Scarecrow's 14TGE

Tell us about life with your BX, or indeed life in general!
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electrokid
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Post by electrokid »

Compression test is done by removing each spark plug in turn and replacing it with a pressure gauge designed to measure cylinder compression. The gauge is usually the plunger type so you reset it to zero then crank the engine a bit then read the gauge - should give an indication of general condition of all the components that should seal - valve seats, piston rings, and HG.
1992 BX19 TGD estate 228K Rusty - SORNed
2002 C5 HDi SX estate
scarecrow

Post by scarecrow »

Thanks Brian - you're a star again :)

I thought it was just a new way of doing the test. The last time I had the compression test you mention was when I tried to drive my MGBGT like a sports car when I was 17 and broke a ring:oops: I will have the compression test carried out before going any further. Should the test be done with a hot or cold engine?
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electrokid
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Post by electrokid »

Should the test be done with a hot or cold engine?
Ooo - that's good question - and one I feel I really ought to know the answer to :lol:

The last time I did one - or tried to do one, was on my high compression ratio mini - first time I revved up it spat the gauge out which hit me in the chest :lol:

Thinking... when the engine is cold all the tolerances are wider - including any small gaps in the HG - warm engine should be better all round but it could show up one cylinder if there's a problem with it.

Bottom line is I don't know - if I was doing it myself I'd probably try it both cold and hot to see any differences.
1992 BX19 TGD estate 228K Rusty - SORNed
2002 C5 HDi SX estate
sdelasal
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Post by sdelasal »

I doubt that an engine compression test will tell you anything about potential head gasket fault. If the figures are low it'll be rings or valves. If the head gasket is leaking that bad, you'll see bubbles in the radiator fill! STeve
scarecrow

Post by scarecrow »

Hahahaha... not! I asked the chap who rebuilt my Carb. for me to write down the serial No. as the plate on the Carb. was blank. I've just re-read what he wrote, it says "32/34 Z2 Solex".

Solex? I bought a Weber from a bloke off of ebay, or so I thought!!!! Now I don't know whether I have the right inlet manifold for this Carb.

Edit: dirty laundry and public :wink:

Anyone want to buy some guitars and an amp?
Last edited by scarecrow on Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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electrokid
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Post by electrokid »

The technical term for that is 'a bit of a bugger' !

I don't know dates but Solex and Weber joined forces at some time so there was a common product 'look' after then - same castings with minor differences in the add-ons. Don't know too much about Solex carbs.

Have a chat with the seller - he might have details at to what the Weber equivalent is if it's one of the later ones with common castings with Solex. Or have a chat with Southern Carburettors.

Always fancied a Fender Strat - but finding one in it's original build standard is like trying to find a BX with its original tyres !

That's not diet coke then :wink:
1992 BX19 TGD estate 228K Rusty - SORNed
2002 C5 HDi SX estate
scarecrow

Post by scarecrow »

Oh well Brian - I'll have to go with the Solex now that I've paid to have it refurbished. The inlet manifold is straight off of an ax gt too, so at least there shouldn't be any compatibility issues.

My electric guitar is a very nice Strat. copy, but I don't think my neighbours appreciate the delicate tones it produces :wink: Unfortunately I'm not a very delicate Hendrix copy :D

Coke is a corrosive substance, physically and socially. I think people use it in lieu of having a personality, it seems to give them delusions of grandeur. I can't imagine how much money it strips out of the economy, but I'd bet it goes into the billions every year. How much it costs socially is beyond calculation. Nasty, nasty stuff! Kids, don't do it unless you want to end up looking like Wineo, with a brain like a lump of emmental. :roll:
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electrokid
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Post by electrokid »

Yes - the fact that it's reconditioned should make it all work better anyway.

Even a good never-messed-about-with Strat copy has to be a very nice machine :-) I haven't played for some decades now but I'd still like to have one - might get me back into it again. I looked at Strats on eBay but there was such a mix of swapped bodies and necks there's no way of telling if they're any good or not. All I could afford at the time was a Rosetti 3 - mainly because I'd splashed out on the spanish guitar - the excellent Yamaha FG-180 (first batch) :-) made in Japan from wood already seasoned for 73 years. They brought back the design in the 80s but it was made in Taiwan - don't know whether it was the different climate there or the wood they made the second batch from but I picked one up in a music shop and strummed a chord and it made me want to vom=

I've been very fortunate in being able to avoid corrosive substances - as you say it costs all of us way too much in so many ways. A cousin and a couple of neighbours are nurses in mental healthcare and the after effects of drug abuse is mainly what they're dealing with.

