thespannerman

Shortened my sump for SVA no problems. Quite a drop down into the rollers. Tester said every Tiger he tests gets stuck! PS: I use cbs engine mounts wich come in diifferent hights and don't squish under load.

My 3a has 1/2 degree -tve camber, 3 degree castor and 2mm toe in. Made up my own gauges out of ally strip and plum lines. Make sure your car is dead level on axle stands. The more castor you dial in gives better self centreing, but reduces the feed back and feel of the front end.

Made my own up, RHES3A then my lottery numbers ran to 17 digits. Put it on my SVA application and never got questioned. SVA Beverley, registered Lincoln. Used to refuse to SVA unless a vin was stamped, ie. Need a vin number to process paper work for IVA appointment.

What a load of **** looks like a bit of plastic bottle stuck to the side of the car. For SVA I just put on some nut covers then wrapped the pivot in black foam and cable ties. Get on with the rest of the build. Foam sheet, pipe lagging and tape got me through SVA no problem.

V important to check size of centre hole of wheell to match hub centre. Should be a good fit so that shear forces are not transmitted onto wheel studs.

Are you sure its a pressure reducer? No expert but to me it looks like a residual pressure valve? Design to keep a low residual brake pressure in the calipers to minimise pedal travel when re applying the brakes. Personally I use a Mini brake limiter in the rear brake circuit. Can be drilled out and made adjustable after IVA.

Some of the music I listen to contains foul language, but this language is part of the indie/ punk rock scene which is not main stream pop music (best as live gig). When played on radio stations the content is obviously censored as I believe it should be. The point I was making is that rapper lyrics are not sensored and actively pushed by main stream radio into youth culture. This web campain has not been sencored and people are getting there back up and missing the point of the exercise. Everyone has there own taste in music but for me its a change in the mockery of christmas number one.

If you want an age related plate use the engine from your donor. I did a full rebuild on my 2l pinto. Rebore, pistons, unleaded head, full engine balance, camshaft, valve springs &seats cut, water pump, fuel pump, shortened sump, clutch, heavey duty bearings, alternater, carb, dizzy etc.... Spent as much as a new zetec but I havn't got the cost of bell housing, gear box, sump, water rail, engine managment, throttle bodies, fuel rail and pump, engine sensors etc. Plus I know my engine inside out and the engine, transmission, diff gearing, speedo calibration, carb all match from one single car. Easy to plumb in and the engine loom only has four wires plus alternater

Seen this before when I worked in the motorbike trade. Gravity fed fuel tank, tap left on, sticking floats. Just drain and refill with fresh oil. In worst case senario could cause hydrolic lock under piston, but you say yours has vented to the catch tank. SPANNER

Wallys at work left two steam pressure washers outside the other night, manager can't work out why the pumps have packed up. Tried explaining that water expands when it freezes but he just looked blank and said they only got fixed the other week!

Isn't the xmas number one absolutely brilliant? Been a fan of RATM ever since my student days of jumping around and head banging. Seems to be alot of bad feelings about this on the net about the bad language and references to the band being devils etc. Not to offend anyone on here if all the complaining idiots sat down and listened to there back catalogue, they would realise that all their tracks are about human rights issues that they have campaigned for over the years. The procedes from the single are going to the Shelter charity not Simon Cowells pocket. Too many rappers today that kids listen to and Radio One push talk about gangsters, guns, gang culture, knifes, cop killing etc. To sell albums you have to been to prison, been shot (more times the better) and a member of your onterage on a murder charge. What message does this give to the kids of today? Just hope this use Of RATM for the campain doesn't distain my memories of a great band and time of my life. SPANNER

My hood is red does that make me gay? I'm married with two kids.

