long suffering A30's continuous improvements

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Dave Clark
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Re: long suffering A30's continuous improvements

Post by Dave Clark »

I think Neil is referring to the arms on the shock absorber itself rather than the connecting links.

Removing and replacing those arms presents a challenge in a home workshop.
Big Daddy
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Re: long suffering A30's continuous improvements

Post by Big Daddy »

Dave Clark wrote:Removing and replacing those arms presents a challenge in a home workshop.
Press :?:
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Countryboy
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Re: long suffering A30's continuous improvements

Post by Countryboy »

Dave Clark wrote:I think Neil is referring to the arms on the shock absorber itself rather than the connecting links.
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Yea I know :D
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Countryboy
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Re: long suffering A30's continuous improvements

Post by Countryboy »

Just had a very enjoyable, brisk dive around the neighbourhood :D

If you sling the car into a corner it behaves very well in deed

Time will tell on the location of the panhard rod . I have tried and failed to take good pictures of it .
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To say it bolts to the boot floor is true but is looks to be quite a solid area . The two forward mountings are right at the front of the floor where is curves up to track over the axle. This shape and the ribs in the floor make it very rigid . The outer two mounts are about an inch away from the O/S/R chassis leg. Now I have made up my own spreader plates that bridge the gap to the chassis leg inside the boot and on the other mountings,extend forward to the front of the floor. These are now hidden under sound deadening pads and are around triple the surface area of what you see from below.

I know I have covered this before .....the end of the rod that locates to the axle was also modified. I replaced the Rose joint for a poly bush from Supaflex. I understand that this is the same as a Herald etc top trunnion but I bought it with its own metal outer retaining shell. This shell was then welded to some threaded rod the same size as the threaded end of the Rose joint .

It is true that the bolt supplied to weld to the saddle plate was not fit for purpose . The Rose joint fitted over this bolt and was held in place with a nut . The problem being was the Rose joint sat on a threaded area of the bolt and was a loose fit . My mentor picked up on this immediately :shock:

This bolt has been replaced with a longer one that is a nice tight fit to the sleeve inside the poly bush

From memory this is the same diameter as most seatbelt bolts.

The finished article works well for my setup/budget
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It sits pretty level with weight on the axle

Yes you could easily build one but I think the basic dimensions are about right

Now I must finish off drilling the holes in my new wheels before I move to the front running gear :wave:
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Hoppend
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Re: long suffering A30's continuous improvements

Post by Hoppend »

That looks real good Steven!

Good to hear you got the desired results
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Re: Le Mans Classic 2016 Prep Begins

Post by gazza82 »

Countryboy wrote:We were just a stones throw away from Slark Race Engineering . Neil Slark is a decent easy going chap who looks to continually be working on A series engines . The place is strewn with all sorts of minis and silverware
Just read on a different forum Neil has moved to Bristol! Facebook page suggests he has moved to Cheston Combe, Church Town, Backwell, Bristol BS48 3JQ but other sites still showing old address (although their official website doesn't show any address I can find!).
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Countryboy
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Re: long suffering A30's continuous improvements

Post by Countryboy »

Work has been continuing in fits and starts . I have had a short drive with the new engine installed and that made me realise very quickly that some of the running gear was inadequate to handle the increase in power

I have never been happy with the single arm of the front dampers

After finding out that MGB dampers don’t fit under the steering box I looked at offerings from Peter May
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And Rae Davis
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Peter May told me that his wouldn’t fit and that I needed to speak to Rae

I struggled to get hold of Rae at first and did speak with a few racers who had made the May braces fit

When I got hold of Rae he sent me the above picture. His mounting plate has a return on two sides and utilities all three damper securing bolts .

With very minor tapping back of the inner wing these fitted very easily. I have added covers for the rose joints and filled them with marine grease
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Chris T
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Re: long suffering A30's continuous improvements

Post by Chris T »

Austin twin-cams:
I don’t recall hearing this before and felt it fitted nicely here. Paraphrased from Graham Robson’s 1982 “The MGA, MGB and MGC”.
Bill Appleby designed a twin-cam in 1954-55 when Len Lord’s BMC stablemates Austin and Morris were separately tasked with designing a twin-cam for racing. Appleby had been involved with 750cc Austin twin-cams in the 1930s. Both new prototype engines were fitted to MGAs to race at Dundrod in 1955, but fears over reliability of the entirely new Austin unit (66-deg valve angle) meant it was replaced prior to the race (with a similarly powered Le Mans prepared B-Series). George Palmer’s Nuffield unit (80-deg valve angle) was based upon the B-Series and had already been refined by Morris Engines Branch so was considered more viable, being less complex and cheaper. This was further developed for full-scale production from 1958. The Austin design was scrapped, but then the Morris unit only lasted until 1960 after being dogged by reliability problems.
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Countryboy
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Re: long suffering A30's continuous improvements

Post by Countryboy »

Very interesting Chris

I wonder what the power output would have been? :study:
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Re: long suffering A30's continuous improvements

Post by Chris T »

No data quoted for these weber-fed racing prototypes Steven. For the production cars it's interesting to note that the standard 1588cc produced 79.5bhp & 87lb torque whereas the twin-cam 1588cc produced 108bhp & 104lb.
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Re: long suffering A30's continuous improvements

Post by Chris T »

Countryboy wrote:I wonder what the power output would have been? :study:
According to this 1955 John Bolster article in Autosport, the B-Series engine tuned for Le Mans produced a surprisingly modest 82bhp at 5,500rpm with 2 x 1.75” SUs and 9.4:1 compression ratio, so it would seem that the embryonic Austin twin-cam offered similar.
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Paulc
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Re: long suffering A30's continuous improvements

Post by Paulc »

Thanks Chris, 82 bhp doesn't sound that 'advanced', mind you the 2.6 litre Healey only produced 90bhp whereas the 1750cc Allegro Equipe knocked out 90bhp!
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Countryboy
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Re: long suffering A30's continuous improvements

Post by Countryboy »

A modern 1293 Twik produces 119 Bhp :thumbs:
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Re: long suffering A30's continuous improvements

Post by gazza82 »

Countryboy wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 8:00 pm A modern 1293 Twik produces 119 Bhp :thumbs:
What's the latest on your long-suffering A30? :whistle:

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