1968 Daimler 250 v8 - Moving on

[varelse]

I'm sure you already know, but we found a cracked manifold with soapy water, but might be a bit harder at higher loads.

And carby cleaner wafted around the intake/vacuum side of things is good for finding leaks, too.




Also, still a very pretty car!

[goldnrust]

I can report that it's definitely not the brake servo ivanhoew. Tried blocking that off, at the intake manifold, all that happened was that the brakes were rubbish

Whilst laying under the car trying to see if I had half a chance at reaching the manifold bolts from underneath, instead of via the engine bay, I noticed a hole in one of my welds on the exhaust.



.... so yeah I'm an idiot. I was chasing a noise, I swapped out the silences and the noise stayed, so I presumed that it came from elsewhere and never checked for an exhaust blow in my new joints too carefully For the sake of my welding pride, I should point out that I welded that exhaust in the dark, lying under the car, it was not optimal conditions! Anyway, I popped a blob of weld over the hole and went for a drive. Definitely an improvement, but not a complete solution.

I think when I've got some time I'll take the whole exhaust off, downpipes and all, get it in the daylight and go over all the welds carefully and look for other problems. I did notice that revving the engine from inside the engine bay I can't hear the noise, but revving from the drivers seta with the door open its quite noticeable. So maybe it's an exhaust issue, rather than manifold, after all... ah well.

Whilst I was under the car I spotted a bigger and more immediate problem though...



That wet oily thing would be my drivers rear damper, which is looking rather blown! The dampers are the originals, and pretty soggy all round, but I'd been putting off replacing them. As homersimpson found, finding a cheap option for dampers for these cars is not easy. I decided to bite the bullet and go for GAZ adjustable dampers all round. I've had GAZ on two cars previously and really liked them and the ability to tune the dampers to what I want from the car. So they are on order and will hopefully come in a week or so!

[goldnrust]

Now that looks a lot better than the rusty leaky old shock doesn't it!

While I was under the car doing battle with the suspension, I decided it would only be right to bring the altitude down a little.... this is retro rides after all, it's pretty much in the rules that all things should lowered. I've not gone wild, but just wanted a bit of a tidier arch gap. I've been wanting to do this for ages, but the soft original dampers left me feeling like I'd just be bottoming out lots, with the adjustable GAZ dampers I should be able to control the bumps a lot better despite the reduced travel.

This is a before shot from last year:



And this is after lowering:



Much better. I went out for a drive and got some proper photos later that evening with the new improved look









I would like to say it rode nicely on the new shocks, but in all honesty, it was back brakingly firm haha. The shocks have 20 'clicks' of adjustment. I started at 12 from full soft, and clearly thats too hard. I've dropped to 9 front 8 rear now and its much better, still a little firm, I might go down another click and see how that is next timeI got for a drive. The whole car just feels tighter though, it's a big improvement.

Still chasing the exhaust issue. Having had the whole system off and checked for pin holes (several fixed) I'm starting to think it might be an issue with the slip joints. Certainly it seems the noise is coming from under the middle of the car. I might try replacing the slip joints with a flange joint. Will order some more pipe and get the welding kit back out at some stage in the next few weeks. Got quite a bit on with the Fiat and the motorbike in bits so it might just have to stay as it is for a while.

Frustratingly what I also found on my last drive out, was an increasingly large gearbox oil leak. It's hard to tell exactly, but it might be tail housing gasket or the speedo drive. Further investigation is going to be needed I fear! I really hope it doesn't mean taking the gearbox out again!!! I'm hoping I can get to the bottom of it before the gathering though, as I was hoping to drive up in convoy with a few friends.

[edwagon]

Niiice! How did you lower it? and by how much approx? Looks awesome

[ivanhoew]

much better , with the shocks, i tend to start at softest ,and click up till it stops bouncing.

[horrido]

That does look a mile better.

[qwerty]

That sits wonderfully now. Its really toughened it up without going crazy.

Tom

[goldnrust]

Cheers guys. I’m really pleased with how it sits, more purposeful without going over the top.

It’s down about 40mm edwagon, obviously I can’t be 100% it was at full stock height as its 50 year old springs!

I used some shorter front springs and de-arched the rear leaves in my press.

[markrichardson]

Very nice, so subtle the average punter wouldn't notice, but definitely an improvement in my opinion.

[Enbloc]

Aug 26, 2022 21:44:40 GMT goldnrust said:

I would like to say it rode nicely on the new shocks, but in all honesty, it was back brakingly firm haha. The shocks have 20 'clicks' of adjustment. I started at 12 from full soft, and clearly thats too hard. I've dropped to 9 front 8 rear now and its much better, still a little firm, I might go down another click and see how that is next timeI got for a drive. The whole car just feels tighter though, it's a big improvement.

I found the same thing with my Gaz shocks. They get really stiff, really quickly from the 0 setting. My Spax on the other hand are the complete opposite, 20+ clicks before they seem to show any change.

I ran my Gaz shocks 5 clicks on the road and 8-10 clicks when competing.

I forgot to click them back for the return journey home from a sprint once. The added stiffness from the extra clicks mixed in with the undulations of the A14 created a weird harmonic through the car that gave me motion sickness, the only time in my life I've ever suffered from it!

[goldnrust]

Yes I think you're right there Enbloc. This is my 3rd set fo Gas dampers and I've ended up between 5-8 on all my cars as about right. I knocked another couple of clicks off the dampers on the Daimler this morning, think I'm down to 7 on the front 6 on the rear (might be 6 and 5, I've adjusted them a few times now! haha) and the ride is just right now. Flatter and stiffer than stock but with some ride quality back.

Anyway, with some form of ride comfort, the Daimler got me and a friend to the gathering today with no drama, which was nice.





I felt quite conspicuous in my fairly standard 60s classic in a field of mostly modified younger cars, haha. Still a good day out, and got home with no issue also, well aside from the needle having moved a fair way across the fuel gauge due to the gathering no longer being on my doorstep. haha.

[stealthstylz]

Had a quick look round, looks superb. The lowering really improves things.

[goldnrust]

So I finally got the roll of film in the camera I took to the gathering developed. Not the most exciting photo, but it re-enforces that I like what the lowering has done to the way the car sits.

There hasn't been much to report on the Daimler front recently to be honest. I've been busy with the Fiat and feeling a bit apathetic about the old Daimler, it's mostly just been sat waiting for me to deal with various small issues. I've even considered selling it a few times this autumn, but I think I've come back round again and reminded my self why I like the old girl. With that in mind, this last week though I've decided I should get on and start sorting it out

Job number 1 was to change the seals on the speedo drive. Over the past 6 months the oil leaks have stepped up from 'normal British car' to something more serious. I think I've traced it down to the speedo drive and the power steering. As ever when working on the Daimler, there's lots of room and access is easy.... wait, no, I mean its damn awkward.





I think its possible to see where the problem lies here... New seals installed and the speedo drive back in the gearbox and I think we have an improvement, but I have only been for a short drive so far.

On the power steering front, it appears to be a general slow weep from all of the seals rather than any specific failure. So I thought I'd try some 'stop leak' snake oil and see if that helps in the short term. Too early to tell on that front, but I don't have high hopes!

Job number 2 was an oil change. The manual recommends 1 year / 5,000 miles, though I've read recommendations to do it at 2,500 miles instead to help to try make the engines last a bit longer. Either way I've been meaning to do this for some time so it's more like 18 months and 4,000 miles since it last had a change. Anyway it's a simple job now I finally pulled my finger out and got on with it. Old oil out...




...And nice new oil in.



Job number 3, was to fit a new 'sandwich' front subframe mount. I'm hoping this will solve the knocking noise I've got coming from the front left when I make a 'spirited' right turn. The cheap aftermarket ones clearly aren't up to the job, this is the second time I've replaced this one in the 5,000 miles I've done since I got the car on the road. This time I went for a genuine Jaguar one, hopefully this will last better.



Job number 4, and the last job for now, I spent a bit of time doing some basic maintenance and adjustments under the bonnet. The choke cable had somehow come out of adjustment so it wasn't raising the idle like it should do, which was causing issues with stalling when the car was only half warm. That was simple enough to sort. I also took the distributer cap off, cleaned up the rotor arm, pulled the spark plugs and cleaned and gapped them. I was getting a bit of missing at high RPM which I think might be because the gaps were bit large, I'm thinking I got over confident when I switched from points to electronic pickup!

With all of that complete a short drive confirmed success of most points, less gearbox oil leak, no stalling when part warm, no knocking sound from the front, no high RPM miss. As mentioned the power steering leak is still too early to tell, but I'm pretty happy with that score card It was nice to get out and drive it again. I'd missed it, and I'm starting to feel enthusiastic again about the idea of injection and boost in the future (once the Fiat is on the road!).

I didn't take any pics, but pretend these two from a drive back in late November are from today to round off the story nicely!

[ivanhoew]

nice !

[eurogranada]

Nice work, lovely car!

[voucherboy]

Aug 27, 2022 9:10:20 GMT goldnrust said:

Cheers guys. I’m really pleased with how it sits, more purposeful without going over the top.

It’s down about 40mm edwagon , obviously I can’t be 100% it was at full stock height as its 50 year old springs!

I used some shorter front springs and de-arched the rear leaves in my press.

Agree with everyone else, a massive improvement in the looks with the adjusted ride height.  Mine also sits high, but to be fair it's only had a chance to settle whilst static.  When I (eventually!) get it on the road, I may find it settles further.  But it's currently so high that I'm not that optimistic that it will be as low as I'd like. So, what springs did you use Steve? I'd be very interested just in case I do need them. Cheers, Steve

[homersimpson]

Feb 22, 2023 11:58:04 GMT voucherboy said:

Aug 27, 2022 9:10:20 GMT goldnrust said:

Cheers guys. I’m really pleased with how it sits, more purposeful without going over the top.

It’s down about 40mm edwagon , obviously I can’t be 100% it was at full stock height as its 50 year old springs!

I used some shorter front springs and de-arched the rear leaves in my press.

Agree with everyone else, a massive improvement in the looks with the adjusted ride height.  Mine also sits high, but to be fair it's only had a chance to settle whilst static.  When I (eventually!) get it on the road, I may find it settles further.  But it's currently so high that I'm not that optimistic that it will be as low as I'd like. So, what springs did you use Steve? I'd be very interested just in case I do need them. Cheers, Steve

One thing to check is whether the bushes were tightened up in the loaded position (i.e. with the weight of the car on them), if not then they will be twisted which can make the car appear too high and also puts them under a lot of strain when the car is sitting.

Only a minor point but sometimes gets missed

[voucherboy]

More than a minor point I think because everyone always says this, so must be some valid reason for it. So definitely worthy of consideration. As it happens, I have left these quite loose for now and intend tightening them fully on the final pre-run shakedown in the hope that they will settle further. Thanks for the reminder though Homer. What's the latest on yours? Have you done much since your last post?

[homersimpson]

Feb 22, 2023 19:37:57 GMT voucherboy said:

More than a minor point I think because everyone always says this, so must be some valid reason for it. So definitely worthy of consideration. As it happens, I have left these quite loose for now and intend tightening them fully on the final pre-run shakedown in the hope that they will settle further. Thanks for the reminder though Homer. What's the latest on yours? Have you done much since your last post?

I've done a few bits, need to take some photos and upload when I get a chance to get it out of the garage.

[goldnrust]

I echo homersimpson s comments about the bushes, but yes, even with everything set right stock ride height is still fairly high,

Feb 22, 2023 11:58:04 GMT voucherboy said:

So, what springs did you use Steve? I'd be very interested just in case I do need them

They are quite similar to standard springs but a bit shorter.

Something to consider though is that with my stock front dampers, which were definitely soggy but not blown like the rears though,I think it would have been too soft at this ride height. I don't know if new standard dampers would be fine or whether really you'd need aftermarket dampers, like the GAZ I have, to stop it blowing through the reduced travel over bumps.