Hello again and apologies

[droptop]

First, let me start by apologising to a couple of individuals for failing to follow up on requests for shipping quotes for some parts last year.
This was due to a number of factors which I'd rather not go in to so please accept my apologies.


Well, my 1978 spyder is temporarly grounded due to a couple of mishaps, none of any great magnitude, but grounded all the same.
The first recurring issue is my failure to secure the exhaust downpipe to the manifold for more than a few miles which is confusing the heck out of me.
The original gasket blew some time ago and when I went to replace it, I discovered there were actually two gaskets with a steel sandwich plate inbetween.
the plate which has two mounting lugs which appear to have been for a long disappeared heatshield was abandoned and a single gasket fitted between the flanges, along with a smear of joint cement, new studs and brass nuts.
This gasket "failed" approx. 50 miles later but in reality, the downpipe loosened and of course the joint was blowing.
I removed everything again, cleaned the faces and fitted a new gasket, tightened the nuts, this time using stainless steel spring washers and the thing failed within five miles.
(I must add at this point that there is no flexible section in the system but the lower clamp is fitted and staying tight and the system has survived for over 39 years including the first five and a half in my care without any such problem).
I completed a very CO. fuelled noisy and foolish 200 mile round trip and on the way home the voltmeter started to show the battery wasn't being charged and I noticed a slight rise in coolant temperature.
Enter issue no. two.
When I got home with dim lights and fear of switching off, I parked as awlays on a concrete patch outside my garage where I let the car idle for a few minutes, swithc off and go in for a coffee and allow the car to fully cool down before parking it inside.
The car was duly parked and the battery disconnected as is my habit and the following morning I went to investigate the charging/cooling issue suspecting a loose alternator belt.
The belt was indeed loose but it was the cause that surprised me.
Instead of a loose top bracket bolt, the long bolt on the bottom at the oli filter housing had vanished. I have no idea why or how since I'd recently replaced the small-output Marelli alternator with a 65 amp Bosch unit using all new bolts and self locking nuts.
Now I'm missing the rear alternator rubber bush plus a very hard-to-source long bolt.

Regarding the exhaust problem, I've since obtained 24mm dia. 3mm thick washers to spread the load of the mounting nuts which are now being reoplaced with Titanium self-locking Cosworth turbo items. However, I wonder if the abandoned sandwich plate and double gasket setup somehow is playing a role, possibly by reducing the effective length of the downpipe by approx 4-5mm thereby putting additional strain on the fasteners?

I'm tackling all this week anyway as it's due a timing belt change so it's the ideal time to fit the steering gaiter and sort the exhaust and alternator providing I can procure a bolt!

I still prefer it to our "modern" cars in terms of driving pleasure and overall simplicity when working on it

[peteracs]

Hi Frank

Could the issues with the exhaust be due to worn engine mounts allowing the engine to move relative to the exhaust. If you do not have the flexi lower part of the exhaust this would remain rigid and the engine able to move around.

Peter

[droptop]

Hi Frank

Could the issues with the exhaust be due to worn engine mounts allowing the engine to move relative to the exhaust. If you do not have the flexi lower part of the exhaust this would remain rigid and the engine able to move around.

Peter

Possible indeed
I'll check the rear and trans mounts as the front one is rock solid, maybe a little too solid, but the one that straddles the subframe at the timing belt end is suspect now you mention it.
I have a good spare one but it's attached to a donor car with the engine still in place!
Time to open the purse and free some moths

[smithymc]

It's strange what makes these thing leak sometimes. I fitted a new system to the existing down-pipe, which would always have been rigid, and ended up fitting a flexible coupler to keep a pretty meaty flanged connection gas-tight.

Hope the latest option works - if it is an alignment thing, some spacers to replace the 'sandwich' thickness could be the next step. But it's just more joints to leak, so let's hope it works without it.

Mark

[droptop]

It's strange what makes these thing leak sometimes. I fitted a new system to the existing down-pipe, which would always have been rigid, and ended up fitting a flexible coupler to keep a pretty meaty flanged connection gas-tight.

Hope the latest option works - if it is an alignment thing, some spacers to replace the 'sandwich' thickness could be the next step. But it's just more joints to leak, so let's hope it works without it.

Mark

I have the sandwich plate and it's in perfect condition but as you say, it's more joints to leak.
My daughter and I had an "incident" on the way to a show last year and as it was raining, the top was up.
We were both commenting on how drowsy and lethargic we were feeling and stopped for coffee. Within a couple of minutes of leaving the car we were both perked up again and when we got underway again, as usual in Ireland, the weather had undergone a huge change from pouring rain to bright sunshine so the rest of the trip was topless motoring as was the return journey.
It was only afterwards when we were rehashing the day's events that it dawned on us that we were being treated to a nice dose of Carbon Monoxide with the exhaust blowing almost directly below the fresh air intake for the cabin.
No more of that, thank you. I may be too lod to rock and roll, but I'm definately too young to die!