to blank the vac take off. A bit of hose with a screw in the end will do the job if needs be...

[mickthefitter]

Okay Josh, thanks. I know if I've got two rebuilt carbs to fit, quibbling about what bit came from where might seem like an insignificant detail to some. I can see that. But what I've effectively paid for is two reconditioned carburettors supplied on an exchange basis, whereas I was told by Andrew Turner that it was worthwhile having 'my' carburettors rebuilt and he gave them a cursory examination when I took them to him, and said they looked in good condition. Then when I picked 'these' up he said he'd not had any problems. Apart from recalling which original parts came from my car, that is. I just wish people could tell the truth, but it seems to be a basic human inability, especially where some financial gain is concerned. And I'm not just talking about cars now.

[balmy]

I'd be taking them back. Prompto ........

[JubileeNut]

I had a good second set of carbs I had rebuilt and then swapped them over. then sold my originals carbs.
I think I got back the ones I sent out to Burlen but either way they did a 1st class job. They even sent all the part that were replaced on the carbs.
The ones I sent in for refurb where better than the ones on the car which were worn.

[Kilroy]

Nice job on the relay wiring - end of problems there.

Is it possible the carb rebuilders stamped numbers on your carb bodies as a job reference.?

[mickthefitter]

Nice job on the relay wiring - end of problems there.

Is it possible the carb rebuilders stamped numbers on your carb bodies as a job reference.?

No I'm pretty certain not. Before I spotted the unwanted vac take-off port I was wondering why I was getting rusty crud out of the bottom of one of the float chambers, as although I'd cleaned debris out originally while the carbs were ON the car, while swapping float chamber lid gaskets, I'd been pretty meticulous (as far as possible) using lint-free cloth and a small screwdriver to clean out the bottom, so any rusty sediment would have been obvious and I don't remember any. So then slowly the penny dropped as I realised the current carbs had casting stamps that weren't originally there, so the float chambers weren't mine either...and then I spotted the vacuum pipe stub. Previously all I'd seen were shiny carburettors built up with new parts. I hadn't anticipated sleight of hand as being part of the process.

[mickthefitter]

I'd be taking them back. Prompto ........

The problem is a trip to and from Grantham to achieve...what? A pound to a penny, my original carburettor parts will have gone to somebody else by now. I collected these I have, at least four weeks ago now, possibly five, so there's very little chance of getting any satisfaction by finding my original carburettors, not that they were THAT distinctive that I could pick out their dismembered components from an identity line-up. Chances are, those I've got are perfectly serviceable, aside from having to block up the vacuum port, I'm just ANNOYED that I'm kidded into thinking MY carbs have been rebuilt as per the description of the service, and in return I've got an assembly of SU components instead.

I'll tell you what I noticed early on because I looked for it. On my carbs, the piston lifting pin had an external spring retained by a circlip, and on one of mine the spring and circlip were missing. so when I got these carbs thinking they were my originals, I checked to see if the spring and circlip had been replaced and found both carbs had bright metal piston lifting pins, of a thicker diameter, and the springs are retained internally and out of sight. 'That's clever', I thought, 'he must have drilled out the bodies to carry out a mod'. Now it all becomes clear. These carbs must be of a later manufacture, when for simplicity the external circlip was done away with, but that doesn't necessarily mean they did less miles than mine before they came in for a rebuild. I guess since spindles get re-bushed, any lasting wear that can't be taken out occurs on the piston and bores.

I have sent an email to him tonight. I guess I should have phoned if I really wanted a response, but then I think out of four phone calls I made prior to and during the rebuild process, twice Andrew Turner wasn't there and his wife took the call. And there's been so much upheaval at work these past two weeks, including today, I've neither had the time nor inclination to get into an argument about carburettors...

[mickthefitter]

Ha! No response from Andrew Turner two days after my polite email expressing my 'confusion' as to why my reconditioned carburettors are actually someone else's. No great surprise there then.

[mickthefitter]

You know because I seem to have a fiasco whenever I allow other people to touch my car or parts of my car, I'm seriously considering, when it's back on the road, looking at the auto transmission leaks myself even though I've thought before, no way am I touching that myself. What I'm about to say isn't about the leaks really, but ages ago I bookmarked one or two websites with Borg Warner information and I've just been reading on the Rover P6 Club's website, where it says the Type 65 was fitted to V8s after 1973, and I've been reading about the kickdown cable setting and how the critical pressures that are meant to be checked for proper operation can be condensed down to some practical road speed tests, and what speed the transmission changes into third (top) gear under a light throttle. They give 40-45mph, ideally 43mph! Some time ago I said my Marina Mk1 in the 1980s changed into top at 37mph, which seemed too fast as in towns at no more than 30mph you are constantly stuck in second gear. You wouldn't drive a manual car like that. I also said some time ago that as a 19 year old youth, when I found out where the kickdown cable was, I adjusted it to give a third gear change at a comfortable 25mph under light throttle, and for nearly four years the car never broke because of what I'd done, and still held gears under acceleration even if it didn't give that sharp kickdown under full throttle, which I didn't care about because I was hardly ever likely to want to do that. In the late 70s my aunt had a V8 Rover P6 auto, and that drove smoothly even if it did look like Bill Maynard's in 'The Gaffer' with bits falling off. I just don't get this 'you-don't-get-top-gear-till-your-over-40mph' thing with these autos. It is not my perception of how an automatic car should behave.

