@that ain't the way to have fun, son: That is the beauty of air-brake system, it was engineered into the system.The inventor's name escapes me at the moment.What were you working on?
Our diesel-pusher motorhome's air system (brakes & suspension). The base is a 1999 Freightliner XC chassis w/a Cummins ISB and an Allison MT-643.
The purge valve started sticking open, and the first time, we were in a hurry, so I nudged it with a screwdriver, and it closed right up.
This time, I decided to take it apart, wipe any funk off it, lube the O-rings with silicone grease, and see if that helps. It's been a week, and it's not re-stuck, so I'm pretty happy. I was also thrilled to see how simple it all is.
We're headed to Lost Wages for X-mas break, so we'll take the apartment with us.
@that ain't the way to have fun, son:It's always good to hear about simple repairs that successful save the day and get you home.Technically ,nice work.
Murilee, remember that if you own a British car, Moss Motors and Victoria British are your friends if you own something common, such as a Spridget, an MGB, a TR or Spitfire, a Sunbeam, a Big Healey, or a Classic Mini. If you own a Lotus, then Dave Bean Engineering and JAE are your allies. Otherwise, Kip Motor Company and vendors in the UK are your only shoulders to lean on if your Lucas electrics or S.U. fuel-system parts are acting up and need to be fixed or replaced.
Am I the only one that is not the least bit surprised that the Sprite portion of the 20R powered Sprite is cobbled together from several other cars? That's probably how it ended up with the 20R in the first place -- the 3rd or 4th engine crapped out, and the previous owner had managed to roll his Hilux off a cliff, salvaging only the engine.
"We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, do hereby promote Dual Reservoir Master Cylinders, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
My 97 Marquis busted worn out brake lines with an emergency stop when an idiot pulled out in front of me. I did get stopped but the warning light didn't come on. I'm hoping somehow all the warning lights have magically shorted out because they are such a worry-- a thorn in the side of peaceful driving. Or something like that.
@that ain't the way to have fun, son: Well, I think that when the warning light comes on, it should also flash how much the repair cost is going to be and what the consequences are for not doing so.
So: Bing! Busted Shock. $25 bucks plus labor. Consequence: Possible difficulty to control in emergency situations.
Bing! 100,000 mile checkup! $Ton of Money plus labor. Consequence: Catastrophe within next 50,000 miles, likely starting with timing.
Sensory information other than Bing! (pre bing days): Brake pedal goes mushy but not to floor, car does not slow well. Late night, poor student and buddy; superglue line link, limp home. Cost: Nothing. Consequence: Bitch job to replace line because glue has adhered to all the wrong things. Revised cost: Just the brake line and fluid but 2 extra hours of fiddling.
Bonus points for making me laugh this early knowing I have three weeks of work Hell coming my way starting tomorrow.
BTW, I've been outta school for quite a while, and yes, I've owned a new vehicle, and a couple of newer ones, but at the same time, I welcome being able to perform temporary fixes which are genius, in retrospect.
Oh, and you have my condolences about the superglue getting everywhere. I learned a very well-ingrained lesson about canned expanding insulation foam (Great Stuff...I remember the name all too well) back in, ironically, college, and why you never want it to dry on skin, which it does disturbingly quickly.
Took a month for the skin it was on to shed. Beware when using it in tight quarters....
@MadMechanic: Hey, my house is the equivalent of a Model T on its 15th engine swap: built of iron-hard redwood sometime between the start of the Gold Rush and 1880 and hacked up by every owner since then. I just wish I could find a house junkyard.
New brake hoses? But the ones you took off are just barely rotted. They'd last at least another 250 miles. In a Spridgets lifetime, that like, 9 years.
My mother had one of these. She and three (THREE!) of her friends drove from Ohio to Panama City, Florida for spring break one year. Top down, through rain storms, the whole way and back. That was 1969-ish? Yes, mother and her friends looked like Barbies. #austinhealey
The pictured car is beautiful, and I love the wine-red color. If I wanted a big Healey, I'd go for a later Mark III. It's got the nicer interior, and I'd gladly trade roadster authenticity for roll-up windows - side curtains are a pain in the ass.
My older brother owned a tidy '59 Mk. 1 3000 for a few years in the early '70s. It was a dark metallic green with the factory hardtop and big Marchal driving lights. The machine was gorgeous, but my brother was the wrong person for that car - his very limited mechanical knowledge was seriously overmatched by the evil gods Lucas, BMC, and SU. As a tallish 15-year old, I once rode in the back-bench penalty box (only masochists would call it a seat) for 150 miles with my face above the windshield (the top stayed home that trip). I learned what "bugs in the face" meant that trip.
Older Bro's A-H adventures came to an abrupt end one day when, on the way back to college, he saw a front wheel detach itself and roll into a nearby gas station. Fortunately, he was only going 20 mph after just leaving the off-ramp from I-75. No-one was hurt, but the car suffered badly in the resultant noisy mess. Turns out that somehow a mechanic had installed a knockoff hub so that it loosened while driving instead of tightened. Mom and Dad said enough was enough - no more sinking money into the Healey. Big Bro silently fought back tears as the Healey was swapped for a more-reliable (if much duller) used Mustang convertible.
