What did you do today?

[BusmansHoliday]

Continued with the Note today and the non working horn. I'd previously checked the horn ( by removing the front - super glue is your friend) was working as was the relay. Today got to checking wiring at the steering wheel end;

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Yes, that pin is stuck in the connector for the horn wire. Everything up to there works, and after that is the "infamous" Nissan 'clock spring ', a spiral cable that connects the main harness to the multi function steering wheel (that's not fuckin cheap to replace).

There's only one way to check that's things are OK,

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trust me, having a "live" airbag module (I could have removed it with the battery off but you need to hope your scanner can reset the guaranteed fault afterwards) sat facing your bollocks makes you VERY VERY careful how you check the connections.
Lots of cleaning contacts and bending the connectors later and it was working.

[xtriple]

Well done, I chickened out (was too weak to undo the nut in reality) and took mine to the specialists. As you say, not cheap. My old Merc did its clock spring as well and that was cheap as chips (£40!) direct from Mercedes.

Moral of this tale? Buy R129 Mercs with dodgy clock springs and save loads.

[cros]

Got the MGB out and changed the oil . Lube didn't look too dirty because it keeps cleaner on LPG but it had done 2 years. Old oil is available free to new car owners, must be better that not putting anything in like they normally do.
Near the drain plug is the clutch slave cylinder where I noticed a small weep around the rubber and since it could be well old I decided to use a 'MGBeehive' kit that I've carried in the car since I last went abroad.
For less than 50 quid in 2018 it has master, slave, all fittings, copper and flexy pipe so the lots going on except the tube which is OK as it is
Theres a very convenient hole in the bulkhead so that the cylinder can be put in fully assembled.

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The rubber cover might have to be pushed back from the footwell side.

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The new cylinder looks nothing like the old tin can type it's replacing, but as long as it works; the flexy pipe is definitely UK made which is a relief.
Slave is the easy to reach, looks like I need a new front crank oil seal but though the mess doesn't look nice it stops the rust...

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Whilst I'm under there it's nice to see the plastic liners are stopping the shit piling up under the wings.

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Last of all these Tex mirrors, the glass comes loose and rattles. I levered out the plastic rim and found why, the mirror is held against it by a bit of sticky backed sponge. Their stickiness isn't good enough and the pad slides inwards so I've poxied it in place. I suppose it's just a teething problem, they've only been making them since the 1970's.

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[SiC]

The cheap clutch master for my BGT I bought leaked out the box. Ended up fitting one of those modern metal can clutch masters as far better made, even if nearly three times the price.

[mercrocker]

You do have to tread carefully buying stuff for old Brits.....TEX are meant to be UK made but they won't be drawn as to where the mirrors and wiper blades actually come from. Their wiper blades and arms - at least for Farinas, Minors and the pre-farina cars are frankly crap. I've ended up getting new old stock and pulling the rubber blades out of new car blades then cutting them down for the original arms. I've probably spent about £50 over the two cars just to be able to bloody see in the rain.

Ended up going to JLH Minors for some of their competition-grade gear to do the Minor hydraulics, the Cowley is on its third new m/cyl which thankfully has proved a good'un at last. Combined brake and clutch too so it really stuffs you up when it fails....

[Eddie Honda]

You do have to tread carefully buying stuff for old Brits.....TEX are meant to be UK made but they won't be drawn as to where the mirrors and wiper blades actually come from.

By the sound of it, not Germany

You know as well as I, country of manufacture is where made, finished or added to. Roberts Revival radios have Sangean (Malaysian) guts in them, but the boxes and coverings are done in Yorkshire. Same with King Dick spanners. They are certainly broached and finished here, but the raw blanks aren't UK made.

[cros]

I intend to re rubber my old cylinders if I have or can find new rubbers. I've not had any problem with replacement cup seals for brake cylinders- most you get these days look unbranded.
I like use silicon brake fluid and the MGB came to me with it in in the brake system 2007. The clutch will now be getting it too.

[mercrocker]

I've done the Minor piecemeal so never had it to the stage where I switched fluid types....Because the Cowley was all fucked in the stoppage department I started from scratch and went DOT5. May be just hoodoo but the pedal has remained as firm as the day I got it all adjusted up properly 7 or 8 years ago.

[SiC]

I've never had a problem with DOT4, even when left in a brake system for a good few years. I don't personally see any advantage to use DOT5.

But the whole DOT4/DOT5 brake fluid debate does become like the one on what 20w-50 oil is the best.

[mercrocker]

I've not had any particular reason to change to silicon other than it was a good opportunity to try it. Not sufficiently moved to change over the Minor other than to avoid fluid mix-ups. It is just an observation on the brake pedal and may well depend more upon the actual braking system which is less of a botch up than the Minor with all kinds of non-standard items.