Member postings for Speedy Builder5

I think you will find that leaving drain cocks open invites rust - drain and leave closed. also don't forget to drain the water pump to protect against freezing.

I do place a 12 volt bulb in the firebox and a frost stat set at +5 degrees as the workshop often goes sub zero.

Bob

I also made a PBK (16 ?) double seater in the early 60's , but looking at the frames in Jims photo, I remember that the PBK frames were scalloped out between the stringers and that there were inch and a quarter holes in the top of the rearward marine ply frames to allow for the foot controlled rudder strings to pass through. The removable floor boards were longitudinal thin pine laths sitting on top of the frames. She looked just like Pkg's photo

I used a 3 ply PVC canvas covering for the hull and 2 ply for the deck covering (with cockpit splash covering. The glue was Aerolite 306 ?? which was a powder, mixed with water and the hardener was acetic acid. Aerolite Glue

I never made them, but there were secondary plans to make mast, lee boards and sail. We cheated and big brother bought the paddles from Ottersports.

I was 14 at the time and made the canoe over the summer school holiday, we coerced Dad in buying a roof rack for the car and transported the canoe on top. A year later, a friend and I paddled the Thames from its source down to Richmond, camping for free along the way. I remember a poignent poster at one of the locks - "Use shore based shitters wherever possible" - sticks in ones mind 62 years later!

How times have changed, several nights we were invited to camp at the bottom of peoples gardens along the banks of the river even being treated to hot soup and breakfast at one stop.

Oh, Happy days

Bob

Clive, just to make sure, with one wheel off of the ground and a transmission with a differential does the count still read true ?

And do remember, if it can be easily removed (Loco safety valve domes , miniature spades etc), a loop wire does not protect. Perhaps a notice like "Video scanning in operation" may help.

This is just what hand chasers can be used for to great effect. Put a piece of square bar in the toolpost at the angle you want and then cut your thread by allowing the chaser to cut the thread, sliding along the bar.

Thanks Clive and Dave.

The speedo does have a serial number and is marked 800 and as its in KPH would be 800 Turns / Km.

The wheels are off the car waiting for brake cylinders, so I will have to wait before counting wheel revs over 100 meters against speedo turns will be one measure and then it will be radiator out, speedo gear out and counting the number of teeth on the speedo drive.

Bob

Electric fence like farmers use!

Thanks Dave, problem is knowing exactly what I have got. It's 44 years since the car left the factory and who knows what has been done to it. Certainly the suspension has been tweaked - its hard rally style suspension, front hubs replaced for disc brakes, gearbox is suspiciously clean etc etc. Still its fun finding out.

Thanks for all the comments and links. From Michael's link, I think I know what the engine is and correct output ratio of the gear box. Need to see if the TPM is on the speedo next.

Pete did you mean 15 / 16 tooth gear ?

And just for clarity, we are in France with a LHD French marketed mini and KPH. As an aside, during its life, the bolts are now a horrible mix of UNF/UNC and metric combinations - spanner night mare !

Bob

I think that is the next thing to do (check GPS at different speeds and graph it) - however I am not legal until I get a clean Controle Technique (MOT). Even that has its problems as strictly I can't even drive the car to the test centre.

Unfortunately its a radiator out to get to the speedo drive gear - just to check it out.

And back to part of my original question:-

How could you fit different sized gears without changing their centres.

Ps Yes, the speedo is KPH as we are living in Metric land.

I have recently bought a Classic mini 1979 vintage. I should be asking on a mini forum, but getting technical - How do they do this ?

I am guessing that the car has been "Tweaked" and that the gearbox / final drive has been swapped out at some stage. Not a problem but the speedo reads !00Kph when the car has a GPS speed of 80 Kph.

Following he net, the speedo drive gear should have 16 teeth, but there are also 17 and 18 tooth varieties.

So it could be that I have the wrong gear or wrong speedo. However, moving on, How could you fit different sized gears without changing their centres.

this the typical sort of thing Speedo drive gear

Bob

Replace the sarking felt where it is damaged and then use 4" of rock wool insulation (use the one with paper attached) underneath that. Hold it in place with light wooden laths running the length of the roof.

Batten a waterproof membrane to the exterior wall and then use insulated plasterboard.

Up and over door needs lots of insulation, draft stopping would be advantageous.

Ceiling - make it fireproof with 2 layers of plasterboard ?? but with good access for storage, but if you wanted Velux lights, scrub that idea.

All the above, check out with a builder who knows what makes sense.

Bob

Give it the "sniff" test if it has burned out, there will be a smell of burnt bakelite / insulating material.

Go for hot rolled steel which has a slightly rounded edge and not bright cold rolled bar.

Try searching for "surplus steel bar" on the internet if you are looking for quantity.

Bob

Adding extra pulleys is the way this guy attacked it - Pulley mods

Question- would a stepper motor be a suitable replacement ? Yes, it may be a bit "lumpy" at slow speeds, but would that matter ??

Another Brexit disaster. I wonder what happens to "pay pal com" accounts when you buy from the UK. My normal purchases are from the EU, I assume there would be no change on that ?

Bob

Mmm... We were taught never to grind aluminium because it clogged up the wheel, never told about that one and I worked in an aircraft factory !

Bob

Hang on Rod - we bought diesel fuel with pocket money when we were kids - How much money do kids get today? Its like everything today, price of copper - it used to be dirt cheap, every thing was made of copper and brass but today I can't afford it.

When I was 12 and at boarding school, we had 10/- a term pocket money - subtract 2/- for church collection (3 pence per week), 4 or 5 trips to the swimming pool 2/6d, the odd packet of crisps and a few sweets 1/6d, 2 hair cuts 3/- that left about 1 shilling and we still bought a can of fuel or more each term. How did that work out ?? I don't remember knicking any as I were a "good" lad.

We had control line planes that we flew under the supervision of the French teacher, tethered prop driven trolley cars on the school yard, running engines up in the shed and the odd bit of fuel in a water pistol and a lighted match - such fun.

Bob

I stand corrected - still seems nasty stuff and I won't attempt to get it as this seems to do the trick for non competition engines:

Kerosene - 35% Read UK Paraffin/ heating oil or French Petrole
Ether - 35%
Castor Oil - 30%

This is an interesting read Diesel engine low down

But this is a mix for his performance diesel engines. (2 Stroke compression engines)

Kerosene - 27.5%
Ether - 40%
Castor Oil - 30%
Octyl Nitrate - 2.5%

Bob

3 Ba is 4.0894mm diameter x 34.8 tpi or 0.73mm pitch