Stuff you have fixed today

[roblane65]

ahhh the good old days ........ points condensers and rotor arms well perhaps not brings back memories though .

 

[Richard Stowe]

Unbelievable lack of knowledge there by the garage. I remember many issues on my Austin Healey of miss fires when Lucas went over to 'Made in India' rotor arms - they used to break down electrically.

I always carried a hidden spare as that was one very effective security measure - remove the rotor arm and put it in your pocket. Work of a moment to remove / refit it.

Thinking about it I still have a complete rebuilt distributor assembly tucked away somewhere that I never used !

these day's you £500+ plus for an imobliser so why do something simple like taking out a rotor arm

 

[Seadog]

Thought what through?

No had a few cables kicking around and don't need to buy crimps etc
Just shaved the key off the connector as it fouled the motherboard inserting it upside down. There's a sticker informing any new owner of the fact.

Clearly you have

 

[AVI_8]

Not really, most vehicles we get in are 2000 onwards and have individual coil packs etc. the service receptionists do have a good grasp of most common cause & effect issues and they're not trained (or mostly, even interested in) basic combustion engine or EV systems - which is good for us because it means they don't 'pre-diagnose' or say stupid things to the drivers.

I remember the 'Intermotor' brand of ignition components, nice boxes but the contents were of variably poor 'quality'.... made Lucas occasionally look good!

My problem is in reverse, I’m happy with anything with a dizzy, trying to diagnose modern emission faults though, just as well I drive old cars.

 

[indy4x]

I remember the 'Intermotor' brand of ignition components, nice boxes but the contents were of variably poor 'quality'.... made Lucas occasionally look good!

So do I, absolute rubbish

I always hunted down genuine Lucas stuff as it tended to be pretty good

 

[James1979]

There's only two of us in the workshop that have actual experience of rotary ignition systems, a couple of the tech's had seen pictures at college though!

That makes me feel old!

I avoided petrol stuff and still do but you always ended up helping mates and family and things so worked on plenty in the dim and distant past. Odd to imagine the newer guys haven’t. Just take it for granted I guess.

That said, I’m with @AVI_8 on the computers. Son of one of my customers is 19, they have dealer level DAF and Scania computers and he knows them inside out and back to front. He can interrogate it down to component level. Leaves me standing.

 

[Melvyn Best]

I had a Peugeot 504? with a V6 that had cold starting problems many years ago that I took the inlet manifold off to get to the distributor cap , there was a 1/2 inch section of the rotor arm conductor missing with tracking marks all round the inside of the cap , amazed it even run

 

[Ubique]

That makes me feel old!

I avoided petrol stuff and still do but you always ended up helping mates and family and things so worked on plenty in the dim and distant past. Odd to imagine the newer guys haven’t. Just take it for granted I guess.

That said, I’m with @AVI_8 on the computers. Son of one of my customers is 19, they have dealer level DAF and Scania computers and he knows them inside out and back to front. He can interrogate it down to component level. Leaves me standing.

Due to emissions regs, newer diesel stuff is more complex and has more ancillary equipment than petrol engined vehicles, Like most of a 'certain age', I was brought up to think cars were always petrol and trucks were nearly always diesel. I don't mind working on either but having to think back to last century tech after the previous job being LIN problems to air distribution motors takes a few minutes of adjustment...

 

[magnet]

Repaired my wheelbarrow handles. Giving her a refurb got a bit of graft on in the next few weeks

 

[m_c]

Not really, most vehicles we get in are 2000 onwards and have individual coil packs etc.

This is the thing the 'older' generation don't seem to grasp.
I've been in the trade for over 20 years now, and I don't think I've ever worked on a paying customers car that had a distributor.

I remember one of my managers complained to the college about us not being taught about carbs and points, and the colleges reply was, what good is it teaching apprentices about obsolete technology?
At that point, carbs and points hadn't been fitted to production vehicles for nearly 10 years. Even distributors were a dying thing, as wasted spark coils were simpler, cheaper, and more reliable.
For those wanting to check dates, 1991 was when catalysts became a legal requirement on new vehicles, and it was hard to meet fuelling requirements with a carb, and electronic ignition had taken over before then as it was far more reliable.

To say a garage has a lack of knowledge about technology that hasn't been commonly fitted for over 30 years, is like saying current IT professionals have a lack of knowledge because they can't program using COBOL or fix an 80s computer.

 

[awemawson]

What no hot bulb engines M-C

(And if they can't program in COBOL it IS a lack of knowledge, but not necessarily knowledge that you'd reasonably expect them to have - to be pedantic!)

 

[m_c]

What no hot bulb engines M-C

(And if they can't program in COBOL it IS a lack of knowledge, but not necessarily knowledge that you'd reasonably expect them to have - to be pedantic!)

I know you're old, but not that old, although I*'m sure there are probably some people around who think that would be a valid addition to any training

Thought you'd like the bit about COBOL

 

[awemawson]

I cut my teeth with FORTRAN, but I did at one time have a COBOL compiler running on an early AT PC that I had so you're spot on.

 

[Edward Teach]

Repaired my wheelbarrow handles. Giving her a refurb got a bit of graft on in the next few weeksView attachment 332071View attachment 332072View attachment 332073

Had you worn it out

 

[Brad93]

Quick job this afternoon.

Piece of equestrian arena equipment.

Someone forgot their grease gun...

Washed the first bearing off with oxyacetylene. No damage to shaft.

Other bearing has failed and ate the shaft. Turned a drilling jig, drilled 5.0mm and then 12.7mm.

Machined a stub piece from EN8 to 1" with a ½" step.

Heated the piece of equipment up and tapped the new stub into my drilled hole.
Shrink fit.

New bearing fitted a treat.

Left the weld under 1" so I didn't have to grind.

Reassembled new bearings onto shaft with plenty of nickel graphite.

 

[magnet]

Had you worn it out

No 20 years under the hazel tree in the garden had taken its toll. Cheaper to fix they're stupid money to buy new.

 

[nickk]

Customer wanted two sections of straight s/h fence,made into two sections of quarter circle segments,he had one partly bent and one to copy,I’ve left the partly one alone ,as I’ll make that into another straight one,I’d rather start with a fresh straight one to make curved,all done on the outdoor fly press,with assistance.
It’s wrought iron,so more malleable than steel.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

A few post ago there was a debate on points.
In a recent bundle of tools. This box was found.

In it was this bit of rust and steel.

I recall doints points and condessors in the 80's up to the late 90's.

I had a 104. The dizzy was deep down. I used to carry a spare coil, HT leads and a complete dizzy. As the dam thing would dift the points gaps.

 

[pcwizme]

Today (well yesterday and today) I finally fixed the starter solenoid on the Landy, lots of laying on the floor had the motor out, got the solenoid rebuilt and put back this morning and it starts first time every time. The kit was easy to fit and cheaper than half an hour with my tame mechanic.

I am pretty sure it would not have lasted much longer as the plunger was looking horrific!

 

[Edward Teach]

A few post ago there was a debate on points.
In a recent bundle of tools. This box was found.

View attachment 332226



In it was this bit of rust and steel.


View attachment 332227

I recall doints points and condessors in the 80's up to the late 90's.

I had a 104. The dizzy was deep down. I used to carry a spare coil, HT leads and a complete dizzy. As the dam thing would dift the points gaps.

A quick file and wipe over and they will be fine.