Austin Seven service log PK1689 1928 Wydoor RK Fabric Body Saloon
1. Zenith carburettor. Cleaned filters and reset needle valve to correct height
Cleaned in-line fuel switch and replaced fuel line,
2. Choke cable. Replaced operating wire and control.
3. Replaced 2 spark plugs.
4. Radiator. Replaced hoses. Drained water and flushed through.
5. Engine. Drained oil and replaced.
6. Brakes. Front. Cleaned shoes. Greased and adjusted cable. Refiled teeth on
handbrake ratchet and refitted. Rear. Replaced shoes with relined units. All
operating link joints were seized. Removed. freed and greased. Then refitted
and adjusted.
7. Back axle. Removed and dismantled half shafts. Replaced oil seals. inner
(differential) and outer (bearing). Replaced one outer bearing. Refilled
differential with new oil.
8, Rear light. Fitted new lens and replaced bulb.
9. Front lights Dismantled, cleaned and greased fittings. Fitted missing earth-return wires and made new earth point under dashboard. Replaced bulbs.
10. Dashboard control panel. Removed and dismantled. Cleaned switch contacts.
Remade all wire connections.
11.Starter motor. Was seized. Removed and stripped down. Freed seized
bearings. Freed and cleaned Bendix drive. Cleaned commutator and freed wire
trapped against rotor. One housing bolt (left) was stripped. Put M8 helicoil
insert into gearbox casing.
12 Battery was set with +ve earth, resulting in dashboard ammeter reading in
reverse. Reversed polarity of battery, now —ve earth.
13. Dynamo. All three brushes seized in carriers. Freed brushes. Cleaned bearings
and adjusted third brush output.
14. Dynamo cutout unit. Dismantled and cleaned. Cleaned cut-out points
15. Speedometer. Mechanism had fallen out of bearings. Cleaned and adjusted.
Reset odometer to zero November 2002).
16 Steering drag-link. Removed damaged spring loaded joints on ends and
replaced with new.
17. Replaced carpets. Oiled leather upholstery and covered seat cushions
18. Passenger door. Window winder not working. Re-glued glass to carrier.
Window timber ledge was broken. Repaired. Cleaned and greased both door
catches. Packed door hinges to fit better.
19. Rear shock absorbers, Friction disks were made of hardboard, and centre
bushes made of wood! Replaced with correct friction disks and nylon bushes.
Fitted 4 new rubber bushes in coupling links.
20. Front shock absorbers. Friction disks again made of hardboard, (one missing),
and centre bushes not fitted. Fitted correct friction disks and nylon bushes
Fitted 4 new rubber bushes in coupling links.
21. Fitted rear view mirror to windscreen.
22. New rear brake cable fitted
23. Headlamps resilvered
During previous ownership to myself.
Radius arms location reassemble correctly so that castor and camber would be correct, previously the handling was awful.
Petrol tap replaced, previous one looked as though it had come off a lawnmower.
Replaced wheel bearings (front ones, can’t remember whether it was 1 or both)
New exhaust
Fitted a windscreen wiper (it didn’t have one) and made the connection piece on the manifold
Sorted out choke and operating rods, made pull ring.
Balanced rear brakes (mentally noting, cams and bushes needed changing)
Changed fabric universal joint on propshaft
Rebuilt carburettor
New petrol pipe and tap
Adjusted tappets (use 6 thou inlet, 8 thou exhaust, rather than 4 thou hot as per the documentation of the time)
2 or 3 oil changes
My maintenance is
1217 miles lube and oil change
1350 4 New Blockley tyres Feb 2013
1400 Clutch release toggles replaced and clutch ring drilled and tapped to take care of toggle pin wear, March 2013
1400 Water hoses replaced
1510 OSR wheel rebuilt due to 1/2" runout, turned out to be bent half shaft
1510 MOT April 2013
2000 new crown wheel and pinion and half shafts
2400 Dynamo overhaul by Paul Baker
Work in progress, Passenger door glass replacement
In Peter Russell'sworkshop in Langholm, ( Scotland) circa 1979/80
Peter tells me:- After all the restoration work , it was with regret that we parted, but I left Scotland for Sussex , and with all the upheaval , it was simpler to let him go ! I then went to the other extreme a couple of years and later bought an Austin 20, which I still have.
January 23, 2022