Core plugs article MEW336

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

The old article by Geometer brought back a memory of why I acquired my first lathe back in 1971:

I was driving home in my 1932 Morris Minor Tourer when a cloud of steam erupted from the bonnet.  A quick look under the bonnet revealed that a core plug had fallen out, draining the cooling water.  No sign of habitation or phone box and I was wondering what to do when a kind gent driving by stopped to offer help.  He towed me to his house, about a mile away and led me to his workshop.  He found a tin of core plugs but there wasn’t one of the correct size.  He selected one just oversize, put it in his Myford lathe, and drilled a centre hole, fitted a nut and bolt in the centre and used that to hold the core plug while turning the plug to the correct size. After sealing the nut and bolt with solder we were able to fit the plug in place with a few light hammer taps to expand it and in about half an hour I was back on the road.

Within a few weeks, browsing Exchange and Mart, I had acquired a 1920’s Holbrook Edgar lathe.

Russell

 

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

Happy memories of the kind of help that some people extended to those in need in those days.

Brian

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Yes indeed Brian.

Russell

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

I think there are still those folks out there, but few and far between I expect.  Especially with the skills required, let alone the machine tools.  Not just the helpful nature, but with fewer young people learning those skills, I guess it’s somewhat inevitable.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

In the context of the modern car the good samaritan can often do little, even a tow is fraught with problems, the other motorist may not know HOW to be towed,( that assumes the car CAN be towed ) changing a tyre, WHAT tyre, No spare wheel ! I will always try to stop to help – one day it may be ME ! Ah well ! Noel.

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

I read Noel post above and thought I’d tell you of my experience of being towed. Some years ago the bulb or ignition ‘ON’ indicator which is in the field circuit of the alternator failed during a short journey. This caused the battery to slowly discharge as we were going along. Eventually the engine stopped altogether, I had a multimeter in the boot and first checked the battery, absolutely flat, I checked it several times as I thought the meter had fail it was so flat. Another motorist can along and said he would give us a tow, he had never towed before. He started off like a rally car driver, cut corners and having a flat battery I couldn’t blow the hooter either, eventually the rope broke, was I pleased.

[John MCParticipant @johnmc39344]

Replacing core plugs that can be easy if it goes well, if it doesn’t, for whatever reason, then thats the rest of the day written off!

Some years ago a local car mechanic advised a neighbour on how to replacing a leaking core plug.  To “remove” hammer the old plug in to the water space.  Neighbour did this and managed to crack the wall of the adjacent cylinder. This was in a Ford engine, in a pretty little Lotus.

Never saw the car on the road again, I believe it was sold needing a replacement engine.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

An interesting tale ! There was a solution open to you had you known ! This DOES NOT apply to modern cars and there is an element of luck needed ! The failure of the bulb or the wiring to the exciter circuit can be got over by a good reving up of the engine, if your luck is in there will be a very small amount of residual magnetism left and this at high revs will cause the alternator to start charging and once charging will continue to do so ! The only problem is starting the engine in the first place ! The first time I used my fiesta diesel the battery went flat, a kind soul helped me bump start it, a mighty burst of revs, the lights worked and I could get home. Took the dashboard out to change bulb – bulb OK ! traced wiring and a joint 9″ from the alternator shink sleeved had let water/salt in – the wire was just powder ! Simples !

Friend broke done on the M11at night, left car and called me. Off I go with another friend to recover this vehicle, about 80 miles. Find vehicle and I drive the towed vehicle, we had less than 2 hours before closing time and my friend wanted a drink. As time passed our speed increased at times exceeding 70 MPH, we made it and by then it was ME that needed the drink ! Noel.

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Flat batteries …. hmm.  A shame we not longer have starting handles and magneto ignition.

Russell

 

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Glad that was of interest… I nearly skipped over that because it’s only car restorers likely to worry about core plugs these days, and most of them will know the drill.

But I felt that it’s worth using all Ian Bradley’s articles, they are a well written and fascinating series documenting practice in the middle of the 20th century. And lots of his ideas are still useful today. Every month I enjoy looking up the next one.

