David

Just looking at cropping the Hillmans front bumper. However the park lights and indicators are mounted to the bumper at present. I’ve seen some fenderless hotrods cruising around with the amber indicator in the headlight. On a closer look they have just replaced the small park light bulb in the side of the lens with a bright amber bulb for the indicator. These cars have been certed so must have been ok. But a 1930’s car doesn’t have to have indicators anyway so is this how they get through? I’ve seen Hillmans in the past running no bumpers and they look fine. It’s just the ugly retro park lights and indicators people mount on the front that look like crap.

Half the XF's in Gore run 14x8 tritons. The only X series that needs 15's is a XE ESP

I've put lockrights in hilux's three times now any they have all worked well. Ideal if the truck spends half it's time off the tar seal. They normaly don't make any sound but can give out a load clonk when you apply the gas half way around a corner. They are a comprimize by reducing driving for traction. They can catch a person out if they don't know it's there and start driving your truck hard into a corner. The backend will be even more slippery than usual. They also work the other way too when under heavy engine braking or applieing the brakes or handbrake, prevents only one wheel locking up. The old WOF inspector gave an odd look one day when the truck was on the brake testing rollers. When undertaking the test one of the rear brakes wasn't pulling up and all of a sudden the locker desided to do it's part and pull in with a loud clonk. As you would guess the test then showed a perfect brake balence after the lock up. However the brakes did need attenshion. So Is a lockright legal on the road? at least a LSD is. The best application for a lockright is in the front diff of a 4x4 that has manual hubs. Dosn't affect your on road performance and will last a lot longer. Then you will only use it when you need to and when you wont too.

Have you changed any other parts on the ignition or intake side of things lately? Like new sparkplugs changed the plug gapping (has the electrodes burnt away)? Different type of plugs new air cleaner Different carb or manifold Vacuum advance pickup on different part of manifold Vacuum leak at intake gasket Fuel bowl level too low or blocked fuel filter Due to the 1600 combustion chamber design it tends to run on from concentrated heat very easily. If the timing was always running too advanced you should be able to make the motor PINK when throwing it into a too higher gear and putting the load on. (not good for the motor if so). Can be hard to hear in the 1600 if the exhaust is loud. I would guess the Cortina runs the likes of a Lucas 25D4 dizzy with a thumb adjuster on the vacuum advance Instead of the FoMoCo type in the escort 1600cc cross flow?

You see them on trademe, now and then. Someone must sell them made up. There are plenty of hypothesies online how to do it. Normally comes down to what you can make fit around all the rest of the engine bay. I know the astron can already use a lot of gas when pushed, but chuck some twin side draft 48mm Webbers on it and tell me how it goes.

Or what about a factory option. The H120 motor, factory fitted in a Hillman Hunter GLS, has plenty of snot. Bolt in and go No cirt needed, Just not so easy to get in New Zealand. Can be replicated.

Found this pic on the web. Seems to fit

http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/phil.bra ... wiring.htm and go down to: Wire Current Ratings ( look about right ) Just as a guess with the XJ6 there will be about 1.5 Metres of wire between the alternator Positive and the battery, 4mm wire is a bit small, but would be normal for Jag. A quick look at the table and take a stab at 30Amps for a bit of charging , fans , lights. 1.5 metres x 30 Amps x 10mV drop (4mm wire) = 450mV (.45V) drop Taking into consideration, voltage drop in the negitive side and some loss for every connection, then 0.8V to a 1.0V voltage drop wouldn't be hard. Give it some low idle speed and it seems about right. If the tests with your meter show a loss in voltage and you fell the earthing is no good, try testing with a tempory jumper lead from the battery negative to the alternator body and see if this helps before buying earth straps and larger wire. You may look at the table and say 16mm wire lines up with 68 Amps. It's very rear you will ever continuisly draw this amount of current for a long time. Half way between size like 6mm or 10mm would do.

