All of this relates to a Scimitar SE5a. I would expect there to be stuff that will be useful to other Scimitars (SE6’s). The information in this document is stuff that I have found on various message Boards. The questions asked and answered seem to be repeated so it would appear that the information is as comprehensive as it’s going to be. I hope it is of help to someone as I had copied and pasted for my own use. To Format etc so others can make sense of it has taken a “Few” minutes so I hope it is of use to someone. I’m sure there are some errors but it should make sense. Your spell check could go into warp drive.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Alphabetical Index.I suspect that I have made some mistakes with page numbers but it should make sense.

Page Number.

38 DGAS Settings. 45a Door Handles. 5Alternate Alternators. 6Auto to Manual Rear Axel Ratio. 7Body Lifting for Welding. 8Brake Bleeding. 9Bleeding Clutch 109Bumpers. 11Cam Gear Change. 12Camwheel Change, 2. 14Camshaft Removal with Heads on. 16Carb Overhaul. 17Clutch Fluid Type. 18Clutch/Overdrive Slip. 19Clutch Overdrive Slip, 2. 22Clutch wont Disengage. 25Decoke. 26Disc Groove. Trunnion Bolt. 28Door Adjustment. 29Fit Rear Window Seal. 30Fitting Piston Rings and Gap Position. 31Fitting Polly Bushes. 32Fitting Rear Brake Cylinders. 34Fitting Shocker Bushes. 35Fitting Windscreen/Rubber. 36Five Speed Gearboxes. 38Flickering Ignition Warning Light. 39Free Play in Steering. 40Front – Rear Springs. 41Gear Select Problems. 42Gearbox Check Adjust. 43Gearbox Oil. 44Gearbox Removal. 46Gearbox removal. My Version. 47Gearbox Selector Oil Seals. 49Getting at Wiper Wheel boxes. 50Grinding Inlet Valves. 51Grease Squirting out of Trunnions. 112Head Gaskets. 52Heater Repairs. 53Heater Shut off Valve. 54Ignition Switch Operation and Repair. 115Ignition Warning Light. 55Inlet Valve Coating. 56Lifting off Body. 57Master Cylinder Repair and Bleed Nipples Seized. 58Oil Pump Info 121

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Overcharging & Alternate Alternator. 59Overdrive Faulty after 20 Miles. 61Overdrive Faulty. 62Overdrive in Other Gears. 63Overdrive Problems. 64Overdrive ( Replacing ) 123Paint Stripping. 65Rear Axel Wheel Bearings (Greasing). 120Rear Axel Breathers. 66Rear Axel Filler Plug. 67Rear Axel Oil Seal. 68Rear Axel Oil Seal 2. 118Rear Axel Ratio. 69Rear Wheel Cylinder Repair and Size. 70Rear Chassis Cross Member. 71Rear Hatch Hinge Pins. 72Rear Hatch Lock Repair. 73Rear Wheel Bearing Removal. 74Rear Wheel Bearing removal 2 110Rear Hub Half shaft Extractors 122Rear Wheel Stud Removal. 75Rear Window to Body Seal. 117Removing Gearbox. 76Removing Paint. 78Removing Trunnion Bolts and Fitting Trunnions. 79Removing Wiper Boxes and Tubing. 81Replace Axel Oil Seal. 82Replace Gearbox Selector Oil Seals. 83Replace Rear Axel Pinion Seal. 84Replacing Heater Matrix. 85Replacing Heater Matrix, 2. 87Replacing Rear Shoes and More. 88Ride Height. 114Steering Rack Oil.. 89Steering Rack Play 90Sticking Brakes. 91Sticking Overdrive. 92Sticking Overdrive. Clean Filters. 93Sticky Steering Rack and More. 94Stiff Steering. 95Strange Brake Pedal. 97Stub Axels. 98Switch Part Numbers. 99Tracking and Camber. 100Trunnion Steering Lock Stops. 101Trunnion Bolts Fitting. 102Unleaded & Head Gaskets. 104Voltmeter Reading High (Intermittent). 106Wind Noise at Speed. 107Wiper Wheel Box Removal. 108

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38 DGAS Settings.

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I was talking to a colleague recently about Weber Carbs. And he told me the following for the 38DGAS: If the mixture screw is more than one and a half turns out then the idle jet is too lean. If the mixture screw is half a turn out or less, then the idle jet is too rich. Also the speed screw setting is should not be opened more than half a turn in. If the speed screw has to be opened a half a turn or more then this is also an indication of a lean condition. My question is does anyone know if the above settings are correct as I checked the mine and the speed screw is OK but mixture screw(s) are both 3 turns out. If I turn mine in to one and a half turns it runs a bit rough.Well, I can say that I agree about what the settings roughly are, mine are very similar on the 5a (and the 6a actually). -I also understood the same thing about Weber "normal" settings. However differences can be due to a 'fiddle' e.g. somewhat oversize/undersize idle jets to fix some other problem.Sounds OK to me. The 'idle jets' aren't idle jets really. They determine progression mixture (the critical bit just off idle for pickup & low speed cruising). Fuel for the idle circuit flows through these jets but they don't determine idle mixture - that's the job of the idle mixture adjustment screws. Over large or over small jets can make the idle screws run out of adjustment but progression would be atrocious long before that. Neither idle jets nor screws have any effect past 1/3 throttle or thereabouts. All this means that if progression is OK - and you'd certainly notice if it wasn't - and you can achieve a smooth idle and correct emissions within the range of adjustment of the idle mixture screws then all is well. It would require substantial alterations to the engine (perhaps a radical camshaft) to warrant changing the idle jets.

5a Door Handles.

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The driver’s door handle mechanism (which has been dodgy for some time) has finally given up. I have sorted the push button to at least get the door opening but the lock now no longer works. Am I correct in thinking that these handles are no longer available? If so is there any method of easily refurbishing the lock? Or, does anyone out there have a spare drivers door lock for a SE5a with key and in working order?If you need door handles they are the same as a mini and you can get them a lot easier and cheaper from a mini spares place or breakers than going to a scimitar parts supplier.If you can't get the originals try some Mini ones from a breakers. They are exactly the same handle but need a minor modification to the internals.Mini door handles do fit but on some of them you have to change part of the plunger mechanism.I always thought the door handles were MkI Ford Consul. I can't remember where I learnt this and have never had to replace a handle.  Ford owners clubs are good at re-manufacture and may be a source which might eliminate the modifications needed on the Mini item.

Alternate Alternators.

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I've just been searching through the archive but didn't come up with anything. My alternator isn't coping with the demands that my lights, radiator fan, heater fan, rear demister, stereo, wipers all at once. Bit of an unusual occurrence for a Scimitar I know but I have managed to get all components working and in traffic the alternator charge drops down to less that 12V The alternator is new and is working correctly but I think I may have been a bit stupid when I exchanged it because I'm now pretty sure that the old one must have been an up rated one to supply the halogen headlights which are wired up with relays in a quad-beam set up. So.. Simple question, what are my options for getting an up rated alternator?? Can I get one off the shelf for the Essex engine and what amperage should I go for.Essex-powered Scimitars had one of the horrible Lucas 15/16/17ACR type as standard. These only give about 45 amps maximum, and need to be spinning quite hard to generate anywhere near this. I always replace them with a Bosch K1-55A which gives 55 amps, and gets up to full output at much lower RPM than the old Lucas ones. Look at something like a 2-litre Granada/Sierra for getting hold of a K1-55A. You should also check the diameter of the alternator pulley; an Escort I used to own kept running its battery flat even though the alternator was the right one - turned out it had the wrong [too large] pulley on it, so the alternator wasn't turning fast enough. Scimitars are generally low-revving engines so need to have the alternator "geared up" a bit compared to something like a Mini where the engine's doing 5000RPM all the time!.An alternator from a 2.9 engine Granada / Scorpio should fit (you may have to slightly modify the adjusting strap). The one I'm thinking of is 90amp output. Do not, however, believe the dashboard voltmeter. It reads the voltage correctly at its point of measurement which is some way after the battery (longish wire & via the ignition switch). Check with an accurate voltmeter directly wired to the battery. It is though important to note that the maximum voltage available to all the car services (with the exception of those fed directly from the battery itself) is the voltage displayed by the dashboard meter. So improvements to the feed mentioned above will improve everything.Most Lucas alternators that look the same will fit. The series is nnACR where nn identifies the output amongst other things. If the alternator you have, or acquire, is OK other than being a LH rather than RH fitting you can change it by undoing the three long bolts & rotating one end relative to the other. Then replace the bolts. This makes what was the adjustment hole into one of the mounting holes so the adjuster bolt thread will need drilling out & the adjuster (now using what was a mounting hole) will need a nut & bolt. By now a lot of ACR alternator has already been modified anyway so drilling may not be required. Alternatively if you're up for a little more fettling the 2.9 (& maybe others) Scorpio uses a rather nice 90A output device which is electrically compatible but will need a different slotted adjuster strap at least.

Auto to Manual Rear Axel Ratio.

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Currently restoring 1973 SE5a Auto. Am putting Manual with Overdrive from 1975 Se5a into this car. Is it necessary to also change the rear axle and prop shaft or is there no difference between the two. (Visually both look the same).From chassis no 453501 onwards the axle ration was 3.31 on all Scimitars. Prior to that it was 3.07 on autos. I personally think 3.31 is too low and 3.07 is nice cruising.Couldn’t agree more. My 72 Scimitar with auto diff on manual with overdrive gives nearly 90mph @ 3000rpm so relaxed.I agree - my 72 5a performs well and cruises in a very refined way with o/drive box and 3.07 axle.Makes Granadas (fitted with the same engine) seem positively buzzy.

Body Lifting for Welding.

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OK, the man with the welder says he thinks he can do the work by lifting the body but not removing it. He suggests an 18" wide lifting strap to suspend the body through the door apertures (doors on windows down!). The method I have heard of that I know works is to place two lengths of 4x2with cross braces to keep them apart, through the windscreen aperture and the rear hatch with the 4x2 close to the outside verticals of the frame. This puts the lifting forces very close to strong GRP members that have steel tube running through them. This did not distort the body shell. However the seats were out and the doors were off to reduce the weight.Theory would suggest that Alan's method has to be safer. I would have thought that going through the open windows the bending momentum the roof will be significantly higher.Don’t mean to sound negative, but lifting the body is a hell of an undertaking. Locate every bolt, disconnect the roll over bar and then disconnect all ancillaries, my question is where is the welding needed and can a specialist do it, body on? Ideally, the body should be lifted from the front, supported in the area where it sits on the front suspension pillars, as you wont get the height at the rear because of the rear cross member.I must admit that when I had my scimitar welded the guy did it 'body on' and was obviously competent about it (I'm an engineer and I watched him do it). If the guy who's doing this is not happy then should he be doing it (or is it so inaccessible??)I have changed quite a few chassis pieces with the body on - I have also lifted a body to replace the chassis completely - it was too bad to do anything with as the centre box sections were full of holes. You can cut sections of the fibre glass out to do some welding if you think you are likely to start a fire - then just glass them back into position. The other tip I have is not to weld for long periods - do a few inches then allow to cool before doing more and keep an old Mr Muscle ( or similar ) spray bottle close to hand full of water to squirt on any small fires that do start. Fibre glass may burn well but it is not so easy to set fire to in the first place - not with ( Mig preferred )welding gear anyway.Possibly, but as I am several hundred miles from a scimitar specialist and the guy who is welding it did the front outriggers several years ago body on. Ideally, the body should be lifted from the front, supported in the area where it sits on the front suspension pillars, as you wont get the height at the rear because of the rear cross member.When mine came off, I removed doors & bonnet and lifted the front using a ratchet hoist attached to the two front bumper brackets (still attached to the front tray of course). Then a length of 3in x3in timber was slotted under the body where it sits on the front suspension towers. This was then used to hang the body with two rope loops around the timber (one at each end) from a suitably strong beam (scaffold pole) in the garage roof. The rear was supported using the rear bumper brackets as it was possible to undo the bolts and separate the rear cross member from the chassis. While the front was left hanging from the garage roof (for rather more than one year), the floor / rear foot wells were supported on wooden trestles. This was all done single handed. No distortion of the body was apparent on reassembly.

Brake Bleeding.

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SE5 / SE5a - Girling brakes - single line master cylinder via a remote Powerstop servo to a 3 way split. This then splits the fluid to both front callipers and a single line to the rear with a single bleed nipple on the N/S/R wheel cylinder. The master cylinder and servo came from my sprint GTE which had a very firm pedal - and their condition was known to be good and are a recent purchase. The wheel cylinders are new as are all 3 flexi hoses which are the Goodridge stainless steel type. The drums have been checked for true-ness and the shoes new. During the bleeding process - the handbrake has been applied. I have been trying to bleed the brakes - and I cannot get a decent firm brake pedal - bearing in mind the car is not moving - so pad knock back is eliminated so far. Pedal travel is approx 2 inches. I filled the system - carried out a brief bleed to get fluid round the system - then with the engine running - cracked off the pipe work on both sides of the servo to eliminate air in the servo cylinder -then worked in the following sequence.N/S/RN/S/FO/S/Fwith the aid of an operator in the car - and a bleed valve in the bleed pipe - no air was seen to be evident with the bleed pipe immersed in brake fluid. The clevis pin and pedal pivot are in good condition - and the master cylinder push rod adjusted to take out the slack before the brakes bind. Am I missing a trick here - or is the wheel order wrong???Not sure if this will help as my 5a is running the standard servo, but I had trouble getting a non-mushy pedal too. I ended up going round in this order (I think): servo, NSF, OSF, nsr. I had to go round a few times. This was using an Eezibleed with handbrake and engine off. Even after several circuits I still wasn’t happy, but the brakes did improve by driving the car around a bit then leaving it for a day then going round again.The order you did is ok for initial bleeding but where you have problems then Richards suggestion is the follow up, 2nd attempt etc. However if you have got rid of all the air.... (Assuming it’s a Girling setup) the significant thing which affects pedal travel, is adjustment. You must get the rear shoes properly adjusted, and ensure the wheels cylinders are free to slide on the back plate. If these are not sliding freely then it makes adjustment very difficult.With your bleeding problem you may have an air pocket in the pipe especially if you have an upward loop. Have you tried pressing the pedal quickly as opposed to gently pressing it. The quick pressure may push the air out before the fluid can seep past it. Otherwise new fluid can be spongy anyway and may take time to settle in. as others have suggested run it for a few days to see how it goes - as long as they are not bad enough as to be dangerous.On some cars applying the handbrake can let the wheel cylinder pistons move out and you can get air trapped in there. Also worth letting some fluid out from the rear side that doesn't have a bleed nipple.I thought the order was NSF, OSF and then rear. Could be wrong but I have had not trouble – but then I seldom use the brakes.The way I've always done it is nearest the MC first on the basis that there’s no point in pushing the air from the MC / servo through the longest pipe. I would also ensure that the engine is stopped & the servo cleared of residual vacuum. Having said that I've never had any difficulty bleeding anything unless the MC seals are failing - often shown up for the first time by the longer pedal stroke used when bleeding manually as opposed to the(hopefully!) much shorter one used when braking. Neither have I had to disconnect any part of any system to bleed: I’ve simply used the bleed nipples. For around half my motoring life I bled clutch & brake hydraulics manually, then for a few years I used a home-made pressure bleeder which worked fine but was hard to keep clean, and most recently (for the last 10 years or so) I've used an Eezibleed. And even that has never leaked. If the Eezibleed is to replicate the fairly violent movement of fluid in the system caused by manual bleeding it needs to run at spare wheel pressure. I suspect that if all the air in the system isn't being cleared it's because the fluid isn't moving fast enough. Each part of the hydraulic circuit can’t rap air - the bleed connections aren't necessarily exactly at the highest point of the callipers or cylinders & the only way that trapped air is shifted is by the movement of the hydraulic fluid.Thanks to everyone who responded to my request for brake bleeding advice. This time I took all the wheels off - and with the car on stands -proceeded to re-bleed per the postings. Upon looking at the front callipers - I noted that the inner pads on both callipers were very sticky - so the outer pistons moved - then the free play in the bearings pushed the disc towards the inner pad/piston. Removed the pads - cleaned and freed every thing off - re bleed and hey presto - a solid feeling pedal - very little movement - and a successful road test once the wheels were back on the car. I guess this would be the equivalent of pad knock off-but the car had not moved - but the disc/bearing did.

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Bumpers.

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Can anyone confirm definitively which mass produced tin box/car they come from?I do know that the over-riders come off a Mk1 Ford Escort, I guess the bumpers could be the same.I've this vague 50% feeling that they don't; they're exclusive. Either that or it was something like you make them by taking the back bumper of a Mk I Zodiac and cutting the centre 12" out of it.Bumpers are Ford Classic that funny hardly heard of car but Reliant cut & welded in the centre to make them narrower. You can see the join.Classic Capri. The rear bumper was the entire - no mods. The front was cut to fit.

Cam Gear Change.

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I’m about to replace the Timing Wheel with a Steel One. Any thoughts/ideas appreciated. The front pulley will come off OK - might take a tap with a wooden drift but they normally just pull off by hand. The cover seals at the bottom against the sump gasket & is held by a number of sump bolts so you need to either take great care not to tear the sump gasket or better still have a replacement to hand. At worst you'll only need to replace the section under the front cover. If yours is the early engine (front dipstick) you need to centre the cover when fitting it. The later one self-centres. As far as backlash is concerned take the advice of the person from whom you bought the timing wheel.I'd remove the cross member. To do so loosen all fasteners slightly then use a jack on one chassis rail below the cross member location to take some of the weight of the car. Remove fasteners & release X-member. You can remove the jack until you come to refit the cross member - it just helps free it & helps it to drop into the correct position upon replacement. A light coat of grease on the cross member end plates helps as well & prevents corrosion. There is no backlash adjustment as such. Originally it was set using a selection of crankshaft gears. Shouldn't worry - it won't be too tight & a little too much backlash is harmless.On my engines the fan pulley comes off easily with a puller and I presume it will come off easily without one by just gentle appropriate tapping with a wedge.Sooner is good. I bought my first 5A in 1981. I was advised by a police mechanic friend to change the timing wheel & oil pump drive so I went out & bought the parts. Within a week of doing so & on my first motorway trip the fibre wheel failed damaging 11 out of twelve valves. The new timing wheel was on the back seat at the time. I'd had the car 10 days when it happened.Personally I wouldn't try to do this without also removing the sump completely. It's not that much additional aggro, the only extra cost is a new sump gasket and some oil - and it avoids the risk that you'll damage both the front edge of the sump gasket and the crankshaft oil seal when trying to refit the timing cover. The problem you'll find is that there isn't any clearance to allow you to keep the bottom of the cover clear of the sump while you negotiate the crank seal over the end of the crank. You might also take the opportunity to flatten the mating face of the sump, which will inevitably have been dimpled by over tightening the bolts and in all probability leaks as a result.I tend to agree. I did my first one with the sump off (I had to - it was full of bits of fibre wheel) & my second with the sump on. The points Nick mentions caused real difficulty. There are other benefits too like cleaning the congealed gunge off the screen filter.You probably know that the steel wheel is going to be noisier than the original but I thought I better mention it in case you don’t and get a shock when you first start the car again. On our 5A it was very noisy but on the coupe it seemed to make little difference so it varies from engine to engine but the noise does decrease with time – sounds a bit like a supercharger which is quite nice.A word of caution...... there has been lots of very good advice - and I would endorse the sump removal as gasket damage and poor front cover alignment is quite likely. HOWEVER from bitter and stupid personal experience.... DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO USE A HAMMER TO GET THE NEW TIMING GEAR ONTO THE CAMSHAFT !!!!. You will end up driving the blanking plug from the rear of the engine and then the gearbox will have to come out. Use a bolt to draw the wheel on instead. Hope I caught you in time.

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Camwheel Change, 2.

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I hope this weekend to replace the Timing Wheel with a Steel one. Is it as simple as removing the Cover, replacing the Timing Wheel by aligning the marks, refitting the Cover and all sorted? Could I expect problems removing the Crank Belt Pulley, I am unsure if my Puller will fit the Pulley so are there any Hints/Tips in removing it. I believe that I do not have to worry about backlash or any adjustments, is it just a bolt on replacement. I will be replacing Gasket and Oil Seal. If anyone has any ideas that will make this job easier I would be grateful for suggestions.It's as you say. The front pulley will come off OK - might take a tap with a wooden drift but they normally just pull off by hand. The cover seals at the bottom against the sump gasket & is held by a number of sump bolts so you need to either take great care not to tear the sump gasket or better still have a replacement to hand. At worst you'll only need to replace the section under the front cover. If yours is the early engine (front dipstick) you need to centre the cover when fitting it. The later one self-centres. As far as backlash is concerned take the advice of the person from whom you bought the timing wheel.The Engine is the type with the dipstick near Plug Number Two, close to the servo. I am getting the wheel from Burtons who say it's a straight change no backlash adjustment? Do you know if this is correct? Being the lazy old git that I am should I remove the front cross member? It looks a bit tight if I try with the cross member in place.I'd remove the cross member. To do so loosen all fasteners slightly then use a jack on one chassis rail below the cross member location to take some of the weight of the car. Remove fasteners & release X-member. You can remove the jack until you come to refit the cross member - it just helps free it & helps it to drop into the correct position upon replacement. A light coat of grease on the cross member end plates helps as well & prevents corrosion. There is no backlash adjustment as such. Originally it was set using a selection of crankshaft gears. Shouldn't worry - it won't be too tight & a little too much backlash is harmless. On my engines the fan pulley comes off easily with a puller and I presume it will come off easily without one by just gentle appropriate tapping with a wedge.Not a difficult job. Line the two marks, one on the old cam wheel and one on the crankshaft....once you have taken the timing case off of course. Undo the bolt that holds the cam wheel in place and draw off the wheel, some slip off some need a bit of thinking about...yours will probably be the latter. I seem to remember that there was insufficient room to get a puller in behind the cam gear but if it is a Ford there are some holes that you can use. Slide the new wheel on making sure that the marks line up. Put a smear of locktite on the cam bolt don't forget the large thrust washer and tighten up to 40-45 lbs. The tricky bit comes now when you refit the timing case. If you decided not to replace the sump gasket, I never have when doing the job, then you will have to be careful when you take the case off not to destroy the bit of the sump gasket that the case sits on. What you do when you fit the case is to apply gasket cement; I prefer Red Hematite (made by the same people as Hylomar by the way) to both surfaces and then fit the case into position. While you are doing all this think how lucky you are that it is not a 2.8 when the gear wheel is alloy and the crankshaft pinion is changed as well...and no skiving off not taking the sump off for that charade I can tell you. When you first run the steel cam gear it will be noisy most of them are, but don't worry it will settle down and in about 7K you will hardly hear it........a bit like living next to a railway line.A word of caution...... there has been lots of very good advice - and I would endorse the sump removal as gasket damage and poor front cover alignment is quite likely. HOWEVER from bitter and stupid personal experience.... DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO USE A HAMMER TO GET THE NEW TIMING GEAR ONTO THE CAMSHAFT !!!!. You will end up driving the blanking plug from the rear of the engine and then the gearbox will have to come out. Use a bolt to draw the wheel on instead.On a slightly different note, is it possible to check if the cam wheel has already been replaced by a previous owner without disturbing the timing cover, sump and the associated gaskets? Can you see the timing wheel if you remove the fuel pump for example and peer in the hole in the cover with a torch? Is a replacement wheel obviously different to the original fibre wheel when viewed with a torch through a small hole?.The original wheel was dark brown, the nylon one has greyish / opaque teeth with a metal centre and the SS one is rather obvious grey and all metal. Yes you probably can see which you have through the Fuel pump hole with a torch.You probably know that the steel wheel is going to be noisier than the original but I thought I better mention it in case you don’t and get a shock when you first start the car again. On our 5A it was very noisy but on the coupe it seemed to make little difference so it varies from

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engine to engine but the noise does decrease with time – sounds a bit like a supercharger which is quite nice.Sooner is good. I bought my first 5A in 1981. I was advised by a police mechanic friend to change the timing wheel & oil pump drive so I went out & bought the parts. Within a week of doing so & on my first motorway trip the fibre wheel failed damaging 11 out of twelve valves. The new timing wheel was on the back seat at the time. I'd had the car 10 days when it happened.Personally I wouldn't try to do this without also removing the sump completely. It's not that much additional aggro, the only extra cost is a new sump gasket and some oil - and it avoids the risk that you'll damage both the front edge of the sump gasket and the crankshaft oil seal when trying to refit the timing cover. The problem you'll find is that there isn't any clearance to allow you to keep the bottom of the cover clear of the sump while you negotiate the crank seal over the end of the crank. You might also take the opportunity to flatten the mating face of the sump, which will inevitably have been dimpled by over tightening the bolts and in all probability leaks as a result.I tend to agree. I did my first one with the sump off (I had to - it was full of bits of fibre wheel) & my second with the sump on. The points Nick mentions caused real difficulty. There are other benefits too like cleaning the congealed gunge off the screen filter.

Camshaft Removal with Heads on.

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Nice easy one for today ... is it possible to remove the camshaft without removing the cylinder heads?Technically yes but you have to lift or take out the cam followers in order to extract the camshaft. If they then fall back in when the shaft is out I think you could have a job getting them replaced. They are matched to the cam they have been running on. If you are putting the same camshaft back in then it is OK to use the same followers in the same places but if you are putting a different camshaft in then you must put either new followers in or the followers that have been running on that camshaft in their respective places.Thanks for that - I have a feeling the car has a hotter cam (a steel timing wheel and tubular exhaust is in evidence) so I thought I’d have a look when I pull the engine out. I'm assuming of course that a spec. will be stamped someone on it.The standard cam has nothing stamped on the back end of the cam but Kent, Piper etc usually put the cam code number on the back end. So you have to take it out to see.

Carb Overhaul.

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This weekends stuff is an overhaul of the Carb, A Webber 40 DFAV. In the Kit is one small O ring and four flat white plastic/nylon "things". The exploded view of the Carb is vague. It shows the O ring going to the bottom of the Carb but where ?. The flat plastic things are not shown, what are they and where do they go ?. They are about One inch in length by three-quarter inch wide (very approximate) not square at the ends but cut at an angle of about 45 degrees. Any advice gratefully received.They are the throttle spindle bearings/seals. All will be obvious when you strip the carb. You need to remove the butterflies and spindles to replace them. Don’t forget to loctite and 'open' the screws when you finish on the butterflies.If the small O ring is the one shown as 7 in the Haynes exploded diagram it seals the choke vacuum pull-down connection to the carb body. The auto choke varies the position of the choke flaps depending on manifold vacuum - high vacuum, flaps more open, low vacuum, flaps more closed. It effectively reduces the amount of choke applied when on a steady throttle but is ready to apply more choke if acceleration is called for. Engine vacuum is sensed via a drilling in the carb body. Which is sealed to the auto choke housing by the O ring.An earlier answer suggested spindle bearings / seals. I am not as familiar with you carb as I am with the 38DGAS so replaceable spindle bearings didn't occur to me. From your description of the plastic parts they will be the spindle bearings.Those are the parts that will roll into a tube to form spindle bearings.

Clutch Fluid Type.

