A long list of questions and problems unearthed this weekend.
Firstly, I thought it was time to replace mungos brake pads, as one of the
left ones had worn down almost to nothing, making a funny noise on braking.
When I came to put the new ones in, the pistons were extremely hard to move
back into the callipers. There's a bit of rust around the outer bits of the
piston, and this was making it stick I think. How can I stop this rust from
coming back. I've cleaned it off with fine emery cloth for now, but should I
consider new pistons and seals in there ? Is this a common problem ?
Then I tried to start the car to try the brakes out.
The starter turned over very very slowly, not enough to start the car, and
eventually flattened the battery. This happened a couple of weeks ago too,
you'll remember. I got a jump start from a passing innocent. We connected
up the two cars, and she revved like mad (that's the other driver). My car
still turned over very slowly. I diagnosed a bad connection on the jumpleads,
and messed around a bit with them. Eventually the starter turned a bit quicker,
although not immediately. First it just turned very slowly like before. After
a
few tries it went quicker and the car started. Is this trying to tell me that
it's my starter that's the problem. How can I be sure, apart from replacing
it.
If it is the starter, is it likely to be an easy fix that I can do at home,
rather
than shelling out on a new one ?
Then, when finally the car started, I headed off to the South London autojumble,
where I picked up a nice smiths ammeter and voltmeter, to keep a check on the
battery etc.
There's a wiring diag. with the ammeter, so that's OK, but what about the
voltmeter,
should I just wire it straight across between earth and live-when-switched-on,
or across the ammeter, or what ? I then just have to sort out where to put them
in the midget, and wire them in.
I also discovered that my antiroll bar mountings have ripped out of the chassis
rail. The box section rail seems to have come apart along one corner, and then
torn
out with the antiroll bar mount. It doesn't look rusty - I'll have a better
look
tonight. Should I worry too much ?
Andy
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Andy Castellano Smith. | email: a.d.smith@umds.ac.uk
Image Processing Group. | http://www-ipg.umds.ac.uk/~as/
Cunliffe Labs, New Guy's House. | tel. : 0171 955 4208
Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT. | fax. : 0171 955 4913
1977 Chrome Bumper Midget "Mungo" for short.
DPO of 1975 Rubber Bumper Midget "Mary" for short.
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