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SS - leave well enough alone

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Crossley Stephenson
Posts: 255
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2016 9:15 pm
Location: Victoria, Australia

SS - leave well enough alone

Post by Crossley Stephenson »

A few weeks back my Special Sports had a rare 'failure to proceed' eventually resolved by a fuel pump rebuild kit from David Beales.

While I had the floor and toe-board out - to access the reserve fuel tap that I initially thought was the problem - I thought I should check the fluid flywheel oil level having ignored it for about 10 years because of the hassle with access. There was no real reason to check - no leaks - I just jthought it was a good idea......wrong!

It went something like this: remove brass plug, top up (<75ml, not worth the effort), replace plug - but it wouldn't go in. A closer examination revealed a helicoil had previously been inserted and had now failed. Many expletives and a nausea at the prospect of having to removed the gearbox to make a repair ensued.

By coincidence I had seen a van in our local area just a day or two before with 'The Thread Doctor' emblazoned on the side and I had taken the telephone number. He turned out to be as useless as (insert your own useless phrase) and nearly passed out when I told him the thread for the plug was 1/2" BSP 14TPI

A ring around the usual sources for such engineering items as a Helicoil kit drew a complete blank - 1/2" BSP is obviously not common in Oz. An internet search located a repair kit in Blighty and it was soon on its way for a modest AUD$95. Worth a try I thought.

The damaged helicoil was easily removed and luck was with me when all I had to do was clean the thread with the tap provided and insert the new Helicoil. Plug and new copper washer fitted - job done and much relief.

Will take the old girl for a run tomorrow but the moral of the story - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" or leave well enough alone.

Cheers
Michael😁

Peter Grant
Wise Man
Wise Man
Posts: 503
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2016 10:02 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: SS - leave well enough alone

Post by Peter Grant »

Hi Michael,
Look on the bright side, your flywheel doesn't leak significantly, you fixed the problem and you're back in the road again!
Cheers
Peter G

Crossley Stephenson
Posts: 255
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2016 9:15 pm
Location: Victoria, Australia

Re: SS - leave well enough alone

Post by Crossley Stephenson »

You are such an optimist PG, glass half full😉

Taking Lilly for a run tomorrow to buy some Flinders mussels for PP😁

Marcus amd Amanda called in a couple of days ago and we had a coffee and a couple of hours together. If they had of let is know they could have stayed but we only got home from Wiplpena Pound the afternoon before.

Hope you are well.
M

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