I hate brake/clutch fluid

So, I sorted my clutch problems?

You know the answer.

I tried various settings for the slave cylinder push-rod.  But all to no avail.  I was still getting horrible crunching noises when trying to move into first or reverse gears, and sometimes also when shifting between 2nd, 3rd and 4th when driving along.  And then I noticed something very odd.  When I depressed the clutch, the slave cylinder push-rod would extend properly; but then after a second or so it would begin to retract.  Therefore, the gear crunching wasn't because the push-rod wasn't extended far enough.  It was because it was retracting.  Which meant a leak somewhere in the clutch hydraulics.  And since there was no obvious leaks in any of the pipes, the most likely culprit was the clutch master cylinder.

Deep breath, get the syringe out, extract the clutch fluid from the master cylinder and begin dismantling.  It's not a difficult job, just time-consuming; especially when you make stupid mistakes (which are a regular occurrence for me).  And while I was about it, I decided to do the brake master cylinder at the same time.

Cutting a long and brake-fluid sodden story short, cleaning out and reassembling the clutch master cylinder made no difference. So yet another bullet had to be bit and a new master cylinder bought. And what a difference! At last, beautifully smooth gear changes (leaving aside my not infrequent incompetence at double-declutching). Which just goes to prove that you shouldn't assume that old cars have to be difficult to drive.

Too tight

Checked rear axle oil after warming car up with a short run. Didn't need filling because already overflowing out of drain plug (must have slightly overfilled when filling from cold). When refitting drain plug I tried to tighten with pliers, not realising that the 'cap' on the plug is thin metal and therefore I ended up pushing it off by over-tightening. I've tried re-attaching it using Gorilla glue, and it looks to be a good fit. 

Since there is a gasket/washer inside the plug and the oil is very viscous, I'm hoping it'll be fine. But note for the future - only hand tighten!

Bling

Getting away from the mechanicals, it's right to also pay attention to the cosmetics. And having been laid up for several years, there is quite a lot that needs to be addressed. First up were the wheels and spinners.

Dad had had the wheels painted silver and the spinners chromed when the car was refurbished in the 1980s. But the years had taken their toll and both were in need of some TLC. The crunch, though, was when it was pointed out that one of the rear wheels had a serious wobble.

So off went the wheels to Rugby Classic Motor Garage and the spinners to Chromefix. Both did a wonderful job, as you can see from the photograph.   (And I also cleaned up and painted the brake drums, but you can't see them.)

At the same time I thought I should do something about the air filter. Dad had installed a plate to hold a Fiat rectangular air filter sitting on top of the two carburettors. Although functional, it looked pretty awful.  Only recently I found that I had the original carburettor bells. Although they might not be quite as effective, I felt they would look much better and therefore arranged to have them refurbished by the local firm Lyndene Engineering Co. Ltd. Again, a big improvement. 

Sometimes new is best

Having cleaned out and serviced all the brake hydraulics, I knew that I should really do the same for the clutch. However, because it seemed to be working OK, I took the cowardly approach and left well alone. 

By the end of last summer, it was clear that something wasn't right. Gear crunching was becoming more prevalent, and that wasn't just my incompetence. So, while the wheels were away I took the plunge and started scrambling about underneath. 

Time and timing

There are two lessons I'm learning fast. First, looking after a classic car is like painting the Forth Rail Bridge. Second, apparently completed jobs are often far from complete.  So, you need lots of time, especially when it comes to timing.