What a beautiful car. So many things to like, but the thing that -- to me anyway -- just makes a Healey, are the wire wheels. They pull the whole car together...do they not? (apologies to the "Dude") #austinhealey
Nice. My father owns a '67 3000 BJ8 but I prefer the spartan interior and lower door lines of the 100-6 and Mk.1 3000's. They're torquey enough to get out of their own way but the brakes had better be working well, because it takes BALLS OF STEEL to drive one of these through a curve at speed. #austinhealey
@metal face eagle premium is not from So Cal: I agree that the early cars are much better looking.. As for the second part of your statement... I modified mine with 6" Cobra wire wheels and negative camber... did I mention the 4 piston Wilwoods on each corner? Mine only requires brass balls for serious Hwy 1 carving.. #austinhealey
I'm usually a car ass kinda guy, but this car has an ugly rear. Amazingly, like 1983 Loni Anderson, lack of a nice butt is totally made up by the front end and the headlights.
Now the MGB, that is the Jan Smithers of the british car world. Not that flashy, not that great of curves, but nice all around. #austinhealey
11/28/09
The nice thing about 'em is, if there is any problem with the "plumbing", the brakes do not release...or if you're in-motion, you stop.
Potentially rather inconvenient, sure, but probably safer.
11/28/09
11/28/09
Our diesel-pusher motorhome's air system (brakes & suspension). The base is a 1999 Freightliner XC chassis w/a Cummins ISB and an Allison MT-643.
The purge valve started sticking open, and the first time, we were in a hurry, so I nudged it with a screwdriver, and it closed right up.
This time, I decided to take it apart, wipe any funk off it, lube the O-rings with silicone grease, and see if that helps. It's been a week, and it's not re-stuck, so I'm pretty happy. I was also thrilled to see how simple it all is.
We're headed to Lost Wages for X-mas break, so we'll take the apartment with us.
11/28/09
11/28/09
Have fun, man - I know I would.
11/28/09
11/28/09
C'mon Murilee, I thought you were braver than that...
11/28/09
11/28/09
11/29/09
11/30/09
11/28/09
11/28/09
We need to reclaim our God given rights to catastrophic loss of all braking pressure. It's what made this country great.
11/28/09
"We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, do hereby promote Dual Reservoir Master Cylinders, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
11/28/09
11/28/09
11/28/09
This very post clearly states that prostitution is legal.
11/28/09
11/28/09
11/28/09
You're looking at it the wrong way.
Think of it as "ignorance is bliss"...(until you die).
11/29/09
So: Bing! Busted Shock. $25 bucks plus labor. Consequence: Possible difficulty to control in emergency situations.
Bing! 100,000 mile checkup! $Ton of Money plus labor. Consequence: Catastrophe within next 50,000 miles, likely starting with timing.
Sensory information other than Bing! (pre bing days): Brake pedal goes mushy but not to floor, car does not slow well. Late night, poor student and buddy; superglue line link, limp home. Cost: Nothing. Consequence: Bitch job to replace line because glue has adhered to all the wrong things. Revised cost: Just the brake line and fluid but 2 extra hours of fiddling.
11/29/09
Bonus points for making me laugh this early knowing I have three weeks of work Hell coming my way starting tomorrow.
BTW, I've been outta school for quite a while, and yes, I've owned a new vehicle, and a couple of newer ones, but at the same time, I welcome being able to perform temporary fixes which are genius, in retrospect.
Oh, and you have my condolences about the superglue getting everywhere. I learned a very well-ingrained lesson about canned expanding insulation foam (Great Stuff...I remember the name all too well) back in, ironically, college, and why you never want it to dry on skin, which it does disturbingly quickly.
Took a month for the skin it was on to shed. Beware when using it in tight quarters....
11/28/09
11/28/09
11/29/09
11/29/09
11/28/09
11/28/09
11/16/09
11/15/09
11/15/09
11/16/09
11/15/09
My older brother owned a tidy '59 Mk. 1 3000 for a few years in the early '70s. It was a dark metallic green with the factory hardtop and big Marchal driving lights. The machine was gorgeous, but my brother was the wrong person for that car - his very limited mechanical knowledge was seriously overmatched by the evil gods Lucas, BMC, and SU. As a tallish 15-year old, I once rode in the back-bench penalty box (only masochists would call it a seat) for 150 miles with my face above the windshield (the top stayed home that trip). I learned what "bugs in the face" meant that trip.
Older Bro's A-H adventures came to an abrupt end one day when, on the way back to college, he saw a front wheel detach itself and roll into a nearby gas station. Fortunately, he was only going 20 mph after just leaving the off-ramp from I-75. No-one was hurt, but the car suffered badly in the resultant noisy mess. Turns out that somehow a mechanic had installed a knockoff hub so that it loosened while driving instead of tightened. Mom and Dad said enough was enough - no more sinking money into the Healey. Big Bro silently fought back tears as the Healey was swapped for a more-reliable (if much duller) used Mustang convertible.
11/15/09
11/15/09
11/15/09
11/15/09
11/15/09
11/15/09
I'm usually a car ass kinda guy, but this car has an ugly rear. Amazingly, like 1983 Loni Anderson, lack of a nice butt is totally made up by the front end and the headlights.
Now the MGB, that is the Jan Smithers of the british car world. Not that flashy, not that great of curves, but nice all around. #austinhealey