ALL OUT

All the front suspension, apart from the main damper struts and springs, are now out. All of the old perished rubber bushes have been removed. the photo below shows my home made bush puller in operation on the main front sub frame, removing the bushes through which the steering rack is bolted. Effectively a length of threaded rod, a socket large enough for the old bush to be drawn into and a smaller socket at the other end to push the old bush through. A nut and spanner at each end and as the nuts are tightened so the bush is pushed out.

All of the components have been degreased and the suspension arms and all of the various brackets have been scrubbed of paint. However when I spoke to Francis at Adept Industrial Finishers, Thornton Heath, he said they prefer to shot blast all components themselves, before spraying, thus ensuring they are absolutely free of old paint and guaranteeing a perfect new paint job. I happily agreed, knowing that it would be impossible for me to thoroughly get into all the nooks and crevasses of the sub frame, so I just ensured that the anti roll bar, drag struts and the sub frame where cleaned of crud and grease.

All of the nuts and bolts have been cleaned up and threads inspected and apart from a couple of slightly rounded nuts all are serviceable.

I have just dropped of the suspension arms to Russ who said he would get the ball joints pressed out, at his friendly local garage, apparently this is almost impossible to do without a ten ton press, when they come back to me it is off to the spray shop, with all the bits and bobs, for a nice powder coat of  glossy black and then it will be time to get it all back onto the car. In the meantime I must order up the replacement ball joints and the odd nut and bolt.

BALLS AND BUSHES

I didn't take too much time to plan the next job as I already knew what I had to do. Whilst I had been under the front of the car I saw that three of the four steering ball joints had got split rubber bellows. It looked as if the lower near side one had already been replaced, but I decided I would replace all four

All the old rubber bushes looked to be in poor shape and I had already order and received  replacement poly bushes.

The track rod ball joints split easily. To get the anti roll bar out, I had to remove the oil cooler and as the steering rack bushes also need changing, I drained down the pump and removed it, disconnected the UJ from steering column to rack and eventually managed to wriggled the rack out.

The lower ball joints are proving to be more difficult to split, and I intend to apply some heat and hope that does the job, when the remainder of the bits are off I will push out the old bushes,clean and scrub of the old paint and get them all powder coated, before reassembling with the new bushes, but quite a way to go yet.

COOLER DAYS

Although the cooling fluid in Stella looked clean and blue, I had intended right from the start to drain, flush and refill the system with a fresh 3 to 1 anti-freeze mixture. Eventually last month I got round to getting Stella up onto ramps at the front end and axle stands at the back, the bottom rad hose came off easy, I had already drained out a small amount when I fitted the header tank (more of which later). Most of the coolant I caught in a large bowl, but then I had to get right under the engine and unscrew, one at a time the crankcase drain plugs, situated either side of the case. Getting your arm wet with warm anti freeze is inevitable, however this procedure had to be repeated 5 five times when the 2 part flushing agent was used, with much running of engine till hot, draining and flushing. By the time I had finished it was not only my arm that was wet, but at least I hadn't got scalded. The good news was that there was no sign of rust or sludge in the system.

One last drain and I removed the radiator ready for taking it to the radiator expert, to put in another boss about half way down the left side, (about that header tank), Russ my Stag guru, said that the feed from the header tank should go to the radiator rather than to the top of the water pump, hence planned trip to Gavin at Aaron Radiators.

Whilst the rad was out I degreased the front end of the engine block, changed the rusty return pipe, that goes to bottom of radiator, for a nice shiny stainless one. I also changed both drive belts, alternator and power steering pump, the old belts looked to be sound, as in photo, but new ones fitted, just to be on safe side.

When I collected the radiator, not only had the new boss been fitted, but it had been pressure tested, cleaned and sprayed shiny black. Before I put the rad back in, the two brackets that support the power steering pump were removed, they were a mess, covered in flaking paint and rust. With a flap wheel in my angle grinder, I removed all the old paint and most of the rust. A quick coat of Hammerite I thought, wrong, to get the paint on thick enough to flow it collected in the six bolt holes and then formed large runs. Nothing for it but to grind the paint off and spray with grey primer and then gloss black. That's better, all bolted back and radiator in place.

When I tried to connect the header tank to the new boss in the radiator, the hose kinked, so I decided to use a couple of 22mm plumbing elbows, not the neatest of jobs, but sound enough, but I will paint the copper elbows black to make them less conspicuous.

Last job, before I refilled with coolant was to remove the defunct temperature sender from the back of the cylinder block and replace it with the sender from the new dual oil pressure/water temperature gauge. 

OK, now in with the distilled water and antifreeze, I premixed it 2 to 1 first and then start the engine. Only a couple of little leaks, soon sorted by tightening jubilee clips, job done, new gauge working well. Now time to start planning the next job.

DARK CUBBY HOLE

There was just one last little job I had to do. Gil from Better Car Lighting has sent me a couple of diddy LED bulbs and lenses and the dinkiest little rocker switch, to light up the glove box. Well silly me, the glove box already has a light that automattically comes on when the door is opened, I hadn't realised that.