I like emmental - but it must be reasonably mature not like the 'President' nonsense - Waitrose emmentaler is a reasonable compromise :-)
1992 BX19 TGD estate 228K Rusty - SORNed
2002 C5 HDi SX estate
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Stinkwheel
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Post by Stinkwheel »

Your man pressurised the system i imagine with a small hand pump kit, this will lead to leaks which can then be traced. Or he used a sniffer on the expansion bottle which will have turned the liquid in the sniffer a different colour if combustion gasses were present.

I can say that ive been told that ALL TU engines will mist oil out from the head gasket. My own BX 14 does it for sure. Also been told that the tu head is about a 2 or 3 hour job from his point of view. And he is a trained pug/cit machanic still working in a cit garage.

Hope thats some help.
Doctor Of Gonzo Journalism!!!
93 BX TZD Estate
90 BX 14TE St Tropez
93 BX 19 TXD Estate
92 BX 16TXi
77 Ami 8 Break
79 Acadiane
81 Dyane6
84 2CV6
85 GSA saloon rally car
To slightly mis-quote Kitch ... "BX 14. They're just brilliant!"
scarecrow

Post by scarecrow »

Thanks for the advice guys - I think I'm being overly paranoid about the head gasket. Just got to re assemble some cash for the Carb. swap and I'll be set.

The test was a you described - pressurized to detect leaks.
scarecrow

Post by scarecrow »

I got a price for swapping the Carb and inlet manifold over and sort out any cabling issues, and it was very reasonable so, all things being well, the 14 should be back on the road next week :D

I started it up for the first time since October and after a bit of cranking the petrol through it fired up nicely - well as nicely as it fires up under choke :wink:

Other than that, I've been trying to fix my sister's laptop which buggared by installing linux over the recovery partition. Couldn't get wifi working under Linux so downloaded a copy of Vista using p2p. The first Vista turned out to be a German porno; poor old Helga took a right battering in the Chatham Pocket. Sod that for a game of soldiers. The second copy I downloaded actually was Vista, but in German, and the internet didn't work at all. So, I forked out the thirty-odd quid to get the proper kit from Compaq. I do begrudge paying once for Vista, as it was installed with the laptop I feel they are being paid twice. Computers are treacherous!
scarecrow

Post by scarecrow »

Well, the guitar sale has started! http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :MESELX:IT

Amazingly, my 40 year old Yamaha FG-110 sold within a few hours for the full asking price! I haven't decided yet whether to sell my Seagull, I think I'll wait and see what I get for the Richwood and amp. At least I shouldn't have to sell my lovely Admira classical.

So... the Carb and manifold are on and the car runs, but it needs some serious rolling-road tuning to get the jetting right (I haven't driven it yet, but my man tells me there are some huge flatspots, which is great considering I was hoping to cure some small flatspots :roll: ). Water leak was traced to the plastic housing for the water pump which will be done before it goes to the tuning specialist so another week to wait. At least there's no problems with the head gasket after all.

The tzd might last until next week but the n/s drive shaft is failing rapidly. Fingers crossed.

I can't wait until it's done 8)
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rayfenwick
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Post by rayfenwick »

From my experiences of Vista, you'd have done better to stick with Helga :)

Guitar's in my watch list - I could do with something to twiddle (stop that!) now my Les Paul is on the waiting list for surgery (don't ask, it hurts thinking about it..)

Good luck with it all.
Ray

The Fleet (most recent first):
2000 Citroën XM 3.0 24V V6 Exclusive Auto (pre-MOT)
1997 Citroën XM 2.0 TCT Exclusive Auto (for sale)
1979 Citroën CX 2.4 EI Cmatic Prestige (slowly being restored)

1992 Alfa Romeo 164 Lusso 3.0 v6 12v Manual (on the to-do list)

www.citroencarclub.co.uk
scarecrow

Post by scarecrow »

Thanks Ray.

You did notice that the guitar is collection only?

I used to have a Les Paul copy and it was my favourite guitar ever - endless sustain and beautiful warm tones - and the wide neck was better for my pudgey hod-carriers fingers :wink: When I finally find a place to call home, I'm gonna get me an old piano and I'd love a cello - not that I know how to play them, but that probably qualifies for a night with Simon Cowell and a recording contract these days 8)
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electrokid
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Post by electrokid »

Guitar's in my watch list
Mine too - but I'm probably not serious - I've got lots of other things to twiddle with at the mo 8) Hope it makes decent money for you.
Amazingly, my 40 year old Yamaha FG-110 sold within a few hours for the full asking price!


Probably because it was 40 years old - you can't get the wood these days.
From my experiences of Vista, you'd have done better to stick with Helga


Definitely - vista's a nasty excuse for an OS
1992 BX19 TGD estate 228K Rusty - SORNed
2002 C5 HDi SX estate
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