Jonathan Kay

Vast amounts on this in the archives. You've got the water pump: have you found the recommended type? Similarly belt tensioner, and ditto. And the video made by the man with the Irish voice? Jonathan

Touring Tips... NB the enormous range of approaches. Jonathan PS: Business cards for photographers? ;-)

Subsequent description of both fittings. Jonathan

Thanks, John. Jonathan

The 32mm plug (blue, probably) retains the finger filter. And that's the one discussed here? Jonathan

:-) Please could you add what you find: type and size. Thanks Jonathan

25 Nm? Jonathan

If it's a copper washer you can restore its mechanical properties by cooking it. Recent discussion of size and part numbers. Full search of the archives. Jonathan PS: If there's any problem getting a good seal there are lots of advocates of Dowty washers.

My Dremel switch failed couple of years after light domestic use, so that it no longer variable speed. You can get parts for genuine Dremels. The chuck failed on mine and Beesleys sent what I needed the same day. ... I’d get one from Aldi etc. Most of their kit is Germanic and perfectly adequate for occasional domestic use. I haven't been disappointed in any tools or similar from either Aldi or Lidl. Jonathan

It also seems to spread it far and wide, so do it somewhere where it won't contaminate all the boxes of parts you're about to use to build the engine up and somewhere where it easy to clean up or where it doesn't matter. And wear eye protection. Don't ask me why I know it's painfull to have an aluminium-flake in the eye overnight. Thanks both for bringing up the safety aspects. Aluminium powder and fragments have a collection of hazardous properties: they're ignitable, *reactive, abrasive and electrically conductive. Any good guides, please? Thanks Jonathan * And I strongly recommend the thermite reaction for creating an interest in chemistry.

Corded at Lidl for £20. Jonathan

It's a personal opinion, I don't have a lot of experience, and many Members disagree, but I don't think that modern commercial petrol in typical storage conditions deteriorates much over that sort of period. Jonathan PS: It would be great if someone experiencing problems would refill with the old suspect petrol after the engine has been started to see if the problem recurs. See K clicks! :-)

Check all levels. Does your battery let you check the fluid level and top it up if needed? Check tyre pressures. There was a recent discussion where some favoured turning the engine over with the plugs out and others just setting off. Test the brakes before you need them. Check the battery will restart the engine when it's been off the charger for a bit. (I'd record the voltage at rest, minimum during cranking and at 3,000 rpm.) Jonathan PS: Service schedule.

What John says. Previous discussions of fitting the glass into the frame: definitely DIY. If you're changing the seal NB the availability of the wrong size. And there's a clever trick of fitting small electrical connectors to the wiring tail so that they will fit through the existing hole. Jonathan

(Crossed with Ian's) Cool running seems to have become much more common in K engines. If the fan and thermostat are working normally the answer might be a radiator blind. Jonathan

Take it out, put it in a pan of very hot water and see if it opens. Jonathan PS: What engine... Twin Cam? PPS: Electric fan? And is it switching on and off correctly?

... assuming the terminals can be altered. You can get adaptors but you might also need some new fat cables and a bit of bracket bending. If you can get a battery but need to do some fettling I can offer garage space in South Oxfordshire with a Halfords 10 minutes away. Jonathan

Can anyone get the Banner retailer search to work? https://www.bannerbatterien.com/en-gb/Retailer-Search Jonathan

... or sort out a mail order delivery. Have you talked to Tayna? Jonathan

(Crossed with Ian's.) Do you have a heater? And do you have an additional bleed tee? It's a very common problem. In addition to bleeding at the highest point(s) possible there are enthusiasts for all of the following: Lifting the nose.Massaging the hose.Drilling a hole in the thermostat.Jonathan

... but my question is actually why do the 8 x13 8 spokes I just picked up for my 2018 car actually foul on the de Dion ear at all? What's the nominal offset of the new wheels? Jonathan

It fatigues after becoming brittle with heat, then snaps ... unseen... inside the insulation. ... The metal is also heavily oxidised when cooked, and no longer conducts very well. I changed out the cooked wire, and no longer had a problem. I did not touch anything else. What conclusion does this lead you to? ... Thanks. I'm very surprised that the metal fails in that way. I'd encourage everyone if possible to do the reverse test once a fix is found: restore the suspected problem and see if the fault returns. That's a hassle but there is a reason. The click is a final common path as agreed above. The big list of problems includes batteries that aren't quite up to it and bad connections. It's almost impossible to fix anything without breaking and making connections along the way. And the click doesn't necessarily have a single cause: a poor connection with a wire that's too long and a tired solenoid and a battery that needs to meet its maker can all contribute. And if any of those are there it's a good idea to fix them in a warm dry garage rather than at the roadside. But I wouldn't refit a broken wire just to make the point! ;-) Jonathan

Oh yes! The energy lost in sound is very small, and I'd guess negligible in this setting. (And ends up as heat, although it's at a distance.) Jonathan

Yes, mostly heat. Every gear pair, bearing, joint etc has its own inefficiency. Would better lubrication/oils help (if they exist)? Yes, from that specific aspect. But that has to be set against capital cost, running cost, service life etc. ... What's the state of the art in motor racing in cars that are roughly like ordinary cars but where those other factors might be less important? Jonathan

Doh! What Ian says: devices come both ways round. Jonathan