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I have nice new Clutch Master and Slave Cylinders (Lucas Girling). What fluid would you use? Latest spec would be kind to the Cylinder bores. Early spec not too much of a problem as I normally change fluid every 2 years. I have heard differing views about the latest spec fluid with early type cylinders.DOT3 brake fluid is what the seals were made for.DOT 4 works for me replace every 2 yearsThe latest stuff has never given me any trouble. Nor has silicon fluid.I have found fluid that says specification to DOT3 and DOT4 but is synthetic, Is it OK?I always use the latest spec fluid which at the moment is 5 point something as it should be compatible with everything which has gone before. I am one of the unlucky ones who had a problem with the brakes on my 5A when using silicone so I have not used it since.Some DOT 3 & 4 seals will swell in silicone.I thought I would ask the question to Lucas Girling. I have found out that Lucas were bought out by a Company called T.R.W. The technical department of T.R.W. says DO NOT use silicon or any synthetic fluids, vegetable fluid should be used and the specification should be DOT4. I did say that the Clutch was not "Safety Critical" but they were very precise about not using Silicon etc fluid.From bitter experience. It not only swells the seals using silicone on systems that aren't designed for it, it sort of 'rots' them as well (or swells them to the point of nipping in the bore and getting lumps torn off)! You can go from stiff movement to sudden fail in a short time, and the length of time it takes to get to the first stages is variable. Don't use the stuff anymore as it was a bike brake that failed, luckily negated by massive engine braking, and a drum rear brake! Always use Dot4 now, without fail (both senses of the phrase).

Clutch/Overdrive Slip.

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Perhaps someone could advise on a clutch problem? As long as I let the clutch out fully and move through the gears carefully he car pulls away fine. Uphill in a high gear there is no slip when accelerating no matter how hard I try or how steep the hill. If I try a racing start (high revs and balance with the clutch) or come up to a roundabout and try to balance the high revs with the clutch to join the flow there is virtually no drive until I let the engine idle and almost come to a standstill and repeat the careful approach. I don't know if I have explained that very well but my question is, is this sign of needing a new clutch or is there something that needs to be adjusted.Cannot think it is anything other than the clutch although not slipping under heavy loads uphill etc is quite unusual.Remember that there are "clutches" in the overdrive too; there is a uni-directional thing and two hydraulically operated band clutches. Could it be that something's preventing the overdrive hydraulic system from fully releasing its pressure until the overdrive oil-pump has stopped rotating [i.e. when the car has come to an almost-stop?Would a reasonable test of this be to drive a fair while without engaging O/D and if I don't have the problem drive with O/D and see if it slips? Or is this too naive? What could cause the O/D hydraulics to hold pressure?A test of sorts would be to try accelerating hard when the car is first used that day & before the OD has been in use. It isn't the best test because the OD circulates oil throughout its operating cylinder and control all the time the input shaft is rotating (i.e. whenever the car is moving). The oil returns to the OD sump via a bypass that is open unless the OD solenoid is operated. When the solenoid IS operated (OD switched on) the bypass closes & OD operational pressure (set by a relief valve) is available to move the cone clutch & engage the OD. Even this is an over-simplification because the pressure relief & solenoid valve work together & the bypass still maintains a low residual pressure to ensure the OD operating cylinder is full of oil & ready to rapidly operate the clutch when needed. It follows therefore that anything that can restrict or affect the operation of the solenoid valve or pressure relief valve can cause the OD to malfunction. A pressure test would diagnose it correctly but removing the OD sump, cleaning the filter gauze, magnet and solenoid valve would not be wasted effort & could easily cure the fault. If the (normal gearbox) clutch doesn't slip under full throttle hill-climbing it is unlikely to be the problem.When the O/d clutches were failing on my now dead 6a, the engine freewheeled if I took my foot off the throttle with the O/d disengaged. If the O/d was in, then normal action took place. You could have a weak diaphragm or pressure plate, or even a lazy hydraulic system (slave/master cylinders sticking). These would cause the same sort of effects.Just to reinforce what has said: - pound to a penny it’s the overdrive clutch, NOT the clutch between the engine & gearbox. Many people do not realise there is a clutch within the overdrive unit.

The next part was added March 2005.How can you tell if a slipping feeling when accelerating is due to the clutch or the OD? I have a suspicion the clutch is on its way out (90k) but am not certain as the OD unit has previously been replaced due to slippage.The overdrive unit contains a one-way (metallic) clutch which transmits torque directly through the unit when travelling forwards in direct drive (overdrive not engaged). The friction clutches only come into play when the overdrive is engaged (and forwards gear is selected) or when travelling in reverse. Therefore, if you get symptoms of slip in third of fourth direct gear, the clutch is likely at fault, because neither of the friction clutches in the overdrive should be unduly loaded. Virtually all of the torque transmitted through the overdrive should be via its one-way clutch. If you get slip in overdrive third or fourth, or reverse, then suspect the overdrive. On my 3litre V6 Coupe, overdrive slip was most noticeable when reversing. I managed to drop the transmission out without too much difficulty to do the repairs. Removing the gearbox/overdrive assembly obviously exposed the clutch. It should be fairly easy to work on. Incidentally, make sure that the overdrive lockout switch is functioning. It prevents overdrive engagement in first and second gears (when the torque output from the gearbox is higher than the overdrive is intended to take) and in reverse. Overdrive in reverse is like selecting two gears at once (inside the overdrive). Travelling forwards, with overdrive engaged the one-way clutch free-wheels as the output shaft rotates faster than the input. Travelling backwards, with overdrive engaged the one-way clutch prevents the output shaft from turning faster than the input despite the best efforts of the epicyclical gears. The

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overdrive's internal clutch will be forced to slip (unless something else breaks) and will overheat rapidly. I think that's what must have happened on my car (previous owner's fault) based on the burnt conical clutch linings and bits of broken overdrive lock-out switch found during repairs.The cone clutch transmits drive whether the OD is engaged or not. The roller cam / sprag clutch has an assisting function only. I was going to go through the whole operation of the OD then I found this:I understood that was the potential problem in telling the difference - that the OD clutch is always engaged? It seems like a clear decision is tricky but: its worse when the car is hot. Does not tend to do it in lower gears although hard acceleration in first can slip. Have never really noticed it in reverse but I don’t tend to reverse very fast. The slipping is periodic - can accelerate ok then it slips then it stops slipping again. The OD switch and lock out are fine.If it’s clutch slip, It can be made worse by “gently” putting some pressure on the pedal just before it happens (throttle/speed-wise). Try it in O/D 3rd and Non-OD 4th at the same speeds; If it does it the same in both at the same engine speed, then it probably isn’t the O/D.I'm looking at a diagram of the Laycock LH unit in my Scimitar Coupe shop manual, Section U, "Overdrive", pages 2 & 3. It has a fairly clear cross-section diagram to explain how the overdrive works. There is a cone clutch with friction linings on both inside and outside surfaces of the cone. The cone clutch slides backwards (relative to the car) and forwards on splines which form part of the sun-wheel. The overdrive input shaft passes through the centre of the sun-wheel, but rotates independently of it. The input shaft is attached to, and rotates with, both the planet carrier and the inner race of a uni-directional clutch. The outer race of the uni-directional clutch is attached to, and rotates with, the ring-gear. When the overdrive is not engaged, the cone-clutch slides rearwards under spring load. The inner lining friction face connects the sun-wheel to the ring-gear, locking them together. The input shaft drives the planet carrier, but since the sun-wheel and ring-gear are locked together, the entire epicyclical gear train spins as a solid unit and output speed is therefore equal to input speed. This mechanism operates both for forwards and during over-run and reverse. When travelling forwards only (not during over-run or reverse) the uni-directional clutch also provides a solid drive connection between the input and output shafts. When the overdrive is engaged, the cone-clutch slides forwards under hydraulic pressure. The outer friction surface engages with the inside of the overdrive casing, thereby preventing rotation of the cone-clutch and the sun-wheel. The input shaft continues to drive the planet carrier, so now the ring-gear (which is connected to the output shaft - remember?) rotates faster than the planet carrier, and hence - overdrive. Since the output shaft is rotating faster than the input, the uni-directional clutch over-runs (or free-wheels, if you prefer). Okay, so how do you tell if the overdrive cone-clutch linings are shot? Well, if the inner lining is gone, the sun-wheel and ring-gear are not locked together firmly. The uni-directional clutch will transmit forwards torque when the overdrive is not engaged, but it cannot do so during over-run or reverse. Hence, if the overdrive slips during over-run or reverse, but not when forwards and not engaged, suspect the inner clutch cone. If the outer clutch cone is shot, the sun-wheel will not be locked stationary, allowing the input shaft to speed up until it matches the speed of the output shaft, at which time the uni-directional clutch will take over. Therefore, if, with the overdrive engaged, the engine revs rise to match the revs required for direct (overdrive not engaged) drive, but no higher, then suspect the cone-clutch outer liner. If slippage isn't limited to these conditions (probably isn't, based on my understanding of your comments) then the clutch is probably at fault.Excellent description! In fact most OD problems stem from the solenoid and pressure relief valve (which also controls speed of engagement) both of which are affected by lack of, or dirty, oil and by a blocked screen filter. The cone clutch is an incredibly robust device that would require serious abuse to damage. The only other OD killer is a failed inhibitor switch (or a solenoid valve that doesn't release) - if the car is reversed under these conditions the roller clutch can be damaged. One thing that hadn't occurred to me - is the clutch pedal returning far enough to fully release the master cylinder? With the pedal fully released there should be a small amount of clearance between the end of the push rod & the master cylinder. You can test by pressing the pedal by hand. If there is none & the clutch line remains under slight pressure the clutch may partially release as everything warms up. It's a long shot but worth checking - as is the slave to clutch arm adjustment.

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Cutch/Overdrive Slip 2

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I’ve looked back through the messages and cannot find anything - how can you tell if a slipping feeling when accelerating is due to the clutch or the OD? I have a suspicion the clutch is on its way out (90k) but am not certain as the OD unit has previously been replaced due to slippage. Also, has anyone else been successful in changing the clutch without removing the engine as per the article in SLICE - I wondered, is it actually any quicker?!The overdrive unit contains a one-way (metallic) clutch which transmits torque directly through the unit when travelling forwards in direct drive (overdrive not engaged). The friction clutches only come into play when the overdrive is engaged (and forwards gear is selected) or when travelling in reverse. Therefore, if you get symptoms of slip in third of fourth direct gear, the clutch is likely at fault, because neither of the friction clutches in the overdrive should be unduly loaded. Virtually all of the torque transmitted through the overdrive should be via its one-way clutch. If you get slip in overdrive third or fourth, or reverse, then suspect the overdrive. On my 3litre V6 Coupe, overdrive slip was most noticeable when reversing. I managed to drop the transmission out without too much difficulty to do the repairs. Removing the gearbox/overdrive assembly obviously exposed the clutch. It should be fairly easy to work on. Incidentally, make sure that the overdrive lockout switch is functioning. It prevents overdrive engagement in first and second gears (when the torque output from the gearbox is higher than the overdrive is intended to take) and in reverse. Overdrive in reverse is like selecting two gears at once (inside the overdrive). Travelling forwards, with overdrive engaged, the one-way clutch free-wheels as the output shaft rotates faster than the input. Travelling backwards, with overdrive engaged, the one-way clutch prevents the output shaft from turning faster than the input despite the best efforts of the epicyclical gears. The overdrive's internal clutch will be forced to slip (unless something else breaks) and will overheat rapidly. I think that's what must have happened on my car (previous owner's fault) based on the burnt conical clutch linings and bits of broken overdrive lock-out switch found during repairs.The cone clutch transmits drive whether the OD is engaged or not. The roller cam / sprag clutch has an assisting function only.I understood that was the potential problem in telling the difference - that the OD clutch is always engaged? It seems like a clear decision is tricky but: its worse when the car is hot. Does not tend to do it in lower gears although hard acceleration in first can slip. Have never really noticed it in reverse but I don’t tend to reverse very fast. The slipping is periodic - can accelerate ok then it slips then it stops slipping again. The OD switch and lock out are fine. Second point is it’s a GTC: can I tell the garage categorically that it’s possible to remove the clutch without engine out! I.e. I have not looked but you can reach all the bell housing bolts and slide the gearbox back once mountings and prop shaft are off.In engine compartment: * disconnect top & bottom hoses * unbolt PAS pump & attach it to the suspension cross member * remove air cleaner From wheel-arches: * disconnect exhausts at the manifold outlets * remove starter motor * slacken engine mount rubbers Underneath: * prop shaft * gear linkages at gearbox end * wiring to gearbox & Speedo cable * clutch slave * place jack under gearbox * remove cross member (unbolt from chassis & rear rubber mount) Lower the jack until the tail housing is as low as the jack will allow all the time checking the engine for fouling / anything you've missed. Jack it up again until you can place a support under the rear of the sump. Turn the trolley jack so its handle is facing the rear axle then place a scissor jack on the rear of the trolley jack & adjust to contact the rear of the OD. Remove the bell housing shield & all bell housing bolts (easiest using a long extension & socket from underneath). CAREFULLY wiggle the box by pulling/pushing on the tail housing until it is free. You can remove it carefully by rolling the trolley jack back by hand & adjusting it & the scissor jack as you go. Once clear of the engine lower the jacks fully & roll it off them as gently as possible. Two people are useful here because the box will fall off the jacks as soon as the 1st motion shaft clears the clutch unless it is prevented from doing so. You need the car on axle stands at full height & a sheet of 3/4" plywood under the car makes the jack roll easily & cushions the gearbox as it is taken off the jacks. I did this job four times on my own GTC - it takes around 1 1/2 hours taking it slowly & around 40 minutes if pushed.You're right - the OD cone is either hard against the body or hard against the carrier. You have checked the gearbox oil level I assume? What you are describing sounds more like the OD & there are a number of options before removing the box.I'm looking at a diagram of the Laycock LH unit in my Scimitar Coupe shop manual, Section U, "Overdrive", pages 2 & 3. It has a fairly clear cross-section diagram to explain how the

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overdrive works. There is a cone clutch with friction linings on both inside and outside surfaces of the cone. The cone clutch slides backwards (relative to the car) and forwards on splines which form part of the sun-wheel. The overdrive input shaft passes through the centre of the sun-wheel, but rotates independently of it. The input shaft is attached to, and rotates with, both the planet carrier and the inner race of a uni-directional clutch. The outer race of the uni-directional clutch is attached to, and rotates with, the ring-gear. When the overdrive is not engaged, the cone-clutch slides rearwards under spring load. The inner lining friction face connects the sun-wheel to the ring-gear, locking them together. The input shaft drives the planet carrier, but since the sun-wheel and ring-gear are locked together, the entire epicyclical gear train spins as a solid unit and output speed is therefore equal to input speed. This mechanism operates both for forwards and during over-run and reverse. When travelling forwards only (not during over-run or reverse) the uni-directional clutch also provides a solid drive connection between the input and output shafts. When the overdrive is engaged, the cone-clutch slides forwards under hydraulic pressure. The outer friction surface engages with the inside of the overdrive casing, thereby preventing rotation of the cone-clutch and the sun-wheel. The input shaft continues to drive the planet carrier, so now the ring-gear (which is connected to the output shaft - remember?) rotates faster than the planet carrier, and hence - overdrive. Since the output shaft is rotating faster than the input, the uni-directional clutch over-runs (or free-wheels, if you prefer). Okay, so how do you tell if the overdrive cone-clutch linings are shot? Well, if the inner lining is gone, the sun-wheel and ring-gear are not locked together firmly. The uni-directional clutch will transmit forwards torque when the overdrive is not engaged, but it cannot do so during over-run or reverse. Hence, if the overdrive slips during over-run or reverse, but not when forwards and not engaged, suspect the inner clutch cone. If the outer clutch cone is shot, the sun-wheel will not be locked stationary, allowing the input shaft to speed up until it matches the speed of the output shaft, at which time the uni-directional clutch will take over. Therefore, if, with the overdrive engaged, the engine revs rise to match the revs required for direct (overdrive not engaged) drive, but no higher, then suspect the cone-clutch outer liner. If slippage isn't limited to these conditions (probably isn't, based on my understanding of your comments) then the clutch is probably at fault.If it’s clutch slip, it can be made worse by “gently” putting some pressure on the pedal just before it happens (throttle/speed-wise). Try it in O/D 3rd and Non-OD 4th at the same speeds; if it does it the same in both at the same engine speed, then it probably isn’t the O/D. I’ve changed the clutch in my old 5a by just removing the gearbox (trolley jack, prop shaft off, lots of jiggling), but having done that, there’s much more involved taking the engine out to do it (plus access to the clutch is better), apart from removing the exhaust manifolds…apart from that it’s only the need for an engine crane/block and tackle which sways which way you go!.

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Clutch won’t Disengage.

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The clutch seems to be stuck and won't disengage although the pedal and cable system still seem to be working OK. I think the plates must be stuck together with rust from standing idle for many years. I'm sure some of you guys have come across this before and can point me in the right direction for freeing it off? I'm not really up to dismantling it all.………………………………………………………………………………………Start the engine and have it warmed up in idle, so that it will restart immediately. Put in first gear (or reverse if there is a wall in front of the car), push the clutch pedal completely and crank. The engine will fire and the car will move, keep the pedal down and due to the pressures and forces involved the clutch will be freed after a few meters. Lots of strange noises , but it will survive.…………………………………………………………………………………………If you can extricate the car from its parking place simply warm it up then stop the engine, put it in gear, restart & drive off. Keep the clutch pedal held down & go for a short drive changing gear without the clutch. Apply throttle to drive jerkily - it will free fairly easily.…………………………………………………………………………………………My suggestion for what its worth (used on numerous occasions). Put back of car up on stout axle stands. Chock Front wheels. Start and warm engine up. Stop engine and engage 2nd gear. Re-start engine and run at approx 2000 rpm for about 2 mins. You should hear a loud bang as the clutch plate comes off the flywheel. All with out moving the car.

Decoke.

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Can the vast experience of the group give me, a novice, advice on the do's and don’ts of a Decoke on an Essex engine block.I would go the whole hog and pop the pistons out and fit new rings - glaze bust and clear all of the carbon - check that the valve seats are ok - not sunken - lap them in if required. I would be surprised if there is much carbon build up anyway - the days of leaving a ring around the piston have all but gone.*replace all valves, springs, caps, collets & pushrods in their original positions after removal*remove heads & with the valves & springs still in place degrease & clean the heads using a couple of different wire brushes in an electric drill clean all carbon out of the combustion chambers*wash the heads off again then remove all valves, springs, caps etc*clean out the exhaust (and inlet if necessary) ports using a powered wire brush. Avoid the valve seats.*clean the gasket surfaces until shiny using wire brush & wire wool*put each valve in turn into an electric drill (in a vice or bench stand) and use a sharp tool, wire wool & emery paper to clean the back of the valve head. Avoid the seat and stem*if the seats in the head are nicely sharp and angular grind each valve in turn using fine paste. Lubricate the valve stem. Rotate the valve back and forth whilst pressing it lightly against the seat. Lift the valve of the seat after each grind & replace it in a different position.*once you have an even, grey, surface to both valve & seat move on to the next valve*if the seats in the head are not sharp and angular, if they appear to be’ hammered', or if there are seriously burned and pitted areas they will need to be re-cut before the valves can be ground in. If this is the case examine the valves themselves very carefully as they may be damaged & needing replacement*clean off the heads carefully, lubricate the valve stems with Moly & refit the valves & springs*block off all orifices in the top of the block. Cover the cylinders you aren’t working on.*turn the crankshaft so the piston you are about to work on is a BDC then lightly grease the bore. Move the piston back to TDC then use the drill-mounted wire brush to clean the crown. Take care not to dig into the aluminium surface. Stubborn areas can be scraped using a sharp piece of scrap aluminium. Vacuum as much debris from the bore as you can then move the piston a short way down the bore so you can clean the top lip - aluminium scraper & wire wool. Wipe the grease & dirt off the bore wall then move the piston to BDC & wipe again. Repeat for all bores.*clean the gasket surface of the block until it is shiny & wipe both it and the gasket surfaces of the cylinder heads with thinners until they are grease-free.*replace heads. Whilst the heads are off it's worth examining the block and head waterways &cleaning off any deposits. The block in particular will have a lot of sediment in the cylinder cooling passages that can be loosened with an old screwdriver then flushed out when the engine is back in one piece. With the heads out of the way the core plugs behind the exhaust manifolds are easy to access - worth changing them if they are in poor condition.The only thing I would add to the comprehensive schedule of works!! Is that I would replace ALL accessible core plugs irrespective. I think I would also try to remove any debris in the block with compressed air or water (having covered the bores and anything else critical!). Sometimes it's easier to get debris out this way as it can be more direct. Perhaps use both methods. Time spent getting a clear cooling system is time well spent. I have just gone through an engine out rebuild down to the last nut, bolt, washer and gallery plug. The engine in back in but not yet connected up. But I'm confident that the energy spent trying to be particular about things is time well spent.What do you mean by glaze bust? Is wire brushing the tops of the pistons to harsh?If you are going as far as fitting new rings to the pistons you have to take the shine off the cylinder walls ( glaze busting ) you can buy a circular sandpaper tool to do this from most engine rebuild/parts suppliers. Fits into an electric drill so it only takes a few seconds per cylinder.In my opinion wire brushing the tops of pistons is too harsh. Every scratch you leave in the combustion chamber is somewhere for carbon to start collecting, in fact it promotes its growth and adhesion. I fit is localised it can cause pre-ignition, sort of defeating the object of a Decoke in the first place. A bit of copper central heating pipe flattened at the end is ideal for carbon scraping. Always try to use something softer than the material you're cleaning to do the scraping.

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I did mine buy soaking them with the larts washer fluid and then using and dishwashing brush. It was hard work but I was pleased with result.A really easy way of removing carbon from almost anything is to soak the components in " petrol fuel injector cleaner - Forte' make some) - the carbon just washes away with no scraping. Great for clogged piston ring grooves too.

Disc Groove. Trunnion Bolt.

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My SE5 brakes are not bad - surprising when you look at the disks, The outer 20mm are rusty pitted + not nice, and the inside face has a groove running around the centre of the face. The outer pitting I put down to a period of inactivity, but the groove on the back I have just figured out what is causing it. While greasing the Trunnions I noticed that the Trunnion to wishbone bolt and nut is rubbing the disk on full lock. Can anyone tell me if the bolt should be positioned so the nut is in front of, or behind the wishbone, or do they all do it? (I don't want a new pair of disks going the same way!)Usual wisdom on this is that a little stub screws into the top of the Trunnion that interferes with a similar casting on the vertical link, so reducing steering lock just enough to stop the brake disk scoring. My se6 has neither screw nor interference for reasons I cannot figure, if yours are not screwed in - than that may be the answer. As to the bolt direction - I can't remember but it indicates that (for offside) threaded end points rearward - I think. (On a se6a)Common problem this on all GTE's. Apart from the stop at the rear of the Trunnion not limiting the movement on full lock I think it may in part be due to the closeness of the Trunnion physically. Perhaps bits of grease jumping across from the Trunnion to the disc or maybe water splashing across in the wet - I don't know but my stop works ok and I still get the same effect. We have no rear guard plate on either of our GTE's perhaps this also makes a difference - we removed them as they scraped against the rear of the disc - irritating noise.A couple of tips about disc scoring, one cheap and one not so cheap. The cheap tip is grinding a bevel on the Trunnion bolt. The expensive tip, and most likely the cause in the first place, is renew the vertical link. 'Oh my God why!' I hear you exclaim. The reason my financial challenged friend is that over the years, and perhaps someone has not been as active with the grease gun as they should have been...., the shoulder, that’s the bit at the top of the thread on the vertical link, wears a slight hollow and this allows the Trunnion to 'tip’ from the vertical and this in turn allows the Trunnion bolt nearer the disc. And the rest as they say in the case of the disc, is history.Just replaced discs at the weekend, and wanted to avoid scoring from Trunnion bolts. My car only had a steering stop on one side, and this was all dented and rusty. It was 20.5 to 20.7 mm in diameter and was bolted to the casting with what I think used to be a 5/16" BSW. I made 2 new stops, diameter 21.0mm. This is just big enough to stop Trunnion bolts from scoring discs without taking away too much steering lock. I had to drill out castings and re-tap a bigger size. Be warned, I needed a 14" long drill to get access. If your stops are intact, I suppose you could try just wrapping with shim stock and retaining somehow? Or gluing a shim to the little horns that touch the stops?Disc fouling by Trunnion bolts / nuts can be prevented by grinding a 45 degree chamfer on 50% of the Trunnion bolt head and replacing the castellated nut with a nyloc (and no they don't come loose!). You still need lock stops but their adjustment is a lot less critical.

Door Adjustment.

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Well the car is great I am just trying to work out how to adjust the doors to fit, how do you get to hold the nuts that the hinge csk screws go into, with the hinge in the way, is there a way or do you need to take the car to bits! It’s nice to answer a question instead of asking for once! You might have to take the car to bits. Although I have not been adjusting doors to fit, I have recently completely removed the doors and hinges. The countersunk set bolts you mention are intended to mount the hinges to the body as opposed to a facility for adjustment. If you need sideways adjustment; where the hinges disappear into the door, they hold the door with 4 elongated holes. If the door is dropping i.e. height adjustment it might be that the hinges are badly worn. I think you can get hinge repair kits. If you do need access to the nuts from the csk set bolts, remove the blower in the foot well, you will find that the 'middle' csk bolts are fitted to a tie plate, remove this plate first (also secured to the foot well side wall). With this plate removed the other 2 hinge nuts are accessible. If you have to add rust to the equation, then I can empathize!

Fit Rear Window Seal.

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A friend of mine who owns a 5a asked me yesterday how best to fit a new rubber seal to his rear hatch frame. I don't know I said, but I know where I can find out. So how about it experts, lets have some hints and tips on how best to fit a rubber seal to the rear hatch frame of a 5a.I presume you mean the glass frame seal, rather than the outer one. Well, I suspect I did not at all do what's probably recommended.. The strip you can buy from e.g. GW to seal this (it's just flat rubber strip, not U shaped etc.) requires a lot of compression to get it in, and good alignment. I did not like that idea. Instead I bought considerably wider (but somewhat thinner) rubber strip from Woollies, cut it to length, put a bead of transparent silicone seal inside the frame (big half), and laid the rubber on the floor. Then a strip of goo on upper surface of rubber, place window right way around on rubber, in the goo, carefully wrap rubber round side edges, pick whole lot up (careful!) and drop into frame, which was propped standing upright. Then try to fit top half without getting sealant everywhere (some hope). Then I squeezed together with ratchet tie-downs, did up the clamp plate screws (remember to put them in!) and waited. Once it had all set enough, I went around the rubber which now stuck out about 1/2" all round the flange, with a sharp knife, and cut it off. After all that, I hope it was the glass frame u meant!Not sure about a 5a, but on my 6b there isn't a rubber seal - it looks like the screen is fitted to the hatch-frame using some sort of black rubber-in-a-tube type of mastic. It's *not* the ubiquitous silicone-rubber-in-a-tube bathroom sealant, it's somewhat softer and less-shiny. But it doesn't leak! Food for thought?As for using sealant bus windscreens are stuck in with a very sticky black mastic which can cope with large gaps and has high shear strength, the name escapes me at the moment.Could be Sikaflex? Black polyurethane, stiffer than silicone, real shit-to-a-blanket stuff, use allot in boats. Bostik Matrix 500 is similar. A very impressive goo.The stuff you are looking for is indeed Sikaflex. Two main types ,the one that never really sets, leave this one alone, and the one that sets like rubber  this is the one to use. Wonderful stuff, nothing better for repairing that big black rubber bumper or repairing those cracked windscreen rubber seals. It’s like liquid rubber, mask up apply and bingo saved yourself a new rubber. Just two things to bear in mind. It cures quite quickly in the tube when opened, so wrap it up well and have a few spare nozzles for the next time. The other thing is don't get it on your hands...unless you like wearing gloves, as it don't come off.