Neil

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Saw someone towing just a few days ago for the first time in several years. FYI I believe it is no longer legal to tow with a rope – has to be a fixed bar.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Some modern cars are specifically forbidden from towing.

With automatic transmission,  towing is limited in both speed and distance.

Towing, and being towed is not easy.

An inexperienced tower will race away, breaking the tow rope, if you are lucky.  The towing vewhicle will probably gain a new dent in the rear!  Probably damaging both vehicles if a rigid bar.

The one being towed needs to keep the rope tight, and not run over it (To the detriment of the track rods!)

A rigid bar still needs to be kept tight.

One of my fitters failed to “read the road” and down hill, did not apply the handbrake, and overran the towing vehiocle. The jolt shook the Land Rover transfer box out of 4 wheel drive low into neutral.

Try rengaging a non synchromesh gear whilst being accelerated down hill!

Probably why so many towing jobs now involve a suspended tow, so that only an experienced driver is in control.

Howard

[Howard Lewis]

On Howard Lewis Said:

 

Try rengaging a non synchromesh gear whilst being accelerated down hill!

 

Yes, very few drivers these days can double declutch properly!  It’s about 20 years since I last had a vehicle with a non synchromesh gearbox so I’m out of practise.

Russell

 

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Towing and being towed was an essential part of driving when I started in 1964. Duff batteries, water in the cylinder due to warped heads etc.  Same as a bump start – too old for that now as I get out of breath.

I had a 1952 Ford Pop and I worked at the Weybridge factory, site of the old Brooklands race track.  In winter, I would park on the old banking and would roll down it and then let the clutch in with a bump and away we went.  The Austin 7 had a warped head and sometimes water crept into one of the cylinders causing it to “hydraulic”, took out the offending plug and started it up on 3 cylinders until it had dried out enough for a spark.

Ah!  The good old days.

[Bazyle]

On Bazyle Said:

Saw someone towing just a few days ago for the first time in several years. FYI I believe it is no longer legal to tow with a rope – has to be a fixed bar.

Hi Bazyle, I know there are several laws about towing a car, like both vehicles must be taxed and insured, and have an MOT if they are required. and both must be done by qualified drivers. You are not allowed to tow a four by four with a Mini though, because the towed vehicle must not exceed the weight of the towing vehicle, but the towed vehicle, must display an “on tow” sign at it’s rear and all the lights must be working. A link to what West Yorkshire Police say about rules relating to the use of tow ropes.

https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q558

I can’t find anything that says tow ropes are not allowed, and regulation ones are sold by most motor factors.

Regards Nick.

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

You can use a tow rope or chain to tow a vehicle in the UK. There are limits on the length of tow line and a requirements for visibility. You must have an on tow sign.
You can RECOVER a broken down vehicle on a motorway with a tow rope or chain. This means that it broke doen on the motorway and you must leave at the next exit or services. It is illegal to tow a car onto the motorway. I would not tow on the motorway.

I’ve lent assistance to other motorists many times in the past from putting out fires (does putting out an electrical fire in the taxi you are in count?) to to electrical and cooling system repairs as well as towing. I would however think twice about even offering assistance at the roadside these days. Cars are more complex which makes the chance of sucess lower and you could make things worse. Additionally there is the chance that if something does go wrong you could be considered liable. At least one 4×4 club has had a disclamer properly drawn up and recommends their members don’t offer a tow without it being signed. There have been cases where a 4×4 has assisted a stuck vehicle. The owner has driven off happy but when they claimed on their insurance for the damaged caused by them getting stuck in the first place, typically loss of control, their insurance company has claimed, rightly or wrongly, that additional damage was caused during recovery and lodged a counter claim against the assisting driver. If you have fully comprehensive insureance they should pay but as a minimum you have a claim on your record. Worse case you could be liable for a big bill.

