Genuine help from you experts needed!!

[johnnydog]

There was a member on here with the user name 'harvey' who has been apparantly dealing with BW gearboxes for over 35 years.
He hasn't been on here for a bit but it may be worth trying to pm him and if contactable, I'm sure he will be able to offer some advice as to whether going with an fault with the autobox route is likely, and therefore worth investigating?

[johnnydog]

Here you go Forkie....

[Forkie]

Yes i recall that from last year, i was hoping he would have posted up in my gearbox issue post, but never did. I did also send him a pm re what you have just sent but again, nothing there either.....
I feel a tad stuck !!!! I feel im just not getting that 'eureka ' moment - yes i may have come across minor issues but nothing that has made me think ' THATS IT'!!!! As stated i will continue with front carb investigations, but also contact local transmission guys - it still is the only thing that describes my symtoms to a tee - the seized stator clutch. One thing is for sure - i wont be giving in !!!!
Where would you guys advise for an SU overhaul/ rebuild. Just asking as if thats what is needed, that is what i will do.

[Charles H]

Dave Harvey can be found on Facebook these days if you wish to contact him.

[Alec]

Hello Forkie,

pulling the choke out will mask what the stuttering fault is by introducing an over rich mixture. However the idea is good from a point of checking the freedom of the piston, if there is an overdue friction from an off centre jet, this should be beneficial and helps pinpoint the problem.

alec

[Forkie]

Yes that was exactly what was i was thinking, pulling out the choke drops the jet further down ( obviously the engine is not running, just still doing the checks) but the piston still started juddering at the same position when the jet was up, so from my logic that tells me it is not the needle entering the jet that is causing it...

[johnnydog]

Dave Harvey can be found on Facebook these days if you wish to contact him.

Charles,
'Harvey' isn't 'our' Dave Harvey!!!

[Forkie]

I thought there was something in the Harvey thing , i think i got confused with that before !!!!
Anyhow i made the decision today as i appear to be not getting all that further forward i need to rule out that gearbox, so as i have always had in the back of my head at some point it needs pulling to replace the damaged ring gear, and replace all the leaking seals and gaskets/ give it an overhaul now seems the sensible time. At least then i can wipe that from my constantly greying matter and tick that box off. Rung up earlier to our most trusted down these parts and their Auto expert is away until next week - typical!!!! So details of car and issues taken so they can give him the heads up before i ring back next week, to check availability of parts etc. The guy i spoke to admitted he was more of a Manual expert but he could see what i was saying and why i consider it may be the issue. Have to wait until next week now

[Forkie]

Ok so the phone was turned off and the ' do not disturb' sign hung on all doors leading to the garage today, so i could actually have some time in there . Here are my findings so far this afternoon....
Removed both dashpot springs - making sure which was which, and how they came out. Standing together, looked same height. Layed down, bottom against a hard flat upstand, out came an engineering ruler - again, look fine for measurement. Nipped up dashpots WITHOUT springs fitted. Same scenario - rear fairly easy, front still seemed ' heavier' , and still had the stutter at final fall.
Next test - everything back together, only this time swapping the springs over - so front to rear, rear to front - this, amazingly, cleared the judder on the front carb. How and why i have no idea when they seemed exactly the same. So now both pistons drop smoothly onto the bridge, although the front is slightly later, i assume due to its more restrictive movement within the dashpot . Reason as yet unknown.

[Forkie]

Part 2 . Next test - so now i swapped the springs back to their original carbs- just so i dont get everything completely muddled up - also i wrote down every thing i did at each stage, for the same reason. So test 2 - swapped the piston assembly ONLY over between the carbs - so springs back as they were, and just swapped the piston / needle assembly. Reasembled. Fingers in the apperture - much more even, between the two carbs.. no stutter on front carb..... mmmm
Test 3 - so now swapping dash pot, spring and piston assembly as a whole , from front to rear, to the carb bodies bolted to manifold. So in effect the whole lot from front to rear, and vise versa. NOW the whole situation is in reverse - so the front piston is now easier to lift, the rear one is now harder.....