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Fitting Piston Rings and Gap Position.

Reliant Workshop Manual says 180 Deg opposite, other Manuals I have make no mention of it. Piston Ring Gap position? If Gaps 180 deg opposite where would the gaps go? Front or Rear of Piston? (Engine from a 1974 SE5a).Unless there is instruction to the contrary I always put the top ring gap in line with the gudgeon pin and the other in line with the opposite end. I avoid putting them on the pressure face of the piston.Normal practice here is to space the rings at 120 degrees with no favoured start/finish point for the first ring. Take care getting the rings onto the piston - and then into the bores as they can shatter. We use a cone shaped adaptor that fits the bore - and then the piston with its rings sitting freely are gently pushed down the cone into bore whilst uniformly compressing the rings to the piston diameter. If you are lucky enough to re-use some pistons from your engine - and the groves are a bit gummed up - then petrol injector cleaner is brilliant at softening the gum and carbon - which can then easily be washed away with brake cleaner. Whilst the engine is in pieces - take a good look all over the block - you will notice a lot of small Allen key type bolts/bungs - remove them all and use the same fluids [fresh solution] to clean these oil way drillings out too - it will help prolong the life of the rebuilt engine by allowing the oil to flow where it needs to without the engineering equivalent of ""hardening of the arteries". You maybe amazed at what you manage to clean out.I had always presumed that piston rings would move around when the engine was running, but from the answers I presume that this is not the case?Knew I'd seen it somewhere. Top ring 150' offset from the oil control top ring, Middle ring 150' offset from top oil ring in opposite direction. Oil control ring is - Top Middle back of piston (opposite arrow/mark on top), 'spring ring thing' 25mm offset from that, bottom is gap with the mark at the front.When you say offset where do you start to measure from? Piston Front? Back?Yep. I thought that as well! Lot easier to draw than explain! But if you start in the order they go on, so bottom oil control ring with the gap at the front and work up from there. Spring gap 25mm off the centre of the back, etc. Gaps on top rings are positioned to maintain the best seal on the compression stroke, as the piston rocks very slightly on each stroke.

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Fitting Poly Bushes.

I am in the midst of rebuilding my front suspension, new polybushes, new shocks and also converting to power steering while I am at it; however, I seem to have come to grief with fitting the polybushes. What is the recommended practice for fitting the bushes? The bushes have a chamfered lip on each end, presumably to retain in the suspension arms, which are making it difficult to fit them. I originally assumed these would compress while the bush pushed or pulled through into the suspension arm, but all that happens is that the bush buckles and twists and doesn’t enter the hole. I have tried using various diameter pieces of tube to try and guide/ restrain the bush while I use a G clamp to push through to no avail. I have slobbered the bush etc with fairy liquid, still no change. The rubber bushes which where originally fitted where cut through the centre and fitted from both ends, similar to the Trunnion bushes, but I presume this would be a no no as it could compromise the performance of the bush. Any recommendations would be welcome.The answer is liquid soap. Make all parts 'soaping wet' and you'll be surprised how easy they will slip through. Best thing is to remove all the parts from the car and fit the bushes in your workshop.When I fitted mine they also distorted and looked like they would not go in. however this method works. 1) Get yourself a bolt that will go through the bush and the required hole and fit a large washer to each end. The washer must be large enough so as not to pull through both the hole in the suspension arm and the hole in the polybush 2)assemble the whole thing a follows - bolt, large washer, polybush, suspension arm, large washer, nut with a bit of grease on the bush and the metal 'hole'. 3) Tighten the whole thing up keeping it as parallel as possible as you do so. The poly bush will go in so far and then it will distort as one edge grips and it will twist. It looks like it will tear but it wont. Just keep tightening and all of a sudden the bush will pop into the hole. Then just remove the bolt and washers. It should then be possible to push it into place by hand. If you are fitting the ones with metal inserts fit them in the same way after the bush is in place.I used 1/2" drive sockets and a vice. The bush sat in 1 socket (tight fit) with about half its length protruding; the socket walls stopped it buckling right over. Place the wishbone-bush-socket into the vice and wind in. Once you have it in half way put the socket on the other side of the wishbone (to allow the bush edges to pop out) put it back in the vice and wind it again. Other have used a socket but instead of a vice a threaded rod through the wishbone bush and socket then pulled it through. Dropping the bush into boiling hot water for a few mins first seemed to make it easier for me but it was still a case of keep on trying until it pops in.Key question: should I grease or not, I seem to remember a comment about not using grease with polybushes, between bush and wishbone, as the grease and poly may be incompatible? If possible I would prefer to drill and tap the wishbones and fit small grease nipples to extend life and smooth out any suspension movement.There must not be any relative movement between the polybush inner face and the pin. The whole purpose of the assembly is that the bush distorts in torsion to provide wishbone movement. The polyurethane of the poly bush is not a good bearing material and it will wear. IMHO this is not a good way to do it but that is the design. Rubber is a better and softer material but its life is not so good. Citroen use a poly bush with a needle roller bearing inside it so they get the road isolation and freedom of movement and it works well.It is very important that the inside surface of the wishbone "eye" through which the polybush has to slide is clean of all rust and left-over bits of old rubber bush etc. This doesn't mean you just give it a quick rub with abrasive paper - it needs to be nice and shiny-bright, almost as-new. I used a small circular drill-mounted wire brush (small enough to fit through the hole), but you could use a flap wheel or wrap some emery cloth around the end of a cut-off bolt with a slot in it. I was amazed how much easier this made it to fit the bush - with some grease, it just sort of "popped" in using a vice. I didn't soften the bush in hot water as I found that allowed it to distort too much, but even so it did go a bit of a funny shape before it went in.

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Fitting Rear Brake Cylinders.

I've just replaced both the rear brake cylinders with new. I struggled with the Retaining plate, Spring plate and Distance washer and managed to fit them all back in place. But I made a pig’s ear out of replacing the rubber dust cover. Has anybody else made a success of fitting these and can pass on any words of wisdom to me.They certainly aren't easy. You need the wheel cylinder & mounting devices (& back plate in the area of the cylinder) very clean. Assemble without the rubber. When you're happy with the assembly push the rubber (coated internally with red brake grease) over the handbrake arm. Its lip fits under the edges of the retaining plate. Do not attempt to fit it at the same time as the wheel cylinder / mounting parts. Although the diagrams in Haynes & other manuals lead you to believe it goes on as part of the mounting assembly this is not the case.

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Fitting Shocker Bushes.

Anyone know how to get new shocker bushes in - tried tonight and gave up.I got my local friendly metal basher to cut down a piece of 35mm diameter tubing and cut/close up/weld one end to about 25mm (or the diameter of the eyelet on the shock). Soak the bush in hot water to make supple. Grease eyelet/tube and bush, Clamp a long M8 (or similar) bolt in the vice, push the bush as far as possible in the tube. Then sandwich the whole lot (shock eyelet, tube with bush in) onto the bolt, large washer and nut on the end and wind it all up with a box spanner. Hold it all together while you do it and it pops into place eventually. I did one with out the inner stainless steel tube fitted and then one with it fitted. It seems debatable as to which is best. One makes it hard to fit the tube afterwards and the other makes it harder to get the bush in the eyelet (1st try got stuck in the end of the tube and then shot across the garage floor when I tried to get it back out. I don't know how I would have got them in any other way. The Poly is very resilient and despite being crushed to death down the tube sprang back to perfect shape in the eyelet.As far as I'm concerned 'polybushes' shouldn't be used for shocker ends on something like a "Se" Scimitar because these bushes are under a high static load [basically they carry the weight of the car] and polybush-type bushes will suffer 'cold flow' effects with time. In this application you need a hard rubber with plenty of 'filler' [carbon-black] in it to resist the effects of cold flow.The ones I have are the metalastic ones. Must admit to being a bit thick, I didn't think of using a bolt through to draw them together, I tried using the vice but it was too fussy with all the sockets and things.One thing to be careful of is to make sure never to try drawing a Metalastic bush into anything by applying pressure to the inner bonded- in tube part. If you do there's a risk the inner part will come unbonded from the rubber. It's not immediately obvious that this has happened, but if it has the life of the bush will be measured in miles, as the inner tube rotates in the torn rubber rather than the rubber itself taking the torsion.And lightly grease the inside of the damper eye & the outside of the bush.

Fitting Windscreen/Rubber.

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I was wondering if anyone has any useful tips for fitting the rubber on an SE5. My problem is that unlike the rubber for the SE6 which come as one piece, the SE5 rubber is open ended and obviously needs gluing. My questions are: 1. Is the rubber supplied to the correct length or does it need cutting. If it does need cutting then what is the best way of measuring the correct length before cutting? 2. Where is the best place to put the seam? I notice with the old rubber that this seam lies vertically on the driver’s side. Is this the best place for the join? at present this join is a source of leaks - any ideas?The rubber is supplied too long and I stuck a piece of string round the windscreen aperture to get the correct length. I did try fitting the rubber into the aperture but this wasn't very successful. The join on my old screen was in the middle at the top so this is where I put mine but I have since seen others with the join in the middle at the bottom. The best advice I can give when fitting is to choose a very hot day as it makes the rubber a lot easier to fit. I tried mine in the spring on a cool day and didn't have any luck. I then waited for a hot day I the summer and it was far easier. You will also need at least one helper. I assume you know that to fit it you need to put the rubber round the glass and the put sash cord into the outside groove. with the ends hanging down from the top. This is a lot easier said than done. You then put the bottom part of the screen into the aperture and with someone pushing on the outside and you on the inside pull the cord round the lip and hopefully it will pop in OK. The easiest option of course is to get a windscreen fitter to fit it but a lot more expensive. Dermot might have some extra advice as he has, I believe, recently fitted one to his SE5A.If you have not already removed the windscreen from the car then the old rubber seal can be carefully cut away using a Stanley knife. I do not think that the new rubber is necessarily cut to the right length, and it is important not to cut it too short. When I did my 5a I felt that it was better if the rubber was a little overlong so that the ends could be compressed together into position. I did a fully lubricated trial run at fitting the windscreen into the rest of the seal before cutting the rubber to length. Probably at this stage it is then worth marking the spot and removing the rubber from the car so that you can get a good straight edge. Regarding the join, I copied the existing and mine is half way up the passenger side, with the join in the silver plastic insert being halfway up the driver’s side. I had not done a windscreen before. I found that I needed a lot of lubricant, and that the windscreen did not want to go back in place. In fact I would not have believed that it was possible to fit my screen to my car had I not removed the self same screen from the self same car. I was working on my own and had to make several attempts before I succeeded. Maybe it would be easier with an assistant, but I am not sure. However I am sure that the correct tools would help. I was pleased that I had not used some sort of setting rubber lubricant sealer because I struggled with mine over several evenings. (And I still don't think that the shape of my car really matches the shape of my screen.) A small point it that so that I could put the screen down somewhere safely without moving it far when it was slippery with lubricant I was ready with towels or a sheets on the roof of the car.I just fitted a new screen to my 5a, as some readers will know, having seen my search for one! So, answers; 1/ Rubber comes in a length (cut over length). You must trim it. The way I did it was to fit the rubber to the screen aperture, using a rubber hammer where needed to get into place, then I cut it about 1/2" over length, there being enough give to force the rubber ends into place. It's important that the 2 cut ends are square. Be very sure that it's all fully home! 2/ I agonised over join position, and ended up with...vertically on the drivers side... 3/ You must fit the rubber to aperture, then fit screen into hole, forget about other ways, I could not do it any other way! 4/ I am very pleased I did NOT use sealant, since it would have been a horrific mess. 5/ I found hardest bit to be getting windscreen reasonably centralised, if it's not DEAD ACCURATE then you can't make the rubber fit, and once it's 80% in, you can't move the screen around any more... 6/ I used blunt screwdriver and a lot of care to lever rubber over the screen.I used the string method on my screen, but I did have to wait for a hot day, and it was a new rubber seal and it wasn't joined at the end but it was one hell of a job and it sounds as though Dermot's way is easier. I also didn't use any sealer when fitting but I have since run some all the way round where the screen sits in the rubber as it did leak a bit. This was very easy to do and a lot less messy than when fitting.

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Five Speed Gearbox.

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I am thinking of fitting a five speed ford g/b to my SE5. I have in the past seen several that have this conversion. I can fabricate my own peddle box, and have a spare engine to allow me to work out how to fit it. I wondered if any one who has done this can tell me how it affected their MPG. Also can any body tell me which of the many five speed ford boxes are best suited to the job? Although a owner for four years this is my first time on this site so hello to one and all.I've no experience of the MT75 although I've heard good things about it. The type 9 (later versions) is probably easiest to fit. If you're car is at present manual OD the type 9 5th speed is slightly higher so mpg at cruise should remain the same or improve. Only the clutch pedal itself needs to be altered.The V6 bell housings are longer than the straight 4 bell housings and thus the V6 g/boxes have a longer 1st motion shaft in order to reach the spigot bearing in the flywheel. The 4 cylinder g/boxes will physically fit the V6 bell housing and thus fit the V6 engine, BUT the 1st motion shaft will be floating as it will not reach the spigot bearing. Things will work for a while, in fact it is a common hot rod mod to fit the 4 cylinder box to V6's, but then hot rods very often do not have a very long life anyway, so a short lived g/box still outlasts the car.MT75 that was attached to the granny engine recently fitted to my 6a was much wider and would have been one hell of a squeeze to fit. The chassis rails on the 5 cannot possibly wider apart than the 6 can they? Even Reliant couldn't get more space under a narrower car surely?The chassis rails on a 5A are considerably closer together than on 6-series cars.Go for a type-9 [5-speed Capri, early Mk.3 Granada, early Sierra] but make sure you get one that's had the lay shaft modification (did any survive more than 25,000 miles without it?) and remember to use the correct oil with it [red synthetic, *NOT* old-fashioned EP90!] if you want a decent change quality when cold. You'll need to frig the bell housing yourself as the bolt-pattern is different to the Essex-type housing: either make up a spacer or find a Flowtech Racing alloy bell housing (rare as hen's teeth) or the housing from a 2.5-litre Mk.1 Granada or a Corsair 2000E is supposed to work too [but these are even rarer than hen's teeth!] Depending on how lucky you are the existing Prop shaft may or may not fit. You'll probably have to make up a spacer to go between the rear support of the gearbox and the cross member in order to get the Prop shaft to run at the right angle.I went into this a while ago and decided that the type-9 is by far the best bet. It’s a fairly easy fix as all you need is a 1/2 inch adaptor plate drilled and tapped where necessary. Most MT75 boxes came with integral bell housings and these are of no use.

Flickering Ignition Warning Light.

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Anyone point me in the right direction please? The red ignition warning light has started to flicker on and off, not all the time, sometimes when accelerating, sometimes when coasting along, sometimes on the overrun. The alternator is about a year old, the fan belt 3 months and tight. Where to look first?It's invariably caused by a failing alternator. Most commonly one of the excitation diodes but in some cases it's caused by the regulator or brushes.Try changing the diode, plate in the back of the alternator. You can get one from any motor factors.Have a look at the diode pack in the alternator - look for one of the solder joints being dry, I've had this couple of times.

Free Play in Steering.

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I have a bit a free play in the steering, which appears to be emanating from inside the rack. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what this could be and how to go about correcting it?If it really is inside the rack and not from one of the UJs then there are 5 possibilities: one or more of the ball joints are worn (2 inside the gaiters, two connecting to steering arms); or the rack damper needs adjustment. Outer ball joint repair is obvious, inners can be adjusted after removing gaiters (dismantle & check for wear before adjusting), and the damper is covered by a plate. There are two plates near the pinion: the one you DON'T want is in line with the steering shaft & adjusts the pinion bearings. The one you need acts at right angles to the pinion shaft & presses the rack bar against the pinion. There are shims under the plate that can be removed to adjust the damper pressure (the damper is a shoe that is pressed against the rack bar by a spring). My own view is that if the play is within the rack its best removed & checked out on the bench.Thanks for the info, there is a small amount of play and it was enough to get an advisable last MOT. As the next MOT is due soon, I thought I had better get around to seeing what I could do. It is not the outer ball joints and I don't think it’s the inners either (but will check now you mention it) so that leaves the rack damper. Looks like it is best to remove it then.Assuming it's a manual rack it's easy to do, it gives you a chance to check out the pinion seal & bearings and possibly the rack bush.

Front – Rear Springs.

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Is anyone out there able to tell me how I can tell if my spare springs and shockers are front or rear ones? Currently they are apart in a box that I acquired with the car. The previous owner cannot remember even if they are a set so they might be front springs and rear shock or vice versa. Or indeed they may be a set for either front or rear. There just has to be a way of telling what’s what.As for front and rear I cannot help directly but if the springs you have are the same wire diameter i.e. the diameter of the spring material and the spring is the same overall diameter – it is not unreasonable to suggest that they are the same strength springs. Another way is to put the springs on end (assuming they will stand up on a horizontal surface) and put a plank across both of them (about 2 feet apart). The springs should be the same height to within about 2 – 3 mm or less. Put a heavy weight e.g. a kerbstone or a large bucket of water accurately between the two springs. If both deflect the same distance they are the same strength. If one spring is noticeably different in compression then I would suggest that the lower height is the less strong and may be the front one. This relies on the assumption that the spring material in both is the same metal alloy and temperThe front shock absorber has a greater distance between the mounting eye and the spring seat than the rear ones. As to the springs I've swapped them end to end before now with no noticeable difference. If they are your spares can you not compare them with those currently on the car? I doubt whether a kerbstone would produce sufficient deflection for a comparison to be made as Scimitar springs are very stiff. As well as length and wire thickness the number of coils also has an effect on the spring rate.I had a look at the ones on the car and to my eye they look identical. I even measured the thickness of the spring wire with a calliper gauge and they are the same to within a few thou (on my car anyway). That's the sort of clue I was looking for regarding the eye to spring seat dimension. I shall have a look and a measure of the ones on the car tonight.As you so rightly said (I measured them last night) the front shocker "has a greater distance between the mounting eye and the spring seat than the rear ones". It’s not a lot (just under 10mm in my case) but enough to measure. So it appears that I have indeed got two spare rear shocks. The springs now are anyone’s guess, (they measure 360mm free length) but mine is that I have a set.If the distance between the spring mounting shoulders is @ 14" fully extended then the shocks are rears; if it's closer to 12" then they're fronts.As I said mine are 360mm which is just over 14" and what you say confirms what I thought.

Gear Select Problems.

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Today, the gear select totally failed. It started with reluctance to select 3rd&4th however within thirty minutes, all gears were impossible as if the gear lever was hitting a brick wall. I coaxed the car back home and found the nylon bushes on the gear rod ('72 two rod gearbox) were missing, they were replaced during the rebuild, but after replacing them, it was still impossible to select any gears.Does it feel like the gears are being selected when you change gears while at a standstill? I assume you checked the clutch actuator was actually moving when you press the pedal?Had the same problem on my SE6a. Proved to be a few different things all adding up to no gears. First was the clutch not working properly. Leaky seals internally, old plastic pipe expanding, and slave cylinder upside down. Second was state of the oil in the box itself, on Graham Walkers recommendation now using 20/50 which is working fine. Third is the wear in the linkages and setting of them, which is a halfway house between set up correct and taking up the slack at the moment till I can get a rose jointed linkage made up. But after all that lot I now have a gear change that works well 95% of the time.If you cannot get a gear with the engine running then it sounds like the clutch plate is not clearing when you depress the pedal - that's in addition to your gear selection problems. I have come across this problem before when the bolts between the engine and bell housing or the bell housing and gearbox were loose and when the pedal was depressed it just pushed the two apart - it does not need a lot of movement.In response to your comments. I could select a gear by: 1. Switching off the motor 2. Selecting a gear and holding the gearlever in place 3. Pushing in the clutch pedal 4. Switching on the motor and then slipping the clutch to start rolling. That is how I got home. The clutch actuating arm seemed to move when we were testing the clutch.Check to see if the clutch is disengaging properly. If not and you have checked the hydraulics look for a cracked release arm.I found that both the large and small seals in the master clutch cylinder are badly perished. Also, I need two nylon bushes for the external actuating arm on the gearbox, someone please help.......If I can get my hands on one, I can turn up a copy in phosphor bronze.I would stick with nylon if I were you for the bushes. PB needs constant lubrication and does not like dirt contamination. If you can get hold of Nylatron GS it is the bee’s knees. Outlasts PB by 3 or 4 times. Machines like PB – high speed low feed and coolant. Use at least 0.010” clearance.I wish that I could obtain any bush in any material. Graham Walker cannot supply the items and I would dearly like to find at least one so that I could copy it. Any suggestions?

Gearbox Check Adjust.

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It isn't possible to test for anything other than all five gears. However you can: examine the assembly for gasket & oil seal leaks & replace as required remove the OD sump plate & clean the magnet & screen remove the OD solenoid & clean & (electrically) test. Shorten the 1/2 & 3/4 selector levers by 1 1/4"And once back on the car re-fill with Moly gearbox additive.Interesting comment about shortening the selector leavers, more information please. The oil in the Box, I have read somewhere in a past post about using 20w 50. Any comment? I have also read the PDF files about Moly. Am I correct in assuming that there would be three types of lubricant/additive, One for Gearbox. One for Engine and Grease for rest of Car. If this is correct what are the exact names for the products as the only thing I have with Moly on the Tin is Copper Slip, not a good idea putting that in the Engine or Box !!!. ( Only Joking ).Shortening the levers is a recognised improvement to the change action. There are many other improvements that can be made but that is the simplest & others can be done later. The gear change has a very long throw & feels sloppy compared to more modern 'boxes - shortening the levers improves things dramatically. If you are stripping & cleaning the gearlever mechanism itself also consider shortening the 3/4 bias spring - it is incredibly strong & something else that doesn't help easy gear changing. Just mount the mechanism in a vice & try it then alter the spring to suit you. If you overdo it I have a spare you can have. Gearbox oil should incidentally be EP80 or 90 (+ the additive).I mean the ones on the gearbox. 1 1/4" is a lot - but the change will be much better for it. If you think I may be wrong (I'm not because I did my own!) simply re-drill them at 1 1/4" up from the existing hole thus making the mod reversible.Clambering aboard your comments on shortening the levers may I make a comment. I did the mod years ago after the great Robin Rew wrote a bit about it in Slice. I found his suggestion of 1" made the gearlever into a 'switch' After a lot of trial and error I found that drilling another hole in the leaver no further than 3/4" up from the first was ideal. And only on the third and fourth not on the first and second, the bottom two gears worked better with the longer throw. The change from second into a short throw third was ideal. Another point to make while anyone is in 'oil on face drip 'mode is to adjust the gear rods. With the change in neutral you will find that there is a hole at each side of the change mechanism (we are speaking under the car here wrigglers) and if you push a suitable drill through from one side to another it will lock the levers in place. You then undo the bolt that holds the two parts of the rod together on one of the rods and extend the rod out as far as it will go, i.e. taking up the slack so to speak. Repeat this for the other rods. This will mean a better feel to the gear change as the lever has no longer got to take up the slack before it informs the gearbox of your intentions.While the Gearbox is out and easy to get at it would be a good idea to replace the Selector Seals that are in the side cover.

Gearbox Oil.

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I have 2 litres of Ford 75W-90 BO transmission oil (bought for an SS1 sierra gearbox, but we no longer have the SS1). Does anyone know if this is OK for my 1974 SE5a gearboxIn my 6B 4 speed with overdrive I have tried EP80W/90, Straight EP90 and 75W/90(semi-synthetic). Look on the can of Ford oil to see if it conforms to or exceeds API GL4. Also see if the term "semi" or "part synthetic" is mentioned. If they are you will be fine using it, since it will meet or exceed Reliant's requirements. Personally I find EP90 too heavy in the box-it runs quietly but stiffens the change and makes synchro less effective when cold. EP80W/90 is good but for winter/all year use I much prefer 75W/90. Even on cold winter mornings the gearshift feels "warmed up". I have not noticed any noise increase and the semi synthetic stuff I use has shear strength capabilities far in excess of the stresses encountered in the box. Also the overdrive operates quicker. I get marginally better mpg due to the lower drag but I have got 75W/90 in the rear axle as well.The 75W90 is perfectly suitable for the Scimitar gearbox and overdrive and as has been stated it does reduce the losses in the box due to the lower viscosity. It improves further when a dose of moly is added again due to lowering the friction losses. In most parts of the world they will define oil as `semi' synthetic. I always used to think that semi meant 50% but it does not in the case of oils where semi means that some synthetic base oil is used. This can be 10% synthetic base oil and 90% straight mineral base oil or virtually any level provided some synthetic is in the mix. Except in Germany where it means 50%.Modern oils can be up to 35% additive. These cover antioxidants, detergents, foam suppressants and antiwear additives. There are others used to a lesser extent e.g. slippy additives to reduce friction within the oils, tacky additives used in gear oils and so on. These are designed for modern engines, usually to help to cure problems that the engine designer cannot solve. Designers are pushing up engine temperatures to improve thermal efficiency and the oils have to cope with it. Designers want oils to last longer so changes have gone from 3,000 to 15,000 miles. So oils become loaded with more and more additives. Some of the additives have surface acting barrier lubricants to try to reduce cold-start wear which is when wear rates are highest. In overdrives, auto boxes and synchro cones the drive torque is transmitted through brake bands or cones which rely on friction. However the brake bands grip with considerable over-kill so that the brake band cannot slip in use. The use of Molybdenum Disulphide, zinc dithiophosphate etc in an overdrive or auto box would seem to be contrary to the effectiveness of the brake band system but the overkill is sufficient to maintain a good grip and transmit the drive torque. If the grip maintained by the bands was so close to yield the bands would be worn out anyway and should be adjusted or replaced. In these cases the use of such friction reducers makes the overdrive or auto box much smoother in operation and will prevent the galling and wear that occurs as the bands take up their grip. Therefore the overall result is an improvement.According to my oil supplier the semi synthetic 75W/90 gear oil which they make has a very modern package of additive blends which will definitely not have any adverse effect on overdrive units. |It is very inert and shear and temperature stable and the strongly preferred choice. In fact the EP80W/90 is apparently more likely to occasionally affect certain makes of older overdrives, although even this is negligible for most applications. EP oils do have additives in them which can attack phosphor bronze. So a knowledge of the gearbox construction is always handy. For our Scimitars it would seem that the modern semi synthetic 75W/90 a very safe bet... Whilst I understand and respect the reasons for the use of molybdenum disulphide additives, I personally do not use them in the gearbox/overdrive unit due to the inevitable, albeit very slight, reduction in friction which could slightly soften the grip of the overdrive cone and marginally reduce synchro efficiency in the box. Moly definitely reduces friction and is a wonderful product in engines and axles. Mind over matter prevents me from having it in the box, although many other wise Scimitar owners have used it for years without ill effect. In fact they feel that box and overdrive actually work better with moly. Overdrive manufacturers/rebuilders do not recommend it. It is not my intention to rekindle another long moly debate but tagged my comment on to the main message since you were asking about additives.

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Gearbox Removal.

