virden

Stranraer

1, Aldon Ignitor LU-143A, new unused.      £70

2. First Line Mechanical fuel pump FFP445, new unused    £12

3 Ajusa Head Gasket 84mm  FB731, new unused      £20

4. Crankshaft from 1700  Supersprint, not used since regrind, includes unused ACL-Duraglide 780 Bearing-mains, B/E and thrust   £150

Photos available, all unused items in original packaging

Above prices exclude postage

I agree with Tazio, renew the warning light sensor and change the gauge with a capillary version, you can get both from Demon Tweaks, or CBS. 

Are you using 20/50W oil?

Elie

Try these guys: www.powertrackbrakes.co.uk, I received excellent service from when I replaced the M/C on my 96 X/F

Sadly none of the above, Burton and Aldon only sell complete kits

For over ten years I have had the fan thermocouple switch located in the top of the radiator and the temp gauge bulb in the tower above the thermostat.  I have been told by an engine builder that the two are the wrong way around.   Is he right?

 Does anyone have a picture of a pressured cooling system fitted to a X/F with a heater?

Anybody know where I can buy a four magnet ring to fit an Aldon electronic ignition set on a Caterham modified X/F distributor?

At last it works!

The distributor had "excess "  lateral movement and we suspect the electronic ignition was also delaying its spark.

Oh the joys of owning a X/F

 Thanks again for your support.

 Found a +5 degree movement in the distributor shaft so have ordered a replacement from Burton, shall let you know when fitted. Thanks for your support.

Hi All, thanks for your input,  some progress has been made, an air leak was found in the rubber hose connecting the fuel line in the tunnel to the pump, the trumpets refitted and now the plugs are now getting wet, but she is still not firing. Attention is turned again to the ignition, the timing is correctly set and there are no voltage issues with coil or distributor which is fitted with a Pertronik LU143 Igniter kit, could have gone wrong rather than simply failing??

Nigel, Elie,

 I had a mechanic drop by to look her over, sadly he is too young to have knowledge of X/Flows (!!!)  but he had a good look through, reckons the new pump pressure is acceptable, but confirmed that for some reason fuel is not being sucked through the carbs, timing & sparks being OK.  We tightened up the carbs to the manifolds to avoid any possibility of air leaks, but to no avail.  On the bench all jets  and channels within the carbs appear clear.  No idea where to look next.

 Elie, the readings varied by.4 bar, and were taken on a cod engine

HJF,  we have  spark, and no, the plugs are dry

 I have  a mechanical fuel pump on my 96 Super Sprint (25K miles).  The car had been running well and then refused to restart, we diagnosed lack of fuel going to the carbs, the filter was changed and the fuel lines blown through, but fuel flow was insufficient to fire her up.  A new mechanical pump from Burton was fitted, the fuel filter, sited at the tank exit fills with fuel, but next to no fuel exits the pump. It is possible to mis-install the pump,  the fact the filter fills suggests not?  HELP!

Update:

I have blown the pipe from the tank both ways and all is clear, also the filter is free flowing, checked the tank breather (2mm hole in filler cap)and it is clear.  Flow from the pump to the carbs appears good, when I switch off and loosen the banjos fuel sprays out.  Have checked floats, valves, pumps and jets in the 40's and all were clear, float chamber appears to fill and the starter jets spray when the throttle is open, but for some reason the engine does not seem to draw fuel when turning over.  Have tighten the carb nuts and done a cold compression test, which showed an average of 10.2 bar.  What have I misse?

 I agree with Elie's explanation for use of plain washers and I was taught to use spring washers where the bolt was subject to excessive vibration or high temperatures which would melt nylocs.

 Many thanks all.

Elie  I am proposing to drill at the front end of the cover, directly opposite the 2nd rocker bearing block, this seems to offer most room  and easiest routing for the breather  under the heater pipe

Its a BSPT thread, hope that answer the question.  I intend tapping the casting because of the proximity of the rockers and push rods.  Also I am concerned that there is a danger of any nut in there vibrating loose

I am intending to fit a breather elbow into the side of my X/F cast alloy rocker box.   The brass elbow thread is 3/8"  and the tap thread is the same width.    Question: what size of hole should I drill in the casting?  I assume given the thinness of casting wall, 5mm, I should adopt aircraft practice and start with a small hole, increasing size in stages?

Thanks

My 1996 S3 Super Sprint has a leak which appears to be coming from the oil seal where the prop enters  its 4 speed box.  I assume this is an engine out job and as I have not done this in over 30 years I would appreciate any tips on the process. Also whilst the engine is out is there anything beside the box I should be looking at?   Is the replacement of the tail seal a DIY job?

 I echo the above re repairs, you have to be very lucky to get one to last, also I am wary of Radweld as I am told it can cause sludge build up in the smaller heater core.  I have alloy replacement in my 96 S3 and it fitted straight on with room to spare, I think I bought it from Redline.

Good luck.

Have run a straight edge over both the head and the flange plate and as far as I can see both are true.  Primaries 2& 3 are on the bottom of the collector so I think they do bear more weight?  I fitted the primary the other day, tightened it and then checked  for gap with  a feeler gauge.    No gaps and no leaks for 150 miles, then a gap of c. 0.01mm appears at the top and it leaks.  It looks like the gasket compresses or collapses.   The allen bolts on the flange were still tight.

 X/F  Super Sprint: The middle header on my 4:1 keeps blowing its gasket, due we think to the weight of the system causing it to distort when hot.  I have used exhaust gasket cement which only lasts a few hundred miles before disintegrating, so I am wondering is there available a fire proof silicon type product which can cope with the expansion/contraction.  Or thick squiggy gaskets which will cope?

I wish to plumb the crankcase breather into the side of my cast alloy rocker cover, and assuming the thickness of the casting is too thin to tap into (?) I am seeking a rivet shaped fitting onto which to attach an elbow.  I have tried  plumber's merchants and aquarium suppliers but cannot find a fitting which has an inner face slim enough to avoid interfering with the bits that go up an down.   Somebody  must have solved this challenge?  Suggestions please.

 I half filled the catch tank with wire wool, shortened the internal pipes and changed the outlet from a pipe that led down to near the road surface for  an air filter. This has stopped the leakage onto the road, and there are no detectable fumes, but the tank is filling at a rate of about 60ml per 100 miles. Is this acceptable?

As to  following Roger's recommendation of feeding the crankcase outlet into the rocker cover, I  believe this is supposed to be introduced between cylinders 2&3, but I cannot see how this can be done on my car as the accelerator spring, cast alloy rocker box and heater pipe leave little room for an elbow, or does the pipe run another way?

 Yes I am sure, that is she does leak a little, but its just a light coating at front of the sump.   The crankcase elbow is a Burton unit and leak free. The catch tank has very little oil in it, but the breather pipe leaves  a small pool each timeethe car stops

I have a wet sump 1700 X/F  which I upgraded by adding a catch tank to the front of the passenger foot well, it has two inlets at the top of the cylinder and a breather on top end, from which a pipe leads down  to within a couple inches of the road.  At first fitting I had a mini air filter instead of the pipe, but suffered from fumes in the cockpit.   Input to the tank is from the lower crankcase and the cap on the rocker cover, both inlets have a small internal pipe ending just above the tank bottom. Very little oil collects in the tank with most spraying the underside of the car or leaving a pool when the car is parked.  Oil consumption is relatively light and appears the same as before the upgrade.

Q1.  Have I misfitted something?

Q2. If I stuff course wire wool or kitchen scourers in the tank will this help retain the oil?