I do still help with what is sort of the modern equivilent of rusty core plug or malajusted points, plug-in diagnostics. For the majority of faults on modern cars and often just routine servicing you need to use a computer based tool plugged into a diagnostic port. I invested in a comprehensive system for the brand of car I have and continute to offer basic diagnostics, fault light resetting and routine service adjustments. For example changing some sensors e.g. crank or camshaft sensor on some engines is a 10 minute job and £20 part but you have to do a re-learn. This takes 30 seconds but needs model specific kit. A dealer can charge up to £175 for “just plugging in” the computer. Contact is organised through the owners forum and I don’t charge. Bottles of liquid are sometimes proffered though :-). Even this has it’s limits. I will not do anything more than fault code reading on the airbag or immobiliser systems as these can be “bricked” if the wrong setting is entered.

Robert.

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

One assist I did was back in 1997. On my way home I saw a Saab 96 stopped on the verge, bonnet up and a man in formal wear next to it. Having had a 95 in the past and tools etc in the car I did a U at the roundabout 100m down the road and pulled up behind them. The man had got back into the car and as I stopped flames erruped from the engine when he tried to restart it. I grabbed my fire extinguisher and put the fire out. This was without asking permission as the man was still in the car in a bit of shock. Good old Halon so no mess.
Talked to the guy and apparently the car gently lost power after the roundabout and he had pulled over. He was on his way to a “do” of some sort in Farborough.
I expained that I used to have the estate version of the car and offered to have a look. Both his and my car had the Ford V4 not the 2 stroke. The fire was a big clue so took the air cleaner off and could see the fuel line was lying between the cylinder bank. The brass tube had fallen out of the zinc alloy carburettor body. I had some two part acrylic adhesive in the car so just glued the tube back in place. The adhesive was aerospace grade, fuel resistant and sets in minutes so he was soon on his way.
I’d seen the loose brass pipes before. probably caused by vibration. They start to seep fuel initally leaving staining. I guess the mass of the hose finally pulled it out under the forces of going around the roundabout. fuel in folt chamber ket it going for a bit. When he cranked it fuel pumped into the V of the hot engine and fumes found an ignition source.

Robert.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Roberts tale reminds me ! One if not the most inflamable liquid in a car is it’s brake fluid, I found this out out on a rescue mission when I stopped filling station for fuel and topped up a clutch cylinder, the slave was leaking, Ford V4, so 2 exhaust manifolds and I spilt some fluid on one – INSTANT ignition, luckily it burnt so fast it didn’t set fire to anything else, shut bonnet and recover dead Maxi !  Noel

I expect we could write a book on the fun we have all had with motor vehicles ? N

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, I wouldn’t offer to tow anyone off a motorway, and I would only employ the services of a breakdown company, which I have National recovery for, if I was to breakdown anywhere. I think it is unwise for anyone who uses motorways regularly, not to have breakdown cover of some short, if you don’t, and your vehicle has to be removed, it will be awfully expensive, and that’s just to get it off the motorway, any further than that will cost you even more. Not everyone knows, that if you run out of fuel on a motorway, you can be prosecuted, as it is illegal to run out of fuel on a motorway.

Regards Nick.

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

I think there is now a general prohibition of towing in the UK, except with a dedicated non-collapsing tow-bar, perhaps, as used by the AA etc. And of course, trailers can be towed but that is a rather different process, as the trailer or caravan etc is designed and intended for towing and not self-propulsion.

In my experience, though, the distance involved is usually short, and the likelihood of plod correspondingly rare.

Cheers, Tim

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Hi Tim,
You think wrong. It is discouraged but you can still tow with a non-rigid link.
The exception is you can’t tow, even with a rigid link on the motorway, only recover to the next exit or services.
Ideally the link should be approved to BS AU187.

Robert.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Towing or being towed can be fraught,

Both drivers need to know how to go about the operation, to avoid damage to one or both vehicles

Two or three times, I have had folk who think that they can drive into or through the gap between towed and towing vehicle.

A 3 inch diameter tow bar usually proved them wrong!

Failed to observe the signs saying “Towing” or “On Tow”

“With anti lock brakes and lane guidance on the Sat Nav; why should I need to observe what is going on around me”?

If they had ever ridden a push bike in heavy rain, (particularly with rod brakes) they would know why it pays to look well ahead and to anticipate

Howard

[Author]

Posts