Messages

I noticed your question has gone unanswered so thought I'd give my opinion! If you want to use a modern oil with it's detergents and friction modifiers etc.. I would have thought a 40 weight would be fine. In which case no reason not to go to a 10W40, to benifit from easier starting from cold, and maybe even go down a battery size.

If you're planning on summer motoring +2hrs at a time, when the oil will get much hotter, then I might be tempted to remain with the '50'. Also if you're planning on competition or high rev use I'd also stick with the 50 for added protection. (With the exception being sprint/hill-climb as the oil never warms up).

In general modern oils 5W20 or 30 are great in modern engines with more accurately machined bearing surfaces, with cranks that are machined with barrel on the pins and with 4 valve style heads with tiny valves, using tiny lifts, and then having all that controlled by hydraulic lash adjusters and roller followers. Also most modern engines use a water style oil heat exchanger which helps prevent oil getting 10-15C hotter than the coolant.

There are a host of Zephyr forums out there with a lot of expertise in Australia and New Zealand, but I'm sure there are other resources closer to home.

I'll add to Robin's weight note, that aluminim alloys also having better heat transfer and with a manufacturing hat on, they are faster to machine.

Email sent to Tony, thanks again.

1" Whitworth socket found.

Then here's a pic of our car still sulking at the painters. We knew the car had many bumps in it's racing lifetime including retiring after a heavy crash in the '61 Goodwood TT, but once the paint came off we were faced with a bigger task than expected, so the car has taken a lot longer to get right.

Happy Christmas folks!

Nick,

Also thanks to you for taking the accross flats measurement, I have cross referenced this and it's 1 inch Whitworth, so I'll see if I can order a socket. Thanks again you have saved me a 2 & 1/2 hour round trip to the car.

James Eastwood

Tony, apologies for slow reply, that would be incredibly helpful if you could list your spare on eBay.

Thank you very much indeed.

James

Nick - if you can give me an accross flats measurement that would be great, I'll then try and work out what the type and size of socket is required !

Keith - nice to hear from you, many thanks for the recommendation.

On disconnecting my temp gauge capillary tube to the aluminium core plug, on my 2L Bristol engine, the thread boss has broken off. It has corroded internally.

My car is about ninety minutes away at a painter, would anyone know the socket size I need to unscrew the core plug please?

Are there any repair techniques or do I need a new core plug, and where might I find one?

Many thanks indeed, if someone can help.

Regards James Eastwood

Just my two penny worth, but I thought most of the Ford engines run 40 DCOEs.

JE

Hi Bert,

I can't answer the question but can confirm your shoe layout and common springs are identical to mine.

I wonder if the answer might be driven by any differences of front to rear, if the front used twin leading shoes (I have disks).

JE

They can be made from a standard wrench. Also try the BOC Bristol Owners Club forum.

https://www.mwsint.com/custom/FitmentGuide/DisplayEntry.asp?category=87&carId=FG000025&make=AC&carYear=

Link above gives the wheel sizes and offsets etc..

For suspension geometry it would depend on whether you were running a x-ply or radial. If radial, I'd have a look through the internet, which I think will suggest a little toe in at the front and a bit less at the back.

For a x-ply, have you checked the owners manual? Or copy something like a Jaguar for which there should be much more info on line.

Thanks Nick, good idea, I made some enquiries and think I've found some that might work.

Hi there ladies and gents.

Might anyone know a suitable supplier of AC style wing vents.

Ideally in bare aluminium (rather than stainless) or possibly in fibre glass. Either to be assembled from the inside, or with a flange to be fitted from the outside. See pic.

There seem to be some from Cobra replica sites, but they tend to be stainless. I could fabricate some myself, which would look hand made and period, but I'm due to deliver the car for paint in a week's time.

Any help or opinion gladly received.

Thanks James

These would get you quite close, although I'm not sure the diameter is correct. You could if determined enough fill the two bolt holes and form in 3x countersunk fixings.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181977395751?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=MzOAHDPYTGC&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=NbehJn30RP-&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I think we're getting spring camber and wheel camber confused.

Wheel camber on an Ace is adjusted by fitting a spring with a different eye to eye measurement.