Size matters!!!!


Good work Ben its interesting reading this thread as think I'm going to have to take on this job fairly soon.

Give yourself plenty of time, easier if you have another car to use in the meantime, then no need to rush it. Though I'm sure you could do it much quicker than me



An extra bit of leeway is most welcome, I'll do that thanks Ken. Still thinking of removing the petrol tank so I have a bit more knuckle space. I had to ditch the creeper to give me a little more space under the car, the car already being jacked as high as I feel is safe.

No REAL progress on my brake pipes. I unbolted the three way pipe connector to give extra leeway, but it’s not enough to get them in.



These are the foam packing pieces that protect the brake pipes where they exit the cross member, got a bit butchered on their removal. Can I get replacements? Or can I just use some old foam I have lying around? The spare foam I have is not quite so dense.



As a diversion from the pipes, I made a start at putting the brake shoes back on. Here is the left side of the car. Does it look like I’ve got them the right way round? In a set of four shoes, two have the linings in a different position. Two shoes with the lining up to the top, and two with it further down (see left hand shoe in the picture). I would refer back to my old shoes, but as you remember the linings had come off those.

Ben,
the 'leading and trailing' shoe setup looks fine to me, although those are normally only used on cars with drum brakes all round.
Hope you're going to put a good dash of Coppaslip or similar around those lower pivots.

Pipe lagging works OK as a replacement for the rubber packing pieces, as would anything which prevents chafing and keeps those spiders out...

ken

Oh, mine is a disc, are these unsuitable? I just ordered these from supplier, their website made no distinction between shoes for disc cars and shoes for drum cars, unless I missed that.

They should be fine, since the leading and trailing shoe setup reduces any tendency for the rear brakes to grab _when installed correctly_.
( Iirc, it's one of the nuggets of incorrect information given in 'How to Restore... ' )

ken

Ben
Thought I'd say don't give up with this car!!!!

Doing my best, thanks for the support James. Been having this general this conversation with my wife-

wife: Do you know how to fix the car?
me: Technically yes.
wife: Why is it taking so long?
me: Its very fiddly.
wife: So you can fix it?
me: Probably, in the fullness of time.
wife: Why don't you take it to a garage?
me: I doubt they'd want the job because its old and French and I could not drive it there anyway - no brakes.
wife: So why don't you sell it.
me: [changes subject]

To be fair to my better half, she has even volunteered to give me hand. Which if we can get a babysitter is the way forward

How about an i2f babysitting occasion
Whilst you and wifey get the car going!

OK...OK.....sorry for my abandonment.

Here are my thoughts....

TEN OPTIONS THAT MAY NOT HELP


1) Julien Ford is currently in town, did you get my message? Call me and I will give you his number. I mentioned it to him and I hoped he might do the job if you supplied him with something. But he might just point us in the right direction.

2) I am happy to strip the pipes of the car on my drive as I will change them anyway.....its on a rolling chassis so should be easy. If you want you can come here and we do that together and then have one more dismantle practice and if we go careful hopefully a set of pipes that are in better or correct "profile" to yours.

If these fail and we fail again....then

3) Maybe if you can hire a car trailer...I can stick it on the back of the van and tow it to Beachy head and chuck it over the edge.....or even to Darras not too far away.

4) I happen to know of a Dyane for sale in Eastbourne ....you could buy that.

5) If you want to sell it then Russ would be an excellent choice (or anyone with the needed welding skills........sorry Ben...couldnt resist that! )

6) I have possibly got a spare chassis....its a bit extreem to re-chassis a car just to make changing the rear pipes easier, but if you dont like the look of the one I have then if you wanted to treat yourself to a new chassis I .....and I am sure some other locals will give it a go for you (Russ can we borrow the fork lift ....not far down the A27 ?....its just that you will be re-chassising your car in the future if you want to keep it, I am sure we can get it to my place and any other welding can be done .....I am returning a BOC "W" sized bottle that is overkill for me now....why let them have the free gas back when I wont use it all....so we can do floors, bulkhead etc at same time.

7) I will come and try again with you. Just weekends are a bit frantic, if you can take a day off in week then I will find some time.

8) If I come over and work on it on my own....we might be able to do a deal if time off work is difficult.

9) Plenty of pipe lagging stuff here....dont need buy that

10) There is no 10th option, whilst it might be a lovely moment for you and misses to have a "bonding moment".....I am not bloody well baby sitting...but if James wants to then I wont resist seeing "marital bliss" under the car whilst watching James "holding the baby"