| Author | Message | ||
     James Feller Prolific User Username: james_feller Post Number: 152 Registered: 5-2008 |
Well its always the way.... On Sunday I attended the Balmoral Concore for a bit of fun. I took the Spirit, knowing that it would look good but clearly not expecting to win but hopeful it might secure a place, I don't care too much for making sure the the engine pipes are black in all the right places..... All was going well when it came time for my car to be judged. There were positve coos and ahhs with regard to the condition, tyres, engine bay and the overall presentation of my Spirit. Then one of the judges asked ' can you please start the car '. No problem I thought. I leant in and twisted the key in the nacelle and while lights and life happened inside there was nothing but a quiet buzzing sound coming from the engine bay. Feeling alittle alarmed at this point... one of the judges realised, it takes but a few seconds for these cars to fire, he said to me ' is it in D perhapes'. Now I knew very well it wasn't but quickly leant in and pulled the gearlever through its gate, hoping this may rectify any hidden little 'Lucas Prince of Darkenss' gremlin hiding away. Alas the same result when turning the ignition key... all lights coming on and soft buzzing sound from engine bay but no cranking. I could feel, at this stage, the flush coming to my face. One of the judges said perhapes its your battery? Not possible as I had had this renewed only some weeks back. The now sizable crowd standing around was not impressed... I tell you I felt about 2 foot tall and if I could have removed myself and the bloody car and disappeared I would have. Certainly if I had been able to move the car I would have driven it somewhere and given it a damn good talking too..... By now all you scholarly Forum people will have realised what my problem was and is.... At this stage I knew my chances of a place in the judging had been dashed, I was more concerned really with how I was going to get home. Then, as always the case at these events, some very knowledgable gents came up to this very red and flustered 'exhibitor' and said ' could we lend you a hand, we hear it won't start'. All I could do was nod and thank them. After a bit of Rolls Roycery talk and tinkering, that I neither understood or heard, one of these gents said 'I know what's going on here', and he produced a foot long spanner and whiped down the front drivers side of the car and lent in under the wheel arch. He gave something a good tap and then said 'ok, turn it over'. What do you know... like nothing had ever been a problem, the Spirit fired into life as normal... Solanoids and orginal Lucas Starter Motors.... I am already on the case for retro fitting the new nippon denso sooner rather than later, as I don't ever wish for this rather embarrasing situation to occur again. It seems my 24 year old Lucas Starter is simply not going to much longer....and I know the newer Nippondenso units are much cheaper and better than the Lucas jobs. I would just like to thank those very kind gents for their assistance and expertise in helping me out. Note though, not one of the Concore judges actually suggested the approach or even thought of this solution.... hmmm interesting Cheers J | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 1284 Registered: 4-2003 |
James/ I am disappointed, knowing that you passed Bonnet Opening III at the last tech session! And I suspect your reading of Tee One Topics has got a bit behind!!! Your experince is, as you have found out, not new! One of our local members with a very very nice Cloud III used daily had this very same problem and God bless his scalpels, he worked the solution out himself by tapping buzzing bits with the end of one of his more sturdy golf sticks! He did this for some months as required and finally let me install a Nippon Denso and whilst that authoritative crash of the Lucas fitting was missing, the reassurance of the slightly Eastern scream that coincided with turning the key was more than reassuring. Can I direct you to that well known Victorian establishment R A Chapman for a new motor. Young Robert took the Factory issue Nippon and fitted a new and bigger motor. This is so powerful that engines have been thrown out of the car when the key was turned arrogantly. Seriously, they are a great improvement. The bottom line for you and anyone else is get rid of that Lucas miscreant and use it for a door stop! PS These cars no longer 'Fail to proceed' they simply break down! | ||
| David Thomas Experienced User Username: davidthomas Post Number: 14 Registered: 5-2007 |
James What Bill says about Robert Chapman is quite correct. I had a similar experience with my 1975 Shadow the day after returning to Melbourne in March from, would you believe it, Bill's in Canberra. After 'breaking down' at Coles, the RACV man hit the Lucas with a hammer larger than I would dare to use - enough of a bang to get me going to Robert's for him to install one of his units. Fires up every time now. Very happy! | ||
| James Feller Prolific User Username: james_feller Post Number: 153 Registered: 5-2008 |
Bill, I have read I think all 'Tee One Topics' so got you there! In truth, I think the starter had been on the way out for sometime. I had been noticing for say the last 6 months it was sounding 'tired' when cranking. But this was the first time the unit had failed to actually engage... Yep, RA Chapman are the guys who will be suppling the new 'Eastern' unit when I get the car serviced prior to Xmas. As for me passing Bonnet Opening III, well I know you can be bought Bill with a nice bottle of Glenlivet..... :o) What I was very dissapointed in though was the Concorse judges not even suggesting that this could be the issue! While they concerned themsleves with, and I kid you not, the chipped black paint on my oil cooler pipes, none of them seemed concerned with the true mechanical condition of the vehicle. I quote ' your car is a very good road going example sir' this is what they said to me. I said 'what other kind is there'? Well that opened up a boring diatribe about what 'one does to properly prepare a car for concorse'.... szzzzz Now while I can hear you grinding your teeth Bill as I know your opinion on these events, I stress I was only there for a bit of fun and a good perve at the cars, I had no asperations of walking away with a trophy.... Thanks David, yes of course Bill is right and the old starter will be used as a boat anchor soon enough I assure you. Cheers J | ||
| Jan Forrest Prolific User Username: got_one Post Number: 162 Registered: 1-2008 |
I used to have much the same problem with The Old Girl, a 1976 Silver Shadow Series 1. In her case it was an accumulation of engine oil dripping from the 'A' bank tappet cover which had insinuated itself inside the external electrical connectors. As the weep is so minor I've left it for the moment and simply dismantled and cleaned those connectors followed by wrapping them loosely in plastic. So far she's not let me down in that department for well over a year. Obviously I don't enter her for concours exhibitions as I'm still saving up to have her completely resprayed in her current (and original) colour of Caribbean Blue. (Message edited by Got_One on 24 October 2010) |
