Category: Technical
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Interior Light
Article first created: 5 May 2013 Issue 50-year-old light lens has quite literally crumbled away. Bulb light was ‘poor’. Diagnosis New bulb and cover required. Repair Replacement was easy: Note: check and replace the super black bulb whilst in the the unit. The cat helped! Parts Approximate prices from: 5 May 2013 updated 19 May…
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Glove Box Catch
Article first created: 5 May 2013 Issue When pulling off forward occasionally the awesome power of my 1500cc unleaded 1963 ford engine on an BW35 auto-box creates so much g-force that the glove box lid drops open. Worse still is, if the good lady is in the car the glove box lid bangs on her…
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Windows stiff
Article first created: 29 Jul 2014 Issue None of the windows would wind up or down without some major effort. At best the drivers window would open 9cm. Diagnosis The rubbers the glass side in have hardened over the years (in the good old days the runners were felt bound metal things, nowadays a felted…
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Drivers Door Lock Barrel
Article first created: 29 Jul 2014 Issue Drivers door lock can be opened by another key, screw driver or other flat bladed object. Diagnosis Lock barrel is worn and needs replacement or repair. Repair Sometimes simply oiling the lock releases the pins and the lock becomes more effective. Often the lock is worn and needs…
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Plenum chamber drainage
Date: 5 May 2013 Issue Plenum chamber drainage elbow perished, unsightly and leaking. Plenum drain tube elbow needed replacing after 50 years. Even the previous owner’s gaffer tape repair had failed, actually there was more gaffer tape than rubber tube. Diagnosis Replace with new elbow. Repair Changing the drainage pipe New one was an easy…
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Battery on standard cars
Date: 19 Sep 2018 Issue The original bolt top 037 batteries are no longer available from regular distributors. Type 037 batteries have square pin, bolt on terminals. After a few years (usually 10 years or so) batteries no longer hold their charge and become a liability. Diagnosis Quite simple really, car either struggles to start…
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Mechanical Fuel Pump
Date: 26 Oct 2021 Issue This article focusses on the standard mechanical fuel pump fitted to standard 1200cc and 1500cc pre-crossflow engines. Engine won’t start, no fuel in pump bowl. Loss of top end power or engine splutters at speed. Oil drip under car. Diagnosis First check there is actually fuel in the tank. To…
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Bleeding the Brake System
Date: 26 Oct 2021 Issue Brake performance is poor. Car not stopping as expected. Brake pedal “spongy” or there is a lot or travel before brakes engage. Brake pedal needs to be pumped to obtain best brake performance. Brake fluid is DOT4 hydraulic oil (I think originally it was DOT3 but this is no longer…
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Front Suspension and Anti Roll bar
Date: 26 Oct 2021 Issue There are 4 mounting points: Bushes do go soft and need replacing periodically. There is a bush at each attachment point. The anti-roll bar exists to assist in getting around corners without losing traction. Soft bushes result in poor steering as the antiroll bar stiffens up precision of the steering.…
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Rear Suspension and Dampers
Date: 26 Oct 2021 Issue This article is focussed on the standard estate car rear suspension and does not apply to modified vehicles. The rear suspension on most Mk1 Cortina’s is not dissimilar from that of a horse drawn carriage. The modern addition of a damper does take some of the bounce out of the…