Jonathan Kay

Take it off. Inspect. Clean all points of contact. Put it back on. Still the same? Jonathan

Ahem... ;-) Jonathan

Is it similar to this problem (and explanation)? Jonathan Edited by - Jonathan Kay on 24 Jul 2014 13:05:13

Make me an offer. (Thanks, Martin.) Jonathan

I searched the archives for "nut bolt ball joint" and came up with this. Jonathan

Quoting grenpayne: Whilst I was refitting the solenoid wiring, I discovered the nyloc holding the feed wire on the alternator was loose... It was quite obvious that the ring terminal would have been able to vibrate quite a bit, making and breaking the connection. Would this likely be the cause of the flickering rpm needle and associated misfire?I suppose it's possible and I'll put my money on the problem disappearing. Jonathan

*arrowup*Hmmm.... I wonder why that happened: * Taking the feed to the ignition to earth (which should blow a fuse if there is one) * Breaking the feed to the ignition * Breaking a common earth * Something else? Is that feed fused? Was that a standard starter relay or a modification eg following the starter click syndrome? Thanks Jonathan

1 Some books discussed here. 2 You'll only use a few of the functions on a car: continuity, resistance, voltage. NB Continuity may be there even though there's a poor connection somewhere. Even with that reservation I still find audible continuity testing saves time. 3 ... apart from you get sparks when it goes wrong.Or right, depending... 4 Also worth getting one of these in advance. Jonathan

Well done. Are you going to tell the bike shop? How will they improve otherwise? Jonathan

Thanks Jonathan

Lots on this in the archives. The test you have done works for most LSDs but not quite all. If you take out the halfshafts you can be sure. Apparently the way it breaks adhesion in a straight line is an infallible test. Please tell us about the car, its age and history: this will give some clues. Jonathan

I'm confused: is either flange threaded and where was the damage to the bolts? Jonathan

I'd do it the way the manual says with the parts as supplied by Caterham. There's an enormous literature on correct settings for the different types of threaded fastenings, but I'm not sure why you are considering doing something different in an area that you've already described as "important"... Jonathan

You're right, sorry. But once you know it's "A127"... A few on eBay UK. Jonathan Edited by - Jonathan Kay on 22 Jul 2014 09:32:10

I think that says "Rover" "54022458". That comes up in several parts suppliers. It looks as if it's also known as "A127", as deduced by Mankee. eg Rimmer Bros. Jonathan Edited by - Jonathan Kay on 22 Jul 2014 09:24:36

Are you sure you want to replace it with something similar, or would you like suggestions on better alternators? Here's a suggested list of alternative part numbers, but it's from a site I've never heard of. Can you remove it, post some photos including the terminals, and tell us what engine you have? Jonathan Edited by - Jonathan Kay on 22 Jul 2014 09:03:38

Quoting MarcNS: Sounds like a big job, not sure how to go about it.I'd ask if someone would come and help me... Jonathan

1 Are you sure that the only problem is the brake adjustment... does the rim spin true and are the bearings OK? 2 Links to the Park Tools and Sheldon Brown sites in this thread. Adjustments differ between models of brakes, but they'll show you the principles. 3 Where are you and which bike shop, please? Jonathan

Apparently there are lots of different ways of removing snapped or sheared bolts. But I suspect there is a problem for those of us who don't intend it do it very often: the cost of good extractors or good taps. What's the cheapest that's worth buying? Thanks Jonathan

There are default recommended torque settings for each size of bolt in the "Basic assembly" chapter. What are the bolts? Jonathan

I've got the 1998 Assembly Guide. Send me a BlatMail if you'd like the "Engine and Cooling Kit" chapter. Jonathan

Well done. I'm getting suspicious you don't have a multimeter... click here, because you're worth it. :-) Jonathan

Easy to measure weight (and derive mass)... has anyone measured rotational inertia? Here's a customised calculator. Jonathan

I don't have any specific manuals or similar for the 21: do they exist? For 1996 de Dion 7s the manual says: 14 Fit the radius arms to the upper chassis bush with the waisted section facing outboard, to provide maximum clearance to the brake caliper. The arms are fitted using cap head bolt (fastener pack ZRS21, Item (2)) passed from the inside of the cockpit through the radius arm and secured with nyloc nut (9) and plain washer (16). The bolts should be tightened to 25 lbft (34 Nm) with the arms parallel to the ground. This preloads the bushes in the correct position for when the suspension is properly loaded.In order to find out what the bolt is you then need to go to Charles' wonderful fastener pack site. This tells you that ZRS 21 item 2 is:Bolt 3/8" x 2 3/4". Caphead bolt with provision for Allen key (fine thread)" and shows you a picture. What Paul said. Jonathan

Has that cured it? Jonathan