Before (below) and after photos of the manifold repair on the Boothman 1927 12/50. As always, left click on any photo for a full screen view.
Echuca to Beechworth
Having decided on a plan, Martin and I were already working on a manifold fix at 7:00 AM in the motel car park (that’s a parking lot to the Americans reading).
One of the reasons the manifold has cracked may be that the manifold flange holes have ovalled themselves over time, allowing too much play between retaining stud and flange. We tried to remedy this by cutting ¼” pieces of split pin and inserting between the stud and the flange hole, after replacing the gasket. Next, how to cover and repair the fracture?
We covered the crack with silencer/muffler repair bandage, wrapping around the manifold 4-5 times tightly. Then, remembering Boy Scout First Aid Merit Badge guidelines, we created four “broken arm” splints made up of cut-up stainless steel dinner forks held in place as tightly as possible with three stainless steel hose clamps. Scoutmaster Ben Pumo of Miami’s Troop 305 would have been proud! My Eagle Scout son Brett will now see that some of this stuff does indeed come in handy later in life!
Then came the test! Today was a long drive, 177 miles in 37 C/ 100 F temperatures. Alan McKinnon asked me to ferry his son Ben’s car to Beachworth, so we drove in convoy, Alan and Noeline McKinnon in the 1926 12/50 tourer, followed by me in the similar 12/50 1926 tourer, with Martin Boothman in the repaired manifold 1927 12/50 wide two-seater bringing up the rear, all at a steady 40-50 mph.
Much of the drive was along the lightly driven B400 to Yarrawonga. Not much for me to report as we didn’t stop there, but I just like the name!
Several cars, primarily the cars from England unaccustomed to the heat, suffered some overheating and/or fuel vaporization in the extreme heat and climb along the way, and our trio of 80 plus year old 12/50s all made it without incident, with the repaired manifold holding, at least for today!
The Harvey 1951 TA21 DHC ground to a halt with a failed condenser within the distributor, which was quickly replaced.
We now spend two nights in a former long-stay psychiatric hospital currently run as the Hospitality Industry Training School of LaTrobe University (Melbourne).
About 100 Alvis people staying in a previous mental asylum! We are definitely in the right place!
Echuca to Beechworth
Having decided on a plan, Martin and I were already working on a manifold fix at 7:00 AM in the motel car park (that’s a parking lot to the Americans reading).
One of the reasons the manifold has cracked may be that the manifold flange holes have ovalled themselves over time, allowing too much play between retaining stud and flange. We tried to remedy this by cutting ¼” pieces of split pin and inserting between the stud and the flange hole, after replacing the gasket. Next, how to cover and repair the fracture?
We covered the crack with silencer/muffler repair bandage, wrapping around the manifold 4-5 times tightly. Then, remembering Boy Scout First Aid Merit Badge guidelines, we created four “broken arm” splints made up of cut-up stainless steel dinner forks held in place as tightly as possible with three stainless steel hose clamps. Scoutmaster Ben Pumo of Miami’s Troop 305 would have been proud! My Eagle Scout son Brett will now see that some of this stuff does indeed come in handy later in life!
Then came the test! Today was a long drive, 177 miles in 37 C/ 100 F temperatures. Alan McKinnon asked me to ferry his son Ben’s car to Beachworth, so we drove in convoy, Alan and Noeline McKinnon in the 1926 12/50 tourer, followed by me in the similar 12/50 1926 tourer, with Martin Boothman in the repaired manifold 1927 12/50 wide two-seater bringing up the rear, all at a steady 40-50 mph.
Much of the drive was along the lightly driven B400 to Yarrawonga. Not much for me to report as we didn’t stop there, but I just like the name!
Several cars, primarily the cars from England unaccustomed to the heat, suffered some overheating and/or fuel vaporization in the extreme heat and climb along the way, and our trio of 80 plus year old 12/50s all made it without incident, with the repaired manifold holding, at least for today!
The Harvey 1951 TA21 DHC ground to a halt with a failed condenser within the distributor, which was quickly replaced.
We now spend two nights in a former long-stay psychiatric hospital currently run as the Hospitality Industry Training School of LaTrobe University (Melbourne).
About 100 Alvis people staying in a previous mental asylum! We are definitely in the right place!
Cumulative miles on the tour so far: 1,209
2 comments:
If I see one more bloody photograph of a 1920s broken manifold—I'm gonna spit. You're in Oz, mate. How 'bout a nice photograph of you holding a koala . . . suckin' down a can of Tooheys . . . or your arm around a pretty sheila with a great set of bristols. So, enough of the ACC magazine picture taking Johnny. Give us the stuff of the great "Banjo" Paterson—and the likes of Clancy and Saltbush Bill. Now, that's the way to record an Alvis car tour!
Tiger
Dale: Excellent map. Thank you, mate. At least we now know from where in Victoria we are getting those countless boring photographs of ancient engine blocks. Oh, dear.
Johnny: Some inspiration for you to combine a Tooheys' shot with a sheila.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-xM2A8DLbo
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