Leeky Griff 500

[philmcw]

Hi all,
Help my Griff 500 still leeks !!!.

I've blobbed the living amount of silicon sealant around the rubber grommets for the brake pipes, the bonnet release cable, the accelerator cable, the clutch master cylinder inspection hatch, all the bolts, rivets etc I can see on the drivers side of the bonnet and still water gets in. I've also had my windscreen replaced.I've removed all the carpets in the drivers footwell ( they smell baaaddd :-( ) and when I leave a slowly running host pipe inside the bonnet on the drivers wing water floods in. However I cant see where its getting in as the brake pedal arrangement etc gets in the way. Does anyone know if there is anything else around there I have missed ?.

As an aside, as I ripped the smelly carpets out( any one know a good re-uphostery place near Sheffield ?), the backing foam was burnt to a crisp - looks like my heat shield stuff under the bonnet has failed. Dont know if this has any bearing on the issue.....

Any info mucho appreciated as my next step has to be take the pedal assembly out and get a good look. - gulp

[Ballistic Banana]

I tip i learned accidently with my 'S' once.
In the Dark put a bright Torch/inspection Lamp in the Footwell Then look in the engine bay etc and see if you can see any light coming through.
You may need to push the light right under the pedals
to see if its leaking around there.

BB

[shpub]

You have not mentioned the seal around the brake master cylinder.... Check it out. Page 326 in the bible.

Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk

[simpo two]

My Grif has a circular hole about an inch in diameter just above where the steering column goes through the bulkhead. I discovered it while I was trying to discover why my feet froze during winter driving! I stuck a circle of gaffer tape over it and it helped - perhaps you have that hole too? (though mine didn't leak water there)

I have a nasty feeling that if you put your head too far under the steering wheel looking upwards you might be stuck until the fire brigarde come to cut you out...

[jigs]

BB - that sounds like a version of a test doctors in Ireland use quite a lot - shine a torch in one ear and look to see if light comes out of the other - mind you last time I had it done the seat of my trousers lit up too.
Simpo - don't be daft, how could philmcw have your hole - a hole can't be in two places at once - or can it? I once had a bucket that had a hole on the inside and an identical one on the outside - weird!

>> Edited by jigs on Thursday 14th August 13:47

[simpo two]

jigs said:

Simpo - don't be daft, how could philmcw have your hole - a hole can't be in two places at once - or can it?

It all depends how many dimensions you work in. Five is good.

[technolav]

Mmm, but I seem to have simpos hole as well, even more wierd!..... seemed to loose me gears last night, and I thought I was just getting naff at gear changes in the last few weeks.

Went to have a look any found a damp patch (ooo!) in the foot well. Oh and Simpos hole. Do you want it back?


Gav

[shpub]

Leaking Clutch Master cylinder. That damp patch is probably clutch fluid.

Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk

[RichB]

Stick your finger in it and taste it, if it tastes like the most yukky bitter thing you have ever tasted its brake fluid, if not its water Rich...

[squirrelz]

technolav said:

Mmm, but I seem to have simpos hole as well, even more wierd!..... seemed to loose me gears last night, and I thought I was just getting naff at gear changes in the last few weeks. Went to have a look any found a damp patch (ooo!) in the foot well.

As Steve says, probably leaking clutch master cylinder.
By the way, I went from a 98 Rover 200vi to my Tiv as well - spooky eh?

[technolav]

Sorry Phil, Kinda stole your thread here, thanks chaps, yeh its been leaking for around a month and didn't quite sus out what it was. Just got got back from halfords with me fluid and bleeding kit....

Ta, for the advice, been reading URGENT HELP/ADVICE NEEDED RE: CLUTCH in the Chimaera forum so hopefully a top up and bleed will temporarily get me back in the road so I can last out a few days and also get it to the dealer

Wish me luck, been a good 10 years since I've done this kinda work.

Hey, freaky 200vi to TVR, natural progression I guess!!! Wicked little cars still miss driving it, but not as much fun as the TIV

Gavin

[technolav]

Everything setup after a fiddle ezeebleed kit kept leaking air then.....

Arrgh, anyone know what the spanner sizer is for the bleed nipple for the Clutch, I have 10 and 12 but no 11 in both my spanner sets I am guessing it's an 11 or imperial?

Got to go for another walk to halfords to buy one and want to make sure i get the riht one?

Oh and anyone recommend a jack that will fit under the car?

Rather Annoyed
Gavin

[shpub]

Get a proper brake nipple spanner. Less likley to knacker the nipple.

As for size it could be a 9,10,11,12, 13 or even a 14 mm one! It all depends on which one was fitted at the time. Could even be imperial but the metric spanners generally fit.

Halfords do three double ended sizes and I have used all of them at one time or another.

As for a jack... needs to be 120mm clerance minium. Halfords cheapie is fine if they have any. The JCB one isnt. You will need axle stands as well as it is not safe to work on a car supported by a jack alone.

You will need to get the car quite high to get clearance to get access to it.

The clutch etc all in't bible!

[technolav]

Ta very much Steve, and off to Halfords I go to get one of those bleed nipple tools and an 11mm spanner as I guess I lost them!

Tried the Halford Bottle jack and its too big, better take that back as well! Thanks, have axel stands, don't want me head squished

Oh and the bible, I was borrowing a friends 1st edition and nearly read it cover to cover when in the beach in Italy (how sad!). My girlfriend has told me she is going to get me a copy for my birthday next month

Gavin

[simon.b]

I’ll bet it’s the brake reservoir seal, even though mine looked perfect it wasn’t. I checked all the inner wing seal’s and grommets by building a wall with blue tack round each one in turn and filling the area with water. This was easier than performing acrobatics with a watering can and it was soon obvious which one was leaking.

Cheers,

Simon.