[mickthefitter]

Okay cancel the badmouthing. Andrew Turner has got in touch, still has my original bodies and has offered to swap things around. Just a case of two more trips to and from Grantham.

[Kilroy]

Most common leaks are from the pan gasket and the rear seal, although often leaking at the rear of the housing is because fluid is finding its way along the splines and out through the propshaft coupling.
Cure is to clean it all up and use a sealant in the spline area - such as silicone rtv.
The pan gasket is a thick cork benefit and tends to seal itself by swelling as it absorbs fluid.
If you plan to remove the pan then you should obtain the pickup strainer as well as the gasket and replace both.
They are quite cheap - at least over here - and both are important to be in good condition.

[mickthefitter]

When I first spotted leaks from the transmission, not long after I bought the car (because I had a drip tray positioned under the car with white spill pads, that had been catching engine oil dropped by my Wolseley Hornet) I thought it was coming from the threaded union where the dip stick tube screws into the sump pan. I was unable to apply any more torque to the union so concluded one day it must come off to be resealed. Then I saw more red fluid being dropped and realised that, at the very least, it was coming from the gasket on the sump pan, if not the union and the rear seal as well. Not many weeks ago when I started tinkering again after winter, when I put the car on axle stands to renew the rubber fuel pipe the length of car, I saw the transmission sump gasket looking like it was squeezed out from the edges of the sump in a very ragged and uneven manner, along with lots of wet fluid.

This is from the history folder. It must be when the previous owner first got the car, and probably wanted to give it a good going over. He took it to Simon J Robinson (1982) Ltd., Ketton Garage, Durham Road, Darlington, Co. Durham, and dated 15/05/13, with a final invoice bill totalling £1258.55, we have;

"Removed starter motor and sent for repair" (Well we all know how well that worked, don't we?)
"Service vehicle. Drained engine oil, replaced filter and filled with new oil. Drained and replaced gearbox oil." It goes on to detail work carried out on replacing fuel pipes, ignition components, failed bulbs, refitting the 'repaired' starter motor, stripping the brakes, fitting a new brake servo (at least that seems to work) steam cleaning the underside of the vehicle and giving it a coat of black Waxoyl. A separate A4 sheet details parts fitted but makes no mention of a transmission sump gasket or any other transmission parts.

Possibly the previous owner wasn't too chuffed with Simon J Robinson's work because the next series of invoices come from North Cowton Service Station in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, and the majority of the remaining bills under that period of ownership until I got the car, are around the £50 mark, apart from a replacement steering rack, which I can't understand as the car never even had an MoT caution on the steering rack according to online MoT records. But on 04/10/2013 North Cowton Service Station "Removed some gearbox oil and cleaned off gearbox". I can remember in the hand written notes I got, that I've now destroyed because they were mostly untidy scribble and made little sense, reference to a transmission leak and the 'rear seal leaking. Some oil removed, now ok' Well....not okay. Still leaking all over the place because it looks like Simon J Robinson just screwed the sump back on with the old gasket. And it doesn't say much for North Cowton Service Station if they didn't spot that. Among their later invoices is reference to "Replaced the anti-freeze and repaired water leak". Would that be with the 'Holts Sealit Coolant Leak Repair' obtained by the previous owner off eBay? Or was that his first attempt and North Cowton had another go? Anyway the radiator practically fell apart when I removed it last summer when I was chasing the reason for the hot running when under load. All these things contribute to why I became totally hacked off about the standard of work carried out on this car, when I believed I was buying a low mileage, well maintained car judging by the thick history folder 'collectors dream of', to paraphrase the auctioneer's catalogue listing.

They also said of this Marina "An absolute miracle to still be in one piece, considering original BL build quality" No kidding. Lets not mention the dire skill level in present day service garages, then!

[Pont.skins]

I used to work with a chap who purchased a MG Midget from Simon J Robinson.Supposedly restored to a very high standard.To say he wasn't impressed would be quite an understatement!

[mickthefitter]

Thanks for the vote of support! I'm sorry for your mate, but I'm glad I'm not the only one!