Master Cylinder Reservoir

When I fitted the uprated master cylinder and servo some time ago to the DHC, which is sourced from a Rover SDI, it had a rectangular reservoir which sits level when fitted on the SDI, but is inclined when fitted on the TR7 bulkhead, thus all the fluid is at the cap end and it is virtually empty at the other end. I did not have a serviceable reservoir from a TR7 at the time so stuck with the one supplied.

SDI Servo and Master showing fluid level at cap end and low at other end.

I found a correct TR7 reservoir recently for next to nothing on fleabay, so today gave it a good clean up.

TR7 Reservoir.

I then removed the SDI reservoir and fitted the TR7 one, this I managed without getting fluid everywhere, I simply removed the 2 screws, then with a shallow container under the cylinder and an old quilt cover to soak up any fluid, quickly pulled of the reservoir allowing fluid to run into the container, handy these plastic Chinese Takeaway containers.

Reservoir off.

TR7 Reservoir fitted.

I was not worried about getting fluid on the paintwork in the engine bay as I use silicon fluid, after bleeding the brakes I ran out of fluid to top the reservoir fully, unfortunately living in a small country town none of the local garages stock silicon fluid, however there was enough fluid for a quick spin around the lanes in lovely Autumn sun. As usual my planned 5 miles turned into 15 as I got carried away!

Topping up gear box oil

I have had a bit of a gearbox oil leak for a while, this is in an innacessible area near the top of the box, and drips onto the prop and is sprayed around tunnel area, not too worried about this, not excessive, and it spreads under the car and forms an effective rust barrier.

Today I decided to check the level. With the 4:2:1 extractor manifold fitted access to the filler plug is difficult, with only a couple of inches swing on a spanner or socket. So, eventually with grazed knuckles I got the filler plug undone, there is no gearbox dipstick, so as I could not feel wet oil in the filler hole I presumed it needed some oil. Trying to fill from underneath is impossible without a pit or a ramp due to manifold and exhaust, so I ended up removing the gearstick/handbrake console, attaching a pipe to the oil bottle, feeding this down past the gaitor into the gearbox filler, and asking the missus to lie under the car and tell me when the oil flows out of the filler hole, thus indicating full.

Had to remove all this to top up the gearbox.

After putting it all back together I took it for a spin along some local roads.

I spotted a group of guys in a field, with a digger, TV cameras where there, I thought it might be the Time Team! also saw some old military vehicles too, so being nosey I stopped to find that they where unearthing a dump of 2nd World War US Air Force scrap from Metfield Aerodrome from where they used to fly Liberators to bomb Germany. This was all dumped in an old sand pit during the Yanks final days at the airfield.

Digging out aircraft scrap, note large manifold to left and bits of fuselage.

Aircraft Oxygen Tanks.

This is only 1 trench, they expect to dig a few more, a barrel from a Gatling Gun

can be seen on the left of the soil mound.

This was segragated from the rest of the scrap dug up, couple of round things could be bombs, and in view is a machine gun belt with a few live rounds still in the belt.

Talking to one of the guys, there has always been a rumour since the Yanks departed that at one of the Suffolk Airbases they dug a massive pit and dumped in complete Indian motor cycles, complete Willys Jeeps, complete aero engines, which they could not transport to the states, the local aircraft group hope to find this one day.