Testing times part 5

Snowdrop is almost ready. She needs a couple of bolts for the offside bottom balljoint where it attaches to the vertical link. The Toledo has identical bolts so I can rob a couple of bolts off that car. New brake pads are also needed so I'll get them done as well. This is turning into a mini-restoration and all just to keep this car road legal!

Testing times part 4

The parts I'd ordered arrived and they were the correct ones. Unfortunately when the garage was fitting the offside bottom ball joint the vertical link bolts sheared off. Making slow progress and it is gonna cost me! Hopefully, Snowdrop will be ready for the TDCIR. We shall see...

Testing times part 3

Got a phone call from the garage today to say that the front shock absorbers, the coil spring and the steering UJ were the wrong ones so I've ordered new parts from T.D. Fitchett (costing me around £137) and arranged for them to be delivered to the garage. I've taken away the offending parts and I'll get a refund fron the Triumph Dolomite Club when I go down to the TDCIR this weekend. Hopefully, Snowdrop will be ready for the weekend. I've a good mind to put her into daily use considering the money I've put into that car.
Becky is still performing quite well on her diet of Morrisons unleaded. Daily use keeps her in peak condition.

Not much more for now.

I compared the steering coupling UG against one of my 1500fwd items and it is shorter so it is the right one for Snowdrop so I dropped it in at the garage. I'm still waiting for them to tell me when the car will be ready. Hopefully she will be ready for the Triumph Dolomite Club International Rally (TDCIR) this coming Sunday.

Got the parts

I've now got all the parts I need. The whole lot cost me £120 courtesy of Steve Waldenberg who is chairman of the Triumph Dolomite Club and has a stock of club spares. He was able to supply everything I needed. I'll need to check the steering UJ to make sure it is for the Dolomite and not the 1500fwd. I can compare it to the one that came off the spares 1500fwd before I hand it over to the garage.

Testing times part 2

Oh, dear! Snowdrop has failed her MoT. This is what she failed on:


Nearside front headlamp ain too low.

(Manifold flange) exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gasses.

Lower steering column universal joint has excessive play.

Nearside front suspension joint has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint.

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering rack fitted)

Nearside front track rod end ball joint has excessive play.

Nearside front shock absorber has a serious fluid leak.

Offside front coil spring cracked.

Offside front wheel bearing has excessive play.

(both front chassis legs) body has a projection cuased by corrosion

Nearside rear (outer sill) body has a projection caused by corrosion.

Nearside front (outer sill) body has a projection cuased by cossosion.

Offside rear (inner wheel arch) body has a projection cuased by corrosion.


So it is mostly wear-and-tear items that have caused her to fail. I've asked the garage to price up the job and I'm in the process of getting all the necessary parts together. The Triumph Dolomite Club has been my saviour as they're the cheapest source of parts. Rimmer Bros are currently offering a 10% discount and free delivery on orders over £50 (excluding VAT) so I might be able to take advantage of that offer.

Progress with Snowdrop

Yesterday evening was dry and sunny so I took the opportunity to fit the new flexible brake hose. An hour later, job done! It seemed to be fine when I drove her afterwards and this morning when I checked the brake fluid level it was fine. Brakes were fine today and I'm now running around in her and all seems to be well. I was hoping to clean her but the rain seems to have put paid to that.

I managed to get a couple of my engines weighed in at a local scrap metal merchant. The engine that was in the Toledo when I bought it and a 1200 Herald engine that I'd rescued made me £15. Money for nothing!

Testing times

I've booked Snowdrop in for the MoT next Thursday so I'll have to try to sort out the brakes before then. She'll be in daily use that week as I've got 3 meetings on Mon, Tues & Weds. I hope she wil pass...

Give me a brake Part 3

Unfortunately this little saga continues...

I checked Snowdrop's brake fluid reservoir and it was empty! The fluid must be going somewhere even though I can't see any telltale evidence on the drive. As I mentioned the only parts of the system I've disturbed are the bleed nipple on one of the rear wheels and the rear flexible hose when I fitted the Toledo's rear axle. I suspect that the rear flexible hose is leaking and the fluid is leaking on the top of the axle and getting soaked into the muck & grease. That would explain the absence of brake fluid on the drive. I'll have to dig out that new flexible hose and fit it soon before Snowdrop goes in for her MoT.

