Sense of humour required and excellent brakes...

[JimEB]

Does your Big Six test your sense of humour? Mine does  :P

I've been having some trouble with the new-to-me-but-not-reconditioned starter motor on the Flying Tomato, solved with a swift whack from a small hammer (the motor is jamming occasionally; the solenoid is fine).

It was MOT time this morning and I warned the tester that the starter motor was iffy, so he let the engine run for as long as he could. He then had to shift it off the ramps to test the brakes, at which point he had to restart the engine. Yes, you've guessed it... Mind you he got to chuckle whilst I popped the bonnet and 'fettled' the starter motor... ;D

After testing the brakes, he commented on how good the standard set-up is. After a few sums, he reckoned they were capable of stopping up to at least 2,500 kg, so that's roughly twice the weight of a Big Six saloon. That's interesting considering that I've been pondering over upgrading to the Stag set-up    ;)

Oh, and the Flying Tomato passed, no advisories   :)

[Nick Jones]

Yeah, mine did......  Stunts like that.

Like utterly refusing to idle while at the rolling road.  It idled normally on the way down there, and afterwards on the way home but at no point while there.  It wasn't getting hot or showing any other sign of distress and was running ok everywhere else in the the rev range, it just stalled when ever it should have idled.

Cow!  Foolery like that got it re-homed.

It has also tried that starter stunt on two separate occasions.  The first was unprovoked, soon after I got it running semi ok on PI.  The second, was this year after a bit of a soaking in a puddle (well, ok more of a small Somerset lake).  Bother times dismantling it and giving it a wash out solved the problem though no obvious problem found.

Good news on the MoT  :)  Presumably the engine is well now?

Nick

[DJB_Harvey]

I wouldn't say there's anything wrong with the standard brake set up in good condition with decent pads ( Mintex 1144's spring to mind )
However with repeated high loadings they will fade .. I've practically had mine on fire in the past !
So over the years I've had Stag / Volvo / Wilwoods  and finally now I'm running AP Racing calipers with Ferodo pads with matching AP discs ... An expensive option but all brake issues now are in the past :)

[Radders]

4247 wrote:

Does your Big Six test your sense of humour? Mine does....

Definitely!

Starter motor failing to engage when I'd just been called to board the Ferry in Calais. I dont think it wanted to go home.  :)

[JimEB]

Nick - not wishing to tempt fate or my car's wicked side, all I'll say is that the engine is running fine  ;D. I've already put 1,200 miles on and it's revving rather freely...  ;)

Enough!

As for brakes, I'll keep the standard set-up for a good while longer. I'm not planning on any track days or Welsh roads...

And now the search for a starter motor continues... :P

[Ridgetone Triumph]

Nout wrong with standard brakes on the big saloons Lads  ;D
I ran standard brakes on the race car! Just changed the pads to metal kings  ;)