What have you done to get your Z out of jail free!?

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
So gang, I want to start a fun thread. One that will likely make the purists wince and the professional mechanics quake in their boots. But one that may end up full of tips on how to get you out of a tight spot.

I'm pretty certain there are many decades of experience of these things hiding on the forum.

To get the ball rolling:

A few days ago I went out for a pre-MOT evening blap to make sure all was well with the car (any excuse I hear you say and you'd be correct)! On the last 1/4 mile I saw the temp gauge getting close to the red and given it normally doesn't cross half way, it raised my eyebrows like a pair of caterpillars on fire.

Opened the bonnet to find a two headed geyser from the thermostat housing where it had been blanked off by the PO using a rubber hose + a 15mm copper pipe end cap + a jubilee clip. Novel, but a hack all the same.

Here's the rust perforated culprit with the blanking removed
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Running the 240 carbs on a 260 you don't need that water feed (in fact, did you ever REALLY need it with flat tops)!?

So in a panic at 21:30 (MOT due in under 11 hours) I hastily looked through the plumbing toolbox and fortuitously found that 15mm compression fittings were a PERFECT match, so we ended up with this:

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Post MOT, not being content with a bit of brass hanging off the engine, I went through the tool box again and found a radiator end cap that works perfectly, is shiny and looks like it was always meant to be there. Result! My wife testifies that I now sleep better at night, but still a bit twitchy about a bit of house radiator hanging off my engine:

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About a quid at Wickes! Now did you ever imagine a part for your Z being available there!?

I will finally find solace / a comfortable pillow when I get this bad boy on, but not until I pull the engine in a couple of weeks' time.

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So come on. Don't be shy. Show us your get out of jail / get you home fixes.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
I have one to confess, but I don't have a piccy until the weekend.
I'm currently sporting an MR2 Roadster block hose as a replacement for my rad bottom hose. It has a double curve in more or less the right places so fits OK and I'm very glad of it, since it saved me undoubtedly a 4 hr wait for the AA to tow me home from the wilds of Cambs last Saturday.
 

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
That's really good to know JB!! :thumbs: Especially given it's a readily available part.

Thanks for sharing!
 
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