As you can see in this pic the paintwork is looking a bit better now and it didn't cost me any money. Always pays to hang on to stuff because it will come in useful later on. 

Becky's bootlid had some faded paint as you can see so I decided to revive it. It just so happened that I had a bottle of T-Cut in the right colour so I put it to good use. 

Exhausted part 3

I've now cured the blowing exhaust.

I removed the downpipe, wirebrushed the downpipe and manifold. Used lots of exhaust assembly paste (Holts Firegum) put it back together and it doesn't leak any more. Next up will be the downpipe-to middle section joint as that's leaking. I'm still losing brake fluid and I don't know where it is going. The only part of the system I've disturbed was the rear flexible hose so I might fit the new one I bought.

I'm gonna be clearing out some of my rubbish (old clutches, etc) out of my cars and I'll be clearing the garage out so I've borrowed this Renault Laguna estate from my mate. He's just had some work done by a local Renault dealer and they've MoTd it as well so she's road legal. Not bad for 10 years old and ideal for taking lots of rubbish down to the local tip!
 

She runs!

Snowdrop is now running fine again. I bled the air out of the brakes (still don't know where its getting in!), went down to get some petrol and added some Redex. I then had a drive round the area (a bit further afield than round the block!) and she was fine. I then took her for a run along the M62 towards Goole which was 50 miles each way. She was a bit hesitant when setting off in first gear but on they way back she was fine. The exhaust was blowing at the manifold again so I'll have to get that sorted out. I've got a spare gasket and I've bought some exhaust assembly paste from my local Halfords to do the job. Becky's been out of action because I'm running around in my mate's Renault Laguna estate which I'll be needing when I have a sort out at the garage where my spares 1500 is kept.

Service & cleanup

After the successful MoT pass I treated Becky to a service. She's had new oil, oil filter, spark plugs and an air filter. While changing the spark plugs I damaged one of the HT leads so I replaced all the HT leads keeping the remaining old ones for emergency spares.

On a more positive note I removed Snowdrop's fuel tank, washed it out and then I flushed the fuel line with clean warm water. I'm having to replace a section of flexible hose as well and once that's done Snowdrop should be sugar-free. We shall see...

Some good news!

Becky has passed her MoT with flying colours. Not even any advisories so I'm well chuffed! Better than last year and the first time I've ever had a car pass the first time! A far cry from the days when my Ford Mondeo would need £500 worth of work to get through the test!

I've faced the inevitable

Yes, I've had to face up to the fact that Snowdrop's fuel tank will have to come out to be cleaned. I've already drained it in readiness for this task and I'll also have to clean the fuel lines out as well. Shouldn't be too difficult to do.
Becky's been booked in for her MoT tomorrow. It was the same guys who did it last year (local independent Rover specialists) so they know the car and they're a good bunch of lads whom I know I can trust.

Got stuff done

Got plenty done with Snowdrop.

The fuel filter's been fitted, I put some Redex & a tenner's worth of Sainsbury's super unleaded in the tank, I've replaced the broken engine mounting and I've bled the brakes which are now working fine. Snowdrop still isn't running right. There must still be sugar in the fuel line. I wish I could clear it. Anyway, the filter will catch it all.

Exhausting

Becky's exhaust problem is now cured. I took it to the local independent tyre place I use and they fitted and restudded a replacement exhaust manifold which I supplied courtesy of my local Acclaim guru. A new gasket for the downpipe was fitted and job done! Well worth it for £35.

Turning my attention to Snowdrop, I went down to the garage where the spares 1500 is kept and I took the engine mounts off the Toledo's original engine. I've fitted a fuel filter and with it fitted I can now see why Snowdrop keeps on cutting out. There's a blockage in the fuel line somewhere no doubt caused by the sugar contamination. I've got it all out now so I'll just put in some additive that should hopefully clear the blockage.

Becky's turn

Becky's now having her turn for some attention. I replaced the rear tyres and I've also made a start on curing a blowing exhaust (at the manifold) which started when I replaced the gearbox. It turns out that the manifold will need replacing because one of the blind studs is just turning. I've managed to source a replaement manifold which I can't get until tomorrow.

Going back to Snowdrop, I think I've cured the running problem, the clutch seems fine but the brakes are playing up again so I'll have to bleed them yet again and possibly fit that new brake hose which I was going to save for the axle rebuild.