8 replies to this topic

[amsgw]

Hi all, as I'm planning a round trip to Italy this September and anticipating more than one breakdown, I'm after old-timer and new-genius stories, advice and toolkit recommendations. Give me the weirdest roadside repairs you've ever heard of, encountered or performed!

Call me crazy but in this house life's for livin'

[imack]

Had my crank pulley come loose and start chewing the fan blades on a trip to minispares in the 80's when they were in Southgate. Had all the tools I needed except for a socket to fit the crank pulley bolt.
Removed starter, oil cooler, radiator and engine mounting bracket in the side road at minispares. Minispares staff lent me a socket for the pulley bolt and gave me some water for the rad. Got me home, (50 miles) then I took it all apart again and did it properly.

[smurfomatic]

Intermittent grinding noise from the engine bay, turned out the alternator adjusting bracket had broken off from the end plate and was swinging back and forth ocassionally hitting the alternator belt. Took ages to work out what had happened, once I found the issue I was able to get home with the bracket removed and sort it out...

[Ratters]

Good luck with trip, I'm sure you have an array of spares for the ignition system, elecs etc.

Assuming you have an electric SU fuel pump like mine, you may, like me not trust it one bit; so I carry a spare Facet fuel pump and to save scrabbling under the car to fix/replace if/when it fails. With a short rubber pipe attached to the Facet pump it can be easily patched in series into the fuel line by the carburettor and then with a nearby 12v to power the pump, fuel will pass straight through the dead SU pump from the tank straight through to feed the carbs and away you go.

Another 'experience', I had was on a trip home to Birmingham from the London to Brighton Mini Run (a great event sadly now cancelled) was my clutch master cylinder packed up, no cluch stuck in stop start traffic on the M25 was not fun, in gear starts from standstill and clutchless gear changes. I stoped at nearly every service station to bleed the cluch which would give me a few presses to help limp home. So check out your cluch hydraulics. Lastly consider an electric fan to supplement the belt driven fan. All the best Steve.

[amsgw]

Good luck with trip, I'm sure you have an array of spares for the ignition system, elecs etc.
Assuming you have an electric SU fuel pump like mine, you may, like me not trust it one bit; so I carry a spare Facet fuel pump and to save scrabbling under the car to fix/replace if/when it fails. With a short rubber pipe attached to the Facet pump it can be easily patched in series into the fuel line by the carburettor and then with a nearby 12v to power the pump, fuel will pass straight through the dead SU pump from the tank straight through to feed the carbs and away you go.

Ah very good idea - mine is actually a mechanical pump currently but nothing silly about having a spare... Do you have it plumbed in, or just to hand to swap?

Still sore that I never got to do an L2B run!

[Ratters]

 

Good luck with trip, I'm sure you have an array of spares for the ignition system, elecs etc.
Assuming you have an electric SU fuel pump like mine, you may, like me not trust it one bit; so I carry a spare Facet fuel pump and to save scrabbling under the car to fix/replace if/when it fails. With a short rubber pipe attached to the Facet pump it can be easily patched in series into the fuel line by the carburettor and then with a nearby 12v to power the pump, fuel will pass straight through the dead SU pump from the tank straight through to feed the carbs and away you go.

Ah very good idea - mine is actually a mechanical pump currently but nothing silly about having a spare... Do you have it plumbed in, or just to hand to swap?

Still sore that I never got to do an L2B run!

 

I just carry as a spare also some small jubillee clips ;)

[Spider]

Sound a fantastic trip !  I'll add to the road side stories a little later.

 

 

Good luck with trip, I'm sure you have an array of spares for the ignition system, elecs etc.
Assuming you have an electric SU fuel pump like mine, you may, like me not trust it one bit; so I carry a spare Facet fuel pump and to save scrabbling under the car to fix/replace if/when it fails. With a short rubber pipe attached to the Facet pump it can be easily patched in series into the fuel line by the carburettor and then with a nearby 12v to power the pump, fuel will pass straight through the dead SU pump from the tank straight through to feed the carbs and away you go.

Ah very good idea - mine is actually a mechanical pump currently but nothing silly about having a spare... Do you have it plumbed in, or just to hand to swap?

Still sore that I never got to do an L2B run!

 

 

As long as the fuel pump, be it electric or mechanical isn't leaking or blocked, you can leave it in place, plumbed up and fit a temporary pump under the bonnet. It will draw through the normal pump OK.

[sledgehammer]

My best one ...
 

clutch slave went in the middle of the middle of no where ,

 

screen-wash pipe into the top of the clutch master cyl reservoir ,

 

pump like mad till i had a pedal to pull away ,

all the other gears I could change without clutch (except reverse)

 

and water pump leaking out tell tale hole , managed to ram a bit of rag in there

screen wash into rad cap hole - got me home ,

and old jump lead to tie exhaust back on .

also drove a mini back to garage on a beer crate , after customs stripped it at dover .

fun days

 

also our work pickup went in a puddle & knocked off dizzi cap in pitch black ,

in middle of flooded road single track ,

took int mirror off & used reflected light to get cap back on , jammed it on with rag

never found little clip that held it on .

Edited by sledgehammer, Today, 07:01 PM.

[amsgw]

My best one ...

clutch slave went in the middle of the middle of no where ,

screen-wash pipe into the top of the clutch master cyl reservoir ,

pump like mad till i had a pedal to pull away ,

Genius!!!