I replaced the melted yellowy dash light clovers with some blue ones from a later model as I had the same problem. I also added a drop of white paint to the end of the guage needles as blue light on brown is only marginally better that yellowy brown light on orangey brown!

Hell Driver wrote:I replaced the melted yellowy dash light clovers with some blue ones from a later model as I had the same problem. I also added a drop of white paint to the end of the guage needles as blue light on brown is only marginally better that yellowy brown light on orangey brown!

Glad to hear it's not just my car! Actually, I have a Motor review from June 1977 where they too were complaining about the poor dash lights.

I have a bit of an issue with my upper radiator hose. So the old one was leaking from the join with the radiator, so I ordered and fitted a new one.


However, it's still leaking from that join, no matter how tight I tighten the jubilee clip. I went for a bit of a ride this morning, and noticed that the heater wasn't heating. Couple this with the sporadic temp gauge, and I was beginning to smell a problem. On stopping, steam was billowing out of that corner of the radiator, and my overflow water tank was completely dry - I think this explains the lack of heat and a reading from the temperature sender. Oops.

Anyway, I just can't seem to fix it - I have bought a tighter jubilee clip and tightened it to the point where my screwdriver can go no further and the screw is beginning to groan. The thing is, I can't quite tell where the steam is coming from, it could be that joint, but it could be around the front of the radiator where I can't see. The upper coolant hose is boiling hot and can barely be touched. I topped up the coolant and went for another ride and the same is still happening, and I'm getting no heat in the car.

You can see the offending join here, and the coolant sprayed all over the engine bay.




Anyone have any bright ideas? Could it be a dodgy thermostat?

Oh also, I made a couple of crappy videos if anyone's interested: http://youtu.be/3YesBybyng4 and http://youtu.be/NiKQlM6jPXM

In other news - hubcap studs

First off....replace a possible dodgy thermostat!! I would also recommend checking the cap to see if the O-ring has been spent.
Have you inspected the upper connection? I wire brushed (as well as used a file and sandpaper) to smooth out the neck before fitting my new upper hose (there were a lot of nasty bits encrusted, which made for a bad seal).

John

Also Siôn, check that the soldered in connector stub pipe has not cracked where it is joined to the end tank - with age the soldered joint can fail and give the impression of the pipe not sealing.

Mac.

mac wrote:Also Siôn, check that the soldered in connector stub pipe has not cracked where it is joined to the end tank - with age the soldered joint can fail and give the impression of the pipe not sealing.

Mac.

That's great advice, thank you, I had wondered whether that was a possibility. I will give it a close inspection. I did however realise today that the jubilee clip I was using was of very poor quality and was actually breaking as I tightened it. I'm going to find a better one and see if that makes a seal, otherwise I think the culprit may well be what you suggest - how do I repair that?

John - I'm not sure if the thermostat is actually faulty, I was just suggesting it as a possibility to explain the behaviour, but I'm not so sure any more that it's a problem.

Today, I have been doing a few more jobs. I greased the driver's window winder mechanism which was very stiff, but that hasn't really made much of a difference. I think the stiffness is due to the fairly crude nature of the winder, compared to an improved design in later years (although I don't have a photo of BHX's door to compare).


I also took my centre console apart to replace the bulb for the transmission selector gate.




I was half expecting to find some lovely bodgery akin to John's '78 model, but I was rather pleased not to find any. The only bodgery that I did find was the explanation of why the gate didn't light up - someone has fitted a rounded connector to the wire, whereas in fact the bottom of the bulb holder is a spade! A few snips with my electrical pliers made good work on that, and as a bonus, the existing bulb still worked.

I really like the way it lights up, it's much cleverer than in 1978 MY onwards where all the positions are lit up - the bulb holder moves along with the lever, so only lights up the position that is selected - neat!




Oh and this is the best shot I can manage of the crappy dashboard lighting:


Finally, I decided to investigate why there was no sound coming from the speakers - I know the radio itself is fine as it worked in BHX. I was expecting a loose wire at the speaker perhaps, but the problem was a little more fundamental than that, as behind the grille lies....

...absolutely nothing!

A few minutes on ebay has sourced me a set, so hopefully they will arrive during the week to be fitted next weekend.

Siôn you actually need much less force than you think to seal a rubber hose to a metal pipe to a metal so I doubt the problem's the clip. The highest pressure likely to be generated in the rad is only about 12psi.

If the rad soldering has cracked it can easily be repaired - in truth if that's what turns out to be what has happened it would be a good idea to take the rad out (needed for repair anyway) and let a radiator reconditioners look at it. They would be set up to resolder the pipe stub and could also pressure test the whole rad.

Try http://www.angliaradiators.co.uk/ they're in Cambridge or http://www.sheldrakeandwells.co.uk/ in Ipswich who I have used many times and can heartily recommend.

Mac.

What Mac says, the rusty marks look like a leaky stub joint. Clip looks fine and not one of those really lame ones with the sharp edges.

S10NPH wrote:...why there was no sound coming from the speakers.....has sourced me a set, so hopefully they will arrive during the week...

You've let temptation get the better of you again! Stereo? STEREO?

What happened to no radio? What's wrong with just a mono set up? You're heading down a slippery slope to louvredom!

macplaxton wrote:You've let temptation get the better of you again! Stereo? STEREO?

What happened to no radio? What's wrong with just a mono set up? You're heading down a slippery slope to louvredom!

Well, it's a mono MW/LW radio, so technically one speaker would do, but all my other cars have two speakers wired up in a mono arrangement, so I'm just following that. It would be a bit strange for the sound to only come from one side. Plus I have a thing about symmetry.

And I'm wanting a radio in this car because I have some spare ones with no cars to attach themselves to, and because the oddments tray in which the radio lives is a bit smashed and having a radio in it hides that.

I know the sheer luxury of it all is quite distasteful. In fact, if I ever own a 1983 360 GLT (5-door), it will have both the stripes down the side of the tailgate glass and a louvre . Take care now that you haven't choked on your cornflakes with the shock .


Oh and thanks for the radiator advice, much appreciated. I will see about getting it reconditioned in the next few weeks.

S10NPH wrote:In fact, if I ever own a 1983 360 GLT (5-door), it will have both the stripes down the side of the tailgate glass and a louvre . Take care now that you haven't choked on your cornflakes with the shock .

Still choking as I type.....

Makes for a rather quiet ride Sion.

Thank goodness you did not come across my type of wiring bodgery...it took me months to get things working properly.

John

Hi Sion.
Louvredom



Cheers Mark.

Today, the hubcap pins were fitted:


and consequently, so were the hubcaps:






Here are the tragic/vintage looking speakers to fill my speaker void:


This is the grille that covers the left side one - can anyone tell if it is correct for the MY? It's not brown, but does look about right apart from that. Particularly, part of it has disintegrated, which would figure (!)


The one on my MY80 looks similar, but sticks out more and has Volvo Radio written on it.

I like the speakers Siôn!

35W peak power before they blow up (probably good for 0.1W RMS )

The head unit won't be frying them any time soon anyway.

Same speaker covers in my 1978 Sion....but only mounted in the rear.

The '77 is looking GREAT and love that color.

John

Hope those hubcap mounting rivets are well peened over on the inside of the wheel!

Mac.