Dave Taylor's Blog (58)

Hi Guy's still enjoying our Holiday in France, but we're back on Monday, and looking forward to getting some Duttoneering in before I have to go back to work.

The Northern Duttoneer's monthly meet is this Thursday 12th Aug, at the Blundell Arms, Chorley Old Road, Bolton or Horwich which ever floats your boat.

Hopefully see you all there 8PM unless you fancy a bit of a run first weather permitting.

Today was a sad day here in Bolton, as the motor trade wished farewell to a local motor trade legend. Frank Edwards passed away last week at the age of 88, and his funeral took place today.

Frank was a hero to the Bolton motor trade, his parts shop was open 7 days a week, and he was still working up to being 86. His son Frank jnr now runs the business.

If you wanted a part at 3 o'clock on a Sunday then Frank would have it, whether it was a ball joint for a mk1 Escort, or a…

Well that time is here again, MOT in the morning fingers crossed, should be OK I've checked and double checked and can't find anything wrong with her. even washed and polished.

Watch this space.

Gearbox picked up tonight from Ade, and engine lift, so the jobs on. If I can score enough brownie points by doing the garden on Saturday I might get a playing out ticket so I can get the engine and box out and change the box put it all back together. Then MOT next week, and we're back on the road.

I love my Dutton.

The car is ready for Stoneleigh, just spent the last 2 day's checking the old girl out after the thrashing she got in the Lakes at the weekend.

Had her up on 4 axle stands, sorted the handbrake adjuster, and adjusted the rear brakes. I found the knocking noise too, it turned out to be the handbrake cable was banging on the fuel tank.

The lack of horn was just a fuse, and the flashing reversing lamp was the switch, which needed opening up re-soldering, that now works too.…

Well after all the hard work getting the car's ready for the Lakes Tour 2010, Saturday arrived with a glorious sunny morning.

We met up at Bolton North Services at about 8:30, and set off on the M61,…

ME!!!

This morning called at a race car engine tuners at Barnetby Dennis Vessy's who told me what the problem could be with the poor idling, and sold me a couple of new diapham's.

I got home tonight took the carb a part, cleaned every jet, found the problem was an O ring on the Idle jet fitted in the side of the carb. It had gone hard and split so leaking air. According to the book and the jets the carb is off a 1600 GT Capri.

Anyway built it back up refitted it, and…

Visited a GS Escorts at Widnes today, an Aladdin's cave of Ford parts. they advertise in the Classic Ford Magazine.

GS Escorts

Unit 5, Lynch and Gricie House

Warrington Road

Widnes

WA8 0ST

01514228333

They do mail order.

Found the idle problem, accelerator diaphgram had a hole in, and the idle diaphgram is also a bit tired, so changed them. It had was the wrong size accelerator diaphgram fitted, so fitting the right one as got rid of the flat spot on accelerating.

I also found that the heater fan as a broken wire, which can't be fixed without taking the dash out first, and that's not going to happen ( Steve stop laughing).

But just to make up for that, looking through the bits box I found some…

I checked the gearbox and diff oil levels this evening, they were OK. So run the car while up on axle stands, and think the transmission noise is from the front main gearbox bearing, the noise is worse when in 3rd gear and under load. It doesn't jump out of gear, so I think I'm going to chance it for the Lakes tour and Stoneleigh. There's always Mr RAC.

Also put the new battery on, so now I can take her off life support from the RAV4.

Picked up my Mother in the Dutton today, for a Mother's Day treat. Pushed her in legs akimbo, well she is 82 as she tell everyone she meets. Onto the Motorway, 60, 70, 80 Oh and we're low flying now,

Silence from the passenger.

20 miles on, and leave the motorway and hit the country lanes, hard into the bends, Oh we're pushing hard now, still silence from my passenger.

Long straight in front down to hump back bridge, AIRBORNE, and there it is after all these miles as a…

Another 2 jobs done, and I have found our pet spider living in the bottom of the battery compartment, she's lived down there for the last few years. Everytime I lefted the bonnet there was always a web across the cables. she as now been evicted, and with less weight Daisy could be quicker off the mark.

Any way back to the job's list.

I have managed to sort the wiring out for the spot lamps these have not been connected since the small loom fire back when I replace the engine…

Well it looked like something from another planet, or perhaps it where life on earth started, in a Dutton washer bottle.

& years of filth built up in the bottle, and grown all the way up the outlet pipe. I can tell you something it doesn't taste nice at all. Manage the to blow the pipe through with the jets removed, and I have washers again.