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I've hit a snag and wonder if anyone can help. The gearbox doesn’t seem to be as described in the manual and I can’t work out how to remove the gearlever. From under the car I’ve disconnected 2 selector rods and the gearbox mounting ( it’s still attached to the engine but that’s all disconnected ready to go). I've removed the console and if I look through the hole I see an Allen key bolt, I removed that - nothing seems to happen. Is the lever held in by a big bolt ... I can’t really see what’s going on and don’t want to blindly take off every thing I can see ! BTW the manual didn’t warn me the gearbox oil would flood out off the back when I removed the Prop shaftOK don’t panic, do not remove the rods from the gearbox end, and remove the split pin washer type things by prising them away from the flat bit and sliding them off. stick some tape round them, and number them, for easy re assembly. and leave them attached to the box, this way the adjustment is not lost.But how do I get the gearlever off? I was expecting to see a remote gear change - instead it appears to be attached directly to the top of the gearbox? I could only see 2 rods from underneath - which I have separated (maybe needlessly?) If I look through the hole in the transmission tunnel it looks like there maybe 2 bolts holding it all on - but they are awkward to get to and I don’t really want to undo everything on the off chance I strike lucky ? I was wondering whether it’s a non standard gearbox as the o/d wiring is certainly non standard - though the hole in the transmission seems to be in the right place.There isn't a hemispherical cap through which the gear-lever projects, and which can Be screwed off with effort (spring loaded underneath), is there?If that is the gearbox I think you are describing – it is a hell of thing to dismantle on the car. Drop the box out and then you can dismantle the lever mechanism. It is a disaster of a design and is pretty hopeless as a gear change system – too much free movement.How do I get it out ? I was hoping to pull it out along with the engine. You are right - the gear change was incredibly woolly - though I found the remnants of plastic bushes which had disintegrated leaving a mechanism resembling "waving a fag-end in a drainpipe". Is this a non standard gearbox - or just Reliant using whatever parts were on offer that week ? I knew I shouldn’t have sold my spare gearbox - which looked totally differentGetting the engine and gearbox out is relatively easy. Take the exhausts off and all pipes, wires connections etc. Fasten a lift point on the carb flange on the manifold (having taken the carb off first). Undo the prop shaft behind the box and undo the gearbox mounting plate. Undo the engine mounts and lift. The gearbox and engine will at about the right angle for a clean removal. You will find it is pretty heavy.The conclusion of that particular story ... it turned out I have the early type gearbox and the gearlever is removed by getting a thin set of adjustables thru the gearbox tunnel hole and undoing a very large nut.  Easy when you know how ... and have a decent light source!

Removing Gearbox.

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Please Note: This all relates to a 1972 SE5a with a 1974 Engine and Gearbox.

This is my version ( Don Kennedy ) of removing the Gearbox with Engine in the Car. I had removed and fitted the Engine, Gearbox and Overdrive as a complete unit a few months ago so I thought I would see how difficult it would be just removing the Gearbox/Overdrive with the Engine in the Car. My first comment is while it can be done by one person (I did it on my own) I would recommend that at least two people do the Job. The main reason is the weight of the Gearbox and Overdrive, it is VERY heavy. Reason for removing the Gearbox so soon after the rebuild?, the new Clutch Release Bearing started squeaking. I had read about doing this and part of the advice was to disconnect the Exhaust down pipes at the manifold, I managed to do this without disconnecting the Exhaust and without risking damage to any part of the Exhaust or manifold. Have small bags to put bits, nuts, bolts etc in and write on the bag what they have come from. This is especially important if you are not expecting to complete the job that day, it is very easy to forget and a lot simpler when reassembling.

Disconnect Battery.Remove Carburettor Air Cleaner.Undo the Top two bolts that go from the top of bell housing to Engine.Reverse Car onto Ramps.Jack up front of Car and put on Axel stands. If you want to get the Gearbox out from under the Car you will need at least 16 inches clearance under the Chassis for the bell housing to clear.Before getting under the Car make sure it is safe and is not going to fall etc.A Scimitar landing on you is guaranteed to give you a sense of humour failure.Remove Rear end of prop shaft to axel bolts.Remove Front end of prop shaft from Overdrive, (Mine has a flange like the Axel End). I believe some have the prop shaft that slides into the Overdrive. If so take care as when removed the Oil will escape. Drain Gearbox oil before removing prop shaft if the Prop shaft is the type that slides into the overdrive.Disconnect leads to overdrive solenoid and inhibit switch at base of gearlever.Disconnect leads to reverse light switch.Remove plate between chassis sides under bell housing.Disconnect Speedo Cable.Disconnect Gear linkages at base of Gear lever. Use some string to tie to the Overdrive.Disconnect Clutch Slave Cylinder, tie to one side. No need to disconnect the hydraulics.Make sure the battery is disconnected before proceeding.Remove two bolts holding Starter Motor. Slide Motor forward.Use scissor jack to support engine under sump. Use a piece of wood between Jack and Sump to prevent damage. There is no need to lift the Engine, just support it.Remove Plate at bottom of bell housing.Support Gearbox (Around the middle of the Gearbox) with Trolley Jack, this requires a Trolley Jack with wheels to enable you to move the Gearbox etc. If the ground is uneven it would be an idea to have a large sheet of wood to help it roll. It could be very difficult to move otherwise.Remove bolts half way up bell housing and bottom of bell housing.Remove Rear Gearbox mount plate; undo the centre bolt then the four bolts onto the chassis.Now comes the time to separate the Bell housing from the Engine. Using a screwdriver gently lever between the Engine and Bell housing, when they have parted a small amount you will need to turn the whole unit anticlockwise (As viewed from the rear). The reason for this is the “Bump” in the bell housing that the Starter Motor shaft went into will catch on the Chassis, turning it before the Bell housing gets to far from the Engine will allow the whole unit to be lowered to the ground, failure to do so WILL result in the Bell housing getting snagged on the left side of the chassis. Once the Bell housing has turned enough (It will be obvious) the whole lot can be moved away from the Engine. Take care not to allow any weight to be taken by the first motion shaft (This is the shaft that comes out of the front of the Gearbox, goes through the Clutch Friction Plate and into the Flywheel) this can be difficult as the weight is being taken by the Trolley Jack and you need to turn it. If you are just replacing the Clutch the whole unit can be left on the Trolley Jack away from the Engine but take care as it could very easily slip off, I used a piece of wood 2”x 2” across and underneath where the Bell housing and Gearbox joins. This piece of wood was held up and against the bottom of the chassis.

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There were times when this piece of wood was in the way but I felt happier knowing it was there.

As all the good books say reassembly is the reverse of the above. If you have never replaced a Clutch before make sure you have an alignment tool to align the Friction plate with the Flywheel Spigot Bearing. Trust me, trying to use the Gearbox first motion shaft or bits of round wood etc will result in hours of buggering about. I learnt this many years ago. If you are doing this alone (Mad Fool) it is difficult to get the First Motion Shaft to go through the Clutch Friction Plate and into the Flywheel Spigot Bearing. The “Secret” is to get the balance of the whole Gearbox etc correct on the Trolley Jack. Slightly back from the centre of the gearbox is about right. When the balance is correct it is quite easy to align so spend some time getting this balance correct. Take care, if the Gearbox etc comes off the Trolley Jack it will be a bugger to get back on by your self due to the weight. The only difficult part could be refitting the Bolt on the Top of the Starter Motor. I found this was best done from below, with the correct length extension on the socket,. Do not tighten the bottom bolt first as this will cause problems fitting the top one. Make sure all bolts etc are fitted and tightened (Another reason for putting the bits in bags, if all the bags are empty you must have fitted all the bits).

If you have never attempted this type of Job before I would recommend you give yourself two days. If you have done this type of job before and you hit no snags it could be done in less than 5 hours.

Good Luck.

Gearbox Selector Oil Seals.

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Finally got my GTC jacked up and got underneath to find the reason for the oil slick from the gearbox. The selector shaft seal or seals are not doing their job. I quickly got on the phone to GW's and ordered a whole set of seals for the gearbox & overdrive. My question, is it possible as Matthew from GW says to replace the seals without removing the selector cover or the gearbox as a whole as I did on my previous Se6a? Anyone achieved this and any tips; I don't really fancy a gearbox out right now.Yes I have done it, all you have to do is remove the arm and be very very careful not to push the shaft back into the box, you can prise the old seal out with a screwdriver. It helps if you have a nut on the end of the shaft to stop it getting away from you - once the seal is nearly out you can remove the nut. If you mess up it just means that you have use plan B and take the cover off.It's perfectly possible - the only snag is that without removing the selector cover you can't polish the shafts to prevent future leaks. The levers engage flats on the shafts & the flats tend to have very sharp edges. There is no particular difficulty in removing the side cover so you can replace the seals in comfort. However if you need to do the job with the cover in place: - remove one lever at a time - prise out the seal taking care not to push the shaft in towards the gearbox, grease the shaft & seal area - place the seal over the shaft rotating it so it's not damaged by the flats - use a spacer & the original nut to force the seal in place - replace lever & move on to the next one.

Getting at Wiper Wheel boxes.

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Has anyone replaced wiper Wheel boxes on an SE5? My wipers are on their last legs, too stiff, need replacing. Motor is OK. Some helpful comments seem to say access is behind the heat shield at back of engine. I removed mine this weekend but there seems no way to reach Wheel boxes. You can just about touch nearside one with one finger with a hard push but no way to do anything. Driver’s side seems impossible to get at. Is it necessary to cut into the fibreglass, this might be easier from the dashboard side. Any help welcome please, also where to get the bits.I've no experience of a 5 but your description of access to them suggests it's similar to 5A. If so you need to first undo the large nut on the end of the motor, remove the motor mounting nuts then withdraw motor rack cable (remove wiper arms first!). Then remove the nuts holding the Wheel boxes to the body (the large chrome ring nuts below the arm splines). If the Wheel boxes are salvageable it's often better to cut the nuts (Dremel handy) rather than risk the alloy wheel box threads. Once the nuts are off you can push the Wheel boxes simultaneously into the car so that you can reach the two nuts on the back of the NS wheel box. With these & the wheel box back plate removed you can separate the assembly into OS box + link tube, NS box, and motor to NS box tube & fish it all out. You may find bent steel water guards behind each wheel box that come out at the same time.On my SE5 the Wheel boxes are accessed via removable panels behind the carpet above each foot well. The panels are held in place by self tappers and mastic.If you remove the cover of the Wiper Motor, remove the lever that connects the Round Cam to the inner cable you can remove the cable from the wiper motor. You can now pull the Cable ( Make sure that the wiper boxes are unbolted from the scuttle panel ) toward the front of the car. This will move the right wiper box toward the hole that is exposed after the cover on the bulkhead is removed. You will now have easier access to the wiper box. Once this one is removed you can now push the cable in the other direction to push the left wiper box toward the access hole.

Grinding Inlet Valves.

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I read somewhere that one of the valves (inlet or exhaust) has an alumised coating and should not be ground to re-seat it. Is this true and does it mean that the valve need replacing if it does not appear to seat cleanly?I ignore that instruction. When doing a valve job I always profile the valve and its seat to take off sharp corners that cause vortices and then lap them in. I have not lost a valve yet. The aluminium coating on the inlet valve is an assembly aid that ensures a perfect seat with no grinding for a new inlet valve. Once the engine has been used & requires subsequent maintenance the valve can be ground or re-cut as required (as normal).

Head Gaskets.

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My loss of coolant problems could perhaps be related to the fact that coolant pisses out of the head/block joint. Could also explain the gurgling noise exhaust gases in the coolant. Never having done a head gasket before, could someone tell me: Is it ever possible to just replace the gasket, and everything to be okay? If I need to do some skimming, is it usually the head or the block, or both? Are there big differences between gasket brands and gasket ting compounds? Can I buy thick gap-filling gaskets which reduce the need to skim? Does one always replace both sides on the basis that overheating which has caused one to go would cause problems with the other?Yes. Gaskets age; they can also suffer electrolytic corrosion round the waterways if the engine has been run without antifreeze (though this is more commonly seen in aluminium engines). You shouldn't use gasket compound on head-gaskets in any case. The gasket contains an impregnation of sealing compound which will be squeezed out to make the seal as part of the normal tightening-sequence and subsequent heat-cycling as the engine warms and cools. Using additional gasket-compound on head-gaskets is a crutch to fix a problem which should be rectified by other means! One tip: use reputable-brand gaskets. I've used Payen in the past, but best of all are "Reinz" (who produced the original gaskets for Ford). Cheap-brand gaskets are usually a disaster. Given that you have to pull the inlet-manifold off to do either side, I'd do both while you've got the engine stripped.I had a similar problem about 18 months ago and not wishing to take the car off the road during the small amount of time that it runs in the summer, I (on advice from an old country mechanic) used a block of "Bars Leaks" as a temporary measure. Amazingly the leak stopped within seconds and to date has not reappeared. I was a bit sceptical about possible cooling problems but after two summers so far not problems. So the temporary "get me through the summer" bodge has turned into a semi-permanent repair. It’s worth a try for a couple of quid.My old 6A blew both its head gaskets in fairly quick succession reasonably soon after I bought it. Being fairly new to it all back then, it took me a while to diagnose the first failure because an Essex doesn't turn its oil into mayonnaise as a symptom of the condition (as there are no oil ways in the head). Instead what happens, of course, is the cooling system gets over pressurised and the coolant just gets blown out of the overflow (not always easy to see). I have often wondered how many owners of 6As blame the design of the cooling system for their overheating problems when all along they have a blown gasket they do not know about! The second failure occurred rather spectacularly late one autumn night at speed on the A12 - great plumes of steam which didn't half make the following car back off! However - coming to the point of my ramblings - both sides were OK just with new gaskets. No skimming required. Use decent gaskets. I got mine from Scimpart. The other thing to remember is that the tightening torques given in the Brooklands Owners Workshop Manual were at some point deemed not tight enough by Ford, but this didn't get into the good old (??!!) Brooklands book. ISTR that a Ford service bulletin (others may have the definitive word) recommended final tightening to around 90 lb ft, rather than the 65lb ft that was earlier recommended and reproduced by Brooklands. Presumably the revision reflected blowing problems in practice with the lower figure.

Heater Repairs.

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I am getting very little output from my 5a heater fan (1972-76 type). It has 3 settings: Off on - no noise no extra output on - some noise and a gentle breeze from the windscreen vents. I thought I might investigate the fan in the side panel of the driver’s foot well, but is held on by what the manual calls 'Tapit'. I cannot undo these with a screwdriver and I cannot prize the panel off. Am I missing something here are these fit forever devices?No you're not missing anything - they're very difficult to remove. Use a pair of side cutters to cut the plastic 'head' & the nail thingy off, remove the covers, retrieve the bits then replace with nylon self-tapper inserts, cup washers & SS self tappers. Then you can get the covers off in future.You need to have the air set to off when using the fan motors - if it is on then the air goes outside. When the fans are off the vent needs to be on to allow ram air into the car. Having said that the standard fans in the 5's are pretty much useless - we replaced ours by ones from a VW of some kind but that was years ago and I cannot remember which kind - probably Polo. Some modification of the fixings were required but it is a job worth doing.They are not meant to come out – only Reliant could have thought that one up. Grind them off with a Dremel.Before you go riving the fans out just try replacing the switch first. That was my problem on the 5a. Switch was worn and it provides feeds to each of the fans. I had no air at low speed and some at high. If I flicked the switch a couple of times it would suddenly start working properly.

Heater Valve.

Since buying my car I've been unable to switch the heater onto "Hot". When I operate the lever it will only move 1/2 way between hot & cold. I removed the side panel in the driver’s foot well and discovered that the lever operates rods and pulleys which in turn operate what

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appears to be some sort of valve/piston thingy which seams to be seized. My question is, can I try some sort of penetrating oil or WD40 on it to try and release it ? And if I do release it (even with a bit of force) am I likely to cover myself in coolant or knacker the thing completely ?………………………………………………………………………………………Whatever advice you get you can be sure that what will happen will be the opposite. Released mine with WD40 but what will happen to yours is in the hands of the gods.…………………………………………………………………………………………If it's seized it will leak when freed. It isn't needed for temperature control (there's a mixer flap valve over the matrix to do that) & it isn't fitted later Scimitars using the same heater. The simple fix is the best: remove & discard the operating rod; remove the screw clip holding it together; remove the innards but keep the screw clip, cover & diaphragm outer ring; using either the remains of the diaphragm or a suitable 'O' ring as a seal insert a metal disc (2p fits IIRC); fit a small nut & bolt through the (now vacant) plunger hole adjusted so that it presses the disc onto the seal when the cover / clip is replaced; dry carpets 'cos I forgot to say you need to drain coolant before starting.…………………………………………………………………………………………Thanks for your help. Can I leave the seized piston where it is and just disconnect the rod that actuates it, leaving the other rod & pulley where they are?……………………………………………………………………………To get a hot heater in a 5a the car has to be on fire!. The thingy you refer to is best removed but not before you drain the cooling system. Remove it and solder a 2p piece over the hole. Connect the input to the heater matrix to the rear water connection on the inlet manifold and the other heater connection to the back entry of the water pump. There is a write up in Slice about removing the heater on a 5a - not easy. Reliant fixed the place for the heater and then built the car around it and you remove most of the front interior to get at the heater.

Ignition Warning Light.

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Anyone point me in the right direction please? The red ignition warning light has started to flicker on and off, not all the time, sometimes when accelerating, sometimes when coasting along, sometimes on the overrun. The alternator is about a year old, the fan belt 3 months and tight. Where to look first?It's invariably caused by a failing alternator. Most commonly one of the excitation diodes but in some cases it's caused by the regulator or brushes.Try changing the diode, plate in the back of the alternator. You can get one from any motor factors.Have a look at the diode pack in the alternator - look for one of the solder joints being dry, I've had this a couple of times.You will probably find that the brushes have worn through the copper on the slip rings. this will cause the alternator exciting field to collapse and energise, causing the warning light to "flash" A new alternator rotor and rebuild or an exchange unit will be required. Try your local LSUK or motor factors for an exchange unit.

Inlet Valve Coating.

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Is the aluminium coating on inlet valves required or can you get away without it? Some friends of mine say it’s not required what do you think?It's there when new probably as an assembly aid. It's irrelevant in normal use - just treat the valves / seats as though they weren't coated.Ford put an aluminium coating on to quickly bed in new valves without the need to grind/lap the seat faces in new cylinder heads. On worn heads unless the seat and seat angles have been expertly recut back to original then I would hand regrind the seat face with an old but good valve, and when the seat has a nice even matt finish very lightly lap (grind with fine paste) the new aluminised valve in to ensure a good gas seal - but don’t overdo it. If it’s an old but good valve then just go ahead and grind it in as usual.

Lifting off Body.

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Any advice on the preparation would be greatly appreciated. How many people will be needed? The body is almost completely empty of fixtures and fittings to minimise the weight.The body is deceptively heavy. You will need at least 4 strong people but 6 are preferable because you have to lift the body surprisingly high and at an angle to get it off the rear of the chassis. If you don't use a gantry make sure you have something to put underneath to support it in case you get stuck. Also double check that there is nothing left attached to the body and the chassis like the rear washer pipe, which I forgot. The good news is that I found it easier to remove than replace. Also make sure you have got something flat for the body to sit on as if it is off for a long time it does tend to settle and can twist out of shape slightly making it a bit awkward when you refit it.Another thing to remember when lifting the body off is that the rear end is "locked" over the rear chassis so you have to lift the front to an angle of about 30% from the horizontal and then "walk" the body off the rear.  You cannot just raise the body straight up.  I had about 8 people helping me but I also left the doors, seats and all the glass in.  The only problem I had was that the rear lights cables were wrapped around the chassis so I had to cut the cables rather than have everyone standing holding the body while I untangled them all.  One other bit to remember is to disconnect the Speedo cable.  You may well find that you have missed a couple of bolts (there are about 30 in all) so it’s easier to let them rip through the fibre glass if you don't have enough time to play around. I lifted at the wheel arches first and Put a length of 4 X 4 timber across the front suspension mountings then lifted the body up with a sling from the centre of the engine bay.My gantry was a farm tractor loader, "makes for a easy lift a little at a time"The best way as many said, is a bit of wood across the front mount points to pick up the front, however make sure that the wood goes right across into the wheel arches, so that the stress gets distributed up the vertical sides of the inner wings, not only on those horizontal platform areas where it bolts down. Also, those platforms are often deformed/deteriorated, perhaps to the point of not really being connected to the body... Something I did when putting body back (as well as strengthening those platform areas with mat) was to get a lump of s/s plate, shaped suitably, and put it between platforms and fibreglass, make it bigger than the platforms to spread the stress, make it stick out 1" or more to outer sides so that the vertical inner wings get some loading, the standard platforms don't do that.

Master Cylinder Repair and Bleed Nipples Seized.

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I have discovered my 5a's Master cylinder is leaking, (fluid is ending up in the foot well after running down the pedal.... 2 problems ...... Graham Walker's don't do a repair kit just new cylinders, does anyone know of a repair kit supplier? Alternatively does someone have a kit or serviceable master cylinder for sale for less than £85! Second problem, Bleeding the brakes once master fettled. The bleed nipples on the Girling front callipers are stuck solid and have been rounded off by previous owners. Does anyone have a good method for getting the buggers free short of drilling them out?1st buy a new one or one of the same size which will fit - considering the age of the car it’s likely that its past its sell by date. 2nd mole grips and blowlamp - but be careful don't set fire to the car. Failing that its back to the drill or easy outs if you have them and are lucky. Not good news is it.Can't help you with the first bits. Other than check with your nearest motor factors for a seal kit... I've been lucky on a few things so far. Bleed nipples.... Plus Gas and stud extractors, and spanner, all at once. After that you are looking at either new callipers, or swapping the brake lines for motorcycle style ones with a banjo fitting, and then using a banjo with bleed nipple built in. Old motorbike dodge... tenner for the bolt as opposed to several limbs for a Japanese calliper.Try hitting the bleed nipples with a hammer. Use a heavy hammer & sharp blows. Hit squarely so they don't break but don't be afraid of distorting them a little. Then use a Mole wrench set very tight. You'll need new ones anyway. If they shear as you try to undo them they'll do so fairly neatly & have a hole through to centre the drill. In my experience they're fairly easy to drill out as long as you're careful not to drill too deeply - you can feel the end of the 'pilot' hole & that is when to stop drilling.Had the same problem not long ago, got a repair kit from a local motor factor Part No. SP1967 cost £4.79Thanks for the bleed nipple shifting suggestions, heat, hitting and mole grips did the trick. I sourced a Girling M/C repair kit from an excellent specialist Paul Hunt at www.powertrackbrakes.com £9 and on my doormat the next morning.

Overcharging & Alternate Alternator.

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My 17ACR alternator would appear to be overcharging. At idle it gives about 14.4 volts at the battery, but raise the revs a bit and it goes almost up to 20 volts which is obviously not right. What's gone wrong? Is it the voltage regulator the alternator itself? My real fear here is that it will damage my almost new battery. Any thoughtswould be appreciated as I'm not an electrical person at all.The regulator is built into the alternator body - about the only thing which would cause it to over volt apart from the alternator being duff would be high resistance connection on the earth side - i.e. the alternator body not being connected to the battery -ve via the engine. More likely a duff alternator - cheap enough in scrap yards but worth going for a larger one while you are on.Definitely sounds like the voltage-regulator has gone and died in "maximumcharge" position. It will not do the battery any good - I had this happen on a Mini once, and the battery was boiled dry in a day or so. Get a new alternator. I'd suggest trying to get a Bosch "K1-55" instead of the Lucas one. The Germans seem to understand voltage-regulating a lot better than my namesake ever did. The K1-55 has the same plug connector as the 17ACR so it's a direct swap.I just junked the 17ACR from my SE5 recently and as luck would have it - an old alternator from a 1600cc Escort/Orion Diesel fitted in all ways - mount and plug connection. The body is bigger but the output is brilliant.Does anyone know of an alternative higher output alternator to fit the GTE which I might find in my local second hand car parts merchant (scrappy)???.The 2.9 Scorpio uses a 90 amp device. It's mounting is slightly differently to the ACR type & you would need to alter the adjusting strap.I didn't give you any detail though so take care. The differences I've noticed are that the adjuster lug is diametrically opposite the mounting lug as opposed to the 120 degrees (I think) of the Lucas type. There are the usual two connections - one to charge the battery & one to light the WL but they're not on a plug. IIRC the charge output is a stud with a nut on - can't remember what the WL one is. If you'd prefer more detail before you visit the scrappy I have one of these alternators & could get whatever info you want off it. It's the one I intend to use on my 5A.Use the Bosch alternator from the 2.8 available from Andrew page. Turn it over and it fits straight on. No problem.That may be the same as the 2.9 (it's a Bosch as well) & is mounted adjuster down on the 2.9. I've just looked at the one I have - I haven't tried it on any Scimitar engine. I'll copy a photo to you - if it is the same it's a bit more info for everyone.More or less any off an 80-95 ish Ford. I just went to local scrappy and asked for a Lucas one "from a Ford from the late 80's -90's" and he had a dustbin full (literally) for £10 each, it fitted directly, plugged straight in, just needed the casing "twisted" (unbolted and bolted back in another position) to make the mount bolts line up. The pulley was already correct. Of course it's only 55A, but I've not found a problem, scims don't have too much extra electrics, even with my 100W lights :v)

Overdrive Faulty after 20 Miles.

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I wonder if anyone can shed any light on my Scimmy's latest (minor) problem. The car is an Se5 with early style gearbox and LH type overdrive. The problem is that for the first 20 miles of a journey the overdrive engages and disengages happily and normally, but after that it just refuses to engage or even try to engage. My first thought was that it might be a problem with the inhibitor switch so I organised a "bypass" switch. However no joy with that the overdrive still fails to engage after approximately 20 miles use. Although far from a major problem it is just a wee bit annoying so any ideas would be welcome.Two things spring to mind. Give the filter a clean out and check the oil level or replace the oil in the gearbox. Both are cheaper to start with before you get to the replacement stages.Cheers I shall have a look at that. I think I can rule out oil level as it was topped up very recently, perhaps some crap has gone in and blocked a filter. There appear to be two (according to the workshop manual) a sump filter and a relief valve filter.Dave, 95% of all o/d problems I've ever had were low oil. Even if I didn't think so on first inspection.I had the opposite on my 6a. The OD would come on, and stay on, off its own volition. After draining the oil, cleaning the filters and pressure relief valve it was still doing it. In the end I replaced the solenoid, sod of a job to get it off but did the business. On investigation it appeared to be "gummed up". I guess the heat and pressure was causing things to swell ??? Maybe you are getting the same sort of problem? My car had been sitting for a couple of years ... I put it down to that.

Overdrive Faulty.

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After many years off the road my 5a is now up and running. However there seems to be a problem with the overdrive. It was working on a test flight last week - but now isn’t. It seemed to work fine with no funny noises or smells. I've bypassed the inhibitor and now have current to the solenoid with the switch on ... but nothing seems to happen. I've topped up the gearbox oil too. The gearbox is all coming out soon - are there any tests I can do to determine where the problem lays before I start replacing things?With the car having been off the road for a good while all sorts of funny things can happen with the oil (and fuel). Water has a long term chemical effect on the additives in oils which can cause sediments and gums. You ran it for a while to distribute the gunge all round the box and it has probably gummed up the solenoid valve that actuates the O/D unit. If it is coming out anyway get it on the bench and strip it down, clean everything inc the solenoid valve, hydraulic relief valves, passageways etc and check the brake materials. If everything seems to be OK renew the main oil seals and reassemble. Or have it professionally overhauled – cost about £200 – and it should be as good as new.Silly question - what should I clean it with?When you have it all apart use something like kerosene and a brush to remove all the crud that collects. Clean the filter the same way and if you get down to a fully stripped box you can put all the non-electrical bits in the dishwasher – when the better half is out shopping preferably – I understand they don’t appreciate the benefits of a dishwasher.Worth unscrewing the solenoid and cleaning it - you can take the spring off it and give it a slight stretch at the same time. Also the filters under the cover at the bottom of the gearbox could be clogged, remove cover and unscrew filter.

