A was for Austin, but now B is for Bedford

Thanks Sarge, I not so sure about it running around soon, and although the video doesn't show it, rest assured it was readily dowsed with Aerostart on several occasions. :oops:

Better than that, last night while looking for suitable carburettors (not available at what I'd call a realistic price) I remembered that my "spare" Mark IV Humber Super Snipe engine has a similar carburettor . . .
. . . AND so does the Herald.

I opted for the one off the Humber - no sense borrowing one from a sort of running vehicle, and, after all, I did try the Humber engine before I bought it (about 30-35 years ago :blink:). It had to be okay. :whistle:

Out came the files again, the mounting holes were a wee bit wide apart, but once suitably modified and with a fuel bowl full of petrol it fired up. It ran until the bowl was drained, much longer than before, and I was even able to give it a few revs with some degree of control.

Perhaps I'll have to enlist Ernie's assistance again and post another video. (I'm sure cobbadog will be pleased about that!? :silly: :lol: )

PS I'm not entirely wrapped in it, but it will serve its purpose and I'm certainly much happier than a week or so ago. You have all lived the dilemmas with me, thanks.

SO BE IT . . .
www.facebook.com/martin.stephens.9674/vi..._id=1587971583064476

We have a WINNER ! Well done on making a noise from the exhaust and not like me from my fowl language. You have to be pleased with that!

Well done PDU & cameraman. Persistence paid off.
I will be interested to see how my new head gasket lines up with my block once I get the motor out flushed & head off.
Let you know what I find.
cheers & great work
Pierre

Sounds so tough yet will be so gutless :silly:


Seriously though, well done

Paul

Surprising how much guts the 214 has got....I knew a guy had a J model /214 towing a single axle trailer that often carried 12 ton of scrap.Not quick ,but reliable.

In order of your responses; Cobba, the distributor still needs new components, and I will refit a Bedford carburettor when I eventually have one that works as it should, but it sounds better than it did a week ago. I only hope it will improve further with more running - just not yet though.

Pierre, check private messages later today (later because I have to follow something up before contacting you, on Channel 40?), it concerns head gasket differences between what one might assume are similar 214 Bedford engines. :huh:

Speed is not on my agenda Paul, not until I'm out and driving somewhere and have another 200 kilometres in front of me. :oops:

And, despite its somewhat dubious condition, I'm sure it will pull more than its share of weight John - if ever needed?

Hi PDU ,just watched your video ,,,well done mate nice to get it started ,boost,s the enthusiasm ,whats the next hurdle ? keep posting what your doing its excellent following the progress, .Paul

Will do Paul . . . I meant to mention, as an aside, last time I responded to you that I rolled a Hillman Husky about fifty something years ago. It turned left across my bows from the centre of the road, just as I was about to pass it on the inside!?
Sounds as though I was driving incorrectly? Not so; the woman driving the Husky was turning into her driveway, which was directly opposite a side road; approaching her driveway she had pulled to the right and slowed down, notably without indicating her intentions by lights, trafficators, or with hand signals.
That was where I made the terrible assumption that she was turning right . . . innocent young me, who had already slowed down behind her until she was almost at a total standstill, then opened up the V8 and started to pass her on the left! :ohmy: :blink:
With me barely a foot behind her she turned, I stood the Pilot on its nose (or as close as it was ever going to get to achieving the impossible) and hit the horn simultaneously! If she had stopped where she was, when I first hit the brakes and horn, I could have passed her on the left, but not to be, she continued slowly on her course - no doubt transfixed by the bellowing blue behemoth that had suddenly appeared from nowhere!
I dragged the car to the left, putting my car hard into the kerb, then skillfully avoiding a council sign that I didn't fancy paying for. But still she continued. Had she stopped at the kerb I could have missed her along the verge and footpath, but also not to be, she was obviously hell bent on seeing whether it was possible to fit a Hillman Husky and an old Ford Pilot into her single driveway at the same time . . . :pinch: :silly: :S
It didn't work; the Pilot stopped neatly in the driveway (having demonstrated its capability of doing a ninety degree turn in about two car lengths) while the Husky went arse over t#* sideways across her front lawn. :whistle: Result: Her doors would no longer open and she ended up coming out through the tailgate. :lol:
No charges were laid, the police were amazed how I had managed to leave a tyre track in the ten inch wide section of dirt between the kerb and the council sign, without hitting it, and she paid for a new tyre to replace the tyre that blew as I plowed it up the kerb under full brakes.
Final score, one less Husky on the roads, plus one Pilot with a red colour co-ordinated crumpled section on the front r.h. guard. :blink:

Having dragged you all through this piece of PDU history I can only add: "Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible"* with my B for build tomorrow.

* British television message that used to appear on the screen in the early sixties whenever there was a broadcast problem.

Relatively quiet day; thought about crawling under the axle to tighten up the u-bolts, but that meant straining myself, and as I like a bit of variety decided to check what was hiding under the flaking paint and bubbles on the cowl below the A pillar.
Then thought it was time to get rid of the horrible mirror stalk welded to the driver's door hinge.
I also considered making some patch pieces for the lower part of the drivers door, but then noticed some more lead work around the door hinges, plus the back edge of the door by the B pillar is twisted. :blink: At that point lost interest in the door and went back to the cowl - finding more rust and holes under the lead wiping. More patches needed . . .
No doubt my driver's door can be redeemed, but before I do that I might as well ask if anyone has a spare RH door - surplus to requirements? :blush: