Lady Charlotte - 1966 2000SC

rockdemon said:
Some fantastic scenes there...

On your arcing conundrum, did you solve it? I've noticed on the v8 rotor arms you get there's a some variance in height. Makes a difference... I had a choice of 3 and ended up looking for one completely identical to the one i'd removed.

Rich.
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Rich

The new cap and HT leads sorted the arcing out. I now have a nice steady idle..... although the exhaust pops a bit so I might have a dodgy exhaust valve. That's a job for over later though.

Dave
 
31 mpg is really pretty good. I remember we used to get 28 mpg overall from the '72 TC "back in the day", which was a slight improvement on the '65 SC it replaced, which incidently, was the first car I ever tuned with a ColourTune - the same one I still use now! However the SC did once achieve 43 mpg on an economy rally organised by the MInehead Motor Club around Exmoor. But that was using every trick in book, coasting down hills with the engine off etc etc.

Chris
 
Dave, that ignition install is really neat isn't it, only the extra wires coming from the dizzy to give the game away, if they used a black 2 core cable it would be even neater.

Have you checked the timing since fitting the system ? I presume there will be some slight variation in the static timing versus the original points, I'd be very impressed if there wasn't.

Car and scenery look fantastic by the way :D
 
Great photos Dave, it's really is beautiful countryside especially when enhanced by some Victorian engineering.

You could wrap the electronic wires to the distributor in loom tape if they can't go through some sleaving because of the multi plug.
 
testrider said:
Great photos Dave, it's really is beautiful countryside especially when enhanced by some Victorian engineering.

You could wrap the electronic wires to the distributor in loom tape if they can't go through some sleaving because of the multi plug.
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Yes the massive connector half way down the loom is a bit of a giveaway. Once I'm happy that the installation is reliable I'll do away with that connector and make a continuous loom inside a heatshrink sleeve. I had to add some additional length to the 12V supply wire anyway as the coil is over the other side of the engine bay. I probably could've found a 12V supply on the same side but I wanted to keep it all within the ignition circuit.

Dave
 
Looks like a fantastic trip to the Dales, Dave. Nice to see the photos too, some fantastic scenery there! I'm off to Goathland and the surrounding area this weekend, with a group of friends. I like the electronic ignition conversion, it's something that I've been meaning to fit to my car for a wee while now. Let me know how it goes! :D
 
I have a Mangnatronic version of this system and they really are great. As you are thinking I used heatshrink to cover the wires back to the coil.

Is there a family connection with the pub or just a coincidence?

Colin
 
arthuy said:
Is there a family connection with the pub or just a coincidence?

Colin
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No direct family connection Colin. My wife's parents used to own a cottage in the village so we thought it would be a bit of a talking point to have shares in a pub with the same name as ours.

Dave
 
Auxilliary Lights

Finally got round to fitting the Cibie lights to the Lady this weekend. Not wired them up yet but they do look good. Here are the labels for anyone trying to source them:

CIMG4968.jpg
CIMG4969.jpg


and the lights fitted with and without covers

CIMG4967.jpg
CIMG4966.jpg


Need to retake the signature block photo when the weather brightens up a bit.

Dave
 
Well they say you don't really get to know a car until you drive it daily and the same can be said for the Lady. I'm using her daily whilst the V8 is having surgery. She really is a great car to drive. Everything works really well and the heater is superb :D , much better than the one in the V8.....wonder if that's the same for other owners of V8s and 4 cylinders. Is the heater just better on a 4 cylinder car for some reason?

It is very dark in the cabin at night though. The only lights on the dash are the clock and the strip instruments so you have to fumble for the heater controls etc.

Anyway, despite all the good stuff, I do have a slight problem with the Lady in that she seems to be draining the battery. Now it could just be that I'm having to use lights, wipers and heater pretty much all the way to work and back these days (40 mins there and 40 mins back) but I tend to think there is something else amiss.

Being a '66 car she has a dynamo charging system. Everything is telling me that the battery is charging, the ignition light goes out above about 12-1300 rpm, the voltage across the battery with the engine running at fast idle and the lights on is about 14.5V. Yet over the space of 3 or 4 days I get to the stage where I turn the key, the starter gives an ominous "click" and nothing happens. The voltage across the battery still reads about 12.5V off load and on the couple of ocassions when I've had a jump start the starter has turned no problem.

Until yesterday when I tried to jump it off a colleagues car and the starter went "click" :evil:

So I'm in 2 minds as to whether the starter is sticking or the battery is draining or maybe it's something to do with the solenoid, but if the starter "clicks" then that should indicate that the solenoid has operated....hmmmm.

I've got the Lucas fault finding guide at home so I'll be doing some tests on the dynamo and voltage regulator over the weekend. I'll keep you posted but if anyone has any experience of dynamo charging systems I'd appreciate some steers.

Thanks

Dave
 
If you're having trouble like that 1 of maplins 10 quid solar trickle chargers might keep you on the road till you have it sussed....
 
I'll start with the simplest question, is the battery any good ? The weather is turning colder now, and it often kills weak batteries.
 
Lady Charlotte has the battery in the engine bay I presume? If it were in the boot, then first suspect would have been the bolted connection in the battery lead under the driver's seat. This being absent on the Lady, I'd have a good go round re-making and re-greasing all the earth connections on both battery and car. (eg engine to bodyshell and on the starter motor) I'm pretty sure that lights, fan and heated rear window are probably a bit much for a dynamo system. But the fact that a jump start didn't do the necessary suggests an open circuit, or very high resistance, internally in your battery. So maybe it's time to get down to a battery dealer and get them to put a battery tester (basically a near short with a meter!) across the terminals.

Chris
 
Dave3066 said:
Everything works really well and the heater is superb :D , much better than the one in the V8.....wonder if that's the same for other owners of V8s and 4 cylinders. Is the heater just better on a 4 cylinder car for some reason?
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I'll let you know on Saturday!

I would have thought you have a combination of cold + suspect battery + possible lazy/worn starter. Is it possible that road splash could cause the starter internals to corrode?
 
Thanks for the quick responses gents

webmaster said:
I'll start with the simplest question, is the battery any good ? The weather is turning colder now, and it often kills weak batteries.
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The original battery has been out and on charge since Monday. I took the battery out of the V8 to use in The Lady and that's brand new (or very recently new in the last couple of months)

chrisyork said:
Lady Charlotte has the battery in the engine bay I presume?
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correct!

chrisyork said:
If I'd have a good go round re-making and re-greasing all the earth connections on both battery and car. (eg engine to bodyshell and on the starter motor) I'm pretty sure that lights, fan and heated rear window are probably a bit much for a dynamo system.
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That's what I'm thinking too so I'll be checking the voltage drop across the starter at the weekend and redoing all the connections. It's happened 3 times and twice it started fine on a jump from our other modern car. It was just the one time yesterday that it didn't start and I have a feeling that the jump leads were not making a very good connection on the other car so I'm hoping that's a red herring.

Frazzle seems to have had a similar problem with his car and replaced the starter. I'm not going there yet and I could probably refurbish my own one if it comes to that.

Dave
 
Not P6 as such, but we had lazy starting issues with our 216, eventually it failed to turn, replaced the starter and all good again.
 
Could it be the dynamo not keeping the battery topped up if you're just driving through traffic with all the electrics on?

Servicing the starter sounds like an easier thing to try first though.
 
testrider said:
Could it be the dynamo not keeping the battery topped up if you're just driving through traffic with all the electrics on?

Servicing the starter sounds like an easier thing to try first though.
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Good thought Paul......but the journey to and from work is a steady run. I don't get held up in traffic at all. Well not the slow moving type anyway. The battery shows 14.5V at fast idle and the ignition light goes out. I think a combination of the drop in temperature and a starter motor that is getting more use than it has had for quite some time might be the cause, but time will tell.

Hopefully get it sorted quick so I can get onto some welding on Verity.

Dave
 
Dave3066 said:
Well they say you don't really get to know a car until you drive it daily and the same can be said for the Lady. I'm using her daily whilst the V8 is having surgery. She really is a great car to drive. Everything works really well and the heater is superb :D , much better than the one in the V8.....wonder if that's the same for other owners of V8s and 4 cylinders. Is the heater just better on a 4 cylinder car for some reason?
Click to expand...

In my experience - yes. The best P6 heaters I've come across have been in 4-cylinder autos. Toasty warm.

Dave3066 said:
It is very dark in the cabin at night though. The only lights on the dash are the clock and the strip instruments so you have to fumble for the heater controls etc.
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This is before the attempt to put a little more light in by having the interior by having the very dim light under the cigar lighter. That does have some effect on a strip speedo car.

Dave3066 said:
Anyway, despite all the good stuff, I do have a slight problem with the Lady in that she seems to be draining the battery. Now it could just be that I'm having to use lights, wipers and heater pretty much all the way to work and back these days (40 mins there and 40 mins back) but I tend to think there is something else amiss.
Click to expand...

Sounds like an ailing battery to me Dave, rather than anything else.

Cheers
Nick
 
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