Overdrive in Other Gears.

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I saw a recent post suggesting that enabling OD in second would provide a useful 7 speed box. Is there a downside to this, and why didn't Reliant/Ford do it in the first place? Is it that heavy acceleration in 2nd OD can damage the OD? Or is this just a theoretical concern? I was at Prescott hill climb recently and noticed that several TR5s/6s used OD on 2nd as an in-between ratio - with a fast clutch less change of course - whereas I was stuck with either doing the whole run in second and revving higher than I really wanted to, or changing between 2nd & 3rd which just slowed things up. And I was going slowly enough in the first place... Any thoughts? Can I safely use OD in 2nd for hard acceleration without breaking anything?………………………………………..I have used OD in 2nd for many years without any apparent problem in the OD unit. If you overload it it may spin being a friction clutch. If this persists then damage will result. I always use moly in engine and gearbox/OD and have had no problems with the OD.…………………………………………………………..The danger is making sure you don't select first + O/D as that could be too much torque for it AND you NEVER repeat NEVER select reverse + O/D as that will bust it completely. I made a complicated arrangement for my rally Coupe years ago when it had the gearbox with the big gap between 2nd/3rd. It involved a relay and a switch on the front of the clutch pedal and a power transistor. So you could call it in second, then as you hit the clutch it dropped out as you went into 3rd. I found you could never manually synchronise the switching unless you have 3 arms. Then the ordinary switch worked in 3rd & 4th as normal.……………………………………My understanding of Overdrive's is limited but a question please. When the Overdrive is activated by the solenoid the fluid is applied under pressure to engage the Overdrive. This fluid pressure is from an internal pump in the Overdrive unit. The drive to this pump is from the rotation of an internal shaft (Output Shaft?). If the Solenoid is activated when reverse or first gear selected (When Car stopped) there would be no rotation of the drive shaft and so no pressure, and so the Overdrive would not be operational, and so no immediate damage would occur when reverse selected until some speed obtained. If the solenoid was activated when first gear selected the overdrive would not engage until some speed achieved. The speed expected during reverse would not be great enough to obtain the required pressure to engage the overdrive and so damage unlikely ???. I may be completely wrong in my assumptions and if so I would be interested in any comments.………………………………There is a uni-directional sprag clutch in an overdrive unit which is there to allow differing rotational speeds of shafts. It is not part of the actual overdrive engagement clutch. If the vehicle is reversed with the overdrive clutch engaged the differential rotational speeds of the shafts cause the disintegration of the sprag clutch. It can be seen in the sectional view in the Autobooks manual. The sprag clutch is there to prevent a freewheel effect in the overdrive train.………………………………………………Logically you are correct but: the pump is a positive displacement device & requires little movement to achieve full pressure - certainly only a few strokes and definitely not "some speed". If the car is stopped with OD engaged (no inhibitor for instance) it will remain engaged for a short while & residually pressurised for some longer time. Movement of the pump will fully re-engage it almost immediately.

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Overdrive Problems.

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I need some advice before I dismantle more than necessary on my overdrive. I’ll try and explain how it reacts when engaged. I changed the solenoid, but that did not help. When I select engage  to overdrive it dose not engage, but then again it seems to engage because, when I drive say 110 km and slip the speeder with my foot I can feel that the engine does not brake the car. But if I disengage the overdrive, the engine starts to brake the car at once. I have changed oil and filled it to level. Could it be the relief valve that needs a cleaning? Or is it the pump that needs cleaning? Perhaps some of you have experienced the same kind of problem and can give me some advice on this one.Sounds as if the epicyclical brake band is not functioning - worn out or the hydraulic engagement is not functioning. The latter could be due to lack of generated pressure due to faulty relief valve. That would explain the slipping when engaged but positive drive when not. Before taking the whole gearbox to bits it is worth while removing the bottom plate (talking the later overdrive here) and unscrewing the filters and getting rid of the build up of dirt I'm sure you will find in them.  I would also take the solenoid plunger and its spring apart and slightly extend the spring and clean all the bits with it.  I did this to our 5A when we started to get long delays before the overdrive engaged and when it did go in it went in very gradually - not the normal punch.  The whole job will only take you a couple of hours.

Paint Stripping.

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I've taken the plunge and started to remove the paint from the Coupe (doing some glass-fibre repairs, anyway). I know that, at some point, I'll wish I had never started. Luckily there are only two coats (original coat plus later respray). I'm adopting the 'chisel' technique, with a view to taken it back to the gel coat. It's working, but is soul-destroying monotonous and time-consuming. Is there an easier way? I've heard of chemical strippers that don't attack fibreglass, used on marine hulls for example. Anyone come across these? Or am I dreaming?……………………………………………….Nitromors have a fibreglass specific product, perhaps try chandlers?………………………………………………………Nitromors for fibreglass still attacks but at a lesser rate and gives time to wash it off before damage. However it is still very messy and I abandoned using it and went back to chisel skidding. Sanding with an orbital sander maybe a better option.

Rear Axel Breathers.

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Where, exactly, is the breather for the rear axle? I as told to make sure that I unblocked this before greasing the bearings?There are three "breathers" and if you are talking about greasing then I assume you mean the small holes on the opposite side of the axle to the grease nipples. The real axle "breather" is about half way along the right side (viewed from the rear) of the axle just above half way up. All holes are about 2mm therefore can be difficult to find if blocked - wire brush normally shows them up.The breather holes to pass out excess grease for the bearings are on the axle facing rearwards just inboard of the brake back plates. There is another hole which is the breather for the differential casing.Also, on the same topic, is the axle tube hole (diff breather) just a hole, i.e. before it gets blocked up with crud, some crud actually gets inside to float around in the oil? Other cars I've known had a 'proper' breather thing, a screw in fitting with a bell type cover to let air in/out but keep the crud away, and these were always on top of the diff casing.Yes it is just a hole ! I found the best way to clear it out was using a drill bit twisting it in my fingers to pull the muck out of the hole as I unblocked it.

Rear Axel Filler Plug.

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I've just bought a SE5a and I have a question to ask which I'm sure will sound real stupid to all you seasoned Scimitar owners. However, in spite of my blushes, I need to ask 'cos I'm stuck. I went to check my rear axle oil today, but didn't even succeed in removing the filler plug. One of the arms from the Watts linkage runs very close to the plug, so much so that I couldn't get a tool in to undo it. Is there an easy way to do this? Surely it can't be necessary to remove the linkage arm just to check the diff level!.Yup I'm afraid so. It’s a pain isn't it? If anyone knows how to do it without disconnecting the link I shall be most impressed.I've found that if you jack up one side of the axle and leave the other on the ground you can move the linkage just enough to get access with a long slender tool (the dumbbell type wrenches don't stand a chance). The only thing is you have to let it back down on the flat when you fill it to ensure that the level is correct. I find this a bit of a faff, but then compared to taking the linkage off, well….I found this and swapped the drain plug for the filler plug as one is long and the other short then it will come out with out removing the linkage, they both have the same thread so it seemed to work.If you need spares they are standard plumbing fittings, available at any plumbing merchant.I have replaced the square "hole" plug with a square "stub" plug so I can get an adjustable spanner on it. Before I did this I could get a 1/2" ratchet drive between the link and the axle - it was from a Gordon socket set so perhaps these are not as thick as other makes.  You can get a bolt head or a nut welded onto the plug when you finally get it out so it is easier the next time if you cannot find a stub plug.

Re diff plug try using a 1/2 inch ratchet drive out of a socket set in the hole these can some times fit in behind the linkage even if you only get enough turns on it to loosen it of  it helps.The easiest way is to remove one bolt from the offside arm where it attaches to the centre’ diamond' and simply swing it out of the way. This is a two minute job on a well maintained car.

Rear Axel Oil Seal.

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I am intending to replace the pinion oil seal this weekend on my GTC, and would appreciate any tips to ease the task from the collective wisdom of the group.When I did mine I expected to use a little home made slide hammer to pull the old one out - no chance, I had to damage the old one by the judicious use of an old screwdriver. Make or get some kind of drift to at least start to press the new seal into place, I used the pinion nut to pull the drift onto the new seal and finished it off with a hammer. If the pinion is rough where it passes through the lips of the seal, you can alter that position with the aid of some deep gasket type material behind the seal to move it slightly forward onto a better surface on the pinion. Not too sure about pre loading and collapsables, I tightened the nut to its specified torque - worked fine. I seem to remember I had to arrange some kind of 'bar' effort to stop the pinion turning too; it was a bit tricky keeping the car still whilst hanging that many lb/ft off the pinion nut. Dexion frame springs to mind, cut to shape with a couple of bolts through at the right place.You probably have the collapsible spacer which applies pre-load to the diff. One problem with this is that when it is collapsed, it can spread out so that it is too big to remove through the pinion hole - you then have a wonderful time attacking it! The last axle I did, I replaced the spacer after a struggle, and torqued it down as per the manual, but the previous one I did I used the technique that Robin Rew developed. This involves marking the exact position of the nut before removal, and then replacing the nut in exactly the same place, and then turning it an extra bit - but I'm sorry, I can't remember the exact amount of turns. This technique certainly worked for me, and the axle was fine.DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUR BREATHER HOLE IS CLEAR AND WAS NOT THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE IN THE FIRST PLACE.Alyn is right about marking the nut. I have had good results by punch marking the nut and then tighten up just back to the mark and no further. When you put the prop shaft back on put a smear of Hematite on the flange surface, what can happen is the oil from the dif finds its way down the bolt and fills up the space between the prop shaft and the pinion flange and then centrifugal forces a mysterious oily spray on the body area near the axle.

Rear Axel Ratio.

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Does anyone know what rear axle ratio is supposed to be fitted to a 1970 se5 with - 4 speed (NO O/D); - 4 speed (with O/D); - auto 'box. Actually I am looking for a narrow (se5 or 5a) axle with 3.07 gearing. On which cars were these fitted?The short answer is: Not very many! I don't have my copy of Don Pither's 'bible' handy, to look at the years, but as I remember, some autos had 3.07, but e.g. the 73 auto 5a I had, had 3.31, so does my 74 5a manual o/d. The manuals say that for autos up to chassis 453500 it was 3.07, then 3.31 from 453501... Manual non o/d was 3.07 from chassis 931001, but there were not many manual non o/d models made... Manual o/d's were all 3.31 I think(?)Does anyone know what rear axle ratio is supposed to be fitted to a 1970 se5 with - 4 speed (NO O/D) - 4 speed (with O/D) - auto 'box 3.07 to all of the above (but there was less than a dozen autos made in 1970 - although only introduced as an option at chassis 451729 - first factory auto with documented evidence is 450799) Actually I am looking for a narrow (se5 or 5a) axle with 3.07 gearing. On which cars were these fitted? Auto & mod up to 453500 (1972 Up rated engine) 4 sp manual from 931001 to 93x6615 (more around than you may think).BTW, Jim, what does mod mean? Manual Overdrive And stand I correct that 45xxxx is the code for auto and OD Se5's and 93xxxx is the code for a four speed? no - the sequential chassis coding for GTE's started at 450001 in Aug 1968 until 454030 in 1972.(Sabre 4 was S200xxx, Sabre 6 was SS300xxx, SE4/a/b was SC40xxxx, SE4c was SC425xxx) when the revised front suspension was introduced in 1972 the chassis numbering was restarted at 931001 (no I don't really know why - it would have been logical to do it when the 5a was introduced in Oct 71!) Note - very early on - the 93 became separated as 93/1021 and later as 93x2600 (although all 3 numbering methods were used throughout the 5a life!)

Rear Wheel Cylinder repair and Sizes.

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Does anyone know offhand whether these cylinders can be repaired with a seal kit or if they need to be completely renewed? I have one which is weeping. Are they common to any other classics?I repaired mine with a seal kit about 5 years ago and they are still fine. I think it depends if the bores are badly scored or pitted, in which case I would renew them. Graham Walkers and other Scimitar Suppliers usually have them. However just for information they are from the export version of the TR6 which had 7.5 bores, whereas the UK TR6 had 7.0 bores.Spot on, thank you. I thought they looked the same. I'm ordering some parts from a triumph supplier (RIMMER BROS) for my spitfire so I thought I might as well save on postage and order some new scimitar brake cylinder seals as well.It depends on how bad the cylinders are. They may just need a seal kit or light honing but new complete units are not an arm and a leg at GW and you will; have the satisfaction of knowing they are correct.Isolate the rear brakes as a possible cause close them off with a brake hose clamp (unless you're using braided hoses) & try a careful test drive.

Rear Chassis Cross Member.

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My lack of note taking whilst dismantling my project 5a has 'bit me on the bum'! I’m stripping the chassis down and at the rear most point of the chassis there is, in my case, a very badly rusted assembly that looks to be a rear cross member of some sort. I first assumed this was part of the chassis but it looks to be bolted onto the main structure at the rear. Due to its condition it is hard to tell what it was for, other than support for a tow bar fixing. What other things would be fixed to it, rear bumper? Is this available from our dealers and who do folks most recommend for supply and advice on this and other chassis replacement bits.Yes - I was puzzled by this extra bolt-on cross-member when I re-built the rear chassis of my 5a. The conclusion I came to was that it was an adjustment to allow the length of the chassis to match the length of the body!! If this is so, then it would be attached so as to be as close to the back end of the rear chassis proper as possible before mating the body and chassis. Then it would be loosened and slid backwards to take up any space between chassis and body before being re-tightened. It is attached via elongated slotted holes apparently for this purpose. Without this, attaching a tow-bracket might bend and crack the fibreglass at the rear. But perhaps there is yet another explanation...... As far as replacement is concerned, I used rectangular-section tube to fabricate a replacement very simply.The bar at the rear chassis is indeed for sliding back in order to bolt the body on precisely, avoiding distortion e.g. around bumper bolts (bumper/body bolts to it) or add-on tow bars.

Rear Hatch Hinge Pins.

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Ok I am looking for anyone who has had this problem and solved it. 1973 SE5a rear hatch hinge pins. Driver’s side has rusted off due to lack of care in the past. This has to be the worst bit of design I have ever seen – Question how to fix it without cutting the roof off.I had to do this with my original 5a. The hinge arrangement is just a long flat bar with two bits of round bar welded on the ends. The whole thing is glassed in to the underside of the roof. I got a replacement hinge from Graham Walker and cut it in half as only one side had gone (like yours!). I then pulled back the headlining and carefully ground away the fibreglass that held the hinge in place until I had half of it exposed. Still using a small angle grinder I cut the flat bar in two and removed the dead section. The new piece just slotted into the groove left by the old one, and it was an easy job to re-glass it in. You just have to be very careful not to go right through the roof!! Eye protection and a dust mask is advised, as you'll be working on your back with the cutting going on above you.It looks to be a real B*****d of a job. How far under the fibre glass is the flat bar? What are we looking at - a couple of mm or ½”.Well - it WAS many, many moons ago! I seem to remember that the actual glassing-in was pretty poor, and that once I'd started to cut the glass, I could "encourage" it away a bit. I think it was only one layer of matting, but I could be wrong. It took me a weekend to do the whole job - but a lot of time was spent weighing the job up and convincing myself that I had to go for it!.

Rear Hatch Lock Repair.

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Anyone got a spare boot/hatch lock kicking around? Or know where/how I can change the lock barrel. It shuts fine, but the key doesn't lock it anymore! Not a good state of affairs.Take the whole assembly out including the rod which links it to the latch. Drive out the pin which attaches the rod to the lock assembly, and also is the rotation stop for the bit you turn with your fingers. You can now remove that inner section which contains the barrel. About half way along the inner section, a little off the centreline is the aperture for the cross-ways pin which retains the barrel. Drive it out. The barrel may not fall out easily, if it's corroded in there you may need to pull it out with a piece of bent wire. Put a nail or a piece of stiff wire all the way into the key slot, to prevent the lock's wafers from springing out of the side of the barrel when you remove it. The wafers are small pieces of brass plate with a hole in the middle through which the key passes. However, they are more likely to be seized, which is the basic problem. The barrel has an off-centre pin on its end, which engages with a slot in the transverse lock bolt which slides in a square-section slot at the bottom of the barrel recess. (As the barrel turns 90 degrees, it makes the bolt protrude and engage with a square aperture in the outer part of the lock assembly. Once the barrel is out, you can remove the bolt. If it's seized, you may need to punch it out. Decorrode and clean all the parts. Punch any seized wafers out of the barrel slots, together with the remains of their tiny springs, which will probably be broken. Clean the wafers, and clean out the slots they slide in, as well as removing the remains of any springs. Check that the wafers run freely in their slots, and refit them with new springs, RS order code 386-398 (0.18mm wire, 1.45mm OD, and 7.95mm long). If you still have the original key, then make sure you refit the wafers in the original slots, because the different positions of the holes in the wafers match the profile of the key. If like me you don't have the original key, then take the repaired lock to a locksmith and they can work out the correct key shape and make new keys. Mine cost £8.50 to have two keys made up to fit the lock. Now you can lubricate the barrel and refit it, together with the sliding bolt, before driving in the retaining pin to keep the barrel in place. Then fit the inner assembly to the outer housing, re-engage the rotation spring, fit the link rod and drive back in the stop pin. It's easier than it sounds, it just needs patience. Give it a go.Take out the lock, internal barrel, fit any key in the lock, and file off the brass bits that stick out, that key and only that key then fits, this also works on passenger doors, if you have 20 different keys for your Scimitar.Or do what I have done - fit an electric solenoid and do away with the keys altogether!

Rear Wheel Bearing Removal.

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Hi everyone, the rear wheel bearing has "gone" on my GTC but can't get the old one off, the workshop manual refers to a "Reliant special puller" for removal, is there any other way to remove it that a non mechanically minded owner can achieve.Your big problem will be to get the drive-flange off the end of the half shaft. I burst a hired hydraulic hub-puller in trying. Easy solution is to take out the 4 bolts that hold the brake back plate to the axle, disconnect the handbrake cable/brake-cylinder hydraulic line, then use a slide-hammer to pull the entire bearing, half shaft, drive-flange and back plate out of the axle-tube together. Then take it to an engineering workshop that have a press rated at least 32 tons, and ask them to split the drive-flange from the half shaft. Give the guy a tenner when he manages it, if his press bursts in the attempt - well, it was clearly faulty! Once they've done this the rest is easy - unless you need different-sized shims to set the bearing end float! The shims are no longer available in sensible sizes - in the end QRG sent me some second-hand ones and I was able to make up a shim-pack to give the correct end float.I have not done one myself but understand that they can be removed with careful use of an angle grinder. I believe the procedure is to remove the half shaft from the car using a slide hammer. Than remove the outer race leaving the collar on the shaft. Then carefully grind through this until there is not much metal left being careful not to nick the shaft. Then split the race with a steel chisel.Yes that idea will remove the old bearing but you still have to get the new bearing on which involves removing the flange. Previous advice is sound take it to a shop with a big press and gets them to do it. I broke 2 pullers trying to do mine and it was only £20 to get the engineers to press it off so don’t even think about that route. You will also need a clock gauge and maybe some spare shims to set the preload with the new bearing too.

Rear Wheel Stud Removal.

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Hi all, how do you remove a rear wheel stud on a 5a and where can I get a new one (dodgy thread)?.Hit it on the end with a hammer not sure if the half shaft as to be pulled to let it completely free as I did mine with the half shaft out anyway. Chances of you getting the hub of are a million to one without a 50 ton press.Just drive it out towards the brake plate - it's just a friction fit. The stud has splines on it - the hole in the hub doesn't until the stud is driven in. It can be wiggled out without removing  the hub but you'll need to remove the brake shoes for clearance. I can't remember whether it will foul the brake plate but if so & you can't get it out just release the bolts holding the brake plate & tip it slightly or drill a hole in the brake plate & fill it with a grommet afterwards. A simpler alternative if the threads are only slightly damaged is to buy a die to clean them up?You may well find that the stud will not come out due to insufficient clearance between the hub and the back plate. On mine a previous owner had cut the studs short so as to replace them with the consequence that they only held the wheels on with about four threads - I had to disassemble the axle and took the opportunity to replace bearings and seals.Although I haven't tried it should be possible to remove the bolts & tilt the brake plate & if that fails nothing is lost because the hub will need to come off & as you say it would be very unwise not to do seals & bearings whilst in there.Mmmm?? They can't all be the same then; because I definitely replaced all my rear studs without the need to break the hub taper. Quite honestly I cannot remember it being that difficult as I would have remembered had it been. That's on a 5a by the way.The confusion could be because there are different length studs and I presume the longer ones would be more difficult to get out.I can confirm that Reliant did fit different lengths of studs on the rear axels, and if its the longer ones they will not come out without dismantling the hub or why not just cut it short then push out easily. I can’t see it causing a problem if the new stud you get is a couple of mm shorter than the rest the supplier wouldn't supply them if they did not do the job.

Removing Gearbox.

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Can I take the gearbox out from below with the engine in place ? If so can I separate the overdrive 1st to reduce the weight and finally are they any pitfalls I should be ready for ?. I have decided to remove the prop shaft, gearbox and bell housing, so I can get to it easier.The (I guess SE5 or early 5a) gearbox is a heavy old lump, so be careful and use a trolley jack. You'll have to remove the gear lever first (there's a small 3/8" bolt which locks the BIG bolt at the bottom on the lever itself). Apart from that, it's just cumbersome. Get the front up on a set of ramps or very good axle stands, and make sure your trolley jack will reach high enough. An extra pair of hands would be useful as well...it's very tricky as a one man job. Just watch out for the wiring to the inhibitor/reverse light switch on the top of the box that is doesn't catch anywhere and wreck the switch. You'll have a hell of a time finding a replacement... Be prepared for a load of EP80 flowing down your arm when the back of the gearbox comes down.You can take the box out & leave the engine in place. It's not necessary (or wise!) to remove the OD first. Do all the engine bay work before you jack up the car then get it as high as possible on ramps or (preferably) four axle stands. Disconnect: Exhausts Prop shaft Water hoses Alternator The hose from rear of head or carb to heater Speedo cable from gearbox Clutch hydraulics. Remove the air cleaner Remove the starter Slacken front engine mounts Support gearbox on a trolley jack Remove gearbox cross member & rubber mounting Lower the gearbox a little at a time & check you've missed nothing in the engine bay. You need to see the rear of the box almost on the ground. Jack it up again so that you can get the lift pad of the trolley jack under the gearbox casing immediately behind the bell housing. Jack it up so that you can place a scissor jack on the rear of the trolley jack to support the tail housing. Raise the whole assembly to give clearance for the box to slide clear of the engine then, before removing bell housing to engine bolts, put a support under the rear of the sump. Lower the jacks together so that the support takes a share of the weight. Remove bolts & using the jacks as a trolley you can maintain the correct gearbox to engine angle and wheel the whole lot backwards to disengage the input shaft. Once it's clear of the engine lower the jacks then roll the box off them onto some plywood so you can drag it out from under the car without damage. I don't know which model you have and there are slight differences. Go slowly - they'll be pretty obvious.Great explanation. I forget I would have to slacken the engine mounts ! I have a 1972 se5. Will the rotated engine clear the tubular cross members, as the redundant water pump seems mighty close to the top cross member ? I presume I also need to remove the starter motor. Where is the reversing switch wiring located. My reversing lights work but I cannot find the switch on the gearbox ?.You may have to remove the cross member (it's a while since I had a 5A) but wait till you start tilting the engine - it's surprising how deceptive the position of the pivot point (engine mounts) is. If yours is the front sump engine it may still have the extra cross-tube under the rear of the sump & you'll also need to remove this. The OD switch & reversing light switch are one unit on top of the box. Yours is the early box without the 3 rod linkage & someone else has already explained how to remove the gear lever. I did suggest you remove the starter!.Thanks for the help I managed to gear the gear box and overdrive as complete unit out of the car. However I could not get the gearbox output shaft low enough to clear the chassis cross bridge as the sump at front of the engine was hitting the lower cross member. This cross member is welded to the chassis so could not be removed. My solution was to slide the gearbox back off the engine horizontally along the tunnel and drop the bell housing first. There was only just enough room, and I don't know how I am going to get it back in! The clutch slave cylinder needed a 6 foot scaffold pole and a monkey wrench to twist out of the bell housing. A quick scrub with a wire brush and it drops back in very easily, it is amazing the power of a little corrosion ! It looks like a repair kit will solve my problems as the bore seems fine. Looking at the gearbox linkages while the gearbox is out, I thought I might solve my gearlever rattle. The forward back connecting rod is very loose have any of you improved the design ? I also thought about increasing the throw on reverse as it seem very close to 4th gear.It turned out I have the early type gearbox and the gearlever is removed by getting a thin set of adjustables through the gearbox tunnel hole and undoing a very large nut.  Easy when you know how ... and have a decent light source !

The next part was added March 2005.

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Has anyone else been successful in changing the clutch without removing the engine. - I wondered, is it actually any quicker?!In engine compartment: * disconnect top & bottom hoses * unbolt PAS pump & attach it to the suspension cross member * remove air cleaner From wheel-arches: * disconnect exhausts at the manifold outlets * remove starter motor * slacken engine mount rubbers Underneath: * prop shaft * gear linkages at gearbox end * wiring to gearbox & Speedo cable * clutch slave * place jack under gearbox * remove cross member (unbolt from chassis & rear rubber mount) Lower the jack until the tail housing is as low as the jack will allow all the time checking the engine for fouling / anything you've missed. Jack it up again until you can place a support under the rear of the sump. Turn the trolley jack so its handle is facing the rear axle then place a scissor jack on the rear of the trolley jack & adjust to contact the rear of the OD. Remove the bell housing shield & all bell housing bolts (easiest using a long extension & socket from underneath). CAREFULLY wiggle the box by pulling/pushing on the tail housing until it is free. You can remove it carefully by rolling the trolley jack back by hand & adjusting it & the scissor jack as you go. Once clear of the engine lower the jacks fully & roll it off them as gently as possible. Two people are useful here because the box will fall off the jacks as soon as the 1st motion shaft clears the clutch unless it is prevented from doing so. You need the car on axle stands at full height & a sheet of 3/4" plywood under the car makes the jack roll easily & cushions the gearbox as it is taken off the jacks. I did this job four times on my own GTC - it takes around 1 1/2 hours taking it slowly & around 40 minutes if pushed.

Removing Paint.

