Exhausts and Seatbelts

Post by **Benjy** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 12:47 pm

Firstly, since last putting my engine back together (trying to find that wretchet tapping noise), my exhaust rattles against the main cross member when pulling away.

There's only about 10mm clearance between them and I suspect it's because the engine steady is not doing it's job. How tight should this be?

Also, my handbrake cable is melting where it crosses (under) the exhaust. It's new and has an extra blue pastic sleeve about 10cm long, which I placed under the exhuast when I 1st noticed the problem, to save the cable itself.
When the handbrake is on, there's about 10mm between sleeve and pipe, but I guess sometimes it rubs. which causes a nasty smell!

Anyway, have I done something stupid when fitting the exhaust (2 part SS from Bull Motif) or brake cables (same supplier)?

Also, after much drilling, hitting twisting etc, I have finally managed to get seatbelts into my car (Traveller pickup) - captive nuts in were sill very rusty / misaligned.
I have bolted the top part into the upper hole in the B post, but looking at Porter's book, it seems that the slot below this is used for an adjustable seatbeld mounting. Is this the case? And where can I get the adjusting bits. The seatbelt at the moment just bolts into the hole with a little bush to allow it to swivel.

Sorry, for the messy post, it's nearly lunchtime and I can't think straight when I'm hungry!

Thanks

Ben

Post by **Gareth** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 2:17 pm

Have you fitted the exhaust correctly? The straps are different lengths, I think, and if they were the wrong way around then the exhaust could be too low at the back, and then burn through the hanbrake cable casing...

I don't think there is provision for a sliding, adjustable seatbelt mounting... Could this be the hole for the trafficators fitted to early models? Is the front of the car from a traveller, or an LCV?

Post by **Benjy** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 2:30 pm

I'm pretty sure the exhaust is fitted right, though I don't remember the straps being different lengths. I'll have a look.

The car is effectively a traveller with everything above the waistrails removed and a back placed on the cab. No I didn't do it, and yes I wish it had never been done, but it's a Moggy and I love it!

I forgot to mention

that I had to drill new holes in the transwission tunnel for the handbrake ancorage points, these being slightly (30mm ish) higher than the origina and possible very slight further forwardl.
A new floor has been welded inside the existing one, covering the nuts to the originals, so I couldn't get at them. I do love it when people get their cars fixed on the cheap

If you have Lindsay Porters Restoration Manual, have a look at page 150 (woodwork dismantilng section) and you'll see the picture I was referring to. The hold my seatbelt is fixed to is more like where the screwdriver is crossing the B post, i.e. about 3" higher than in the illustration.

Ben

Post by **Gareth** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 2:47 pm

I've seen those pickup-ised travellers, and travellerised-pickups, and they can look quite good - post some pics up in the general section, so we can all have a look, yeah?

I think the straps are different lengths. I'm sure someone's told me this... Could be wrong, though.

Ah, that should be the second hole. I think there are two holes for the mountings at the top, to cater for very tall people, or very short ones, depending on your viewpoint.

I reckon the long slot is for the trafficators - they were mounted high up on the travellers, weren't they?

Post by **Kevin** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 3:58 pm

my exhaust rattles against the main cross member when pulling away

I wonder if you have it aligned properly as the usual place for it to be close is where it goes through the lower bulkhead.

my handbrake cable is melting where it crosses (under) the exhaust

Not heard of that one something must be out somewhere.

Post by **Gareth** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 5:15 pm

My handbrake cable has a vaguely melted rubber sheath around it, just at the point that the exhaust crosses over it. Hasn't got any worse over the last couple of years, but it's there all the same.

Where is the cable mounting supposed to be? Would the nut be underneath the rear seat, or just in front of it?

Post by **Benjy** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 9:55 am

From what I can tell, the nut should be right at the back of the footwell and near where the transmision tunnel joins the floor. I don't have a back seat, but looking at the layout, you shouldn't have to remove it to see the nuts, they're only small, about 11mm (well the imperial equivalent, but my 11mm spanner fitted beautifully).

I'm having issues posting pictures, having never done this before. I've got as far as uploading one to my webspace, but when I try to view it in a browser, it throws up error 404. I have no homepage in there yet, so maybe that'd help, actually I didn't have webspace 'till yesterday! You'd think someone who works in IT would have a bit more of a clue what they were doing

!

Anyhow, I'm sure I saw an article on this site somewhere about posting images, so I'll go hunt and get back to you.

Ben

Post by **Gareth** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 2:56 pm

Ah right... That would make sense. I was thinking last night, that it would be a bit idiotic to put the nuts under the seat because they'd probably be hidden within the box section. So long as yours are in about the same place as they should be, then you'll be ok.

Post by **Benjy** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 6:13 pm

OK, here's a pic of the underside of my car.
If this works, I'll replace it with a better one and maybe stick a pic of my car in the General section.

<img src="http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/benandliz/exhaust.jpg" Width="480" Height="360">

Ben

Post by **Gareth** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 7:48 pm

Hmm... I think there ought to be a bit more slack in the cable than you currently have... It does seem rather close to the exhaust.

Maybe an LCV cable would have helped? Or a standard saloon/traveller cable, if you've fitted an LCV??

Nice pics, though. ;-)

Post by **rayofleamington** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 11:38 am

From your description it would seem that the handbrake lever is further forward? Did you have the same problem with the original holes for the ends of the cable sheathing?
To get more slack in the sheathing, you could to make holes further back.

As for the exhaust , it depends partly on the car. One of my minors did that with each of 3 new exhausts (I had it 14 years..)!
Others have not done it at all.
The way I cured it was to put a small bend in the exhaust directly under the crossmember That's a bit of a bodge, but it was what the garage did when I first had the car on the road, so i did the same ever after.
eg, stick a 3" block of wood between the cossmember and the exhaust, and put a jack under the exhaust, a foot either sider of the wood (needs 2 jacks), and jack up until the exhaust gives a bit.