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15 April 2008   

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A series of Quick Tips useful to Austin Seven owners.

 

Oil Filling

Contact Breakers

Lubricating Door Locks

 

 

Less oil spillage.

One way to prevent oil spilling (or dripping) onto the ignition wires and the starter motor etc., is to temporally extend the oil filler tube. I use a plastic Coke bottle with the bottom removed, the screwed top seems to just fit nicely into the top of the filler tube of my Box saloon and the ignition wires support the bottle too.

Now I rarely spill any oil over the off side engine area.

Sandy Croall.

 

 

 

Contact Breakers - Seeing the gap.

The 'replacement' Contact Breaker sets available for the DJ4 and similar distributors have the contact hidden within a 'C' shaped lever. To set the gap at 12 thou with normal feeler gauges I have found difficult ! It has also been difficult to see exactly when the contacts are opening as I check the timing.

Then a clever man via Oz (Steve Jones of the PWA7C) said:-1) "Why don't you use the original Lucas contacts"  or  2) "Why don't you grind away the leg's away by the contact on the lever".

To my knowledge there are not many un-used original Lucas Contact sets about, so I decided to try the second option, but only doing the top leg, converting it from a 'C' shape to a 'L' shape, on the basis that some strength is retained with the bottom leg and I can see the contacts clearly with just the top leg removed anyway. I also painted the bottom leg under the contact white to making sighting the contacts easier - Problem solved, it's too easy for words.

Sandy Croall

 

Lubricating Door Locks.

If your door key, or any other key for that matter, is a bit 'sticky' in the lock, don't use oil to free it off, rub the key with a soft lead pencil. Most pencil leads are made from graphite, which is a great lubricant, with the added bonus that it will not attract dust and dirt like nice sticky oil will. You can also buy powdered graphite which can be 'puffed' into keyholes.

I must admit though, I don't know where to buy it here in Cornwall. You can also rub the pencil over the latch on your door, this will make it shut a lot easier.

Lee Webster.

 

 

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