Getting cranky

[Binny]

Hi Simon,
Glad you found the problem.
Don’t be too hasty to replace your metering unit.
Mine was seized after not being used for thirty five years but the shuttle components freed up (I had to tap them out) and after a thorough clean and replacement of the diaphragm and injector port seals it works perfectly.

[simon.williams]

Thanks for that, I’ll have another go at gently freeing it up. Not keen to spend ££’s if I can manage with a seal kit!

[simon.williams]

I owe some beers. Overnight soak in petrol and some gentle taps with hammer and I now have a rotor that spins like its on a cushion of air! Thank you Binny.

Alec - I found the Lucas manual online - what a great document. I think I’m on the home straight!

Nice clean up in white spirit, get it all ready for new seals.

[Mike Stevens]

Hi Simon,

It may also be worth fitting a high current power feed direct from the battery to the coil of a relay in the boot, the contacts of which then power the pump. The relay coil is then powered by the feed from the inertia switch. 2 advantages come to mind, 1) the volt drop down the cable becomes insignificant and 2) it will protect the contacts in a replacement inertia switch.

I've done this on my PI (which has a Bosch pump BTW). This is (I think) a 10mm cable from the battery via a 25-50A fuse mounted locally to the battery, through the passenger compartment to the boot where it feeds at least a relay for the pump. This worked really well for many years, and I hope will for many more when I get around to finishing the bodywork! It also powered some radio equipment fitted in the boot with its control panel in the centre console. Of course any other high load items could also be powered like this via another relay in the boot. Hmm, maybe the 25-50A fuse may have to be uprated if much else was wired to it!

[simon.williams]

Thanks Mike, will look into this.

Does anyone know if I absolutely need the special Lucas tools to re-fit new sleeves and sealing rings? Or can I improvise something to push them in?

Thank you!

[Binny]

Hi Simon,
I didn’t use any special tools when I changed mine a couple of months ago.
To be honest I couldn’t really see why they would be required although I may be missing something.
Anywat the engine seems to run perfectly.

[simon.williams]

Soooo, metering unit reassembled and all moves smoothly. New diaphragm was a pig to get on to the little disk it fits to, but I managed to get it on and appears to seal.

New dilemma though, when metering unit drive aligned with marks, and number 6 hole just appearing, I seem to be diagonally opposed to where the distributor drive is sitting at TDC on number 1 cylinder.

Do I need to dismantle the distributor (and how!) to adjust or is it supposed to be like this (I assume I would have number 6 cylinder crowning if I aligned it “as is”.

Help!

ERRATUM - plastic drive dog is at 90 degrees to drive pinion slot and hence alignment is different. Oops!

[simon.williams]

Now I’m really lost as the Haynes manual seems to say I should put pinion drive in so that the slot is vertical? How can that ever align with the metering unit?

I assume I should buy new o-rings for the oil seals etc?

[Alec]

Hello Simon,

a slight revision. Reading your post again you seem to be bit mixed up.
When you refit the metering unit and its pedestal the drive shaft gear meshes with the oil pump distributor drive shaft gear, so the position of the slot is irrelevant to that. If you refit the unit you will see the rotor turn as it meshes with the drive shaft. To time it means removing the unit and by putting your finger in the pedestal you can turn the drive spindle. Turn it until you just see the hole appear at the number six port, then turn back a small amount. Drop the pedestal down and see if there is a hole and what it looks like. It may well take a few goes, trial and error, to estimate how much the drive shaft should be turned to get the desired result.

Alec

[simon.williams]

Doh! I forgot the drive dog is at 90 degrees to the slot. What a muppet. That would seem to align a bit better.

The dizzy does seem to be at Number one at TDC…

Tomorrow may be the day we have lift-off….or not!