Passed SVA in March 2009 first time with my 3a. Used the kit seat squabs bolted down, to use them for IVA you will need to bolt some form of head rest to the roll bar. As for seat belt mounts looked at different suppliers and settled for TRS 3 point clubman. Problem with monocoque chasiss is the lap belt mount strength and angle of pull with bolt in harness. The above harness has clip in eye bolts that i drilled through the double thickness seat back (as low as possible). And bolted into a substantial piece of angle with captive nuts and lock nuts from under the car to spread the load. Put in two small captive nuts on angle aswell to locate it, as it was a failure if seat belt mounts fall off when harness mount bolts are removed (hence most belt pick up plates have a rivet hole pre drilled). My 3a roll bar came with a cross bar at correct hight for seat squabs that had an unthreaded sleaved hole for seat belt mount ,one for each seat. A captive nut can be welded to the bottom of the crush tube to comply but I couldn't find an eyed mount long enough to pass through it, plus there isn't much room between the cross bar and the back of your neck to fit in the belt mount and adjusters etc. My solution was to use the included rear mount angle that fits under the top of the back panel with harness over the top of the cross bar. Then add two pieces of tubing with flatened ends between the rear roll bar stay bolts and the shock absorber mounting angle. The roll bar had captive m12 plates welded into the bottom with 3mm strengthening plates above and below bolted through the boot floor. Flat bar off cuts fill the gap between the roll bar and boot side so that m10 U bolts can pass around the roll bar throgh the boot side and rear shock mount angle. Thus the roll bar becomes a stressed member that holds the rear of the car together and displays visible triangulation for seat belt mounts. PS: you will need longer eye bolts than supplied with harnesses to pass through captive nuts and fit on a lock nut too. Any more issues with 3a just post or PM me, SPANNER

Look at MINI SPARES for mini wiper parts, very good prices.

Master cylinder came with the 3a kit(1998). Some one else might know its origins, looks same size as my donor one 1984. Push rod had a U shape clevis type peddle attachment on it, so cut up my old servo to get out the push rod that cliped to my brake pedal.

You'll be straight on the roead anyway. Passed SVA in March with no screen, havn't got round to fitting it yet. Just wear a crash helmet.

I run a 3a that passed SVA with good brake balance. Run vented front discs and drum rears on a four outlet master with servo removed. One rear outlet is blanked with bleed nipple, other runs through an old MINI brake limiter with one outlet also blanked off. At the rear of the car a tee piece splits the single brake pipe back to two. As the MINI brake limiter is not adjustable should keep the IVA man happy ie. back brakes don''t lock up first. But the MINI brake limiter can be easily made adjustable at a later date by drilling the end out and fitting an adjustable bolt and lock nut. There not made anymore so need to look for old stock at auto jumbles. No problem testing on rollers either as its not decceleration activated.

If you use the V8 make sure you take photos of it in the donor vehicle to prove the engine number on your log book.

Make up your own chassis number to the correct format, mine is RH, model code & lottery numbers. Need to put this on your IVA application as they wont test the car without a chassis number. As for the BUI (age related plate) my engine number matched the chassis number on the donor v5. Anything from donor vehicle state as leaving the serial numbers column blank. As for reciepts the only one they wanted was the Rh kit invoice, they like to date, stamp and write on the new reg number so you cant use it again. My local DVLA is Lincoln where the office manager does the kit cars, top bloke.

Fit the floor first and then route the wiring properly. Why make things complicated, wiring and connectors like to be dry not dangling under the car.

Indicators or repeaters mounted on cycle wings can only be tested with wheels straight ahead.

Got a complete quick shift lever from Rally Design for £35 (show price). Lovely quality on proper sypherical bearing, can supply as straight or bent (check dash clearance). Also do a DIY kit for a tenner with a milled and drilled spacer. Makes for a positive gear change as original had a wobbley rubber bush on stem.

Is that the breakers yard next to Suzies's cafe on the A17? Near the A17/A16 roundabout. Drive past it on way to mother inlaws, but have never stopped.

For my SVA I didn't want to drill for same reasons. Got some stick on led repeaters from A1 motor stores, designed to wrap around the corner of a wing mirror at £4.99. Stuck them to the outer rear edge of the cycle wings, tuck wiring into edge finisher and wire into front indicators. Dunking in hot water before fitting helps mould to wing profile. Really bright and E marked.

Passed SVA on 3a with 0.5 negative degree camber, 3 degree castor and 2mm toe in. Made up gauges from bits of bent ally and plum lines. To get chassis level I put car on axle stands and took levels with straight edge across bottom of tyre treads (pack up stands till level), not off chassis rails. To set toe in run two paralell strings down side of car tied between four axle stands, then measure from string to wheel rim for and aft. My self centreing improved alot on drive to test station, main problem is the new ball joints on the suspension arms and steering rack. PS: Putting in too much caster ruins steering feed back. Thought I would have it set up professionally after its on the road, but it handles so well just left as is.