Modern Commer Replacement

[Andy Zarse]

Did it! drilled a little hole in the fluid cap and pumped it through to the slave. Airline from tyre inflator worked a treat! Once the air stopped coming out I nipped the bleed valve up and hey presto! Thank you everyone, she's now taxed insured, with a valid MOT (til next week only though  ) so I'm off for the first test drive of the year!  God I love that van, she's a beauty!! 

[Lord Pig-Pen]

Good news!
Off at 1.30 to do the Nissan Cambelt... Fingers crossed.

[nopanic - neil]

Nice pics on this site,

Like the orange van

[Andy Zarse]

BASTARD f**kING BASTARD 


ooooooOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhh! I'm so furious, my blood pressure is about to go through the roof. I'm sick and tired of this evil van, it's all a total disaster area. Well I've had enough, I've laid it on the line to it time and time again. Well don't say i haven't warned it, this time it's had a bloody good thrashing. 

[nickliv]

What's it done now? Have you got hydraulic fluid on your clutch foot?

The saga continues... (Is the COMMER old enough to join I wonder?)

[Lord Pig-Pen]

Nissan is ready for new belt tomorrow, weather as too nice to stay in the workshop and the pub was calling.
Would have finished it today but watched all the GP as it was full of accidents.

Only one stubborn bolt.

Mr Zarse, what is the aggro now

[mgmark]

The MGA is off for its annual health check this week, after getting 4 new boots fitted to replace the very tired carcasses after the last Marham track day - hopefully all else will be well.

What on earth has the dear old Commer gone and done now to deserve such an outburst of unseemly anger? 

MG Mark

[Andy Zarse]

Mark, I know your affinity for your MGA is based on your long time love affair with the little green beauty and therefore I understand why you might refer to my van as a "dear old Commer". But I tell you, it's a viscious, deceitful, spiteful bugger. It broke down on the test run, causig me to walk a mile home to fetch the spare petrol can. I saw no point in returning in the car as i was going to drive the Commer back right?- I put fuel in and started her. It was at that point I discovered the bastard clutch slave cylinder had packed up again. I was therefore unable to get it started AND engage a gear. The starter motor was too weak to start in gear so that was me donald ducked. So I had to walk home and get the car and tow rope and collect a pal to drag the rolling junk home.  And all the while it was laughing at me, mocking me with that permanent inane grin on it's grille GGGgggrrrrrrrr!!!!!

I hope you have better luck with the Nissan Rex.

[mgmark]

Andy,

Indeed, there is a long and illustrious affair with the MGA, stretching back to when I first saw her in 1979 on my arrival at RAF Bruggen, where she was sitting outside, very forlorn, and in need of a great deal of TLC - like a full ground up rebuild which I duly undertook, during which any tricks were played out with parts not fitting, nuts that are octagonal rather than hexagonal (which at the time, until the light dawned, took some figuring out as to why not a single AF, Metric, Whitworth or any other damned size socket would fit onto them) many skinned knuckles and so on.  Verily, all was back together and ready to go, but it was not until trying to bleed the joint clutch/brake master cylinder, lovingly rebuilt with honed bores and new seals, that it became apparent that nothing but a new cylinder would siffice as fluid pi**ssed out of the bores....onto nice new paintwork.....     

I can, thus, understand the immense angst caused by the Commer, but I recall not only those grand excursions to Le Mans and your fascinating tales of derring-do, but the very first Marham track day weekend and her stately presence in front of the Officers Mess after her owner had enjoyed an excellent night on cheap pop.  Such things are memories made from, just as the legend is that builds with your annual run of trying (very trying this year by the sound of it) to coax her back to life to meet MOT standards for another run to Le Mans. 

You have my deepest sympathy that the Commer is proving to be so recalcitrant on this occasion.  Do I detect though, with the implication of you having to walk back for a petrol can, that the test run breakdown was caused by something so trivial as having insufficient fuel in the tank in the first place?  If so, methinks that her mockery of you may have been warranted....  

MG Mark

[amazing 1]

Andy,I feel your pain.Dealing with antique hyd.systems can cause severe headaches.
Not trying to be stupid,but have you replace both the Master and the Slave.

I do wish I lived just down the street,I am sure together we could fix this thing.

[Lord Pig-Pen]

All went well (ish). One  8mm belt shroud bolt was naughty, but a 7mm splined socket hammered on soon bad the little bastard.
A lie in due to foul weather and over consumption resulted in my mate (Who owns the unit), Cambelt King Andy, taking the old one off and gettin all ready for my arrival.
The O/H Cams both move by about 5 teeth on release of belt so my first hungover job was to hold them in spot while he did the belt stuff and adjusted the tensioner and its pissy spring (well lubed yesterday )
All was ok in his eye so he left me to refit all the belts, pulleys, shrouds, fan etc while he tinkered with a late 6Cyl Spitfire with carb issues.
All done, fired her up and all was good apart from a grating noise. Normally she is silent, only the tick of the injector pump can be heard.
Finally traced to the lower shroud being pushed in by us wiggling the crank pulley balance weight off.
A bit of jigery pokery with mole grips and the redundant timing marker arrow thingy and hey presto.

Silent running but heater/aircon blower needs attention.
Blows the fuse every time, Fixed the mouse nibbled vacuum pipe but it looks like the motor is jammed, with Mouse nest and associated little black beans.

Its a dash out job so that will be left alone as screen has to come out to do it properly

Into other mates unit wed night to  do the tiny bit of welding on the sill and then 4 new boots and Mot Thurs.

Makes you wonder why you do all this... then you have a discreet blast on the A35 and think... thats why

Nicest Auto I have ever driven, shame it was wasted on such an ugly unwanted pile of sh1t, but I love her

PP

The Cambelt King is at the wheel in the last pic and also is an exotics master. Anything (Especially Italian) and running carbs (or injection) and not on song will be soon after Andy has it.

Dont often reccomend people as it usually goes tits up but he is the man. Should anyone need help with anything then let me know.

[Lord Pig-Pen]

I hope you have better luck with the Nissan Rex.
[/quote]

I spoke to my nutter scrap yard owner yesterday. Mentioned Commer and he just gave me that look that means F*** O** and dont waste my time.
After some discussion, which could have started the Tourettes Phrase book, he said that he never bothered with any he had in, had no NOS parts as there was no need for them and that I was a Twat for wasting time on my Nissan.
Cant quote the original words but as my car is Auto is meant for the less mobile of the population.
If I take that to France i am more of a **** than any Frenchman etc etc.

Bless him. one of the last of the old school scrappy owners, with a toilet roll sized wad of cash in the pocket at all times.

[Perdu]

seems to know you well enough then Rex 

 

bill

[Lord Pig-Pen]

Oh Yes. He was racing Isetta bubble cars round his dads yard before I was born

[Leftie]

Oh Yes. He was racing Isetta bubble cars round his dads yard before I was born

Will he still let you roam around his 'stock in trade' stacked 4 high out the back?