More Oil Pipe stuff

I am starting to question the fun and enjoyment that's supposed to come from tinkering with old cars. I seem to take one step forward and two back. The other thing is that I am poorly organised and (sort of) cash rich and time poor which isn't an ideal combination. I guess that I have grown up in the fortunate position where pretty much anything can be done or obtained within a reasonable time - the consumer society. As the Internet has shrunk the world and given us access to more information, I can shop for stuff and find out stuff far more than I ever used to be able to.

However, coverage is patchy, and the missing thing is that I don't always know what I have or what I need. There really isn't much point in telling any parts supplier in the UK that you have an AMC Rambler Rebel. Even one of the leading UK based US parts specialists I spoke to recently (who has been a great help with parts for my 1956 Chevrolet) gave a sharp intake of breath when I told them what I had.

As usual, a casual conversation with someone with a different perspective helped. I had found, via the Internet that the National Pipe Thread (NPT) threads are to all intents the same as BSP (British Standard Pipe) threads. This knowledge took me to a plumbing supplier - and (sort of) - bingo. Much scrabbling around and a trip to the stores out the back had me equiped with fittings I could marry to 1/2" oil pipe. I got it all back together (just about). I thought it might be good to fit a new oil filter - round to my local motor factor with the old one - blank look again. He promised to call me on Monday after he'd checked with his supplier. Of course it's now Friday.

I put it all back together with the old filter, tightened everything (twice). It wouldn't start so I don't know if it works. Oh Well.

Oil Pipes again

The Rambler's fitted with a remote oil filter. The filter's mounted upside down on top of a bracket above the alternator. There are two pipes leading up from where the spin-on filter is on the US version, because the steering box is where the oil filter would be on the US version. The pipes are 40+ years old, assuming they haven't been changed, and last year I spent ages raiding the set of 40+ year old ones from the 67 to replace the leaky ones on the 68.

Predictably, this has proven to be a short term fix, as last time I used the car (last summer!), oil was spraying everywhere and I was lucky to get home. I can only hope no permanent damage has been done.

When I swapped the pipes last summer I sent one to a supplier who advertises in various car mags - I asked if they could make up a replacement, preferably in some sort of ritzy braided hose and anodised style so I wouldn't have to change them again (they really are a swine to do). Unfortunately, despite a couple of reminders, it seems to have gone a bit quiet at their end, so I've now removed the ('67 if you see what I mean) pipes from the '68.

I did have a plan to carefully saw the crimped ends off the fittings and fit new hoses using steel hose clamps - but I sawed a bit too deep on one. Probably just as well since the fittings are smooth rather than the ribbed type that would have been better for fitting hoses and clamps to.

I can't really order stuff on line as I don't know what thread sizes I have - I can't ask the US AMC guys as this kit was never fitted to theirs.

I am going to try a hydraulic hose specialist; probably.

Car is currently SORN and without MOT but once the oil pipes are sorted I'll be taking it in for an MOT and hope to enjoy some summer weather with the roof down.

Oil leaks again

Took the car to a family get-together - 80ish mile round trip - all good but it's sprung a leak from the remote oil filter again ho hum.

That aside is cruised at an easy 65-70 although it was very windy and I got grit in my eyes a couple of times. I'll be interested to find out how much of the 23 quid or so's worth fuel I put in it I've used.

A Better Day

Last Sunday I gave up in (mild) disgust and exasperation as I seemed to be getting nowhere fast trying to bleed the newly completed brakes.

I cleaned up all the tools and put them away.

Today I decided to get the car out of the garage to blow away the cobwebs of the last few weeks it's spent inactive in the garage.

The car fired up no problem and as I drove out of the garage I thought I'd give the brakes a try. They aren't perfect, but they are working - great news.

Better than that (and I don't really want to write this down as I suspect it may be a dream), my efforts on the remote oil filter (and replacing a couple of dodgy looking clips on the rubber hoses that connect the transmission to the oil cooler at the base of the radiator) appear to have been rewarded with a car that no longer leaks oil - great news.

Oil Leak (continued)

The offending pipe
Once the Alternator was swung out of the way I was able to gain access to the connections for the send and return oil pipes for the oil filter. The connectors were very tight and very hard to get at. As they are pipe connections I could only attack them with open-ended spanners. One of them was so oval that I actually needed two different sized spanners - removing them took ages.

I then had to repeat the exercise for the '67. I made up what I hope is one good item from the two. I had some great responses from the AMC list again, but sadly, unless I'm missing something, we don't have anything like the preponderance of helpful hydraulic engineering places here that they do in the US.

For now, I'm going to try to use what I've got. I'll try to source something better as soon as I can, but for now I want the car mobile and oil tight (ish).

Oil Leak

I spent a good part of today changing the equaliser over on the parking brake and adjusting it. In the way that old cars have of repaying expenditure and time spent by developing further and more esoteric faults, the car decided now would be a good time to pump most of the contents of the sump onto the ground.

It was at this point that it became apparent that the RHD version of the oil pump has been modified. I'm pretty sure this was done because the steering box was in the way of the oil filter. The RHD car has a remote filter fed by two hoses and mounted on a bracket above the alternator. One of the hoses has sprung a leak so I suspect it'll be off to the '67 again to plunder hoses for the 68.