Well two weeks ago it was pretty busy at the ‘Fix It Garage’ two B’s and a call out to a broken down Austin Healey, more about that in a minute.

One B was a success but the other, a ’74 which wouldn’t idle below 1200 rpm was not. I think the problem maybe the fuel height in the float chamber being too high but we ran out of time to investigate that, so it will have to wait for another day.

The Austin Healey was fun, from a diagnostic point of view. It broke down on Rt53, just died. When I arrived it was getting dark. So not an ideal situation!

Here’s the test sequence if this happens to you:
I pulled a plug lead & attached it to a spare plug, cranked engine, got a gorgeous spark. Ok so it’s not an ignition problem, replaced lead onto plug in the engine. Removed gas pipe to a carburetor, cranked engine not a drop of gas came out of the pipe – Fuel problem. Luckily the electric pump is much more accessible than on a B. it wasn’t making the normal clicking sound so I tried the hammer repair method. No joy. Removed power wire from the pump & checked it, 0 volts. We had the wiring diagram so I traced the other end of the wire to the engine compartment, low & behold there was 12V there. So the problem is a broken wire. Well I’m not about to start crawling under the car to fix that on Rt53 at 8:45pm. So we needed a wire. Best we could come up with was a jumper cable. Clamped one end to the battery the other to the pump and she roared into life. Drove home with the jumper cable snaking out of the trunk, across the car & onto the fuel pump……….. Total time start to finish was about 15 minutes.

Well last weekend was a frustrating one at the ‘Fix It Garage’. It seemed like everything I tried to do on the TR6 didn’t work, so I spent a lot of time & have little progress to show for it. The carbs are back on, as is the exhaust and the instruments are ready for final installation. The chrome strip around the windscreen is still not installed. I have ordered new

rubber and think the screen has to come out again. The transmission cover & the air filters also refused to cooperate. The main problem is I am running out of time. Other projects are coming up and the TR is in danger of missing its slot.

On the interesting side of things my 1967 Mini Countryman has developed a leak from its John Schroeder memorial oil pressure gauge hose. So named because the oil pressure hose on Johns B failed in Ohio several years ago resulting in an engine rebuild and some bills……... Luckily I caught it when it was just making deposits on the driveway & creating some smoke when the oil got to the exhaust pipe. A new hose is on order.

I worked on the TR6 over the weekend. It was a much better time than last weekend. Everything that wouldn’t work then cooperated. A helpful pair of hands in the shape of your honorable Secretary’s were a most welcome addition, thanks David, and much was achieved under his motivational presence, in other words I couldn’t goof off. The windscreen is finished, the air filters are on. We have brakes, clutch, coolant and oil. Transmission tunnel & all the carpet are in as well as the seat runners and instruments. Getting very close, maybe another weekend will see it ready for some shakedown testing.

Coming up this week is a postponed check up on a MGA and a Speedo cable on a B. Back to the TR at the weekend plus there is a B to have its engine pulled out.


See you on the road!

Regards,
Steve

~~Steve Skegg