Welcome to the Austin Seven Friends web site and forum

As announced earlier, this forum with it's respective web address will go offline within the next days!
Please follow the link to our new forum

http://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/forum

and make sure, you readjust your link button to the new address!

Welcome Austin seven Friends
This Forum is Locked
Author
Comment
View Entire Thread
Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Ian,

Thanks again

Cheers, Tony.

Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Russel,

I have left you a voicemail - I am happy to loan you anything I have here that may be of use to you, tools, spares etc.

I can arrange delievry to where the car is being stored.

Get in touch if this would be of help to you.

Cheers

R

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Tony Press
Ian,

Thanks again

Cheers, Tony.


Hi Tony, I missed off that list the spare halfshaft and key that travels on the rear crossmember.

Ian Mc.

Location: Shropshire

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Silly though it may sound, there have been many instances of gear levers snapping off, that can leave you totally snookered (2 instances in the Cornwall Club to my knowlege). If it's a long trip, it may save embarrassment..........
Bob

Location: St Tudy North Cornwall not far from Alastair

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Having had the gearstick break the other night, while dicing with silage trailers on a narrow lane, I was very glad that, as a result of previous experience, I always carry a spare. Five minutes and I was back on the road. The spare fits nicely above the battery box on a Ruby...

Alastair

You beat me to it Bob...

Location: Port Isaac

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

I carry a spare gearstick in the boot of the Pearl.

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

The Speedex catalogue of parts offered a fabricated extension with an exchange for your old gearbox top and lever - with the caveat that the lever had not been previously welded... That was 60 years ago... where did I put that spare one...

Location: Colchester

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

As usual on these occasions, I'm left feeling completely inadequate in the face of other people's orderly systems. I have to admit that I travel with no more than a basic tool kit plus a few bits of wire, string and sticky tape.

The one time that my gear lever broke I was just leaving Nottingham for the 108-mile trip back to Herefordshire.

I clamped a large Mole wrench to the stump and drove the whole way using that to change gear, including through the Birmingham rush hour.

Location: Herefordshire, with an "E" not a "T".

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Great minds think alike Martin, one of our BA7c members broke his 29 gearstick just starting out for Beaulieu in the 1970s and like you used the mole wrench clamped on the remaining 'stub' for the journey there and back, didn't do his hand a lot of good though!
Ever since then a spare gearstick is under my back seat.
Ian M

Location: Bristol

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

A charged up mobile phone!

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Thanks R, added to the (growing) list.

Cheers, Tony.

Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Hammer + bigger hammer + duct tape. :-)

Location: North Herts

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

David Harrison
A charged up mobile phone!

I remember reading in one of the classic car mags years ago,They were doing an interview with I think Tony Dron ,A famous racing driver and author.A question was asked "What do you think is the most important item in your toolkit?"
His answer,A mobile phone.

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Of course Tony Dron is an enthusiastic 7 owner. All 6'6" of him.

_DSC3125_2

Location: North Herts

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

If your car has a 22FZB carburettor carry a spare plug which fit below the jets. I lost one on Lewis a couple of years ago, fortunately I had a spare.

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Dave Mann
If your car has a 22FZB carburettor carry a spare plug which fit below the jets. I lost one on Lewis a couple of years ago, fortunately I had a spare.


Also carry some superglue -- the petrol feed union is a weak point and past over tightening ( not me guv ) leads to a hair line crack which then becomes a problem when far from home. A squirt of super glue followed by immediate tightening will get you home and more. I had this problem on the last Eurotour and found this to be a good solution.

Charles

Location: Norfolk

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Although I have thanked him in private for this generous offer, let me publicly aknowledge the help and advice Ruairidh has cheerfully given to me, many others on the forum and probably elsewhere. thanks again Russell



Ruairidh Dunford
Russel,

I have left you a voicemail - I am happy to loan you anything I have here that may be of use to you, tools, spares etc.

I can arrange delievry to where the car is being stored.

Get in touch if this would be of help to you.

Cheers

R

Location: oz

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

I gave the Editor the various suggestions.

He replied-

"Crickey. I think I will leave it in the garage. 😄"

Cheers, Tony.

Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

About 12 years ago I went on a 2CV Raid through the centre of Western Australia. With 2CVs it was all about weight as if you carried too much, things started breaking, so most tools had to be at least dual purpose. The best instance of this was when I broke a clutch bell crank (not 2CV) in the middle of nowhere and my friend Shayne got out his "welder" which was the glass out of a welding helmet and a welding rod, he then proceeded to scrounge a wine box and duct tape that made the helmet and then asked around for jumper leads and a couple of car batteries that made up the rest of the welder...12 years later the clutch is still working.

Location: Rokeby, Victoria, Australia

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Well, I have learned something now. In all the years I have owned my Swallow and driven it a fair bit, I have never heard of the gear stick breaking! I would have bet on the brass selectors (having worn down to a point) breaking first. I do have a gentle touch, it has to be said, and my gearbox is as sweet as can be. My only spare gearbox is a 4 speed and without looking I wouldn't know if the lever is interchangeable - knowing my luck it probably isn't.

I don't have a spare half shaft either so if one broke I would phone a nice man; a very nice man, with a low loader to take me home.

Location: Derby

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

I think it is a problem which only affects the four-speed boxes - all the broken ones I've seen seem to have gone at the groove cut into the stick for the circlip which retains the chrome disc.
I've repaired the broken one from the other day by tapping 5/16 BSF threads in the two broken broken faces and inserting a stud, then welding around the 'crack' which I'd opened up slightly. But I haven't re-cut the circlip groove as its obviously a weak spot. What do others do? I'm sure there are better solutions out there...

Alastair

Location: Port Isaac

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

squeak
Although I have thanked him in private for this generous offer, let me publicly aknowledge the help and advice Ruairidh has cheerfully given to me, many others on the forum and probably elsewhere. thanks again Russell



Ruairidh Dunford
Russel,

I have left you a voicemail - I am happy to loan you anything I have here that may be of use to you, tools, spares etc.

I can arrange delievry to where the car is being stored.

Get in touch if this would be of help to you.

Cheers

R


Bloody hell Russell - I was only joking! I intend to profit from this pseudo generosity handsomely! Expect my bill - soon!

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Ian McGowan
Tony Press
Ian,

Thanks again

Cheers, Tony.


Hi Tony, I missed off that list the spare halfshaft and key that travels on the rear crossmember.

Ian Mc.


Is that the one I think it is Ian? If so, it's been 18 years since I first put it there. May 1999

Steve

Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Spares to Carry on a trip

Steve Jones
Ian McGowan
Tony Press
Ian,

Thanks again

Cheers, Tony.


Hi Tony, I missed off that list the spare halfshaft and key that travels on the rear crossmember.

Ian Mc.


Is that the one I think it is Ian? If so, it's been 18 years since I first put it there. May 1999

Steve


Same one Steve, I hope that it remains there, unneeded and undisturbed for another 18 years, thank you.(I have added additional cable ties, wouldn't want to lose it!!)

Ian Mc.

Location: Shropshire