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The car was over painted some years ago. The paint is very thick and in places is lifting clean off the gel coat. My question - what is the most effective way to remove the remainder of the paint now that I have picked off all the loose without any gel coat damage.I have a personal favourite for dealing with old fibreglass but it really only applies if doing a "Major Refit" and given that you have started by carefully picking off loose paint probably won't apply. Anyhow the method is to sandblast it. Not with shipyard grade stuff but with finer grit, more the size of beach sand. I have used this on large boats, fibreglass motorcycle petrol tanks and the trickier parts of my Scimitar and it easily removes the paint and any dodgy gel coat, it exposes delicate air bubbles under the surface and importantly it etches out any gel coat cracks (stress cracks) so that it is clear where you need to grind out and make good). The surface you are left with is rough, something like the texture of 60 or 80 grit sandpaper but is easily filled with spray filler which you may be going to use after other remedial work anyhow. It may sound drastic but I regard it as being overall quick and easy, take a small fibreglass part along to your local sandblaster for a trial. On boats, where there has been osmosis or otherwise compromised gel coat, I have applied 600g/sq m of solvent free Epoxy straight onto the sandblasted surface followed (without sanding) (apply when surface will take a fingerprint but not sticky) by Jotun "Penguard HB" high build epoxy primer. This has been very successful and I kick myself for not doing the same on the Scimitar. Don't use any Polyester products on top of Epoxy unless fully cured, best to apply some paint on top of the high-build epoxy (after sanding) and then it's safe to use regular body filler. The 600g/sq m has to be applied in a number of coats, wet-on-tacky. The downside of this method is that however much you mask up (using Duct tape) the grit seems to get in everywhere so OK if you are pulling much of the interior and maybe lifting off chassis but not appropriate for a quick repaint.Orbital sander and lots of time worked for me. I started with 60 grit disks until I neared the last layer of paint then went to 320 for the last layer. I tried paint stripper even stuff for boats but it wasn’t much use. I even tried the expensive stuff that’s a paste you spread on cover with the cloth supplied and then peel off but went to the old tried and tested sander in the end. Maybe car paint is harder to dissolve than boat paint I don’t know. I did try regular Nitromors on a small area and it did work really well but as I thought might happen it made a mess of the gel coat.I will probably get a slating for this, and I thought he was mad at the time, but the result was, the best gel coat re spray I have seen. Use ORDINARY NITROMOURS. It only takes off one coat at a time. Stop after each coat, and wash it off until you get to the last coat. Then sand the whole car, primer filler, and sand off, normal primer and sand off again. Normal primer. Paint. do not sand by hand [unless unavoidable] as this leaves strange angles and light lines, you don’t see until the final coat, if there are any imperfections, you wont see them until the paint sinks, in 3-6 months time, then its too late.

Removing Trunnion Bolts and Fitting Trunnions.

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The question is there a "Secret" in removing the Bolt, One side turns easy but the other side is VERY stiff. I can turn it a bit by putting a Socket and Bar on the bolt and using a Trolley Jack pushing against the Bar. The Bolt "Jerks" about half a flat. Any Ideas to help? I do not have access to heat to apply to the bolt etc.If you cannot get heat to it then you can try hammering it out (you will need a counter weight at the bolt head end to do this properly) - I once also had to split into the three parts (disconnecting the wishbones) and doing one at a time. You can also grind away the Trunnion as you are fitting a new one - relieves some of the pressure.If the Trunnion bolts have been in for some great time the best tool to use is the universal rotary getting off tool - sometimes called an angle grinder. Grind into the brass of the Trunnion close to each side and it will come adrift after a few minutes. Brutal - yes but quick and effective.Don't forget that you need to remove the spring/shock mounting plate in order to correctly assemble the new Trunnion. IMHO it's also always best to completely remove the lower wishbones and repair to a warm, dry workshop to clean up the eyes so the new bushes will fit properly - and with the front wishbone disconnected from the car and from the spring plate you can grind the head off the Trunnion bolt and remove the wishbone from the Trunnion, rather than vice-versa without reversion to excessive force or heat.Interesting comments. "You need to remove the spring/shock mounting plate in order to correctly assemble the new Trunnion." I have not fully read the Manual yet so your comment is "Interesting".Chris Lloyd was fond of saying that if you asked 10 Scimitar owners how to change a Trunnion you'd get 11 answers, and I don't have time - at work - to run through all of mine, but for my money you need to bear in mind that the Trunnion pivot works by locking the Trunnion, all four washers, the dust seals and the stainless steel sleeves together on the bolt so that all rotate as one within the nylon bushes - which do not rotate - in the wishbone eyes. In order for this to happen on assembly the wishbone eyes need to be free to find the correct position as all the components are pulled together by the bolt, and disconnecting the wishbones from the spring/shock mounting plate is the only way to do this. Otherwise you risk the wishbone eyes being too far apart and preventing it all tightening up correctly. If it's not all locked together then the Trunnion will rotate on the bolt and wear as fast as a very fast thing, or, if you force it together, you'll put a bending stress on the wishbones that they will not thank you for. You also need to ensure that the sleeves rotate smoothly in the nylon bushes - which means cleaning all the rust and scale off the inside of the wishbone eyes, but not with a file or you might make the holes too big - and that the sleeves protrude from the bushes just enough to allow them to be gripped when the bolt is tightened: if they don't then the bushes will be pinched as the bolt is tightened and will seize on the sleeves, again inducing premature wear. While you're about it you may wish to drill the eyes 'end on' to allow you to fit a grease nipple into each one. (MS2 CV Joint grease, what else?) Correctly assembled the Trunnion pivot should just allow the upright to rotate - top ball joint disconnected and hub, calliper etc fitted - under its own weight: once you've achieved this you can bolt up the spring plates and thus fix the positions of the wishbones.Try copious amounts of penetrating oil & continue to turn the bolt half a flat at a time. If it doesn't free the least damaging & most certain option is to remove all the parts from the car then cut off the head of the bolt with a hacksaw. The new bolt will not seize in the new Trunnion provided it's greased on assembly. Whilst the lower wishbone is off drill a hole centrally into each outer eye. When the wishbone is on the car the hole is vertically upwards into the gap between the nylon top-hat bearings. Tap the holes to take 90 degree grease nipples which on assembly can be arranged to point fore & aft. Occasional shots of (Moly) grease will keep water out of the bushes & prevent the steel sleeve from rusting (which is what destroys the nylon bushes). Correctly assembled & greased at least once a year before winter the front suspension outer assembly will last over 70K without further dismantling.

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Removing Wiper Boxes and Tubing.

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How does one remove the Bundy tube and Wheel boxes. I've disconnected the motor and the nuts from the top of the Wheel boxes. But I can't get them out from underneath. Seems a hell of a fiddle to me.Pull out the drive rack if you haven't already. Remove the centre (approximately triangular) bulkhead cover behind the engine. Reach up into this & release the two nuts (3/8 AF IIRC) on the NS wheel box. This will free the motor to NS wheel box Bundy & one end of the w/box to w/box Bundy. The NS w/box can now be removed through the centre opening, as can (with a bit of wiggling) the OS w/box & short Bundy. Watch for the two water shields (bent steel) falling out - you'll need to replace them.If you remove the cover of the Wiper Motor, remove the lever that connects the Round Cam to the inner cable you can remove the cable from the wiper motor. You can now pull the Cable ( Make sure that the wiper boxes are unbolted from the scuttle panel ) toward the front of the car. This will move the right wiper box toward the hole that is exposed after the cover on the bulkhead is removed. You will now have easier access to the wiper box. Once this one is removed you can now push the cable in the other direction to push the left wiper box toward the access hole.

Replace Axel Oil Seal.

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Is it possible to change the prop shaft flange oil seal on a 4HA (004 18) axle without having to reset the bearing preload? If this axle has the collapsible spacer, can the original preload be preserved by punching alignment marks on locknut and flange?Yes it is perfectly possible. The pre-load should NEVER be reset on used bearings anyway. If the spacer isn't collapsible there's no problem. If it is do as you say & punch mark the nut & flange. When you come to re-tighten ensure you turn the nut very slightly past your mark. You will not cause the spacer to collapse further but you will ensure the nut is tight. Collapsible spacers conjure up an image of a flimsy piece of tube that will concertina at the drop of a hat. In fact it's very heavy tubing with a pressed channel in the centre. It is VERY difficult to collapse it - even when it's new.Just to add to what Tony has described GW do a 'new improved' oil seal which does work better than the standard one but is just the same to fit. I have fitted one recently and no leaks not even a weep.When I did mine I marked the nut / flange /shaft and just put it back the same as it came apart. I even counted the number of turns to take the nut off. My biggest problem was fitting the new seal as it's an interference fit (old style). I used a (VERY) large socket to drive it home square and without damage. Never leaked since. No experience with the new type from GW so it may be easier to fit. Just don't bash it in with a hammer, keep it square and take your time. Not a hard job to do.Just a reminder - check that the breather hole is clear as this being blocked is often the cause of the oil seal failing due to the build up of pressure inside the axle.Just to add my tuppence worth, I used the GW neoprene oil seal (original is leather and needs to be soaked in oil for a day) on my 6b and did 50k mile without a drip, make sure you clean up the flange where the old seal was running with very fine emery paper, or if the groove is more than a few thou you may have to consider a new one. The collapsible spacer is supposed to deform at around 140 ft lbs, mine took over 200 ft lbs! So if you stay under 140 ft lbs you will be OK.

Changing Selector Oil Seals

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There have been a lot of past’s posts about changing the Gearbox Selector Oil Seals with Gearbox fitted in Car and with the cover in place. Part of the information has advised to be careful about the shafts. It must be easier (and better) to remove the cover. (I know the Oil will need to be drained). If the cover is removed is there anything that will "Spring out". If it is as simple as removing the Cover will it go back on without problems, i.e. with new seals the three shafts will be tight into the seals. So can it be done by removing the Cover without any problems?………………………………………………………………………..Nothing will spring out. When you have it off dismantle it completely & polish the seal contact area on the shafts & any sharp edges where the levers fit with fine emery cloth. Reassemble the cover without the seals fitted. Fill the seal recesses with Moly grease then ease & rotate each seal over its shaft. Press into recess using a socket. Doing it this way, rather than fitting the seals before reassembly, ensures that the seals aren't damaged by the lever flats on the shafts.……………………………………………………………………..Remove the cover with the levers in place - it comes off in one piece with no worries about accidentally pushing a shaft in. Incidentally there's no drama involved anyway - the only reason to worry about displacing a shaft & losing a detent ball into the gearbox is if you desperately didn't want to remove the side cover to retrieve the ball. And as I said that can't happen anyway with the levers still attached because there are no loose parts.………………………………………….For some reason my brain cell thought that the cover would come off and leave the levers in place. (I will have to look at the manual tonight). But by what you say all I need to do is to unbolt the cover and the levers (and forks?) come off with the cover. That sounds too easy as the seals can be replaced on the work bench and the cover with the levers refitted (easy to locate?). You do worry me though with the comment about the detent ball.…………………………………..Just to be clear: if you leave the external levers fitted to the side plate & then remove the whole thing the selector fork assembly is removed in its entirety. Nothing is loose, nothing can fall off, and you can take it to your workbench. It really is that easy. As is replacement.

Replace Rear Axel Pinion Seal.

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Can anyone tell me how easy is it to replace a rear axle pinion seal?Fairly easy. First, remove prop shaft. Then mark the position of the Big Nut with respect to the pinion threaded-bit-that-protrudes-through-nut. Remove nut, use a puller to remove the drive-flange from the pinion splines. Dig out old seal, fit new one. Refit the drive-flange and then tighten the nut up until the marks you made in stage [1] align again. Don't tighten the nut any further, or you can collapse the collapsible- spacer inside the diff pinion-bearings; this will screw up the running clearance of the pinion-bearings, and Mr. Timken's Rollers will likely get all hot-and-bothered as a result. You should be able to do it in about 30 minutes.The secret is to pop mark the nut and the pinion and the when you bolt the flange back on line up the pop marks.Also count the number of turns of the nut; and ensure the axle breather hole is clear (or you are likely to be replacing the seal again before long).Don't forget to count the exact number of turns it takes to remove the nut. Get it wrong by one turn and it's time for a new spacer!

Replacing Heater Matrix.

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I just got my new heater matrix. Now, the thing is, does anyone have any tips on the removal of the old one and replacing it with new.  I shall be operating tomorrow, hangover permitting, and probably Sunday, much to the missus's disgust as she had plans for my weekend, something about sofa shopping. I do have the Reliant workshop manual, which I find very hard to follow, not enough pictures, has phrases I don’t understand, ok for example, where do you find the baffle in the cooling system?, as it says' to fill to 1/4' over baffle ' last weekend me and a mate (Triumph boy) stood for hours trying to locate a baffle or even figure out what it might look like.  Why didn’t Haynes do an Se5a book?. Anyway I’ll look thru archives, and if anyone has done it recently and knows of any pitfalls please let me know.Did mine a few years ago and if I remember rightly this is roughly what I did. 1. Drain the water (Bolt on bottom of radiator.) 2. Remove hoses to heater matrix (engine compartment) 3. Remove centre console (Screws at front edge and under rear ashtray) 4. Remove side pieces of carpet trim either side of the lower dash 5. Remove dash (instrument part). What I did was to undo the screws and pull the dash forward, after removing heater control knobs, giving access to remove Speedo cable and oil pressure gauge pipe and undo wiring harness connectors. 6. You can then remove the heater unit. 7. Remove matrix and replace with new. Also replace any foam bits that have disintegrated or fallen off. 8. Then as they say in all good manuals refitting is a reversal of removal. 9. Refill with at least 33% anti-freeze mix and look for leaks.Oops forgot to mention removing the steering wheel as it makes it a damn site easier to remove the dash.I already have the dash out, as I got a 'new' one which is now all fitted out with clocks etc and wired, correctly I hope, I took it out last week as when I found a split hose it stopped me doing any more work on the cooling, I have a new radiator installed, and some new hoses, though talking to Nigel at QRG apparently mine has a strange T bar at the back of the system where it goes into the heater.  Anyway, I take it the matrix is easy enough to pull out, do you have to take off the round air vents on the centre dash(above heater controls)?.Mine had a strange T piece in the hoses at the back where it goes to the heater when I got mine too. After restoring it I couldn't remember where it fitted and I asked someone and they didn't know why it was there. I surmised it was because it been converted to a manual choke. I changed it so the hose from the back of the water pump goes to the top pipe on the heater matrix and the hose from the back of the inlet manifold to the bottom pipe. You don't have to take the air vents out just pull the black corrugated pipes from the back of the vents. If you have the dash out the heater unit is easy enough to remove. If I remember correctly it's held in by 4 * 1/2" nuts which should be fairly obvious. Then it's just a matter of dismantling the heater unit.Hmmm, very peculiar, mine doesn’t have a manual choke, (not that I’ve found anyway) but the auto choke has never really seemed to work either, that could well be the reason!  The car has always been a bitch to warm up. The guy at QRG told me that the hose should be connected straight into the heater as well, which the existing does but the other half goes to the carb (I think).  I think I have the DGAS (single carb) but if there is no manual choke, how would I know if the auto choke is still in place?  I mean what does it look like or what do I look for, around or in the carb?. Could someone have put a manual choke on it, and then taken off when selling the car and left it totally choke-less?

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Replacing Heater Matrix 2.

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I'm sure I've seen threads on this before in the dim and distant past, but I confirmed yesterday that my 5a heater is leaking (not much but leaking never the less). I had a look at the workshop manual and the job looks horrendous talking about removing dashboards, windscreens and the like. Surely this is not correct is it? I really hope not as this might just be the final straw in my scimitar ownership. Can anyone who has done the 5a heater matrix replacement job tell me what in reality is involved?.I am in the process of doing this – spare car breaking to update current car. I am sure others are ahead of me in this but it does not look to be as bad as it first appears. Remove dash panel and undo multi plugs, oil, Speedo etc. 4 bolts hold a GRP frame in place that the dash panel mounts to. One bolt is accessed through the top of the glove box – peel back the top lining and you find a hole that allows entry to a socket spanner. Remove frame, drain water system. The heater matrix is exposed and by removing a few bits and pieces on it will come out.The job is not as difficult as it first appears. I would add one piece of advice: whilst it is out do away with the water valve. It serves no useful purpose (later versions of the same heater do not have it), is prone to leaks and slows down the flow of water through the matrix. If you have the matrix rebuilt ask for the valve to be omitted otherwise remove the end & plunger & re-seal with an O-ring & 2p coin.After a few evening of contortionism, cursing and general unease (thinking I shall never get this together again!) I have finally managed to remove the leaking heater matrix from my 5a. I can obviously get this repaired (i.e. recored etc) but after the time and effort involved in actually doing this job I really do not fancy having to do it again in a couple of years time and would prefer to get a brand new one. I have tried the usual traders (GW etc) but none can help. I would doubt if Reliant had this made as a Scimitar only part. Does anyone know if the 5a matrix (or indeed the entire heater unit) came from another mainstream car for which spares might still be available.I wouldn't worry about a recored matrix. The only parts re-used are the end tanks & a recore is as good as a new one. The only things you can do to make it last (& it has lasted 25+ years so far) are to make sure the cooling system is as clean as possible & to use 50% antifreeze mix. The heater matrix is the best (only) filter in the cooling system - a point often forgotten when sediment in the engine block is disturbed by core plug replacement etc.

Replacing Rear Shoes and More.

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I need to replace the rear shoes on my 5a - Does anything else need replacing - springs etc? I know I will need to re-set the movement, but is it a simple case of take the old ones off and put the new ones on?It should be but there are other jobs whilst you're in there (as ever). The wheel cylinder must be free to slide in the brake back-plate - and it won't be. Study the assembly in the manual. It's easy to release the clips & clean & lubricate the things but only if you know in advance how it's assembled. Use Copperslip on the back plate, wheel cylinder and clips and on the handbrake lever pivot (under the wheel cylinder). Wipe off excess. I'd also peel back the cylinder rubbers taking care not to pull the pistons out. If there's fluid in there you need to either re-rubber or replace the wheel cylinder. If there is no fluid and both pistons are free pack the rubber boots with brake rubber lubricant (red stuff). You can use very small quantities of Copperslip on the shoe ends (where they rest against the stops / wheel cylinder pistons) and under the retainer (anti-rattle) spring clips in the centre of each shoe. Make sure the leading edge of each shoe is chamfered - if not create a short (1/2") chamfer with a coarse file. Clean out the drums with coarse emery paper. This will ease the rust step on the inside & outside edges of the wearing surface & will lightly roughen the drum to help bed the new shoes. Clean the brake back plate where it's inside the drum. Apart from the above it is as you say: take the old ones out & put the new ones in!Check that the handbrake cable isn't seized - I find that when I put grease in the nipples on the cable (even a new one) it comes out at the lever end not the wheel end and of course that's the end that gets wet/salty/mucky and so seizes. I've resorted now to drilling a 1/8 hole in the cable adjuster so I can put oil in. It's covered by a short piece of old fuel pipe to keep the grot out, I hope.

Steering Rack Oil.

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Just been reading SLICE, there's an article about changing the gaiters on a 5a rack. The point I noted was that when removing the gaiter you loose all the oil from the rack. Is this the same for the 6a manual rack? I changed the gaiters on mine a couple of months ago and there was no oil, so I'm a bit concerned that I'm running the rack dry! On the same subject how do you check the oil level in the rack, there's no obvious dipstick type check, do you just keep pumping oil in until it overflows. From what I recall from Don Pither’s book the power rack for the 6a was from the Rover SD1. Does anyone know if it was modified by Reliant or is the SD1 power rack easily fitted?The only reason you would have oil in the manual rack is if the end bearing has failed - i.e. not tight and allowing oil to pass it. As to how much oil as far as I know there is nothing specified - I have fitted a grease nipple at the point where the column meets the rack - there is a nut you can remove on the top and replace it with the nipple. I give it a few squirts with a grease gun - oil and moly grease mixture - once a year.There should definitely be oil inside the gaiters; the amount that should be in the rack is listed in the service manual but this assumes you're filling a rack from empty - the exact amount to put in after one-sided gaiter-replacement is hard to guess (you don't know how much oil is still in the rack)... I usually fill the thing by clamping the fat end of the gaiter to the rack outer tube then pushing the nozzle of my oilcan in between the gaiter and the track-rod-end, pump in a cupful of oil, pull the nozzle out and quickly put a hose-clamp on to hold the gaiter to the rod-end.Whilst the Reliant Autobooks manual isn't very clear on the subject of lubrication - the Austin 1800 manual is. The Reliant manual (5/5A) rack is a LHD 1800 rack. It should contain 1/3 pint EP90 injected into one gaiter (or half in each side) before fitting the outer gaiter clip. It's well worth injecting a complete pack of gearbox Moly + EP90 to make up 1/3 pint. Don't use grease & under no circumstances leave it dry.Do you know if this applies to the 6a manual rack as well?As far as I'm concerned it applies to all manual racks & to the lube (as opposed to hydraulic) circuit of most conventional PAS racks. I know some of the more modern ones use grease but I suspect that's because it's easier to store & handle the racks. With sufficient oil / Moly in I would not expect to have to rebuild a rack throughout the life of the car. Once grease is wiped off the section of rack that slides through the rack bar bearing or is displaced by the pinion or inner ball-joint bearings it can't flow back in that easily. Just try stopping EP90 flowing back in.Looks like I'll have to get mine oiled sharpish. Anyone got any idea about the SD1 fitting the 6a?The 6a uses a modified SD1 power rack. I looked into just how modified and it is a lot. The distance between the mounting hole etc being the main one. So I couldn't get one through the SD1 dealers that would fit.

Steering Rack Play.

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I've noticed that there is some play in the inner ball joints on my steering rack. However the movement isn't just 'slackness' instead it is spring loaded ( I assume that there is a spring behind the ball ). I have the rack off the car at the mo and the ball joint ends look to be adjustable but only by using special tool and a big vice. I was just wondering if anyone knows if this play should be evident at all? Is it correct?.There should be no play (spring loaded or otherwise) in the inner ball joints. In fact on first assembly they are (over) tightened to an extent determined by how much effort is needed to move them. If it's a power rack the nuts need to have a locking pin or indent (can't remember which) drilled out before they can be removed. The manual rack (IIRC) has a locking washer / lock nut arrangement. In either case the adjustment is simple if the joints are undamaged. Removing the power rack nut is not!.You can shim the spring when you get it all apart if it is not strong enough. I think its there to take out any "shock" to the steering.It’s not a power rack and the adjustments are not nuts but completely round with a notch (for a C-Spanner?). The notch is also on the rack itself and the 'nuts' are crimped into this notch. Complicated. I'll see what I can do by taking them apart.According to the manual (a copy of which can be obtained from Graham Walkers) the assembly should be pre-loaded to between 32 and 52 lb/in. The springs do indeed act as "shock-absorbers".The only critical part of this is removal of the nut without damaging the rack threads. If necessary sacrifice the nut then replace it. If the rack threads get damaged it's not even fit to exchange. The pre-load on the joints is measured with a spring balance on the tie rod - when they are correct they're very stiff to move by hand. The spring simply takes up minor subsequent wear - it's not a shock absorber Alyn. If you have the time this is all best done with the rack off the car - you are so close to a full overhaul that the extra tasks to complete it aren't worth putting off.

Sticking Brakes.

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Can anyone help with my SE5a sticking brakes problem? I've replaced the rear wheel cylinders, one of the front callipers and the master cylinder (which I understand from QRG is not the std. type fitted to a SE5a but is a larger BMC type that has the outlet positioned to clear the servo which is also non standard) The car was a non runner and from the first time I drove it the brakes occasionally stuck on slightly, a quick dab would release them. It is getting worse and occasionally the pedal will stick down. Also when pushing the pedal hard when stationary a rough resistance can be felt and heard (clunk) half way through the travel. When the engine is stopped and the servo pressure has dissipated there is no clunk. It sounds to me like the master cylinder is sticking, but I'm loath to spend another £60 to find that it's something else. Anybody had anything like this?Consider disconnecting & blocking off the servo vacuum pipe. Try a test drive with no servo - it sounds very like the servo is at fault.Tony is right. This is the characteristic of a failing Girling Powerstop servo. This is the one with the toilet roll (bobbin) shaped filter on top (rather than the Lockheed type with the UFO shaped breather). Worst case it can put the brakes on suddenly without warning. It uses vacuum to both apply and assists in release of the brakes. It can lose vacuum on this side applying the brakes - hence the sticking. Best (safest) option gets a new servo.

Girling Servo information cam be found at:

http://www.head2head.free-online.co.uk/Rover/servo.htm

Sticking Overdrive.

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Has anyone experienced the o/d unit sticking on or off? Ours sort of intermittently does not engage in third gear plus when the car is reversed it now makes a whirring noise and is hard to reverse. I can only think that the unit is not fully disengaging. Could it be a solenoid problem or a mechanical issue in the unit?Had the same problem over a long period. Overdrive would sometimes not fully engage and then when it did would not disengage. Annoying considering you cannot reverse in overdrive. Had to switch the car off for 10 seconds restart then reverse. Looked at several things at the time from solenoid, inhibitor switch and the overdrive filters which I cleaned out on several occasions. Finally gave up and bought a recon. Overdrive from GW. This run great for one month and believe it or not problem came back. This led to me giving up with O/Ds. I came to the conclusion that as the gearbox and OD use the same oil The crap from the g/box (through wear) blocks the filters etc especially on disengaging and draining the gearbox oil for refill may not be enough to clear all material. I did have a new solenoid with the O/D and no residual voltage could be found on this when faulting. I.e. earthing problems although this is the main reason for not engaging along with low oil in the g/box.The normal reason for an OD not engaging is lack of oil pressure. This is often due to the ball on the solenoid valve not seating properly. This can sometimes be cured by removing the solenoid assembly and tapping the ball sharply. Could also be a faulty pressure relief valve - you can remove this from the OD and clean it thoroughly. The usual reason for an OD not disengaging is a faulty isolator switch. If you try and reverse with it engaged you will damage the overdrive! Could also be a stuck OD clutch - give the brake ring (in middle of OD) a sharp tap with a soft mallet. Electrical faults cannot cause a good OD to 'stick on' as pressure is only developed in the unit when the solenoid valve is closed. It is possible, I suppose, for the valve to jam but I've never seen this happen and, considering the pressure on one side of it (<400 PSI), is unlikely.Not engaging is often caused simply by low gearbox oil. First thing to check. Sticking on is classic for seized inhibitor switch. This is found by the gear selector mechanism and can be got at from underneath with a bit of help from above with the gaiter removed. Reversing with the OD still engaged can be terminal for the unidirectional clutch. This will then lead to no drive at all! Replacement is not the end of the world and spares are available form several sources.

Sticking Overdrive. Clean Filters.

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Laycock Overdrive. J Type. Fault is if driving at speed (65 plus mph) for more than 10 miles the Overdrive does not normally disengage. Problem does not occur if speed kept below 65 mph. If Car stopped it will disengage when pulling away. What I have read it could possibly need Pump and Filters cleaning. The Solenoid has been cleaned and appears to be working OK. Would I be correct in thinking that Filters (Items 29 and 36) are the ones to clean and Relief Valve (62 etc) is the one to clean. I have never been here before so is there any thing I need to take care of, i.e. when undoing is there anything that is spring loaded etc and will need to be taken apart with care or is it just undo, clean and reassemble. Is there anything I should be aware of?You are correct. In theory the relief valve (once removed) should not be dismantled but it comes apart easily & I've stripped & reassembled two without ill-effect. You will need to make a peg spanner to remove the plugs covering the filter & relief but they should not be difficult to remove. The symptoms you describe suggest a sticky or blocked relief (or solenoid which you've cleaned) - the screen filter (& if I remember correctly a magnet) causes sluggish operation but is obviously worth cleaning anyway.In addition when I cleaned mine while taking the solenoid apart I also slightly stretched the spring as it had been in its compressed state for such a long time I thought it may need the "relief".Many thanks for the replies. Would I be correct in assuming that all I need to do is remove the bottom (Sump) filter? This will enable me to remove the covers (Ones with the holes for the peg spanner to go on). This will allow the filters / pistons to "Drop" out or do they "Drop" out with other bits. Will there be something to surprise me or is it as simple as they "Drop" out, clean and refit.As long as you do them one at a time and not over a place where the bits can drop and be lost you should have no problem - normally the filter is so clogged up with muck (like aluminium dust) that you will be amazed that it worked at all.One of the plugs has a ball bearing behind it ... mind that doesn’t disappear. Not that it ever happened to me of course ;-)Many years back (about 8 or 9) I also had O/D problems and cleaned/refurbished the Unit (LH) but there was a lovely little (about 1/16" small Ball Bearing) held in situ on top of a wobbly Valve Return Spring. Absolute pig and a nightmare to find it on the stone drive at night. Having looked in the Workshop Manual it appears it could be fairly straightforward.

