Unusual problem

[R.White]

Thanks Richard. I have ordered some of those gaskets and have received a full refund for the others. I think the exhaust ports are not actually round and there is something of a restriction in the block anyway so the gaskets should be fine. (I hope!).

I wouldn't mind betting that if you could, you would buy the Alfa and reunite it with the Dodge Transporter and return it to it's Green livery?. You would need deep pockets these days!

Jason, I would highly reccomend 'The Automobile' magazine. I have collected every copy since vol 1 no.1 in 1983. The Automobile Magazine - Contact us

(The guy laughing at the wheel of a race car - to the right of the magazine's website heading - is the late Duncan Hamilton who won at Le Mans in the 1950's for Jaguar. I used to work opposite his classic car showroom in the 1980's and can recall him and his son Adrian quite well.)

Ray.

Edited April 18, 2013 by R.White (see edit history)

[Guest occrj]

Chatting to a friend of mine today, he also suggested high temperature silicone might work well with whichever gasket I finally go with. A small amount might just help seal the job completely so that's something I'll try too I think.

RJ

Edited April 19, 2013 by occrj (see edit history)

[R.White]

For my part, I would prefer to use exhaust pipe sealant for no other reason than I have always used it. It seems to be very tough and sticks well.

Ray.

[Guest occrj]

Got the gaskets today, they're a slightly loose fit in the block but seem ok. I have a slight leak at the front, but I think that's down to the manifold not being perfect, rather than the gaskets.

Took the car down the road but it was missing, coughing and backfiring :-( Slightly odd, as I put the water pump back on in such a way that it shouldn't have affected ignition timing. I did also re-instate the original ignition switch since last taking it out - I think the cutting out may be down to a fault in the switch (I hope), perhaps the reason it was bypassed in the first place. I'll put a flick switch back on and see if that returns things to normal again (hopes).

RJ

RJ

[R.White]

I'm sorry you are having a few additional problems. If you don't find that the fault is with the original ignition switch you can look back over this thread to find some of the possible causes. I would assume, like you have in this case, that the fault is most likely to be something that I have done - like re install the original ignition switch. I should like to know how you plan to overhaul the switch if it is at fault as my switch is also in rather poor shape.

Fault finding should be logical and methodical but at the time when my car started backfiring I was doubting my ability with the restoration of the vacuum tank and this typical lack of self confidence led me to overlook the ignition system which turned out to be at fault. When I did the water pump, however I deliberately re - set the timing; but , if I remember, that was because the car had still not by then been running, so I had nothing to gain from keeping the existing setting.

If it rains tomorrow you will probably be glad of the Rover! It was fine today so I went out in the Swallow. I enjoy a challenge!

Ray.

[Guest occrj]

Hi Ray, I re-instated the "temporary" push/pull ignition switch yesterday evening that was fitted last time I had a successful run out. I'll try driving it again today and see if it makes any difference. I drained out the old (4 months) fuel and put in some fresh, in case it had gone off, but that wasn't the issue. Being Drive It Day we went out this morning in the Volvo PV544, and we'll probably take something else out later on depending on the weather - it's quite chilly today. I do have my doubts about the ignition timing, it only really drives ok with the lever fully down - ie retarded. Rgds, RJ

[R.White]

Richard, if the weather was not too good for Drive it day in the past I would have taken out the Triumph GT6 but after 30 years that has now been sold. (I miss it). The Swallow is not really watertight and when it got soaked last time, the newly fitted headlining was ruined and I had to do it again! The Dodge windscreen is not the correct one and leaks - the last thing I want is water getting into the electrics!

Yes, it sounds like your timing may be a little too advanced. I found the timing process quite easy with the Dodge because you can see the mark on the flywheel through the hole in the bell housing while turning the handle. I guess with the manual advance and retard a timing light is not used ??

Ray.

[Guest occrj]

Hi,

I took the Dodge out today but it's not much better, it still struggles to accelerate, occasionally pops and bangs etc, just about gets to 25-30mph eventually but it's way from being right. The manifold joint needs doing again which doesn't help, I can't see how I'm going to get that to seal anything like properly. Beginning to wish I'd bought something that had been in regular use before I bought it.

RJ

[R.White]

I just told my wife what you said. She just laughed. I get no more sympathy myself but I have put up with it for 38 years so I should know better by now!

Still, if you think your car has issues mine was a non runner when I got it but had a M.O.T. certificate; it also had a few issues:

starter motor

water pump

generator

coil

ignition switch

wiring

vacuum tank

carburettor

distributor bearings

fan bearings

battery & cables

handbrake

windscreen

wiper motor

hood/bonnet

top and side screens

lights

transmission

front seat

wheel bearings

king pins

throw out bearing

horn

steering wheel

ammeter

exhaust manifold

radiator and petrol tank caps

etc. etc.

I have stuck at it, ignored the wife's nagging and have sorted most of the above. I say it's worth it.

Chin up, mate.

Ray.

Edited April 21, 2013 by R.White (see edit history)

[MikeC5]

Aside from those minor items... think of the satisfaction of DIY.

[R.White]

It beats sitting in front of the T.V. all the time!

[Guest occrj]

Having tried to get the manifold to seal properly, and failing, I bit the bullet, removed it, and took it yesterday to a local machine shop. There are a couple of bad cracks which will either need welding or stitching, and while it's away I've asked them to level the ports a little to aid their sealing.

Regarding gaskets, I found that the EXG53 ref (53mm OD) manifold gaskets were a little too loose-a-fit, so I ordered the next one up - EXG54 - and they're a tighter fit in the engine. I've also ordered some 54mm OD copper exhaust rings, so when the manifold comes back I've plenty of gaskets to choose from when it comes time to re-fit it.

Haven't done any more with the running issue as yet, I'll wait until the blowing manifold is sorted before moving to the next problem (although a set of new plugs arrived in the post yesterday, so they may help).

RJ

[R.White]

Hi Richard, I chose the 54mm gaskets for the same reasoning. The gamble is that their internal measurements are a fraction too big but only time will tell. A pity there do not seem to be any with a slightly broader seating but if I find some I will let you know.

Ray.

[Guest occrj]

Hi Ray, the ones I removed (from Oz I assume) would have been perfect as they're 54 OD and approx. 40 ID, but I've not seen any new ones. RJ