Are you testing the voltage at the battery or the alternator? Has the motor got a good earth? Does the starter struggle? Are you using the factory Jag wiring or new? First test would be voltage drop. (Bad connections) With the lights and a bit of electrical load, set your meter to DC volts and try putting the one prob of your meter on the engine block and the other prob on the NEG battery terminal. ( Motor going, be carefull not to get leads wound up in the fan). This is testing for voltage drop. 0.0V is best, say anything over 0.5V you should investigate cleaning earthing contact areas. No joy? look at the positive side of the system for bad connections. If you have a meter with a DATA MAX hold is best, you can try hitting the starter and see how bad any voltage drop is also. Reduction starter? (often fitted for better steering clearance with the SB in a XJ6) If you have a SB chev with a reduction starter you may not even notice a smaller voltage drop from bad connections. I've seen these drop down to 9V when starting, and still crank well. Just recommend these tests, as cleaning turminations is the cheapest repair. (before spending money) **Off topic** Did you have to change your front springs in the XJ6 to get it back to the right ride hight with the V8?

Remember there is two ways to disconnect an alternator. Electrical : By putting a electrical contractor between the battery and the alternator. Mechanical: By installing a clutch to the front of the alternator. Both have problems, Electrical cutting in and out can blow the diodes in the alternator (Need to install capacitance with a current limiting resistor) between the alternator and ground. Mechanical (can use an Air-con clutch). When pulling the clutch in on a high current load, the sudden load can send the V belt flying. This depends on the number of poles (size), capacity and the mass of the internals of the alternator and how fast the electrical load will react. (Need a meaty belt to overcome this but courses more mechanical losses). In all disconnection is a big paid in the butt. Just remember to turn your sounds down and your rear windows demister off when dragging off from the lights. Back to the original question. If it’s an older car with no power steering. It’s likely to have an old non-viscous fan and inefficient water pump, robbing power away. (All running off one belt). Yes the change to an appropriately suited thermostatically controlled electrical fan and pump will give a good efficiency% gain and a better ¼ mile and could use less fuel. You may have to consider upgrading that stressed out old alternator. Remember you’re putting all your eggs in one basket now, and this is your weakest link. The same could be said for a dirty old V belt running all the old stuff. If a V-belt breaks on you, you can find one not far away and not for much and change it with some junk tools out of you boot. A new alternator is not so easy when you break down on the side of the road. As we know spending $1000 on gear and saving $30 on fuel a year, or knocking 0.04 seconds of a ¼ mile time doesn’t add up. The most important question is does it make my engine bay look good? For a late model car it’s unlikely to help: It’s all about looks. It’s most likely you’ll just upset that harmony of the motor and will lead to a breakdown some ware down the track. As always have a person well prepared to point the blame at when it happens.

Good question. How much power gain before a driveshaft loop is needed? Have a factory motor that put out about 52Bhp factory and does around 110Bhp now. thats over 100% increase in power.

you can use a pushing slave cylinder. Just have to mount it facing the other way. A push type on most cars has the body of the slave mounted on the engine block or at the face of the bell housing pushing backwids. A solid bracket can be made reusing this type of slave cylinder but mounting the bracket off the gearbox housing. Ie pushing the clutch fork from the other side.

Found an old cell phone pic of the motor all set up.

It's just the Rubber part that pulls apart normaly. I ended up putting a solid block of steel inplace of the rubber, but does make the car vibrate a bit. Have been looking into replacing the rubber mount with some sort of poly to stop the vibrations and be stronger than rubber. Aparently the Hunter is one of the first cars to have crumple zones and the rubber mounts holding the motor in, are key to allow the motor to come away from the car in a major accident. So by modifying the mounts in anyway may effect the cars safty badly. The motor and box in a roll over or a large head on should brake away. Just pitty anyone else in the drivelines flight path. So yea take consideration when you change the mounts.

This is Just a demo of what its starting to look like, this motor needs rebuilt too. I've got a fresh motor to drop in the car but just using an old motor to play with, incase I damage something. Started on some new exstractors. Again just with bends and a hacksaw and a few tacks with the welder at the moment. This one is a comprimise of flow and being compatable with all aftermarket and factory intakes. Also allows the engine mounts and starter motor to be removed and worked on with no hassle. As you will know the 1725 is good at smashing engine mounts once there tuned up. These were also to make room for my dry-deck bye pass for the cooling water, that runs to the back of the block.