Sticky Steering Rack and More.

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Having investigated a slight problem with my steering, I have isolated the problem to the steering rack. The rack is difficult to move by hand and sticks before moving freely when the initial stickiness is overcome. Has anyone experience on servicing the rack and changing the shims to adjust preload etc is it simpler to find a second hand rack?First ensure it IS the rack by disconnecting both ends and the steering column UJ as the Trunnions and UJ can cause similar symptoms. Manual racks are simple things so is there's no play on the internal ball joints just take it off the car then check as follows: Stiffness could be: 1) Lack of lubricant 2) Over tight damper 3) Failing pinion ball races 4) Incorrect type of rack bush Remove the damper plate (2 bolts @ 90 degrees to the pinion shaft. Check that the damper is oily. You can now check the pinion shaft turns freely & has no play (up/down & side-to-side). By attempting to move the rack bar itself (NS end relative to the rack housing) you can check the bush is OK. You can also drain the oil to see what state it's in. At this point you should be able to tell whether any remaining stiffness is the pinion shaft bearings or the rack bush. The rack bush is bronze not plastic. The rack is a BL 1800 LHD rack which when fitted to these cars had a plastic bush. In the Scimitar application it was fitted with a phosphor-bronze bush because the plastic one would not like the heat from the radiator. The PB bush is held with a screw through the alloy NS end of the rack.

Stiff Steering.

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I have just started to get very stiff steering on my 5A. I thought originally it may be the Trunnions/upper wishbones, even though they are greased regularly. But, after disconnecting each side from the rack, they are both free. Has anyone had this problem, if so what is the answer? I have also discovered that if I jerk the steering wheel it moves in or out some 25mm. Could this be associated with the problem?How about the joints down the column have you oiled them of late - oil in the rack might help as well - I fitted a grease nipple in place of the nut on the top.I'll give that a try. P.S. I assume gearbox oil for the rack?Yes.25mm up & down on the column is potentially life-threatening! The only thing preventing the column coming away in your hands is a shallow groove with a (by now) rapidly-wearing bolt through it. Tighten the pinch bolts connecting the column to UJs & rack. Check the UJs for stiffness & wear. If the rack shows no signs of leaking it should contain oil - if it is leaking replace gaiters.Have you ascertained were the movement is coming from? The scimitar has a collapsible column, so called because it is formed of two shafts that are at a slight angle to each other. Movement can arise from the following: 1. The UJ is not clamped to the splined end of the shaft. The result is that the shaft moves in and out of the UJ. 2. The shaft connected to the steering wheel is not adequately supported at its mounting point as it passes through the bulkhead (this is laminated in). Pulling on the steering wheel end results in the two shafts becoming aligned (the angle between them reduces) and the wheel moving towards the driver.A common fault is that the grease in the top universal joint dries out due to the proximity of the exhaust pipe. I use motorcycle chain grease, graphite if you can find it, on both of the universals. Cover the exhaust pipe when you spray the top joint or it will smell and smoke on start up. It fizzes and searches its way right into the needle rollers in the joint. Do this at every service especially the top. The slackness is almost certainly due to the pinch bolt being slack........or you are pulling too hard. One other point while on the subject of steering column universals, make sure they are lined up, each end the same. If you look in the parts book you will see what I mean.I topped up the rack, sprayed the u/j,s with chain grease, but it is still stiff. I will tackle the column bearings next. Tony, you were right about the end play being the upper u/j. When pulled, the column slides in it but the pinch bolt will not tighten anymore. Surely the column shouldn't move in the u/j if the bolt is tightened as much as possible, or has something worn? Bill, that was a good suggestion re the cardboard covering the exhaust when spraying the grease.It seems likely that either the UJ clamp area splines are worn although I'm puzzled that the bolt won't tighten anymore. You should be able to tighten the bolt until it either strips its thread or breaks in two. If you mean that the gap in the clamp is fully closed then the splines are very badly worn & you need a new UJ. If not try a new nut / bolt. The column bushes are unlikely to make the steering stiff. To fully check the steering you need to disconnect the upper UJ connection to test the column & (with the wheels off the ground) test the rack. If you can't decide which part is stiff separate the column as above the separate the rack end ball joints from the steering arms. Test each part separately.There was a gap in the u/j and, after liberal applications of WD40, I did manage to tighten the pinch bolt. Column now secure.

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Strange Brake Pedal.

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I am having problems with brake peddle feel: occasionally the peddle can feel very soft or extremely hard, this tends to happen if turning on full lock or reversing. Very disconcerting. I have been told this is "brake pad knock back" which can be reduced by checking calliper alignment. I have the SE5a workshop manual but cannot find specific mention of such a thing. Any ideas? The brakes have been rebuilt in the last three years and the servo and master cylinder reconditioned.I have exactly the same problem with my SE5A. I was told that it was probably the discs or the wheel bearings so I replaced both and there has been some improvement as the pedal doesn't go as far to the floor as it did before. It is still very disconcerting though. Someone else suggested calliper alignment but like you I have been unable to find any mention of it in my manual so if you get a solution let me know.Certainly will do. But so far the response is "calliper being not well aligned with the disk, disk warpage, or disk side-to-side movement".It's highly unlikely to be e.g. calliper misalignment. It might be disk warp but again unlikely, Scimitar disks don't get that stressed. However it's quite likely to be wheel bearing play. ANY will cause some knock back. And manuals tend to make dire statements that there MUST be play etc, in fact I'd say that you should adjust for the absolute minimum of play, in fact none if possible. I don't see why those taper rollers need play in this situation. My own way of adjusting play; Tighten centre nut with torque wrench to about 20-30 ft/lb whilst spinning wheel. Undo the minimum you can to just release the end load & line up with a split pin hole (usually it's very clear when it's released). Check for play, if there's perceptible play I'd do it up again & try again...Although pad knock-back can be mitigated by all the suggestions you've received so far it can't easily be completely cured. The upright carrying the hub, disk, wheel etc. is relatively flexible and twists marginally when stressed i.e. on full lock. You can demonstrate this by trying to turn the steering whilst the wheel is restrained by a kerb. If you lie underneath the car whilst an assistant tries to turn the steering you can observe the effect. One other problem that exacerbates the effect is a stiff calliper piston: normally the piston seal allows some movement of the pad (in or out) then returns the piston to where it was. (The seal flexes a small amount before it allows the piston to slide through it.) If the piston is stiff it remains where it's pushed by the disk - and it only moves back when you next apply the brakes.

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Stub Axels.

I understand that the hubs/stub axles were changed between the SE5 and SE5A (Later ones being stronger). I have just stripped the car, and the stub axles are identical in diameter to the spare I have which was 'guaranteed' to come from a late SE5A. The axle’s measures 1 inch diameter. at the inner bearing area, and 3/4 inch at the outer. Have I already got SE5A stub axles, or is my spare from a much earlier car? Interestingly, the back axle is the later 4HA type, although by the chassis number, this is quite an early (mid 1970) car).There were only two types of stub axles fitted to the 5 to 6B range. The difference between "early" & "late" (in Haynes parlance!) was that later stub axles used a larger outer bearing and were therefore thicker at the end nearest the nut. The inner bearing didn't change. I don't have any to conveniently compare but 3/4" sounds like a later stub axle.

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Switch Part Numbers.

Can anyone give me the Lucas part numbers for the wiper switch and the headlights switch on the se5a?Some while ago a good store man at the local Lucas parts was good enough to copy the Lucas parts for me. Wiper Switch:  1972-1975    Pt No 39126A Light switch:  1972    Pt No 35849A                            1973-1975    Pt No 39481ADo you have the part numbers for the other dash switches and the dimmer, as they all need replacing - unless there is a way to reprint the logos on them all as they have all worn off! I've given up the hope of trying to find illuminated switches that fit the large apertures. The dimmer has packed up completely and I have had to bypass it.The part numbers are as follows. Windscreen Wiper:  1972-75   PT 39126A Rear wiper: 1972-75   PT 39807A Washer front and back: 1972-75   PT 39806A Spot lamps: 1973-75   PT 39811A Panel light: 1972 on PT 78489A

Tracking and Camber.

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Can someone tell me the recommended toe-in for my 5A. I cannot find it in the manual anywhere. It's parallel or, if you're cautious like me, toeing in a tiny bit. It is mentioned in the Autobooks Manual. Anybody have the same info for a 86 GTC, I've just changed the rack and need to do the tracking. Also the steering wheel is now a bit off centre and rotating one spline takes it the other way.  I assume this can be rectified by "tracking" both wheels in one direction???. Tracking is parallel for the GTC. To do it all properly so that the wheel is central you need to: centralise the rack (pull the inner end of each gaiter off & measure from the back of the inner ball joint to the end of the rack tube); put the steering wheel on so it's in the straight-ahead position; have the tracking adjusted so that when the car is travelling straight ahead the steering wheel remains in the straight-ahead position. All this should only need doing once: in future tracking can be adjusted so the wheel is straight.As I'm old and I sometimes recall odd bits of technical information IIRC the Toe In should be 1 degree. I stand to be corrected but I'm pretty sure that this is correct.Well done you are quite correct. The figure of parallel is with a weight in both front seats.......ask at your local Quick Fit they should have a couple of dummies that they can use for the purpose or failing that they can use two punters that have their nose pushed up against the glass in the 'Keep your nose out of our workshop!' room. No, well set it as 1mm toe in and when you put your own body in the seat the tracking will then be parallel. And most important you will not get that tyre wear on the outside of the front tyres that seems almost compulsory on a scimitar.So the negative camber that is on my front suspension means I will not get faster wear on the inside of the tyres, rather will it all balance out to produce even wear after all.The correct setting for the camber angle is 0 degree- 1degree positive so I would suggest that you reset yours if it is negative. Not a big job. Make up a piece of wood that is just long enough to rest on the rim of the wheel top and bottom and not foul on the tyre. Make it approx 20mm wide and 40 mm thick and make very sure that the 40mm thickness  is exactly parallel for its full length. Put the car on a level surface and make sure that the front suspension is well settled, i.e. not been jacked up for a considerable time. Turn the wheels in the straight ahead position. Place the piece of wood on one of the front wheels, north to south, thick bit toward you, touching the wheel rim at the top and bottom. Place a reliable spirit level on the wood, preferably one that is as long or longer than the wood. The rest is pure grunt and sweat. By inserting or removing the shims behind the upper wishbone fulcrum ( the bracket that is bolted to the chassis by 4 x 3/8 bolts which the top wishbones are attached to) get the bubble in the middle on the level. In effect, the wheel straight up and not leaning in or out.

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Trunnion Steering Lock Stops.

Non power steering 6a The Trunnions have a removable bolt fitted which buts up against the steering lock stops. So, if the Trunnion is fitted incorrectly (i.e. it is screwed onto the vertical link too far) and, on full lock, it is the part of the Trunnion into which the removable bolt fits that comes into contact with the steering lock stop, thus reducing the amount of steering lock available. Question: Does the steering stop lock bolt have to contact the lock stops and if it doesn't (as described above) is the Trunnion too far 'on' the vertical link? In any manuals / books I have checked it's not possible to discover what an obvious answer looks. My car is as above, & checking the caster shows a setting of 6 degrees. Clearly way out, confirming incorrect Trunnion fitment, I wonder? Anyone ever come across this what seems incorrect Trunnion fitment before.If the stop were not there your track rod end would cut a groove in your brake disc.Hi, nearly correct, it’s the Trunnion bolt which cuts the groove,As Steve pointed out, it is the Trunnion bolt and bush cups which would rub against the discs if you had no Trunnion stops. I should know. My 6B rubs the discs! But rather oddly the Trunnions as supplied by GW for the 6B do not have any stops built in. Nor is there any tapped hole to screw a stop into. (Anyone else had that one?) Concerning castor, you need to check three things:- 1) Are the upper wishbones in the right position. It is possible to swap them over diagonally to shift the upper ball joint position backwards or forwards. If the more rounded curved one is at the front it will push the upper ball joint rearwards with respect to the Trunnion. This is the power steering arrangement. I think the non power has the curved upper wishbones to the rear (others with non power will doubtless advise if I am wrong here) 2) Look at the lower wishbone support mountings, which bolt on to the main chassis legs. These asymmetric mountings can be swapped from side to side and shift the location of the lower arms, and hence Trunnions, backwards or forwards. Clearly if you move the lower arms backwards you will reduce the castor and vice versa. These mounts were also the subject of a factory recall due to mechanical weakness so compare through files or GW website to make sure you have the up rated ones. 3) There are two types of Trunnion - one for power and the other non power, cast and machined at different angles.The 6B does not have lock stops - the Trunnions supplied are correct.

Fitting Trunnion Bolts.

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The Manuals have conflicting information and this is another Job on the GTE I only want to do once. I have a box of New Bits; it contains Trunnions, Trunnion Kits, Wheel Bearings and other stuff. When fitting the Wheel Bearings is it correct to fit the bearings dry (No Grease), fit the Hub to the Shaft with the Seal (Fibre bit) between Inside Bearing and Back Plate) and tighten until no play and hub turns OK, then make note of the position of the Nut, then undo, apply grease to bearings then reassemble until nut correct and fit split pin. When fitting the Trunnions, do I screw them up until no play or is there a "Correct Way" of how far. The Trunnion Kit, There are Four Washers, Four Washer Type Things that look as if they hold the Washers and "O" rings, and Inserts (Tube Thingies) and plastic Insert Things. I have made some Stainless Inserts in the hope that the Bolt will not rust to them in the future. I assume that the "O" Rings are an attempt to prevent water from getting into the assembly. When fitting the kit what order do the bits go, i.e. When putting the Bolt through the wishbone what order do the Washers, "O" rings, Inserts, Plastic Inserts go. Assemble the bearings - as they come with no additional grease - and no seal fitted. Adjust for zero play then back off to the nearest split-pin castellation. Mark the nut & stub axle then remove nut. Pack the hub completely with Moly grease leaving room for the stub to pass through. Fit the inner inner (if you see what I mean!) well greased then fit the oil seal. (The oil seal should have grease squeezed into the felt until it's fully soaked - oil as mentioned in the manual has a habit of spraying the back of the disc.) Fit hub to stub, grease outer outer then fit outer inner. Refit nut as marked then split pin. Leave hub cap empty & refit. Screw Trunnions on as far as possible then check they allow movement from lock-to-lock. Trunnion kit: Each wishbone eye should be assembled as follows:* slip a thin lipped washer over a plastic top hat (washer lip outwards) * Push assembly into wishbone arm eye* Do this for other side of eye * Fit the O ring thingies one around each plastic top hat brim * Push in the stainless inserts lightly greased coat the hat brims & O rings with grease.* Place the steel washers inside the lip of the lipped washers covering the hat brims with their O rings. * Repeat for wishbone arm two * Refit to Trunnion with new greased bolt & tighten to correct torque * check Trunnion is free to rotate within wishbones .I am sure you are explaining the Fitting of the Trunnion Kit OK but I seem to have difficulty understanding.Which bit is causing difficulty? It's one of those jobs that's easy to explain with the bits in your hand but not so easy with words alone. The thin steel cups fit against the wishbone eye open (lipped) side outwards. The plastic bush slips through, into the eye, to hold the cup in place. An O ring goes inside this assembly, around the rim of the top-hat, then a washer is placed against the 'brim' of the top-hat. The washer seals against the O ring to keep water & dirt out of the bush. This washer, and its partner on the other side of the eye, is in contact with the stainless sleeve and rotates with the sleeve.I think Tony's bearing and Trunnion fitting instructions are brilliant, apart from a little proof-reading slip in the last line: " * check Trunnion is free to rotate within wishbones " should read * check Trunnion BOLT is free to rotate within wishbones " I think Tony's second message clarifies the essential point that the: Trunnion Trunnion bolt " penny washers " stainless sleeves ALL form a solid, clamped assembly on the bolt and rotate as one unit WITHIN the nylon top-hats; that are themselves fixed within the wishbone eyes along with their lipped washers and O rings. I hope this is of help and doesn't confuse you more! P.S. this is why the Trunnion bolt/nut need to be done up damn tight to ensure all the components mentioned do stay clamped together and move as one. By damn tight I believe 40 - 50 ft-lb is correct. A trial assembly on the kitchen table should help; I know it did for me when I did it for the first time 22 years ago.

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Unleaded & Head Gaskets.

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Assuming that the se5a needs a conversion to run on unleaded, how can I check? The previous owner to the one I bought the car off rebuilt the engine and it hasn't been run since, so can I just take one of the heads off to check without causing any problems and without needing a new gasket?Every time you disturb any gasket on the Essex engine - you will need to replace the gasket with a good quality one....I didn’t mention price guys.... :-) You may be able to tell if the valve seats have been replaced or indeed fitted as most original heads used the cast seats that were machined directly into the cast iron - a small batch did not. Even if seats have been fitted - you may find that depending on the manufacturer of the seat - that the valve masks the seat if fitted. Also - there will be those - and myself is included here - who will tell you that for normal use - the use of unleaded is ok without modifications. This is the subject of much debate - and I don’t think that even the historic vehicle movement has been able to endorse any sort of action or product - other than to tell people that if they are unsure - then get the heads modified. I ran my SE5a for years and many thousands of miles without any mods apart from changing the ignition timing - just be reasonable and quite gentle in your use of those horses.I can only endorse the above comments. If you disturb a gasket in most cases you should replace it. This is most important with head, inlet manifold and exhaust gaskets. I will leave the fuel pump gaskets in place and the rocker box gaskets and I never get leaks. I have run my Essex's for years with leaded valves without any problem with valve seat recession. I sometimes drive relatively quick and sometimes on a quiet road, usually on the Yorkshire moors I will let my foot get a bit heavy. It goes like a gem, never overheats or suffers stress. But if you are having the heads off and the pennies are in the bank put inserts in.Based on the replies I'll run it as it is. I thought that perhaps as the engine hadn't been run, then the gasket sealant wouldn't have been released from the head gasket material - but if you both are running on unmodified heads, then so shall I ;)

Voltmeter Reading High (Intermittent).

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Hi - a while ago I mentioned the fact that the voltmeter on my then newish (and hence still slightly unfamiliar) SE6B was running at 15 volts which seemed a tad high. A change of alternator did not have any effect, and as the battery was not boiling off, bulbs blowing etc I put the problem down to a dodgy gauge (for which there seemed to be precedent from others' experiences - thanks for the reports of those by the way). Then one day after reconnecting the battery after doing some work on something (fitting the cooling fan relay I think), I noticed that the voltmeter had settled down to a more normal level - around 13.5 volts (all these readings are engine running without load), and this then turned out over the next days and weeks to be a steady reading. By now thinking it was maybe just loose battery connections all along (and hey, what's 50 quid for a new alternator?) I thought the problem was solved and got on with other things...like the sudden failure of my clutch slave cylinder! However, the voltmeter's back to it's old tricks again - up to 15 volts with no load. This happened suddenly yesterday. I know for a fact the battery and alternator connections are tight, the alt is brand new, the battery has the correct level of electrolyte, so I am at a loss. The only thing I have disturbed recently that is electrical is the earth braid from the clutch slave cylinder bracket to the chassis. Whilst it is difficult to see why this would have the observed effect on the voltmeter, I ran a quick check by earthing the engine to the negative terminal on the battery with a jump lead anyway. Sure enough, this did not alter the 15 volt reading so it would not appear to be that. Does anyone have any suggestions? Could it still be a dodgy gauge (i.e. not only dodgy but inconsistently dodgy - seems unlikely?!). Or was I along the right lines with the dodgy earth braid - maybe somewhere else though? I'd be very grateful for any thoughts. I guess my main worry is blowing up something expensive like the ignition module.Check the voltage across the voltmeter itself with a (preferably) digital meter. If the voltage is OK it's the (car) voltmeter. You can adjust it if you're careful. You may find it to be of interest whilst you have a digital meter to hand to check the voltage at various points with lights on etc. You'll be surprised at how much is lost in the wiring, Fuse box & switches!I had a small event with the 6a this morning in that the Volt meter went way up to the red bit 15v + . I looked at it in a threatening fashion for a while but it refused to drop again on the journey. When I got home I went in to get my digital meter and then re-started the car, the meter went up high again so I popped the bonnet and measured across the battery. Now this is where it all gets a bit hazy because it read either 13.6 or 14.6, and I can't remember which but either way it didn't make the 15, as the esv on the dash indicated and I do recall saying to myself, hmm that's ok. I wobbled the connector on the back of the alternator expecting a small neon sign to pop up saying 'that was it, you fixed it' but surprisingly it didn't but I do notice on subsequent journeys today the dash voltmeter has read normally. Concluding, I suspect that as the dash meter was momentarily reading high, yet the actual voltage was relatively normal and the dash meter is the item having the small problem. Reflecting further, I think the alternator connector wobble was a waste of effort.Well mine seems to be back to normal again now as well, for no particular reason I can discern! By "normal" I mean an indicated 14v (engine running with no load). When it was reading 15 under these conditions the battery voltage was 14.1 I think, by my digital meter. A little higher than the nominal 13.8 of a 12v battery but as nothing seems to be blowing up I think I will just keep my eye on it for now...The no-load output of a car alternator is normally 14.2 minimum - most have an upper tolerance higher than this. A nominally 12v lead acid battery needs to be brought up to 14.2 to achieve full charge. 13.8 is the voltage most suitable for maintenance, storage or float. Most so-called 'smart' car battery chargers attempt to charge to 14.2 then drop back to 13.8 to maintain full charge. They don't all achieve this of course!

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Wind Noise at Speed.

I have owned my 5a for 2 months and love it, all except that is the wind noise (not me the car) Anything over 70 MPH creates unbearable amounts of wind noise, especially from the driver’s side. at 80MPH the window frame starts to flex, the faster you go the more the window seems to get sucked out and the noisier it gets. Is this normal, I hope not? Is there a cure? The door seal's seem OK and the and window frame does not seem to be loose. Any ideas, or am I destined to be deafened whenever I travel anywhere at speed?.Take off the door panels and check the condition of the fixings of the window frame (2 top and bottom) These can rust away and it's quite hard to see the movement from outside. If they're ok adjust the door striker plates on the doorpost so that the door fits snugly when closed. If you still have a problem take off the doorframe seal and check that a 5/16 drill bit or similar just fits all the way round between the window frame and the frame lip. If not adjust the frame fixings you checked earlier. If all that doesn't work you need new door and frame seals!.Hi to cure this problem make sure you have good door body seals and that the window frame lip seals have not become hard as they need to grip the alloy roof guttering channel.Found that wind noise was much reduced when the rubber flaps in the rear extractor vents were put the right way round so air is extracted from the cabin. Presumably this creates a slight negative pressure (sucking the doors into the seals??) worked for me.

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Wiper Wheel Boxes Removal.

Has anyone replaced wiper Wheel boxes on an SE5?. My wipers are on their last legs, too stiff, need replacing. Motor is OK. Some helpful comments in SLICE (thanks to Stuart Conner) they seem to say access is behind the heat shield at back of engine. I removed mine this weekend but there seems no way to reach Wheel boxes. You can just about touch nearside one with one finger with a hard push but no way to do anything. Driver’s side seems impossible to get at. Is it necessary to cut into the fibreglass, this might be easier from the dashboard side. Any help welcome please, also where to get the bits.I've no experience of a 5 but your description of access to them suggests it's similar to 5A. If so you need to first undo the large nut on the end of the motor, remove the motor mounting nuts then withdraw motor rack cable (remove wiper arms first!). Then remove the nuts holding the Wheel boxes to the body (the large chrome ring nuts below the arm splines). If the Wheel boxes are salvageable it's often better to cut the nuts (Dremel handy) rather than risk the alloy wheel box threads. Once the nuts are off you can push the Wheel boxes simultaneously into the car so that you can reach the two nuts on the back of the NS wheel box. With these & the wheel box back plate removed you can separate the assembly into OS box + link tube, NS box, and motor to NS box tube & fish it all out. You may find bent steel water guards behind each wheel box that come out at the same time.If you remove the cover of the Wiper Motor, remove the lever that connects the Round Cam to the inner cable you can remove the cable from the wiper motor. You can now pull the Cable ( Make sure that the wiper boxes are unbolted from the scuttle panel ) toward the front of the car. This will move the right wiper box toward the hole that is exposed after the cover on the bulkhead is removed. You will now have easier access to the wiper box. Once this one is removed you can now push the cable in the other direction to push the left wiper box toward the access hole.

Bleeding Clutch.

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Having mounted a new clutch slave cylinder (Lockheed TR6) I trying to bleed the system with no success. Filled up the reservoir, opened bleeding at slave cylinder, wife pushed pedal and holds, closed bleeding screw, wife released pedal. Doing this several times has no effect to get the air out. At the bleeding screw there first came bubbles and the fluid, but the master cylinder seems to retain air inside. Does anyone know about this effect. (in advance: it is not he wife pushing the pedal!!!!) Is it possible that the master cylinder sucks air instead of fluid during releasing movement? In case of needed replacement: can I use a master brake cylinder as clutch master cylinder? Clutch slave cylinder has 7/8 bore.……………………………………………Clutch bleeding is always awkward because you are pushing air down whilst all the time it's trying to rise back up the pipe to the master cylinder. There are two methods that always work: Remove the slave & raise it up to the level of the MC with the feed pipe still connected. Bleed it in this position then replace it. Use a pressure bleeder. If available a Gunson Eezibleed is sensibly priced and makes brake & clutch bleeding a one-person job.……………………………………………..Ensure that the bleed nipple is fitted to the upper most connection and the feed pipe to the lower. I got it the wrong way round with the same result that you are experiencing.

Rear Wheel Bearing Removal.

