Big Jim

you modify the standard cable, see http://nw.rhocar.org/reardiscs.htm

Try ebay; search "car skates" item 261033198476 only at £21 with a few hours to go, there are loads of others, some are expensive, but will give you an idea.

I would suggest getting in touch with SBD then, they are the main distributor I think http://www.sbdev.co.uk/Main.htm I only change ignition settings on mine, I've no idea what else it can tell me as that's all it's used for. I'd have thought it was the coil pack that's knackered if it was firing 1 set of cylinders and not the other................

Yes it counts as a trailer, but as the link says, any trailer over 750kg needs to have working brakes, so go and get the kit weighed, preferably when the fuel tank is near empty, and no tools in the boot or spare wheel on. I can get mine under this limit of 750kg so don't need the brakes to work. The ½ of the tow car weight, is so that you can't tow something similar to a smart car etc. In saying all that, there are very few normal BiB that are up to speed with the towing laws, it's more your Traffic Police who know, and if it *looks* right, 99.99% of them won't bother you. VOSA on the other hand are the ones to watch out for! Get a proper rear lighting board that's kept clean and fully working, with a proper numberplate, nut just a home-made one, get another number plate with "on tow" that you can fix somewhere. http://intertradeuk....?products_id=37 These people do a braked A frame (as well as the normal unbraked one) they are basically the same, but the braked one has an over-run piston attached to the tow hitch, when the tow car brakes, this works but pulling a bowden cable attachment where the other end is fitted to the *towed* cars footbrake pedal using the drivers seat via an attachment as an anchor, so therefore it presses the towed cars foot-brake. In truth, it's a bit of a bodge affair but gets you around the requirements. I towed this back to the NW from deepest south with no problems a few years ago.

The trick is once the pads are out and the caliper is hanging so you can get at the piston easier, get someone to press the pedal slowly pushing the piston out a bit more, as far as you dare without it coming right out. Now clean the O/D of the piston, if there is rust, use very fine wet & dry, other wise just use BRAKE FLUID. (note: if there is rust, you will only prolong the use of the caliper a few months before it starts to play up again, it will rust again, time to replace then) press the piston back in, pump it out and in a couple more times etc. but use brake fluid to lubricate & clean, then there is no contamination of the actual brake fluid.

Mine is an MBE system 276 (I think !) for the redtop, running ignition only (carbs) what do you need? Has yours got the lead added so you can plug into a laptop? if it's not and you do finally have to send it away, get the lead added at the same time., then you can check it yourself.

Head off, and check the gasket.

I agree with Nigel, a badly scored crank would not rob you of power, it would loose oil pressure when hot especially, and start to knock when it got really bad, but it wouldn't kill the power. As you say that it was running OK at idle, it most defiantly points to either not enough fuel getting there when needed, or the ignition timing has altered. To check the fuel, see just what pressure is being delivered to the carbs, against what should be there. if that's OK, then check the rubber connections between the carbs and the cylinder head, and the manifold gasket. If it was running OK on idle, because air leaks at the gaskets or rubber joints would make it lumpy, then I'd personally go for the ignition timing going out.

I have an MBE ignition it's a few years old now, I think that it's the 976, I made up the lead as shown on SBD website, but you needed a PC with a serial port.

It all depends on what you mean by *S7* People called most of the monocoques S7's, but they are different models, and therefore different tubs.

the leads are probably carbon cored, this is like a lead in a pencil, it breaks up. Best to fit is copper wired cored leads.

Yes you do need a front numberplate, of the correct font, spacing, background colour etc. and what's more it's supposed to be vertical or near vertical. So stick -on ones on the nose-cone are actually illegal (but have been used for years on our type of cars!) http://www.regtransfers.co.uk/main/car_numberplates_regulations.asp http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/plates.htm And from the MOT inspectors manual; 2. On Vehicles first Registered on or after 1 January 1973, Check . the colour of the characters and background . that the registration plates are fixed vertically, or as close to vertical as is reasonably practical Which can be found here; http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_630.htm

Take in what's been said above, if you know a garage that you've used previously with any car, and you've been happy with go back to them. If not, try to find a garage that MOT's kitcars reasonably regularly and go there. If your's is a pre SVA car (which I believe it is), then emissions are only a visual check, but everything else is just the same as any eurobox. One thing that you do need to check is the wheel bearings, the early cars did eat them, if there's any play or noises, first try tightening the large nut up very tight. Apart from that, everything else is the usual, tyres, lights, fog lights, hazards, seatbelts, wipers, security of everything like steering rack, seats, shockers,etc. Any play in ball joints, brake performance, excessive leaks anywhere. Just remembered---------------very important! Your car is a monocoque, in other words it doesn't have a chassis, make sure that you are with the tester when he jacks it up to show him the places that are strong enough to jack under.

