"The box" - Steve's electric blue k reg rover metro 1.1

A place for members to have a real time diary of what they have done to their car/s. Use one post per person/car and add to it as you work on your pride & joy. Please add the year and model in the title (example: - Dave's 1992 Metro 1.4SL)
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DotMatrix
Posts: 451
Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:28 pm
Location: Denmark

Re: "The box" - Steve's electric blue k reg rover metro 1.1

Post by DotMatrix »

Re-Carbed wrote: Mon Jun 05, 2017 9:17 am
DotMatrix wrote: Sun Jun 04, 2017 8:13 pm The car looks tidy in the pictures.

Frequent oil changes is always good but i dont like the pfte tape idea.
Looks like I won't have to bother as tightening the drain plug has stopped the leak. There are now no more fluids to replace for a while. It's curious that the oil spec for this engine is 10W40 but I'm sure it was quieter when there was 5W30 in it.
the oil viscosity to my knowledge has something to do with the thickness of the oil and climate where they are used. but I think that the 5w30 oils have become more common since the metro had its oil specifications written down. If you get the 5w30 oil in the right specifications which I think is called C3 then I wouldn't expect it to be a problem using that instead of the 10w40 although it generally is a bit thicker flowing that then 10w40 so maybe it will be harder to get out of the hydralic tappets over time? I don't know.

anyway, here is a chart of viscosities I googled which should explain it:

Image
Re-Carbed
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Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 7:53 pm

Re: "The box" - Steve's electric blue k reg rover metro 1.1

Post by Re-Carbed »

*Update* - after buying a "Draper" timing light and a "Gunson's" tachometer at a junk fair, I found that the timing was morelike 12-15 deg BTDC so reset it to 9. Then set up the carb by raising the jet to the bridge and then lowering it 2 1/2 turns. I fully closed the air bypass screw in the diaphragm housing, checked that the throttle was fully closed and started the engine. It ran lumpy at about 450rpm using air sucked through the butterfly spring valve. I opened the air bypass until I got a maximum RPM figure of about 650 (the RPM figure rises steadily then start to drop at a point) and then opened the throttle idle screw to get 850. I adjusted the mixture for the correct idle exhaust note - in between swishy and booming and now it seems to run much better. Years ago all of this was done intuitively by all enthusiastic car owners like me but I bet fuel injection is leading to these skills being lost. Pity there wasn't a "Gunson's colortune" at the fair as well, then I would have had the full set.
Re-Carbed
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 7:53 pm

Re: "The box" - Steve's electric blue k reg rover metro 1.1

Post by Re-Carbed »

So much for photobucket - into the bin!

I'm trying out a new hosting service (that's free and easy) so here goes - here's a picture of my trusty Metro interior -

Image

In the words of Jeremy Clarkson whilst changing gears in a sick Marak - "It worked!".
Re-Carbed
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 7:53 pm

Re: "The box" - Steve's electric blue k reg rover metro 1.1

Post by Re-Carbed »

The interior of The Box looks nothing like this now as I've removed it all. The carpets, soundproofing, wheel arch liners and rear passenger compartment liners. The reason? Water ingress. I've sealed around the heater aperture but still just a bit is getting in via the front door seals and also at the back via, I think perished rear fixed window rubbers - dribbling down into the rear corners of the boot. Although it's not much it builds up and is not able to go anywhere as the soundproofing on the floor is very thick and completely covered by the screwed-down carpet. When wet it weighs a ton but there is no evidence at carpet level which is dry.

I imagine that this has happened to thousands of Metros and rotted out the sills and floors. Mine has a few "spots" here and there but should now survive as the water can evaporate. The water in the boot is collected via two soak-up cloths that are changed when wet. My car now has a stark and noisy interior but better that than losing it to tin worm! When the weather picks up I may get some new seals and have a go at fixing them. My windscreen rubber is going at the edges too - I guess that these cars don't last for ever.
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DotMatrix
Posts: 451
Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:28 pm
Location: Denmark

Re: "The box" - Steve's electric blue k reg rover metro 1.1

Post by DotMatrix »

yes the rubbers do perish and crack. the door rubbers are very common and can be bought by the metre. Ralph on ebay have had both front and rear windscreen rubbers new in stock, but I dont know if he has more of the rear ones. the rear fixed window rubbers I have not been able to find any where, the only fix I know is fitting opening rear windows because they use rubber seals that can also be bought by the metre.

if you do succeed in finding the rubber seals for the rear fixed windows new, even if it is by the metre or just the right profile please let me know where :)
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