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Remember reading that rear wheel bearing removal can be difficult. Is the best way written anywhere?………………………………………………………You need a very good hub puller and maybe a slide hammer.………………………………………….The only hard part is removing the hubs: they either fall off or are immoveable. If you have access to an hydraulic hub removal tool (or can make a simpler device from a 4" pipe flange) then you might get them off. If you can't the easiest way is to remove the brake plate bolts & pull the whole assembly out of the axle. Then you can take it to someone with a decent press. Reassembling it all is easy.……………………………………………………..As described in Slice issue 192 July-August 2003 use the following methods.:-From an industrial plumber supplier get a 4.5 pcd pipe flange and blanking plug-they are forged steel (they don’t cost much and well worth owning) Plug is two inch taper BSP, hollow with male head. The supplier will know exactly what you are talking about when you ask for these two items. 1. Screw plug by hand into flange. 2. remove hub nut and washer then replace them with the nut fitted loosely first followed by the washer on the outside...i.e. few thou gap between nut and hub. 3.Grease wheel studs and place the flange over them. The hub nut fits up inside the hollow plug. Fit washers and nuts onto studs and take up slack. AT THIS POINT I WILL NOTE THAT IN ORDER TO GET AN ORDINARY NUT ONTO THE STUDS SO IT WAS FLUSH WITH THE STUD END i.e. maximum number of threads engaged as I was fearful of stripping the stud threads. I HAD TO UNSCREW THE BLANK PLUG AND THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT TWO TO THREE THREAD TURNS ENGAGED IN THE FLANGE!!! PLAY WITH STUD NUT/PLUG COMBINATIONS TO GET THE BEST AMOUNT OF THREADS POSSIBLE ENGAGED (EVEN REMOVE WASHERS under wheel nuts ). Flange must be square to the hub. 4. Tighten up each wheel nut a half a turn at a time in rotation by hand to take up the initial slack. Now with a spanner and tommy bar keep repeating the half turns till the hub disengages with a pop or a BANG. I was wincing at the torque I was finally applying via the tommy bar thinking either the stud threads were going to strip or the plug threads were going to strip, and author Max Willis had a two foot pipe added to his tommy bar. NOTES. a. If you put the hub nut on too snug and the hub gives up easily you may not notice it letting go and may be trying to pull hub and hub nut off!!! not good. So at some stage you may want to satisfy yourself that the hub is still stuck by releasing the stud nuts and checking that the hub nut is still very free of the face of the hub, then reassemble and keep repeating the half turns. I ended up doing both my GTE and GTC virtually at the same time and all 4 hubs parted, two with a whimper and two with a bang. b.CAUTION DO NOT HIT THE PLUG WITH A HAMMER TO ATTEMPT TO CRACK THE TAPER AS YOU MAY DO WITH A NORMAL PULLER THE IMPACT COULD DAMAGE THE WHEEL BEARINGS. c. If all else fails and you have to remove the back plate, as advised elsewhere and pull the hub+bearings+shaft off the casing you may find this to be a bit of a problem.Apparently they just pull out (says one of the professionals) Mine did not! the first lot were removed by taking the nuts off the back plate bolts and putting and old car wheel, with the same pcd (Ford/Vauxhall??), onto the studs with wheel nuts and with the hub nut done up and hammering the wheel - this of course ruined the bearings but there seemed no other way round it --I hasten to add that this bit was done by my normally good local garage who were going to make up new radius arm brackets. ( I should explain this was done before I bought the flange and did it all the easy way.) I eventually used two fairly fat nuts and bolts between the hub and axle case to push the hub/bearing out from the casing end. Just screw nut onto bolt till it fits between hub and axle then unscrew nut - you may think of a better pusher but the above worked a treat NOTE I did this when the BACK PLATES WERE ALREADY OFF and I was adjusting the half shaft end float so cant remember whether the bolts would bear on the axle casing with the plates on -- I suspect not – in which case back to hammering old wheel and renew bearings!

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d. While you have hubs off it is well worth checking each half shaft end float with a dial gauge as excessive end float will very quickly damage the internals of the diff. If you haven’t got the workshop manual for all the figures, again it is well worth buying from the club (on CD) or elsewhere. When you take the bearings out be careful with the shims between the bearing retaining plate and the casing --- the thick thirty thou ones are still not too difficult to get but the thinner ones are VERY scarce. 3 thou 5 thou 10 thou. ANYBODY THROWING AWAY AXLES PLEASE REMOVE THE SHIMS AND DONATE THEM TO THE CLUB OR ONE OF THE SUPPLIERS. Queensberry did luckily get their hands on some just as I was getting desperate and unable to find any. SALISBURY AXLES - the manufacturers are still going and were very helpful (they only had limited supply of shims for their own use and were a bit reluctant to part with too many. Further Hint -Graham Walker supply a bearing and seals kit at a reduced price to buying all the items individually (I found out the hard way by buying just the oil seals for the GTE thinking the bearings were all right then having to buy the bearings after the above old wheel and hammer job) Hope this has not been too long winded but I always welcome as much description and reasons as possible as I find it takes so much guessing out of the job.d. DO NOT USE A NORMAL THREE LEGGED PULLER WITH A POINTED END TO TRY AND PULL THE HUB OFF. APART FROM DISTORTING THE HUB THE POINT WILL GO INTO THE HOLLOW END OF THE HALF SHAFT AND EXPAND IT. SOME PREVIOUS IDIOT HAD DONE THIS ON MY GTE AND THE SHAFT WAS SO EXPANDED THAT HE HAD TO FILE AWAY THE THREADS COMPLETELY BEFORE THE HUB NUT WOULD GO OVER THE END OF THE SHAFT AND ENGAGE WITH THE THREAD FURTHER UP. I HAD TO RUN A DIE UP THE HALF SHAFT AND IT CUT A GOOD WAY INTO THE EXPANDED END OF THE SHAFT. I ALSO FOUND THE NUT WAS CRACKED RIGHT THROUGH!

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Grease Squirting out of Trunnions.

I know this subject has brought varying opinions among scimitar gurus but I’m not sure what to do here. Last year I rebuilt my front suspension with all new bushes and Trunnions. Everything seemed fine and I passed the MOT no probs. After the first 250miles I put her up on jacks to grease the Trunnions. On the drivers side I pumped fresh grease in till it oozed out the top like its supposed to. when it came to the other side some oozed out the top but the 'penny' partially popped out and grease came out the bottom. As I have read many articles about Trunnions before that said this is a tell tale sign that the Trunnion is no good. So I phoned the trader that I purchased them from and I was told that its not a big concern, just tap it back in with a hammer and it should be OK. Now it seems that every time I go to grease them they get worse and I keep having to tap both sides back in and now its at the point where grease will only come out the bottom. I was thinking of taking them off and squeezing the bottom of the brass carefully in the vice to prevent them from popping out or screwing them out 1 turn to leave more space at the bottom (in case the vertical link is putting pressure on them). Anyone have any tricks or should I just bin them and get new ones? I don't want to leave it go because it could be possibly dangerous. Any help would be greatly appreciated.………………………………………………………………………………………Mine are fairly new on my 6a and they do the same so I don’t think new ones will be much better. I have heard (probably on this group) of them being soldered in place, but when I tried it my blow torch wasn’t big enough to develop enough heat for the job. I was thinking of trying oil or thinner grease next time in the hope it might flow around the joint better without building up pressure like grease does.………………………………………They should be lubricated with a very thin or soft grease, preferably a moly grease. You can use gear oil with moly. The pressure required to push the grease through is forcing the plug out of the bottom. Tap the plug back in and with a centre punch just peen in the outer edges of the brass Trunnions so as to create a positive lip to hold the plug in. But use a light very mobile grease. I believe on the Triumph 2000 gear oil was specified.…………………………………………….I solder mine in from new and have not had a bottom pop out since I started doing this - another trick is to cut another oil way up the Trunnion to reduce the effect of a possible blockage. I also use a mixture of oil ( ep90) and grease not just grease.………………………………………………………..Regarding fitting, you talk about backing them off slightly - I believe that is the correct technique for fitting them, it's certainly the way I've always done them, they should not be done up tight to the end of the thread, otherwise there is a danger that when the steering is turned to full lock it may bind or that the upright will be screwed too far into the Trunnion, applying pressure to the end cap.……………………………………………………………For lubricant, personally I use Moly Grease, but this has been debated over the years with some people using a mix of part oil/part grease and some recommending oil. Reliant recommended grease, but I think when the suspension was originally designed oil was used. (I suspect the most important thing is that it's done properly and regularly, rather than exactly what's used!).……………………………………………………….Another trick is to place another jack with a thick washer or suitable coin on under the Trunnion, wind it up till there is a good load on it and then apply the grease pressure.…………………………………………………………………There are three issues here. 1. Assuming the Trunnions supplied are properly made with the end caps properly fitted (i.e. adequate groove and peening over) and there is the proper groove machined from top to bottom of the threads, then it would take excessive pressure via the grease to pop the ends out and something would have to be blocking the movement of the grease which would otherwise come out of the top of the Trunnion. 2. As previously discussed in RSSOC SLICE a light molybdenum grease is good - or mix with heavy oil if you must or even just use heavy oil. 3. I feel that for a trader to advise to just knock them in with no further remedial work is irresponsible. Who were they from so we can all avoid getting substandard items/advice?? To cure your problem however I am afraid means taking Trunnions off. Check that there is a

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groove running top to bottom at right angles to and just beyond the threads inside the Trunnion (see SLICE article) and that the groove is just deeper than the bottom of the thread depth. Thoroughly clean the Trunnion and end cap for soldering in position. Ensure there is an adequate groove for the cap to sit in. The cap should be slightly dished and difficult to get into the groove. The cap needs to be knocked into position with a large dished punch - reason- if you get it right the dished cap flattens out and gets tightly wedged into the groove - get it wrong and all you do is make a dent in the cap which actually shrinks it and makes it smaller!! Using a fairly sharp punch you can also go round hitting the Trunnion just away from the edge of the join - that is the peening somebody else spoke about - this obviously puts many small dents in the Trunnion so the metal is stretched out over the end cap. Again the proper fitting of the end cap by the manufacturer should have rendered this not necessary. Now comes the clean bit- it must be clean for soldering. Use a small gas blow torch or very large soldering iron to solder round the edge of the join of the cap to the Trunnion (this is only belt and braces for what should be a properly engineered job in the first place). When soldering you can use a flux. A wonder fluid for use when soldering is Bakers Fluid it cleans up the metal a treat being corrosive (remember to wash off all traces after finishing soldering. The only source I know is from Axminster power tool centre at Axminster Devon and Faversham in Kent - www.axminster.co.uk or 0800 371822 and the item order numbers are: BAK125 for 125 ml at 4.34 pounds or BAK250 for 250 ml at 6.13 pounds.....they do mail order. (anyone knowing of another source in N Devon or around Exeter please let me know). The workshop manual on the CD does not go into detail but, If I remember, the fitting sequence is to screw Trunnion on till it bottoms then unscrew it till it is in its correct alignment (if this is less than half a turn you will need to unscrew another full turn -but please check this in the article in SLICE --(common sense can prevail here. remember the front wheel only moves through about 90 degrees lock to lock so it only needs unscrewing enough so that on full lock there is a clearance between the upright and the Trunnion).

Ride Height

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I hope in the next couple of weeks fit new Shocks and Springs. They are adjustable types and I would like to adjust the ride height to "Normal" before experimenting. What is the correct ride height for a 1972 SE5a. Tyre profiles could make a small difference so is the measurement from the wheel arch to the ground or from the wheel arch to the centre of the wheel. Is this measurement the same at the Front and Rear. This relates to my question a while ago. GAZ Shocks and up rated Springs purchased and when units fitted I will take pictures and give my thoughts.………………………The book says ground clearance ( chassis ) 5.5" (140mm) - sounds about right but you can play with it to suit your own preferences with your new shocks.……………………………….Where is the ground clearance measured - at the lower edge of the bump tray under the radiator???…………………………Chassis main beams - either side of the engine and beside the rear cross tubes.…………………………….A strong school of thought via the Rew was that the lower wishbonesshould be parallel with level ground for a good handling set up.……………………………

Ignition Switch Operation and Repair

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Acknowledgment toDennis Nicholas

This is how it works....will assume no knowledge of electrics.1. The ignition switch has 4 terminals numbered 1 2 3 and 5 (4 is not used)2. The battery positive voltage is connected by a fairly thick brown to terminal on the ignition switch.3. With key on off position (or removed) nothing is connected inside the ignition switch.4. With the key turned to the first position 1 is connected to 5 which puts positive voltage only on the radio/aerial motor through green/slate wire. 5. With key turned to second position (normal position when you are driving) 1is connected to 5 and 3. (Turn to third spring loaded position and 1 is connected to 3 and also to 1, white/red which supplies voltage to starter solenoid - 5 is disconnected in this position.6. Terminal 3 -WHITE wire is the positive voltage to supply all the bits of the car that work only when the ignition is switched on so it goes to a joint from which several white wires are taken to various bits of the car. 7. one of these goes direct to the warning light. The other side of the warninglight has a brown and yellow (thin) wire that goes to the alternator IND terminal which is connected to diodes inside, which in turn are connected to the coils that generate the voltage and also to the field coil and regulator which controls the amount of magnetic field and hence the amount of voltage generated in the coils.8. When the voltage being generated at the diodes/field coil/IND terminal equals the battery voltage from the ignition switch white wire, no current flows and the ignition light goes out. 9. Therefore possible faults:- a. With key in off position there should be no voltage on ignition switch terminal 3. (and hence none on the thin brown/yellow at the alternator). Checkwith a meter ( or a 12V light bulb with the main body connected to negative ofbattery and a wire soldered to little contact on the base used to probe ontopoints to be tested) for voltage at terminal 3 if voltage present then there isa problem in the ignition switch. Remove the terminal from 3 and if ignition lightgoes out and there is still 12 volts on terminal 3 you have found the problem.....a short inside the ignition switch. a.1. The ignition switch can easily be dismantled for inspection and cleaning if you are careful when bending the metal casing where it is crimped in 3 places to retain the fixed plastic body with the terminals mounted on it. A small grub screw holds the switch in position on the end of the ignition key/lock body. This is on the back (towards the seat) side of the assembly and when removed will allow the switch to pull off the end leaving a flat spade inside the key/lock body - that is the bit that turns the insides of the switch round when the key is moved. Inside the switch is a rotating plastic body with 3 hollows. There are 3 springs - one in each hollow that press on an oblong copper contactor plate which rotates to connect to the output connections 2,3,5. On the other side of the rotating plastic body is a ball bearing that sits between the body and the metal base to provide positive location stop points for each of the ignition key positions. (indentations in the metal body). Also on the same side is a spring round the shaft to provide spring loading when key is rotated to position 3 to operate the starter motor. Be assured nothing goes ping and disappears across the room when taking it all to bits! Just be careful when opening up not to drop the 3 springs and the ball (the other spring is fairly well held captive in the plastic rotor). You will be able to work it all out when you see it in bits. Clean all parts and smear contacts with electrical contact grease. Ordinary grease for ball. It may be that the shaft that turns the rotating plastic and contact plate has worn and the plate is in the wrong position so is in position 3 when it should be in position zero and when you turn the key to position 1 the plate goes to position zero!-Unlikely because of the spring loading. OR b. Positive of battery is connected by 2 thick brown to alternator which is thus always live. Since there should be no connection on the white wire side of the ignition warning lamp to anything with the key in off position there may be a short to earth somewhere along this white wire and an internal fault in the alternatorallowing battery voltage through to the ignition warning light via brown and yellow thenvia short to earth (battery negative) and hence light on with key off....when key goes to on then the same voltage is supplied to both sides of lamp and light goes out BUT that would also produce smoke as battery would be connected direct to earth!!

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Rear Window to Body Seal.

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The rear Window to Body Seal is in good condition except over the years it has bent outwards away from the body. Can I take it out and refit so the seal becomes tight against the body.…………………………………………………………….The rubber normally has a slight bend but can be reversed. The Rear Window will have to be removed to remove the rubber. Not a difficult job. The only thing to take care with is when closing the Rear Window is to make sure that the Seal bends outwards and does not become bent inwards. The seal will eventually take the shape and not twist inwards. The Rear Window may need more of a shove to close.

Axel Oil Seal2.

I’ve searched the archive and found some helpful stuff on replacing the pinnion oil seal, but don’t know if this is my problem. There is definitely a leak, but it seems to be from the inside

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of the prop shaft flange where the nut is and not from round the outside of the flange where it meets the diff casing. Is this normal?…………………………………………………………………I have heard of this one before and yes I think oil can get out down the splines and out behind the nut. A solution is to use some instant gasket on the prop shaft/pinion drive flange mating faces.……………………………………………………………………………..I knew about the breather on the axle tube from previous posts on this site but not about the ones opposite the grease nipples. I think that I will firstly try fitting the axle with the seal as itis and then use the instant gasket on the prop shaft flange as suggested. I can always change the seal later if I need to.……………………………………………………………………………….Also, to paraphrase Michael Caine, not a lot of people know about the 2 vent-holes on the rear wheel-bearings themselves. They are exactly opposite the wheel-bearing grease-nipples [i.e. facing forwards] and tend to get blocked up by road grot. The result is that when you next give the rear wheel-bearings a couple of pumps of the grease-gun, there's nowhere for the pressure to be released except either through the inner seal [grease goes along the halfshaft and into the axle-tube] or the outer seal [grease comes out round the drive-flange and into the brake drum]. Neither of these are good ideas! Find, and clean out, all your rear axle vent-holes!………………………………………………………………………………..Armed with my new oil seal from GW, I finally dismantled the rear oil seal on my GTC in hope of stopping the drip from the diff. Unfortunately the flange, pinion is quite grooved from the old oil seal and I think will also have to be replaced. The question is whether I should then also get a new collapsible spacer and go through the whole process. I remember Val Walkertelling me some years ago with my Se6a that one should always replace all the components together as a seal by itself will not affect a long lasting repair.…………………………………………………………………………………..Unless your axle needs an overhaul don't bother, it is a major job. Was the oil seal you removed a leather one? If so, and the new one is a neoprene one then you will find that the seal bears on a different area on the flange and you may get away with just the seal. Clean up the flange as best you can, if it still leaks then order a new one. As mentioned recentlya smear of Hylomar or the like on the splines will prevent oil passing along them. Don't worry too much about the collapsible spacer; my torque wrench goes off the scale at 200lbs/ft before it starts to collapse!. The manual states 140lbs/ft. I trust you marked things before taking it apart?.………………………………………………………………………………………I'm still unsure from your answer if I replace the flanged pinion, do I need to replace the collapsible spacer. The old seal was a neoprene one but a different configuration to the new GW one. I did punch mark the nut and shaft to reassemble to the same torque. I guess the answer really is if the flanged pinion is identical dimension depth then it should be ok.……………………………………………………………………………………..There is no reason to replace the spacer, it is there to set the preload on NEW bearings. As you have already worked out your marks would only be relevant to the old flange, so it is down to torque, as I said before it takes a lot of torque to crush the spacer, put on the spot I would say 100lbs/ft would take up any clearance. …………………………………………………………………………………………….Having just rebuilt my axle I would still plumb for changing the pinnion oil seal as mine seemed fine but in actual fact was quite warn I did manage to find a modern replacement mechanical seal as opposed to using a leather seal. Most bearing suppliers will matchthe size of you old leather seal to a modern equivalent. I changed all the seals in my axle and it is now as dry as a bone no leaks anywhere, don’t forget about the breather hole (drivers side about 30cm away from the hub end roughly in the centre of the tube at therear of the car)if this is blocked it can blow your seals with pressure build up. Lastly advice given me by Salisbury axles was to use threadlock on the flange splines.

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Rear Axel Wheel Bearings ( Greasing ).

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Pumping grease in the nipples of the rear wheel bearings causes that the grease comes out inside the brake drum at he shaft. Costs me a set a new brake shoes because the grease went onto the shoes is there a fault?. Is there a hole blocked where normally the grease comes out if the bearing is filled?…………………………………………………………………There is a hole on the opposite side of the axle to the grease nipple which must not be clogged up otherwise the oil seal may have failed. Not difficult to replace if you can get the hub off.……………………………………………………………………………..There should be a leather seal to prevent this.……………………………………………………………………………..There is a relief hole, yes. Its 180 degrees round from the grease nipple. If it gets clagged up with road filth there's no way for the pressure to go except - as you've discovered – by blowing a seal. If you're lucky it blows the inner one between the bearing and the axle-tube so the excess grease goes into the diff. You were unlucky and it blew the outer seal, greasing your brake shoes. ……………………………………………………………………………….To change the seal the hub has to be pulled off the taper on the half-shaft. Expect a struggle.

Oil Pump Info

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Does anyone know the size of the oil pump pressure relief spring from a standard oil pump (Essex Engine) as there seems to be some confusion between the standard spring and a high pressure pump spring. I know the size of the high pressure spring, 45mm uncompressed length, 13mm diameter and 10 turns ( 10 Coils ). Possible that the gauge of wire is different but I understand that the difference is in the size and coil/turns. Any help as always appreciated.………………………………………………………………….I give this as information to those who may be interested. The information has come from a well known and respected company who know the Essex engine very well.

The Essex Engine always had a standard pressure pump fitted. There could be some pumps that have had shims fitted under the spring by some owners but this was not a recognised modification, the correct way was to fit a stronger spring. High pressure pumps as supplied are normal pumps with the stronger spring fitted. It is not advised to fit a stronger spring in a pump that has excessive wear. There were no pumps made that had larger vanes etc in the pump. There is a different pump that was used for competition Engines but this was for a dry sump system. 10w 40 oil is OK unless the car is for competition use. One of the main problems with a lower oil grade in a worn engine is the size of the mains and big end bearings requiring a good quality oil to lubricate and to help dissipate the heat away from the bearing area. The advice is if the engine is in good condition and has good oil pressure (For an Essex engine) a lower grade oil is OK for normal use. If there is wear in the engine that results in lower than normal oil pressure 20w 50 should be used especially if the engine runs very hot. As advised this information comes from a well respected company but makes sense to me.

Rear Hub Half shaft Extractors

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What most people overlook is that it not the extraction of the halfshaft that is the problem, it is separating the hub from the shaft. It is easy to withdraw the whole shaft complete with brake back plate from the axle using a slide hammer. The inner race of the bearing can then be ground off to release the backplate and the shaft and hub taken to a local engineering shop who have a press and the two separated at a cost of a couple of pints.…………………………………………It is much easier to pull out the half shaft with the hub and bearing on it and press everything of it takes a lot less grunt, take out the bolts on the bearing leave the back plate loose with everything stripped out put an old wheel and tyre on and belt it with a big mallet or hammer this will pull the bearing out and the lot will just slide out.…………………………………………………..

Do what I did when faced with the same problem: take out the four bolts holding the bearing-retainer/back-plate to the axle, disconnect the handbrake cable/brake-pipe, and use a slide-hammer on the wheel studs to pull the whole assembly - hub, retainer, halfshaft, bearing, brake backplate - out of the axle tube. Then take it all to your local engineering shop and see if there’s anyone there who - in exchange for a few beer-tokens - will do the flange from-shaft-separation job in their lunch hour using their big hydraulic press.…………………………………………………………..

Replacing Overdrive

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I have gone and destroyed my overdrive (overdrive on when switch off into reverse cue nasty grinding noise). Thankfully I have what I believe is a spare working overdrive. I have both gearboxes off and ready to transfer the overdrive unit from one to the other. Is it simply a bolt one off and bolt the other on job or is it more involved? Oh before you ask, the gearbox that the good overdrive on is buggered! Any tips or advice would be welcome.

…………………………………………………………………It is a fairly straightforward job with a few items worth noting. If the box is out its easier, with box in you may need to 'fashion' a spanner for one of the top large nuts i.e. cut and weld! Makes life easier. The main thing you have to be careful of is the oil pump drive. There is a concentric/ 'cam' piece fitted to the main shaft which the O/D pump has to locate onto. The pump is the vertical rod on the front of the overdrive with a small wheel attached at its base. You need to turn the gearbox mainshaft so the large part of the lobe is downwards {IIRC} or the pump won’t slide over the cam when you reassemble. You may be lucky and remove it by just the four main nuts [11/16 I think], but you may have to remove the 9 or ten 7/16 nuts and separate the o/d from the adaptor first. It may sound hard but its not. Just don’t lose the woodruff key holding the cam in place or you have to take it all apart again!!!!!!! as the cam doesn’t turn. Check all this on the knackered unit first.

…………………………………………………………………A couple of other thoughts:1. Is the inhibitor switch working? Though I’m not an electrical guru, I wouldn’t have thought that reverse polarity on the dashboard switch would in itself have been the only cause of your problem – if you changed round the way the switch worked, shouldn’t the inhibitor switch still have prevented disaster? This tends to suggest that the inhibitor switch is U/S as well, so while you’re messing around with the gearbox that would be the ideal time to fix it and get peace of mind for the future.2. The oil supply for the gearbox and the o/d is common, so if the gearbox that the “good” o/d is attached to is “Donald ducked” it would be worth checking the o/d thoroughly for swarf and other nasties and cleaning out the filter while you’re at it.

…………………………………………………………………You don't say which overdrive it is you have - the earlier ones need a lotof care when removing the overdrive according to my gearbox man - you haveto have the gearbox with the o/d uppermost to start with.

…………………………………………………………………I have replaced both types with the box in the car as well as on the bench.The item requiring care is the oil pump seating correctly on the cam driveto prevent distorting the pump 'housing' or push rod depending on model. Infact I think letting the weight of the overdrive down onto the cam whilegetting it to seat into the oil pump drive could be detrimental so I wouldhave advised the opposite to having the box upright. I guess its personalpreference. The early one is more hassle due to the way the gear change linkage fits.

…………………………………………………………………If I understand correctly I should strip the overdrive from the gearbox with the unit vertical and overdrive uppermost, is that correct?

…………………………………………………………………One other thing to remember for reassembling - there are two sets ofsplines in the OD which need to be lined up before the gearbox shaftwill slide all the way in.

…………………………………………………………………Just took both overdrives off and both are damaged. I took the rear overdrive housing off the theoretically good one and the small nylon worm gear is stripped and the large bearing is shagged too. I guess I'll just try and make one good one out of the two. Does anyone knowwhich part usually gets destroyed when you reverse with the overdrive on?

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I have never taken a destroyed one apart so cannot assist too much. I have however had them apart for gasket changes and can tell you the clutch faces are delicate. They rely on the pressure to help locate, it would appear, so I would resist or be very careful how you clean them before reassembly. I don’t think or see why the clutch would go if you used the o/d in

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reverse, they are cone clutches. I think it’s more to do with damaging the sun gear in some way but I don’t really know. I suggest you talk to these guys for advice and parts: - http://www.overdrive-repairs.co.uk/ This company was very chatty when I saw them at a show, and is the solution to owners with a 3speed auto [BW35 etc] http://www.overdrives.co.uk/ so you may get advice from them.

…………………………………………………………………I've been in a situation where I've put the car in reverse while having accidentally left the overdrive on and all that happened with me was the clutch seemed to slip and wouldn't give me drive until I switched the overdrive off. Not sure if it's suppose to work like that but that's what happens with mine.

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Yes I have had that too, I guess the planet gears and sun gear 'lockup' in some way and if you’re lucky the clutch slips. If it doesn’t slip then you get the breakage?

…………………………………………………………………The clutch that breaks is not the friction cone clutch but the ‘one way’ clutch which is a steel ring of little stepped ramps trapping some rollers. Its purpose is to prevent the engine seeing the drive load disappear during the change over from direct drive to overdrive thus going to max rpm. If overdrive is engaged and the car goes in reverse then all the power is transferred from the engine to the wheels via this ring and it shatters.

…………………………………………………………………For clarity it’s perhaps worth mentioning that “ I’ve put the car in reverse while having accidentally left the overdrive on  “ is not normally a problem, as the inhibitor switch means that as soon as you change out of third the overdrive disengages anyway (regardless of the position of the dash switch). It would *only* be a problem if your inhibitor switch isn’t working. So by far the best preventative measure is to fix the inhibitor switch – it may save you from an expensive mishap.

…………………………………………………………………I believe if you reverse with the overdrive engaged, the cone clutch and unidirectional (roller) clutch actually fight by virtue of the difference in speed through the epicyclic gear train. The roller clutch looses. I've done it but only very briefly and got away with it (maybe the cone clutch slipped enough) but it was an object lesson in squirting a bit of WD40 on the inhibitor switch!

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