It's easy enough to do, the big problem is finding someone that has seal kits. You'll not find anything around here, I got my seal kit from ; .http://www.powertrackbrakes.co.uk/ You'll need to quote any and all the numbers on the master cylinder. I had numbers on a plastic 'band' that was on it, plus the cast in number that was on the master cylinder itself. My kit cost me around £25 'ish. So take it off, get the numbers, order the kit, but DON'T take it apart until you have the new seals. Then it's just a matter of taking the clip out of the end and it all comes apart. Keep it all clean, change the seals one at a time & put it back together.

That engine is turning over quick enough to start, no problem with either battery or starter, it has to be on the ignition side. you should get an "Elephant killing spark" to start up, THEN they go weaker when it fired. Check all connections,

It does sound like the starter could be knackered, it should fly round without plugs in or with the head off. So check the earth straps to the engine, remove it / them, clean it & refit it. (this could also cause the slow starter, so this is first job to check) Until you get it to spin fast enough, anything else is a waste of time. Once it spins OK, check the voltage marked on the coil, if it anything other than 12v, that will mean that there is a ballast resistor in one of the lines, these are prone to go knackered, I always dumped the 9v coil & ballast resistor and fitted a straight 12v instead. With the escort engine, you shouldn't have messed up the ignition timing by removing the head, but it would be worth just confirming that you're on the correct compression stroke. The readings that you give for when the starter is used make it sound like there's not enough power being used by the starter, I would have expected it to go down to around 10v on cranking to try to start. I personally believe it's nothing more than a bad earth to the engine.

For sale is the complete kit, including the remote reservoirs, pipes etc This was bought from Rally design only a couple of weeks ago,http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/index.php?cPath=562_582_1311&osCsid=vojb8rashls8ulg35vu090u6v0 I only fitted the master cylinder itself, the reservoirs etc. haven't been taken out of the bags. Unfortunately without a servo, it made the pedal over hard to apply so I've had to remove it and have changed it for something else. I only drove approx 50 miles with it fitted, so it's "as new" complete with all instructions etc. The Rally Design price is £94-50p plus VAT, plus P&P If a RHOCAR member wants it, I'll sell it for £50 plus postage (approx £5) Jim

It'll turn up hopefully, it's not running too bad at the moment. I've done a bit of work on it, then gone back and undone part of it! I thought that I'd splash out and upgrade the brakes, I'd never been 100% happy since having to remove the servo. So I've changed all the flex brake lines for braided ones, and bought a Willwood 1" tandem master cylinder, fitted it all, bled the system with new fluid etc, got a fantastic hard pedal, too bloody hard! I took it for a run to see Greg in Blackburn, but when I came home, I took the new master cylinder off, you need to be Charles Atlas to press the bloody pedal! I've now refitted the "Westfield" one with a new seal kit fitted to it, and the pedal is much better. The bloody thing stops as well................. The problem as you know Steve is that I only get 1 weekend in every month due to the shift pattern, and with too many toys to play with. Anyway, 4 years, 1 month and 20 days and i'll have all the time in the world (but I'm not counting, really!)

Hi all NW guys. Someone borrowed my "snail" carb balancer some time ago, for the life of me I can't remember who it was, but I would like it back please. I've dug the Hood out of the garage, put a brand new MOT, tax & insurance on it, and am hopeful of getting more than 160 miles on it this year!! But when I looked for the carb balancer, there it was, gone! I then vaguely remember someone borrowing it, but don't remember it coming back............ So, If you've got it, please can I have it back? Thank you............

Put a small chamfer on the leading edge of each pad if everything else fails.

Been there! done that! Also drove (with the hood up) about 30 miles on the M6 in torrential rain without windscreen wipers after the blade went "exit, stage left" as I switched them on. Once in the services and under cover, I fitted a spare ( we all carry them, don't we?)

I bought a second-hand set of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dunlop-Optical-Tracking-Alignment-Gauge-Race-Car-Rally-Garage-/270945264683?pt=UK_Measuring_Tools_Levels&hash=item3f1598a42b#ht_1368wt_1344 off ebay. They're what every garage used before the laser stuff came out.

It's not a mk 1 no sierra subframe as has already been said, it's also not a mk 3 or 3A as the top wishbone pivot isn't right. We'd need to see photo's of the back end on the car, & possibly the rear suspension to tie it down. It also could be one of Tricky's *Specials*

Check the small filter where the fuel pipe comes from the pump, not to mention check your main fuel filter as well.

Also if it is the water pump, it'll leak out of a hole directly under the shaft behind the flange. It's a relatively easy job to change the water pump, it's only 4 bolts if I remember correctly (stands corrected if wrong) but you will loose a lot of water, so filling up and clearing air locks come after the new pump is installed.