KDR 381 needs two parts please!

[kdr381]

Hi
I'm a 1955 MM, KDR 381 and my owner needs to find an ignition lock plus a rear nearside shock absorber, then I'm ready to roll again.

Can anyone help me locate these spares please?

Parp parp!

[mogbob]

Hi KDR 381 , welcome to the site.
Just let your owner know how clever you are and suggest to him / her that they might have more of a chance posting the request in the " Wanted " section , lower down. It's a typical Newbie mistake , he or she will soon get the hang of it and we try to be forgiving ( and helpful in the process ). Keep the questions coming.
Hope you are successful and are soon back on the road again.
Bob

[philthehill]

Make sure that any damper fitted is matched performance wise with that already fitted.
Mismatched dampers are next to useless as they are continually fighting each other.

I would advise that it is of benefit to drain the dampers and fill with straight 30 grade oil which can be obtained from garden machinery centres or 'e' bay.

[kdr381]

Thank you for the replies, KDR 381's owner is an old newbie! Well, pretty much the same age but thanks for the tips. Appreciated!

I also drive and fire steam locomotives!

2000 quainton l99 morris kdr 381.jpg (126.97 KiB) Viewed 818 times

[Nickol]

I would advise that it is of benefit to drain the dampers and fill with straight 30 grade oil which can be obtained from garden machinery centres or 'e' bay.

Is the straight grade SAE 30 the universal solution? I Need to check the dampers on both my 1968 Morris and a 1947 Austin so I did a search here in the Forum, hence this thread. As they cannot be checked without removing them first ( yes I know the front ones you can) I would like to have the right oil in front of me before doing the removal. (Better to be looking at it rather than looking for it, as a clever irishman said to me once)

In another Forum post the late Roy suggested SAE 40 would be appropriate. I myself do not have any knowledge on what the choice criteria is.........

[philthehill]

You can use either a straight 40 or a straight 30. The only difference as regards use in a lever type damper is the viscosity of the oil as it passes through the damper valves.

The straight 30 will give a slightly less damped ride than a straight 40 but you may not be able to feel the difference.

You can check the level of the rear lever dampers without removing them. The concerns voiced in the BMC wksp manual are of cleanliness around the filler plug and accessibility - both of which can be overcome with care.