The parcel shelf immediately underneath the glove box is a dark place, so rather than leaving these lights unused, I removed the shelf, drilled the required holes, pushed in the little lenses and the rocker switch, pushed the LED's into the lenses, connected it all up, soldering the joints and heat shrinking to insulate, reinstalled the shelf and the job was done. The lights are in warm white, so look suitably period and with the added reflection from the underside of the glove box, nothing will get lost in the gloom now.

Just in case you wonder what the large, round, white thing on the shelf is, it is the top of a chewing gum bottle. The tiny rocker switch is to the the right of the top picture, seen just under the head of a securing screw

DASHBOARD

The air box seal arrived along with the new MotoLita steering wheel. Engine bay now starting to look a little tidier, but straight away all the other bits that need tidying up jump out and shout "me next" but they will have to wait. Photos below show before and after, did I need to explain that?

The new steering wheel looks and feels great, I didn't think I was going to like the Triumph Standard boss, but I do feel that it looks classy.

While I was working inside the car my attention turned to the dashboard for two reasons, firstly it was impossible to see the instruments at night, even with the rheostat turned up full. A kit of LED bulbs from Better Car Lighting resolved that, Gil offers various colours and I chose green to maintain the original look only three times brighter, great. Gil also sent me LED bulbs to replace footwell and roof lights and the auto gearbox indicator, so much brighter, but like the engine bay, they show up the appalling state of front seats and carpets, again they will have to wait their turn.

Secondly, I was missing a clock on the dash and as I didn't want to keep taking the dash out for fear of continually disturbing the 40 year old wiring, I had planned to do this job at the same time as upgrading the instrument lights, I needn't have worried, the wiring all looked to be fine and the dash came out quite easily. I had already ordered a dual water temperature/oil pressure gauge and a clock. By removing the two separate oil and water gauges, that freed up a hole for the clock and now all fitted and wired. The top photo of the two above shows the new instruments in place. The photo below shows me removing the oil tube to the old pressure gauge so after a little rerouting it can be screwed onto the back of the new gauge.

The exception is the water temperature part of the new gauge, I will have to drain down the coolant before I can remove the electronic temperature sender from the block and replace it with the bulb that is attached to the capillary tube, in the meantime the other under dash temperature gauge, fitted by PO will suffice although difficult to see as obscured by the steering wheel, but it is very accurate, hopefully the new one will be as accurate.

Last job whilst under the dash was to fit a buzzer to the indicator flasher unit, there was virtually no audible sound from the flasher unit and the warning lights are difficult to see. I had to substantially muffle the buzzer to bring the sound down to an acceptable level, but now I won't be leaving the indicators flashing should they fail to self cancel. I was confused at first as the flasher unit I discovered under the parcel shelf only operates when the hazard lights are switched on, with another unit for left/right indicators tucked away in the plastic steering column shroud, found it in the end though.

PETROL AND PAINT

There had been a strong smell of petrol from the back end of Stella ever since I acquired her, but driving back from the Cotswold, the other weekend, our first long drive in the Stag, with the roof up and a full tank of fuel, the smell was too strong to ignore any longer.

A couple of days later I saw black fluid leaking from the boot and it was time to investigate, with the carpet and boards out of the boot, the problem was immediately apparent. On the top of the now exposed tank the fuel sender sits in a a recess and that recess was full of petrol, there was a groove where the petrol had run down into the bottom of the boot and had started to dissolve the underseal, which accounted for the black colour of the leaking petrol.

A small pipe also protruded from the tank over this recess and attached to it was the remains of a short length of stopped hose. Maybe this was a return for a fuel injected car. This little bit of fuel hose had almost completely disintegrated, but was soon replaced with a new length with a bolt screwed into the other end and clamped. No more leaks, but it took several hot days with the boot lid left open and the floor boards and carpet left out to air to get rid of the smell.

With the good weather I decided now was the time to do some paint spraying. I started with the inside of the drivers door. The door card was flapping about and many of the clips that secure it to the door had rotted away. I ordered new clips and plastic plugs but before I fitted the new plugs I rubbed down the small amount of rust that surrounded the lower holes, primed and painted in Rover White, but generally the door was in pretty good shape and evidently WaxOil has been sprayed internally.

 

The tape that wrapped the cables supplying power to the electric window, radio speaker and puddle light was coming unwrapped and looked very unsightly. I stripped off all of the tape and inserted the cables into a length of split corrugated plastic sleeving, which was inserted right into both the door and the jamb. Now the cables are both safe from chaffing and nice and tidy.

I could no longer bear the sight of the tatty air cleaner box, so off came both halves and after some serious sanding I resprayed them with primer and finally with Ford Dove Grey paint, I have never properly mastered paint spraying, but they are good enough.

