Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2008 15:03:47 GMT
Well it's been a while since I posted anything but that's mainly because lack of funds stopped play and I had nothing new to report but I had a lovely bit of private/cash work recently,so I booked old "Nimrod" in to see Chris at Brost Forge in Islington, which has been mentioned many times before in previous posts, they have been fabricating and re-tempering leaf springs since 1947 with Chris's father who started the business back then. Now considering the forge was only 13 miles from me you'd think "no problem" so I duly left home in Welling at 10 am - ten minutes to Blackwall ...and then 2 hours in London congestion to Islington !! This was on a Thursday my day off, as I'd already arranged to leave it over the weekend, Chris said they would start on Monday. Then the journey home 2 1/2 HOURS AND 8 QUID PER VEHICLE FOR THE AUDACITY OF DARING TO DRIVE IN THIS COUNTRY'S FAIR CAPITAL CITY Then I rang Brost on Monday , picked the car up Tuesday and he's definately sitting better now , all level like, but had an absolute pig of a drive home , battling between the temp gauge and the oil pressure light : sitting bumper to bumper , start ,stopping 10 of the 13 miles with the temp slowly creeping up but keeping the car in drive to keep revs down with the heaters on too ( I must have lost a stone or two!) only prob is low revs means low oil pressure and I also noticed the power steering getting a bit heavy at times but eased after a little run of about 50 yrds , I even started turning the engine off every time we stopped just to give a bit of a break. As soon as we hit the tube ( Bwall ) it was a nice run down the A2 to welling and temp returned to normal and pressure light went out. Considering Nimrod's a 37 year old he didn't perform too badly in what you must agree were harsh conditions.It also got me to thinking if we survived London then France should be a piece of cake, you know, long smooth autoroutes , leaded petrol in the odd garage or two, I've got eurocover so why not ? So the Normandy trip is now on again, all I need to do is find a dog guard big enough to keep 5 poodles at bay and I'm off watch this space. ScarlettWill ;D
|
|
|
Post by stantondavies on Jul 31, 2008 8:16:19 GMT
Will be interesting to see how long the springs last. I had mine retempered, but they didn't last long. Ultimately I replaced them with a JRW heavy duty set which have been fine.
Don't like the sound of the overheating. Have you fitted a 3-core radiator yet?
As the car is only 37 years old, is it really a 3 litre?
By the way, I know a good hotel in Putanges - Lion Verd - 11 euros for a 3 course gourmet meal in 2003 - £7 at the time! Enjoy your holiday.
|
|
|
Post by enigmas on Jul 31, 2008 11:17:51 GMT
ScarlettWill was it a hot day that caused the overheating in traffic or just a 37 year old radiator? ~ Vince
|
|
|
Post by Phil Nottingham on Jul 31, 2008 16:19:42 GMT
Retempering is only a stop gap - it may be OK if the spings have just setlled through age but if they have been used they can suffer corrosion which weakens them and causes knocking and clicking as the ends move over ridges
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2008 12:02:14 GMT
Well done Stanton for spotting my deliberate mistake, that's fifty points for Gryffindor !! I must admit I had a little drinky-poo that afternoon and inadvertantly pressed the wrong button. Maybe if I ask Phil nicely he'll "bounce" this to the correct arena 3.5 V8. Enigma, I think it was a combination of everything, I've got a kenlowe in France that I used to use on the chimney which works a treat so I think I'll have go with that in the space between the grill. Phil, stopgap is what we in the building game call ' Temporary' If you saw my house you'd understand how long a time temporary can be ;D Oh and Stanton it's well know in my village, that the people from Putanges are all goat herders who sleep with their own mothers ! ;D ScarlettWill
|
|
|
Post by Phil Nottingham on Aug 1, 2008 18:36:30 GMT
Duly moved - I did not bother working out the age - I had finished work by then
|
|
theroveringmember
Rover Fanatic
P5B Saloon - P4 110 - P6B x2 - 2200TC - 2000TC (S1) 2000SC........How Many Is Too Many?
Posts: 446
|
Post by theroveringmember on Aug 4, 2008 4:47:28 GMT
I've mentioned Brost forge before & also said that my springs that they supplied & fitted are still at the same height now as they were 15 years ago with no sign of knocking or clicking. I don't consider them a stopgap at all.
|
|
miguel
Rover Fanatic
Posts: 462
|
Post by miguel on Aug 4, 2008 20:07:36 GMT
Sorry for the dum question: What work is envolved in retempering the springs? What is done to them? Miguel
|
|
|
Post by Phil Nottingham on Aug 4, 2008 21:29:47 GMT
They are cleaned. Checked for grooves and cracks and then heated to soften them. They are then smoothed and reprofiled - this is the skillful bit that if wrong they may sit too high or too low. They are then reheated, quenched (in oil) to harden and then tempered.
After this they are degreased reassembled with new interleaves if if available and new clamps revietted on then clenched (cheaper) or bolted together. New end rubber fitted in the correct position
In theory they then should be as good as new but a lot of shortcut can be taken a swell as guesswork if no pattern to work too.
|
|
miguel
Rover Fanatic
Posts: 462
|
Post by miguel on Aug 4, 2008 21:41:08 GMT
Sounds good. Did Rover published some scale template (if thats possible) of the springs? or some Club member? That would be also good to know the condition of the springs. I have found here in Lisbon a house established for some 30 years that only do that. I imagine, trucks are the best customers, but who knows...
|
|
|
Post by Phil Nottingham on Aug 4, 2008 22:02:12 GMT
Not heard of anything like this - most do it by experience and judgement so this can vary tremendously. The originl nylon interleaves/buttons are NLA and are either ommited or a substitute used
|
|