Midnight

Hi, I've got a Malpassi fuel regulator fitted to my X-flow 7 which I've just taken apart to replace the filter element within the glass bowl. After taking the filter element out of the glass bowl I noticed that there was as little spring, a brass screw fitted with a small 'O' ring and a grey coloured rubber grommet type thing sitting inside the bottom of the filter element. obviously the brass screw has worked its way loose and fallen into the bottom of the filter which must screw up inside the regulator's top housing, but I don't know really know where the grey rubber grommet and the spring fit into the top housing. I would take a guess and assume that the spring goes over the brass screw to provide some loading for it but I haven't a clue as to where the rubber moulding thing fits within the regulator. Does anybody know how these things fit together or might have an exploded component drawing of this regulator assembly. Any advice gratefully received.

Aeroscreens I need the chains to keep my white socks up!!

Thanks for the replies which are helpful luckily at this time of year I'm in no rush to get it back in the car so I can make sure all of the suggestions are included in the rebuild. Crudders thanks for the invite, I've missed getting over to the Plough this year . Its been one of those years where either the weather has been crap or I've been doing something else. Still, looking forward to seeing you and the North Kent crowd next year. I'l start polishing the ankle chains. Cheers, Des

As I managed to melt a very nice forged piston in my X-flow, I am stripping my 50.000 mile engine for a rebuild. Apart from the obvious of a new piston and maybe a liner if the bore is too scored, and a new clutch CRB, cover plate. What else would you guys recommend I change while the motor is out.

Hi, As the days are getting shorter and I use the 7 at night I've noticed that even when driving at a reasonable speed and revs and with the headlights and heater fan on my ignition light is glowing faintly. Turning off the headlights make the glow go. I need to check the output of the alternator but It looks like the alternator is on its way out unless any of you guys out there might have a different viewpoint?

Hi Kev, The dark blue one was mine, and the green/ali was my bruv's. Saw the yellow Superlight but didn't get to see the driver. We came up from Maldon/Colchester to watch the racing. It was a good day out with great weather for once. We didn't stay afterthe start of the 24 Hour 2CV racing and had a nice fast run back to Essex, My X flow is a little heavy on fuel so went through two tank fulls there and back worth though as you don't get too many days that good for driving in the 7.

The catalyst on my Mondeo has started rattling. It sounds like some of the internal baffling has broken away and it sounds like it got loose bolts inside. I think I already know the answer to this problem. Get a new one, but do any of you know of any other ways around this problem as a new cat will probably cost as much as the car is worth.

if its dry then the dust can be epic. if youi go in the 7 it might be worth covering up the cockpit before you leave it because the dust gets everywhere and its thick with all the cars keeping it in the air.

Angus I would thoroughly recommend the Powervamp Battery. See previous threads on them in tech talk. they are 'captured acid' which is impregnated into the plates and so the battery can be mounted in a lot of positions on their side etc. also small and I think lighter than the admittedly good banner. I have a 93 Xflow which necessitated taking off the carbs, steering column, ect. to get it out. The powervamp is small enough to slip out from underneath. Much better

I had the centre flange on my X -flow replaced with a Van Deiman part which is much thicker at roughly 12mm from face to face and cures the problems with the exhaust blowing caused by the weaker standard version flange bowing over time, with no way to keep it at the head between the siamesed centre pipes. Been going now with one gasket for over 10 years. It was a pleasure to watch the skill of the guy who did the work in Croydon, cut off the old flange and welded on the new one completely gas tight. They apparantly make exhausts for lots of racers including some F1 items, just wish I could remember the company name, as I can't find the invoice after all this time.

It might also be an issue regarding what type of sump you have fitted. I believe the cut down sump can change the correct level shown on the dipstick, though not sure if this is below or above the stamped in top /bottom level in marks on the dipstick. The guy who built my engine put in a cut mark which showed a different 'Full' level from the Ford marks.

I followed this into Maldon Essex last night. I've ssen a few of these at shows but never seen or heard one on the move on normal roads. Lovely looking but so large and wide!

Sorry a chunk got missed out, but my tester said he could only check for visible smoke on my 1993 7

I thought that X-flow sevens were exempt from emissions testing due to the fact they are 'Old technology' and cannot be made to comply with the latest emissions regs. My MOTs changed since my last test in May 08?