I haven't refitted them as I am awaiting a new rubber seal that goes between the two halves of the air box, but in the meantime I have polished up the cast ali elbows that connect the carbs with the airbox. the photo shows the bottom one, left elbow, polished in contrast to the top one still awaiting  the treatment. I won't be so ashamed of the engine bay, once it is all back in place.

Along with the airbox seal, will be new cam cover gaskets, then I will remove the covers, clean them up and respray in silver. Also a new leather MotoLita steering will be arriving, it won't be long before I get that fitted.

CARB CLEANING

I had first noticed fluid running down underneath the front of the car when I was closing the garage door after taking the car out. On my hands and knees I stuck my hand under the small stream and decided it wasn't power steering fluid, brake fluid or cooling fluid, therefore it had to be petrol. I traced the leak back to an overflow pipe that connected to the two carbs. I had had a similar situation when I was first running Marjorie, my three wheeler project and determined that the pressure from the  fuel pump was more than the float needle valves could cope with. I fitted a small pressure regulator between pump and carbs and no more leaks and much more consistent fuel delivery.

Checking out the Stag Owners Club Forum I soon found exactly the same problem discussed. Fitting new needle valves, checking the level of the floats and fitting a Fuel King Pressure Regulator Filter, were the recommended remedy. I immediately order a carb service kit and the said pressure regulator filter.

As soon as everything arrived I started work by first taking loads of pictures to ensure I remembered where all the hoses and cables attached. The whole assembly was covered in grease and dirt and once I removed it from the inlet manifold I washed all the muck off in petrol. I soon realised there was other things I was going to need, new screws to replace the chewed up ones and stainless fuel hose.

Whilst the carbs were off, I took the opportunity to degrease the inlet manifold and the V of the engine, I also polished the Stromberg top body casing and reassembled with new gaskets, needle valve and diaphragm. Thank God I had taken all of the photos, they were essential to ensure everything connected up correctly. I also replaced the ducting between air filter and top of exhaust manifold with clean shiny aluminium ducting. Finally I fitted the Filter King Regulator and set the pressure with the provided gauge.

I turned on the ignition and with considerable relief, the engine immediately came to life. No more leaks so far. Previously, when I started up I needed to apply full throttle, always a sign of flooded carbs, now I only need to turn the key and she gently rumbles to life, success.

All now ready for the Bank Holiday Weekend.

MIRROR MIRROR

There was only a mirror on the drivers door and that was flapping around as was the central rear view mirror. Two new door mirrors were ordered and a small mounting block for the main mirror, plus replacement sun visors as the foam in the originals had completely disintergrated, the passenger one has a courtesy mirror, whilst the drivers visor carries instructions for raising and lowering the hood. Now not only can I see what is going on behind, Jacquie can watch her hair being blown about.

The underside of the bonnet was an absolute disgrace, the insulation pad was falling apart and the paint was oily and discoloured. I removed the pad and cleaned up the surrounding paintwork and fitted a new pad, that's better.

The Wolfrace wheels are not the original wheels and although I would like some spoked ones in the future, these are a good looking wheel. However the aluminium is badly marked and the red painted bits are hardly appropriate, I have scrapped of the red paint and polished up two of the wheels and repainted in black smooth Hammerite, not bad but some of marks are etched into the ali and will need a little light rubbing with emery paper and repolishing, but they will do for now.

 

I have also removed a defunt cobra alarm and wiring along with wiring which was obviously from a previously installed alarm, the cables were still live, just cut off under the bonnet and taped up, much of it was also festooned into both footwells. I hate untidy wiring, plenty of scope still for tidying up the rest of remaining cables.

STARTING ON STELLA

My previous project, a replica of a 1930's Morgan Three Wheeler disappeared down the drive last Tuesday. I had hugely enjoyed building it during 2013 through to 2015 and had great fun driving it about and acknowledging the accolades it received, but sooner than I had planned another project loomed into view. A 1974 Triumph Stag, 3 litre, V8, white, a proper car, four wheels, two doors, a roof and a heater, all the things that Marjorie didn't have. This beautiful car, was not in need of restoration, nothing like it, and it is a sound runner, but only having covered very low annual  mileage for the last 30 years, it is in need of some serious fettling and tidying up to ensure that it is capable of some serious future journeys.

No sooner was my Morgan, Marjorie, well not mine anymore, on the trailer and gone, Stella Stag was in the garage. First job was to change the oil and filter and the next was to upgrade the cooling system by fitting a high level header tank, thereby dispensing with the low level expansion bottle.

The idea is that any trapped air in the system will find it's way into the header tank. I think it has worked as the Kenlow electric fan doesn't keep switching on as it used to and the temperature gauge is steady at just a tad over 90 deg., which I assume is just under when one would expect the fan to start whirring. There is even a float in the header tank, connected to a buzzer, which will give early warning of any loss of coolant before any damage can occur.

I still intend to drain, flush and refill the cooling system fairly soon and will probably take the rad out and back flush it. whilst out I will probably tart it up with some black spray. The two photos above show that a lot of cable tidying and tarting up need to take place before I will be happy, but plenty of time. Keep watching this space.