Have you ever...

Discuss mechanical problems here.
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RobThomas
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Have you ever...

Post by RobThomas »

...had a tubeless tyre roll off of the rim? Naysayers tell me that tubeless radials on Minor wheels will kill me, my entire family and everyone I've ever met if I ever drive on them. Has it actually ever happened??

...had a timing chain break? Rattle, yes, but have you ever seen one break or skip a tooth? How long can they really go?

...found a way to give the exhaust back it's "PARP"? The large bore system on the Lowlight is noisy but parpless whilst the new car has a peashooter 1-inch bore tailpipe that blarts endlessly. What is the mechanism for making a parp?

...started your car with the handle? I've been doing this quite a ot lately for the purposes of mere entertainment in the carpark at work. Fun, isn't it. Has anyone actually ever broken a thumb on a cranking handle, or is it a scare story.



Feel free to answer or even add some more "Have you evers".
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philthehill
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Re: Have you ever...

Post by philthehill »

Rob
Tubeless tyre on a Minor rim rolling off when deflated - yes...………. The Minor rim does not have the safety lip to retain the tyre when deflated so the tyre cannot be expected to act as if there was a safety lip.
Personally I consider fitting tubeless tyres to a non tubeless rim a no no.

Timing chain - wear so bad that it was wearing a hole in the timing cover. How long can they last - how long is a piece of string! If the oil is changed on a regular basis 80k plus. Even longer if the duplex type chain is fitted.
My first Ser 1 Landrover had hardly any teeth left on the timing gears and the camshaft was near devoid of cam lobes. The oil was like treacle when drained. All had to be replaced on rebuild.

Parp. Parp. Parp. Ask about unicorn farts as that is a current topic.

Starting the car with a starting handle...…..Yes many times. Broken thumb - not a scare story but if the timing is right the car will start with the lightest of turns on the handle and without damaging the hand or thumb.
Note the thumb is on the right side of the handle so as not to get broken if a backfire occurred.

In the good old days you could start the engine without resorting to the handle if the engine/timing was right.
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ianmack
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Re: Have you ever...

Post by ianmack »

Did you really start that monster Phil or are you just posing?
ianmack
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Re: Have you ever...

Post by ianmack »

The starter scare stories are true, see this

https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/1 ... otor-27205

My Minor will start on the handle when it’s warm, but not cold, which of course is just when you might need it!
philthehill
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Re: Have you ever...

Post by philthehill »

Ian
Just could not resist holding the starting handle :roll: 8)
Photo taken by Glen by the way.
Phil
Last edited by philthehill on Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

RobThomas
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Re: Have you ever...

Post by RobThomas »

In the good old days you could start the engine without resorting to the handle if the engine/timing was right.
I can start my VW engine without an electric starter... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqw8ZcI0eEw
The SV engines seem to be a heck of a lot easier than the A-series. Maybe having the timing set at TDC (static) was part of the plan for hand cranking? 10 BTDC is going to be hard to fire up.

Am I right in thinking that the benefit of a tube is only present during the deflation stage and that it will only briefly protect the tyre from rolling off? It isn't going to slow the release of air and it isn't going to hold the tyre on. There aren't any tubes for 15.7mm valve holes so I have had to use some plastic Landrover-esque adaptors to utilise 13mm valve tubes. These let the air whoosh out once the tube leaks.




Unicorn farts? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzexXxJpOh4
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philthehill
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Re: Have you ever...

Post by philthehill »

I was thinking more along the lines of the current unicorn farting dispute - see below:-

https://mg.co.za/article/2018-07-05-elo ... ng-unicorn

oliver90owner
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Re: Have you ever...

Post by oliver90owner »

Most of these scenarios are generalities within the field. Not just for dinky little minor engines.

One of my tractors has each piston displacing over 1.8 litres - and there are four of them. Field Marshalls had one cylinder of over 5 litres (a diesel which could stop two people on the handle, if they did not get the flywheel turning fast enough!

I have seen the starting handle for a Wisconsin VE-4 thrown way above heads on kick-back (2.2 l engine I think). No broken thumbs but I was taught from an early age and don’t intend to tempt fate.

My mum broke her wrist trying to start an Aliss Chalmer tractor during the war. Went back to work and did the same to the other. Doctor was a bit blunt with her after the second time. I’m not sure if both were broken but every bit of help was needed for the war effort at the time!

As PTH relates, I, too, have found engines with awful wear on components yet still running - of sorts.

‘Swinging’ an engine is the real no-no with old engines - especially if the magneto has an impulse coupling fitted.

Try bumping the kerb with a slightly deflated tubeless tyre fitted on a non-tubeless rim. It happens. My tubed rims have tubes fitted.

Never had a broken timing chain, but some engines were prone to losing the cam chain. Cam belts were an improvement - as long as they were changed at or within the service limits.

I know of one fellow who broke his arm when the starting handle, of a large Alliss crawler, contra-rotated and got him after the full revolution. I sent him to hospital.

So perhaps not all moggie minor related, but reality for those in thevwrong place at the time.

I was trusted to replace the governor rod, on a Fordson Standard, at the age of 8. Right adjacent to the fan, with the engine over-speeding at maximum rpm. I would not trust that job to my grandson these days.
myoldjalopy
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Re: Have you ever...

Post by myoldjalopy »

Regarding 'parping', it is true that some cars are louder than others, and stainless steel types have a reputation for being raspier. I have to say I have twice fitted a new exhaust in the past and lost the trumpeting noise, but it came back after a couple of hundred miles or so - no, I can't explain why, its a mystery to me!
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