Pic is a bit big lol. will make images smaller next time This is how I got around running a twin cable for years. Just stoll another bracket off a carb and mounted a short cable like this between the two carbs. works real well and doesn't look out of place once the air cleaner is on.

have you checked all the basics? like has it got fluid in it? A slow loss of drive can be from a leak of fluid. Or even a kinked cooler line that goes up to the radiator.

if you wont to drop more than 2" out of the spring, say 3" then you would be best removing a 3 3/4" section out of the bottem of the tube and rewelding the base back on and raising the lower spring platform by 2". shocks are easy as the hunter uses a standard 2" tube so there is lists and lists of shocks that will fit at all different hights and travel and load rates. If the shock you chose is say 5mm of 10mm shorter than you tube you will just need to throw a packer down the tube before you put the shock in to take up the slack. If you dont pack it and the shock is allowed to hammer in the tower it wont take long to rip the tower of the hub and that isn't pritty. The hunter normaly has neutel camber and will gain some masive positive camber when you start lowering it. dop it 2" and you will start chewing out tires very quickly ( will handle well ) you will have to start looking at camber adjusters. this can be done in the swing arm and at the top of the stut tower. a combination is the best. not to menshion you will have to attend to the sway bar when it's lowered. they can bind and upset you handleing dramaticly.

The good old lowering a hunter. yes it can all be done. Anyway you will get a bit tired looking for bumpstops on a hunter setup they don't exist. overtravel will end in the strut crashing into the top of the tower. The tube that houses the shock, normaly called the tower can be removed from the hub. with a lot of half inch exstanshions or if you weld up a crafty exstenshion you can get at the 7/16" cap nut at the botten and un do it. There is too places you can shorten and that 1. above the bottem spring platform,( shorning this will allow a desent amount of travel when a shorter spring is put in, in conjuntion with a shorter shock). 2. below the spring platform. ( if your running standard radis tires you can reduce this by 1 3/4" with out the spring fowling on the tire.) To get a (1 3/4") drop just remove a (1 3/4") section out of the bottem of the tube and weld the base back on. reuse the old spring and will need new shocks. You can then get another (2") out of obtaining lower springs. The good old MK2 cortina (low) kingspring is the deal to get this sorted. you will need to replace the lower spring platform to a cortina type depending on what strut you have as there is too different widths of hunter springs. check the new spring fits on you platform before you buy them. you will still need replacments shocks to do this.

You do need to consider why you wont to change the motor. Are you going to drag it, put it on the circuit, race it around town for pink stickers or do it up as a well handleing powerfull car. I've played around with hunters for years and just changing the drive line for a more powerfull motor wouldn't make for a very safe or a good handling car. you would have to consider upgraiding the rest of the brakes and suspension to make it work well. your poket will be getting very empty. Even doing up the stocker motor can push the hunter past it's handling limits. Not saying that it wouldn't be fun. Most hot hunters normaly die from ending up in a ditch or off the road when the drivers lost controll when left with stock suspension. Normaly just renewing the suspension with gas shocks all around is a big leap forward for handling and braking for a hunter. Just dont be serprised if you do a engine change and it ends up smashed.

As Tortron said. There is plenty of Japa 2-stroke motorbikes that have a single throttle cable with a joiner half way down to spit the cable into twins. One throttle normaly activates the carby and the other to activate the crank case oiler. Even a Motor bike wrecker may be worth a try.

If you lowering it there is a lot of side ways travel in the leaf springs when cornering. This normaly kills any tires and rim setup wider than standard. You can get a diaganal linkage and anti tramps put in to stop this, will cost money $$$. If you stiffen the back end up like this be carfull driving as the factory sloppyness helps with traction and driveability. It will tend to brake out when cornering hard, well before the point it used too. Alright if you like drifting but would need some more power.

It will have it written on the side of the dizzy.

There is no problem with the origonal back shocks when lowering the car. just watch for the drive shaft rubbing on the tunnel as you can blow a drive shaft universal out, when you go over a bump. 2" blocks and three people in the back gets you very close to hitting the floor. If your running 13" rims the lip of the guard would be about even with the lip of the rim when things go wrong.