I've just bought one of these from Ed at Powervamp and It sounds like your problem may be nothing to do with it, but I was warned never to use a standard type battery charger on it, but either one of their own chargers or one of the 'smart' chargers that are available and will only supply exactly the the current needed. Ed said that connecting to a normal battery charger, especially one with a boost start facility, could kill it instantly by damaging the plates.

Obvious I guess but its always much easier to do if the tank is nearly empty, gets a bit of a handfull with 8 gallons on board.

I'm just going throught the same process by removing a Banner battery on a later x-flow chassis with the 'Y' shaped tubes under the battery tray. It does mean carbs out I'm afraid if you have a post 92 chassis with a X-flow. I'm replacing it with a Powervamp PRV25 battery which is so small that in future I won't need to take the carbs off, as the battery will drop out from under the car although I need to make up a much smaller battery tray to hold it. These PV 25's have 'captured' acid plates and therefore won't spill anything nasty out, (you can fit them sideways too) and they have a very high cranking speed good for hight compression engines, and an 8 -10 working life, but they are more expensive, and you can't use some battery chargers with it as too much voltage will kill them instantly. So its either a trickle charger or one of th 'smart' chargers which only supply just the right amount of current to match the battery charge state.

I've been trying to get hold of some 'short' X-Flow oil filters (the ones you use when tan oil cooler is fitted to the pump via an adaptor which requires a much shorter filter 79mm). Caterham are out of stock but gave me a part code of GFE148. to try with local motor factors. I've tried this part code on a number of motor parts suppliers with no luck. Other than a long trip to Burtons or via the post, Do any of you guys know of any suppliers who might stock the short Ford oil filter near Maldon ,Essex. These days when I go into my local Ford dealer and ask for X-flow parts for the 7 they look at you like your talking double Dutch, so no luck there either.

I use the usual gun gum exhaust paste out of the tube which has always seemed to do the job, but it can be an a***e to get apart when dismantling the pipes/silencer can. last time I used a rubber faced hammer to get the primaries and silencer off the collector but it takes some doing.

Maybe I shouldn't start this all up again, but I had another look at the recent Top Gear R500 programme on U-Tube and looked at some of the other videos about 7's including one from the US showing a 7 on track with an Ferrari F40 and staying with it and eventually passing it. The comments were interesting. A lot being of the opinion that the F40 driver wasn't even getting into a sweat or trying very hard to keep in front of the 7. while the 7 and its driver must have been on the absolute limit just to keep up with the F40, because a 7 type car couldn't possibly stay with an F40 in a straight line or anywhere else. I think the latest TG video might go a long way to set that opinion straight with a lot of the non-believers.

I used plenty of waxoyl on the inside of my chassis just after the post-paint part of my build back in 93, both in the usual grot traps and actually sprayed the stuff on the inside of many of the tubes through various rivet holes and the long flexible pressure tube they give you in the kit. Of course as its waxy it has picked up road dust and debris over the years and in the do some work or to re-apply more waxoyl the steel and alloy both look as good as new.

Cheers Peter!

I know this has been aired many times here but what is the opinion on the best battery to replace the Banner on my xflow. I'd also like to reposition the new battery on top of the passenger foot well. I've had good service from the Banner, but its a real pain having to take the carbs off just to get the battery out. Are the Odyssey batteries any good and do they last reasonably well with the sort of occasional use the 7 usually gets? I like the idea of not having battery acid near my bodywork/chassis so a solid or gel battery might be nice.

The problem with the centre manifold on a x-flow is that there is no way to clamp the centre of this manifold onto the head. Therefore you get the exhaust flange bowing out with heat enough to start a gas leak and blown gasket, even if bolted down tightly. The copper gaskets certainly work but I went the whole hog and had my centre flange replaced with a Van deiman formula ford item after going through numerous centre gaskets on a regular basis this is about twice as thick as the standard CC version and has never leaked since it was fitted.

Talk to Steve Parker who advertises in Low Flying. My cross-flow has loads of power sounds fantastic, puts out 3 foot flames on overun (alright slightly overfuelled) and has done 40.000 miles of thrashing, including being driven right across the U.S without the slightest problem, and touchwood its still going strong, even though it only gets basic tune ups and oil changes.