virden

I am told (and who am I to doubt) by SWMBO that someone with a tow ball must have backed into her Pug 207, the result is a deep crease  in the reat plastic shroud,   I have taken the moulding off and tried pushing the dent out, with no joy.  Any suggestions please on how I can remove the dent, it is some 2" deep so too deep to fill.  Will applying heat help?

Steve,

It is an Ital unit and i had picked up from various sources that in order to prevent damage due to surge  one should overfill them.  Does this apply to track use only?

V

Whilst lovingly gazing at my 96 X/F snoozing in her Carcoon, I noticed that the diff has not leaked at all in the four months she has been in store. In normal use the pinion end leaks so much the entire back of the car becomes covered in oil with a few hundred miles.  I always overfill the axle and did so again when I cleaned her up before sealing her away for the winter,  So why has it not leaked, is it because with the car on stands the axle has tilted backwards sufficiently for the oil level to fall below the pinion seal, or does it only leak when the oil becomes hot and thins?

15K miles? I think most of the vans rusted away before they got that far!

Ingenious!  Can the powers that be set up a web Guide on XF lore to save invaluable tips like these?

Hi Tezza7

Definitely no washer involved, I regularly take my plug out to check levels and have never used tape or sealant when replacing it.  It has never leaked....... unlike the pinion end.!!

Hi Jonathan,

She cannot  return the generator. 

She wants to be able to power everything except the cooker and electric shower,  Her husband is 94yrs so they know the KVA.

Thanks

 

Living as we do in a farming community which is subject to frequent power cuts, most of the houses have their own emergency gennies.  My neighbour is getting too old to hobble about from house to shed and is seeking an arrangemnet whereby the generator will automatically cut in when the power fails.  She has bought a new electric start genny, but the local electrician cannot connect it up because he says he cannot get his hands on the the automatic switch gear.  Can someone please point me to a supplier who might have such gear in stock......I do not know what precisely to ask for.

Thanks...... rather blowy here!

Tony,

I had a similar problem, which  caused the engine to die and then cut out, we traced it to a faulty coil.  It got very hot to touch which I am told is a sure sign of failure.   Another possible long shot is that the  throttles are briefly sticking open, flooding the engine.  I had this due to the nipple at the top end of the throttle cable becoming dislodged which prevented the cable returning until my foot was completely off of the pedal.

 

Good luck

 I think the best route is to ask Arch.

 Have you tried connecting a meter across the terminals to see if you have a circuit?  Tip: if you are on your own and connot hold a meter and  turn the switch at the same time, use a bulb in place of the meter.

 

Their racing Morgan plus 8 is both immaculate and a constant winner, so this must be a good pointer?

 Whilst you have the dash out, it would be well worth your while replacing the temp and oil pressure gauges  with capillary versions, they are far more reliable and  only only require sparks for lighting. Demon tweaks do a reasonably priced range..

Roger, Thanks.

Can the oil breather elbow into the block be fitted without removing the engine?

I have concluded that oil is blowing from the distributor drive hole in my AX block.  How may I sort this?.   The engine does not have the block breather mod mentioned elsewhere, relying instead on the standard  filler cap,, am I suffering from excess pressure in the block?

I have seen some guys using motor cycle head lights, which also  bolt straight on the Cateham brackets

When you get around to changing the oil, refill as per the manual, remembering to make an adjustment for capacity of oil filter, allow to settle for several hours, then mark the level on your dip stick.  I did this on my X/F and discovered that it had spent the first  ten years of its life underfilled!

Re Roger's point, I do not know if this covers it, but Frank Pickles asked me specifically if the car had been modified in any way. I said no, but I do have Mintex pads. Am I right or wrong?

Do I have a problem? With the engine running I was checking my X/F for manifold gasket leaks when I got a shock from one plug lead, the spark had arched about 15mm, this happened a couple of times whilst I ran my had along without touching the leads. Only occurred with one cylinder. Bad leads?

As it says, I have had engines designed to run at 40 psi, others at 80 psi. What factors in the design lead to the difference. e.g. bearing loading/size?

Paul,

I found them a bugger to fit on my 96 S3, where the fit was so tight the pads kept peeling off on the way in. I opted for Copper Slip and have had no problems.

One of the studs holding the manifold for no.2 & 3 cylinders has disappeared and on checking it looks like the thread has been stripped within the head.

How can I fix it, with a nut and bolt or do I have to drill the whole thing out and fit a larger stud. If the latter, does it have to be a special heat resisting stud?

 

Gordon,

I place a piece of 4"X1" under the cross member and then jack it, that way the lift is going to the side rails as well. Mine is a 96 S3 and according to the build manual jacking the cross member is OK.(?) but I stand to be corrected

I once got POR on my forehead, lasted for 3 weeks!!

No Ramps? Try axle stands one end at a time:

Push car onto 1" pieces of wood to gain height

Remove "castle" cup from trolley jack, and lift car at cross member on front or diff at rear. Apply stands. This will give you a good 18" of clearance and free room from the sides, sufficient to get at every exposed chassis tube.

 

If using POR15 wear goggles, a hat and gloves, it is a super glue not paint!

 

Trolley jacks and stands available as a package almost anywhere.

 

 

When cold my X/F ticks over at a lumpy 800 rpm, get it up to temperature and this rises to a smooth 1000rpm, but after a blat, it increases to a smooth 1500rpm. Is this a heat sink problem. Otherwise the thing is running beautifully.

PS throttle cable does not stick, return spring is new.