[Mick O'Malley]

On Tuesday I decided to neglect the bodywork and do some chassis work instead.

I'd found a pair of 1¼" SUs on a four inlet port Spitfire manifold when I cleaned out my shed. I think it came as a spare when I bought my Marlin Roadster about ten years ago. Maybe. I'd bought an overhaul kit so I set to, firstly with a bannister brush, then dismantling fluid (I find this an excellent cleaner). It took a good morning to fit the kit and give the dashpots a quick once-over with Autosol.

Next job was to bolt the manifolds to the head which revealed that the two tapped extensions which are meant to be bolted to the exhaust manifold were too long. I cut ever smaller slices (three) off them until I obtained a good fit and tightened everything up. The carbs sit nicely now, albeit without cable operated pivots for either the throttle or choke, or return springs. Beaulieu Spring Autojumble awaits!



Yesterday morning, again not wanting to do bodywork, I decided to re-fit the clutch and gearbox. The days when I could fit a gearbox with a loop of old seat belt around the back of my neck have gone, so my trusty Machine Mart engine crane was pressed into service. While this was handy I renewed the engine mountings as well as the gearbox ones, the former looking like 60s originals. I thought I'd check the gearbox oil level whilst I was down there and found it was empty, 1½ pints of hypoy later all was well . I also fitted the oil feed pipe to the rockers. The Christmas tree arrangement necessary for this, an oil pressure gauge and switch can be seen in the picture. The end switch is to blank the hole until it's time to fit the dash (crap photo' alert).



This morning I decided to tackle the mini tank problems. From Ebay I ordered a neck grommet, locking petrol cap and sender unit, the tank having come bare. I offered it up in the boot area and decided that the two original holes in the flange were insufficient for secure mounting and cut two fishplates (there'll be two mountings top and bottom) from an old joist hanger which will be welded to the flange by my demon welding contact. I also marked out and made the V cut in the filler neck to correct its odd angle with the body. He'll TIG this for me as well. I toyed with the idea of whizzing over to his workshop with it in the A352 but decided that Maundy Thursday afternoon wasn't the best time to be distracting him from his real customers' jobs. Tuesday will have to do.



I packed up and called it a day.

Regards, Mick