Which spares for a long trip?

woodtom · Joined: 18 Oct 2021 Posts: 5 Location: Umbria, Italy

Hi all, I've been lurking here for a while but now the proud new owner of a 3/4.5 which I'm planning to drive down to Italy for the summer. The car is newly rebuilt but as it will be out of the country for a while and doing a few thousand miles this summer I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on which spares I should be packing?

Best

Tom

John Murch · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 5:38 am Post subject:

My no.1 would be a spare magneto. (Complete with dog set up to just slot in) I know that it may be the wrong one, but the car will run ok on one……….
Spare inner tube.
Some electrical wire. Useful for electrics or for lashing up the exhaust system if something drops off!
Spare bulbs, spare brake light switch (Odd I know, but small and difficult to source in darkest europe).
Good luck and have and enjoyable trip.

Nicholas Simons · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 8:14 am Post subject:

Don't forget the mandatory safety equipment required by each country you drive through. Things such as a high visibility vest and warning triangle spring to mind. I think that in France the driver must put on his hi-vis before he gets out of the car in an emergency, so it needs to be kept within arm's reach.

woodtom · Joined: 18 Oct 2021 Posts: 5 Location: Umbria, Italy

Many thanks gents, I will stock up

Ewan Gallie · Joined: 29 Oct 1997 Posts: 184 Location: Italy

Stephen Blakey · Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 8:34 pm Post subject:

A couple of returns from France by recovery truck spring to mind.

One was the former club chairman whose 3L started making expensive noises in the engine department, which were diagnosed by experts as internal mechanical maladies. A safety-first approach lead to the recovery of the car, however the eventual diagnosis was that the exhaust manifold/block joint had sprung a leak. That's not the first time that condition has produced a noise akin to engine knocking.

I have already mentioned the other on here. That was when a member accidentally put E10 in her special. The E10 mobilised all the rubbish which had been sitting harmlessly in the bottom of her tank for a few decades, and that blocked things up causing a failure to proceed. I'm guessing your tank has been cleaned.

We had the starter motor pack-up on a trip to Scotland by 8L. For the rest of the trip we relied on using the starting handle (yes really) and parking on hills. Have you tried your starting handle skills? Having said that, with a vintage Bentley it's very easy to recruit pushers.

From a risk-assessment approach, your biggest risk factor is the fact that the car has been recently rebuilt. I suggest you take plenty of spanners, a selection of nuts and bolts and some Loctite. Keep a close lookout for things coming undone.

I assume you have already thought of taking a multi-meter and some spare fuse wire?

Last time I went Bentleying in France, we were required to carry breathalyzers, as well as the items mentioned above. I imagine that's still the case.

Do let us know how you get on.

John Murch · Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 6:09 am Post subject:

Stephen’s response reminds me that it can be quite difficult to tighten the nuts holding on the exhaust manifold. This requires a fairly thin spanner suitably bent such that you can actually access the nuts. The manifold and the joint between the manifold and down pipe can have a tendency to come loose as the gaskets settle.
I’ll post a couple of photos to show spanner and where it has to go,

John Murch · Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 6:47 am Post subject:

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woodtom · Joined: 18 Oct 2021 Posts: 5 Location: Umbria, Italy

Stephen, John thanks very much for these additional points.

I shall have a go at spanner bending so I've got something ready to go for the exhaust manifold.

I've been testing running the car on one mag at a time and both seem strong but I'm probably going to pick up another two to be on the safe side. I suspect they will always have a resale value.

On nuts and bolts I've now done a few hundred miles of running-in in the UK and am starting to discover the usual culprits that come loose (throttle linkage adjuster seems to be the most common). I'm guessing nylocs are not the done thing (or simply not available in whitworth thread) so loctite is the answer?

Multimeter, fuses, wire etc packed and Tim Cresswell is building up a spares pack of more specific bits for me.

Does anyone have any tips on a reasonably compact jack to carry? I've never been a fan of scissor jack safety so maybe bottle is the answer? Would rather not carry a trolley...

Tom

Stephen Blakey · Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 11:36 am Post subject:

I like those telescopic screw jacks such as were fitted to the MKVI. I have an ancient one of a different type.

For touring, it has a couple of benefits compared with a similar sized bottle jack;

There are fewer ways in which it can go wrong e.g. it can't leak and there are no seals to fail.

Secondly, it stays at the same height when in use, which is reassuring.

On the minus side, it takes longer to raise the car than a hydraulic jack, so I would go for a hydraulic jack and axle stand at home.

There's a website devoted to old car jacks. Who knew?

http://www.classic-british-car-jacks.uk/Dunlop_Jacks.htm

The MKVI had a Dunlop No41 but some of the others may be more suitable for you and cheaper.

There's a guide to the bewildering variety of Loctite thread lockers here;

http://wdarc.org/Loctite%20Guide.pdf

Robert Craven · Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 3:58 pm Post subject:

Tom, you can get nyloc BSW and BSF nuts if you want them. e.g. from GWR Fasteners.

woodtom · Joined: 18 Oct 2021 Posts: 5 Location: Umbria, Italy

Thanks Stephen, excellent bedtime reading on that jack site! I'd never seen a telescopic screw jack but looks like a good idea.

Will also be stocking up on nuts, thanks Robert!

What an excellent forum, hope I can repay the help once I know what I'm doing!

Tom

woodtom · Joined: 18 Oct 2021 Posts: 5 Location: Umbria, Italy

Stephen Blakey

Hi Tom,

Lovely picture. Perhaps a few more words next time? I guess you're busy.

Enjoy the trip!

Stephen

P.S. Thank you for demonstrating the "post subject" option. I've been posting on here since the late twentieth century and had never noticed that.

Jay Miller · Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 10:23 pm Post subject:

Tom, as you're in process of developing a touring kit, parts and tools, would you, please, share what you finally assemble? I'm about to take on the same task-although I'm in the U.S.

How is everyone determining what size threads are used in various applications (BSW v. BSF)?

What modern tools, for actual use apart from any vintage tools used for shows, are you assembling and from where, please?

Thank you and cheers,

Jay

John Murch · Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2022 3:05 pm Post subject:

Jay, not really an answer to your question, but did you see this thread?
https://www.bdcl.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4338&highlight=tool+kit
As to where to buy, I have found eBay a useful source for old tools.